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It's Always Been You

By: MoogPlayer




Best wishes and God's blessings to all. Thank you all for the votes on "The Light of Dawn" which allowed me to win the monthly contest, I just hope it's not the last time.

                                            MoogPlayer

P.S. Don't forget to vote.....

~~~~~~

Hi, my name is Mark Albertson, and I'm forty five years old. I stand six feet tall, weigh a hundred and ninety pounds, and I have dark brown, almost black hair and sky blue eyes. At the time of what I'm about to tell you happened, I was barely thirty- two years old, an Electrician by trade, and when I wasn't working; I lived what most would call a reclusive life. I hadn't always been that way though. I met a girl named Kerrie Hill during my freshman year of college. Soon there-after, we fell in love and then got married right after we graduated.

However, after three wonderful years of marriage, or at least I thought so, and also to make a horribly long story short, I came home from work early one afternoon and found her in our bed fucking the nineteen year old kid that lived next door. Needless to say, our marriage ended....very badly. Because I was twenty-five at the time, I climbed into a shell and hid for the next five, or so years. 

I had given up on both women and love. Women became nothing more than something to fuck on occasion, and the word love meant nothing more to me than a word that women used to get their way, or at least that's how I felt at the time. During the first few months of being single again, I felt very bitter. And after I'd had enough of my friends' wives or girlfriends setting me up on blind dates with their friends, most of which ended in disaster, I climbed into my own world. It was a world that was safe from heartbreak, shattered dreams, and pain. I bought fifteen acres of very thickly wooded land and built a house right in the middle of it all, away from everything and everyone, and that was my sanctuary.

Chapter One

I had just come home from work one Friday afternoon and my telephone began ringing the moment I set foot in my house. "Hello," I said, into the receiver.

"Hi, Mark," my little sister, Taylor, said on the other end, "What're you doing this weekend?"

"That all depends," I suspiciously laughed, "Why?"

"Well," she began, giggling into the phone, "I'm having some friends over for a barbeque tomorrow, and I was wondering if you would like to come over. You haven't been out of that house except to go to work for years. Please say that you'll come....for me, please?"

I could never say no to Taylor, who herself was twenty-eight at the time and had just gotten engaged to her college sweetheart, a guy named Travis Henderson. He's a nice guy that loves my little sister and....oopps, I'm getting ahead of myself.

"Alright, Sis," I smiled, "What time do I need to be there, and do I need to bring anything?"

"At one o'clock, and just bring yourself," she said, "And thank you, Mark. I love you very much, big brother."

"I love you, too, baby girl," I smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow."

~~~~~~

I was up and awake by nine o'clock that next morning, and as I sat on my back porch drinking coffee, I began to remember why it was that I'd chosen to live the way I'd been living, or should I say existing.

As I thought of all the pain that Kerrie had put me through, I began to get mad all over again. Only this time, I was mad at myself for ever allowing someone to control my emotions like she had. And in doing so, I felt the sting of tears as they hit my eyes and began their journey down the cheeks of my face.

"What the hell is the matter with you, Mark?" I said aloud, "Gut up and be a man for fuck's sake, and stop thinking about that whore." As one can see I was still hurting, and with that said, I was also afraid of getting hurt again. But still, today was a day that I was going to spend with my little sister who, after our parents were killed in a drive-by shooting in front of a grocery store one day while I was at work and she was away at college, became the only family I had left.

Let me take a moment to describe Taylor. She's five feet, four inches tall, has long blonde hair that flows past her little waist, she got that from Mom, and big blue eyes the same color as mine. And because I had never looked at as more than my baby sister, I didn't know all the particulars that most guys want to hear about. But let me say this, Taylor is a very beautiful girl, that much is certain.

~~~~~~

"Hi, Mark," Taylor cooed, as she hugged me tightly, "I'm so glad you could make it."

"I told you I'd be here," I smiled, as I hugged her, "Besides, nothing's too good for my baby sister."

"Damn, right," Taylor giggled, as she led me out to the pool in her back yard. 

Because they'd invested it correctly, the annuities of the stocks that Mom and Dad had bought tripled upon their deaths. And the money we inherited was, by far, more than either of us could've ever imagined; leaving both Taylor and me not ever having to work again if we chose. But our parents, God love them, had raised us correctly, in that we both wanted to contribute to our inheritances with earnings of our own, hence the reason we both worked regular jobs and each had our own houses on our own properties.

As Taylor led me through her house, I looked around and saw certain things from both of our childhoods, like pictures being proudly displayed as they hung on the walls, or sat in frames on various surfaces throughout her house. It was reminiscent of being in Mom and Dad's house, and it left me with a soothing feeling of comfort. 

~~~~~~

Once we were out in the back yard by the pool, I discovered that Taylor and I were the only ones there. But before I could say anything she smiled and said, "No one will be here until two o'clock, but I wanted to talk you alone for a while. I hope that's okay, Mark."

"Of course," I uneasily replied, "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because I never see you anymore," her eyes beginning to fill with tears as she spoke, "You stay holed up in that house all by yourself, way out in the middle of nowhere." Then she threw her arms around my neck and cried, "I miss you so much, Mark. Don't you understand that you're the only family I have left?"

"Shhh...Don't cry, sweet girl," I softly said, gently hugging her as tears fell from my own eyes. It was then that I began to realize that in becoming such a recluse, I'd hurt the one person that I loved more than anyone, or anything on earth.

"You and Kerrie have been divorced for well over five years now," Taylor sadly replied, "Don't you think it's time to move on?"

The look on her face nearly ripped my heart out by the roots, and in doing so, also made me realize that my precious baby sister was right. But still, I was terrified of being hurt again, and at the time; I didn't want to even consider getting out anywhere, much less getting into another relationship. But with my baby sister being the kind and caring soul that she is, I smiled and said, "Taylor, sweetie, I know that you love me and that you're only looking out for me, but I'm just not ready to start dating again."

"And why not?" she pointedly asked, "I know a lot of different girls who...."

"I told you, Taylor," I firmly replied, "I'm not ready."

"Dammit Mark," she spat, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me," I angrily replied, "I'm scared, alright, are you happy now?" and then I turned away so that she wouldn't see the fear that was written all over my face.

"Aw Mark, I'm sorry," she replied, gently placing her arms around my shoulders, "I know that Kerrie was a nasty fucking bitch and that she hurt you very badly; but you can't be afraid of living because of the actions of one stupid assed whore. There are some really wonderful women out there, I promise. You just have to give it a chance, that's all."

I couldn't believe the language that was coming out of my sweet little sister's mouth, but to keep from hurting her feelings by laughing when I knew she was being serious, I simply smiled and said, "Okay, I'll think about it."

However, we never got to finish our conversation, as Taylor's guests began arriving before she could reply.

~~~~~~

"Holy shit, Mark," smiled Abigail Collins, Taylor's best friend since the first grade, "I haven't seen you in forever. How have you been?"

"Hi, Abbey," I grinned, "I'm doing well, thank you."

I hadn't seen her since were all in high school together, when I was a senior when she and Taylor were both freshmen. At that time she was just a skinny wisp of a girl with dull dark brown hair and glasses. However, she had most certainly undergone some major changes since then, and damn did she look different now.

Her hair was now a full shiny dark mane that fell just past her waist, and her complexion was a smooth olive color. Her glasses had been replaced by contact lenses, making me wonder if her eyes had always been so blue. Her face was almost elfin as her pretty little nose was slightly upturned and her lips were just full enough to enhance the beauty that she'd grown into. She stood somewhere in the neighborhood of five feet, eight inches tall and couldn't have weighed anymore that one hundred and twenty-five pounds at the most. Her body was one which would make men drool all over themselves, well, every one but me....at that point anyway.

"It sure is good to see you again," she smiled, hugging me, "You handsome thing, you."

"Uh...Yeah," I uncomfortably answered her, trying to break away from the hug quickly without offending her, "You too, Abbey."

~~~~~~

Because Dad had taught me how to use an outdoor grill when I was fifteen, Taylor made certain that she enlisted my help with the cooking. There were several whole chickens that had been cut up, not to mention the hamburgers and hot dogs, too. I didn't mind at all, hell, it was worth it just to see the delightfully happy grin that Taylor was wearing all afternoon. It was then that I began to realize just how much I'd missed my sister and that it had been far too long since we'd seen one another. 

Don't get me wrong, I'd talked to her on the phone several times over the course of my self created solitude, but when I began to think about how long it had been since I had last seen her; it made my heart break a little more when I realized that it had been almost fourteen months.

"That's it," I told myself. I would never be away from Taylor for that long again just because I was feeling sorry for myself. That was also the same day that both my heart and my soul began to mend, slowly leading me from that dark place I'd fallen into so long ago.

~~~~~~

"So, tell me, Mark," Travis, Taylor's boyfriend asked, "How's work treating you these days?"

"It's work," I chuckled, as I manned the grill, "But it pays the bills, I guess."

"It sure is good to see you getting out and about," he grinned, "We've all been real worried about you, buddy."

"Thanks, Travis," I replied, patting him on the shoulder, "It makes me feel good to hear you say that."

"Well, it's true," he smiled, "Just ask Taylor."

"Which reminds me," I mischievously grinned, "When are you gonna make an honest woman out of my sister?"

"I already asked to marry me, Mark," Travis haplessly replied, "She said that she didn't want to even think about getting married until she was at least thirty."

I laughed and told him, "I guess she gave you a stay of execution then, huh?"

"Not really," Travis said, "I really do want to marry her, Mark. But she's got her mind made up about it, and you know how she is."

"That I do," I chuckled, "That I do."

"What're you two over here talking about?" Taylor asked, coming up behind Travis and kissing him while putting her arms around his neck.

"We were talking about what a stubborn wench you can be," I laughed.

"Who're you calling a wench, you fucker," she indignantly asked, "Besides, I'm not the one who's living out in the woods like Daniel Boone or somebody."

"And just who are you calling Daniel Boone, little girl?" I laughed, smacking her on the butt.

Taylor leaned over and kissed me on the cheek while she pinched me in the stomach and giggled, "You'd better watch it, buster."

~~~~~~

Once the food had been cooked and everyone had been served, I finally got the chance to sit down and eat something as well. I hadn't been sitting down for more than a few minutes when Abbey plopped her self right down beside me and sweetly asked, "Is it alright if I sit down next you to eat, Mark?"

"Of course you can, Abbey," I teased, "Besides, after I cooked all this stuff, you'd better eat it."

"You're silly," she giggled, as she took a bite of chicken, and then after she'd chewed it up and swallowed, she said, "Damn, this is good. You're going to make some lucky girl very happy one of these days, you wait and see."

"Not me," I said, with no emotion whatsoever in my voice, "I already tried that once and it didn't work." 

"That's because Kerrie Hill was a stupid bitch to begin with," Abbey replied, "You did nothing wrong, Mark."

"Look Abbey," I smiled, "I know that you mean well, but I really don't want to discuss this while I'm eating, okay?"

"Okay," she giggled, "I don't blame you either."

"Damn, girl," I chuckled, "You're as bad as Taylor, I swear."

"Oh, no I'm not," she giggled, "I'm a whole lot worse that she ever was."

~~~~~~

Later that afternoon as I was preparing to leave, Taylor walked me to the door, then smiling, turned to me and said, "Thank you for coming, Mark. I've missed you and I love you, and I never want us to go this long without seeing each other again, okay?"

"Okay, baby girl," I smiled, hugging her, "I promise that I won't ever let this happen again."

~~~~~~

The next day, Sunday, I'd spent the morning doing some cleaning up around my house. Granted, I may have lived alone, but that doesn't mean I was a total slob. I built a three bedroom house where the master bedroom connected to the back patio. I didn't have a pool like Taylor, nor was I ever home enough to really use it. Plus, I was always working, trying to keep my mind busy so, I didn't have the time that was necessary to maintain it either. But still, I enjoyed the occasional visits from the very few friends I had back then and we would always grill out and eat on my back deck.

I had just finished cleaning my house, when, some time around noon, I heard a knock on my front door. "I wonder who that could be," I thought. Surprise is not the word I would use when I saw who was standing on my front porch as I opened the door. Being floored would better describe how I felt when Abbey smiled and said, "Hello there, Mark. I asked Taylor if she thought you'd mind if I came over to visit, and she thought it was a great idea so, here I am."

Nothing pisses me off more than someone who comes to my house without calling me first and/or, just appears, unannounced. However, this was someone whom I saw often throughout my childhood to my late teenage years and she was Taylor's best and oldest friend. But because she was stunningly attractive (did I just say that?), I made an exception when I smiled as I escorted her into my house, and said, "Hi Abbey, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Well," she coyly replied, "I really enjoyed talking to you yesterday, and I was wondering if you had any plans for today."

"No," I smiled, "I just finished cleaning my house, and that was all I'd planned to do today, why?"

"Well," she slyly began, "I was wondering if maybe....."

~~~~~~

"I still can't believe that I let you talk me into this," I groaned, as I spread out a blanket that Abbey tossed me from the trunk of her car, onto the sand along the shore of the Pacific coast.

"Stop fussing, Mark," she teased, "Besides, you need to get out and about a little more these days."

"I guess," I laughed, "All we need now is a picnic basket."

"You know?" she giggled, "It's funny you should say that."

"Why?" I suspiciously asked, "What're you up to now?"

"Well," she smiled, reaching back into the trunk of her car and retrieving a medium sized cardboard box full of food, "Taylor had all this food left over from yesterday, and she told me to take it with me so that I would have something to feed you once we got out here."

"So, you and Taylor thought all this up by yourselves, did you?" I pointedly asked, knowing that I was going to have a rather firm talk with my sister later.

Abbey placed her hands on her hips, and with a definite glare in her eyes, she angrily replied, "No, Mark, Taylor had nothing to do with this, she just gave me the left-overs. If you wanna get mad at somebody, then be mad at me."

Abbey had most definitely grown into a beautiful woman, but what stuck me the most about her was the look in her eyes when she was mad; and damned if she wasn't even more beautiful just then. I could tell that my silence was making her angrier by the second so, in order to calm her down, I gently asked her, "Why, Abbey? Why do you want to do this? You know that I'm still fucked up in the head, don't you?"

As the angry scowl drained from her face, it was replaced by a sweet smile as she slowly sat down beside me, and taking my hand into hers, Abbey looked into my eyes and tenderly replied, "I've known you since I was a little girl, Mark. And yes, it was mainly because Taylor and I were best friends; but you were always nice to me, even all the times that Taylor and I got on your nerves." 

"Ya'll were a handful sometimes, that's for damn sure," I grinned, as some of those memories came to mind, "I also recall my Mom chewing my ass once or twice because of you two."

"Yeah, I remember," she mischievously giggled, "Taylor said that you also got grounded once, too."

"I sure as hell did," I laughed, "And it was yours and Taylor's fault for making a mess in the kitchen after I'd already cleaned it."

Her eyes were dancing like candles by this time, as they began to cast a spell on me; a spell that, had I really thought about it, would've terrified me at the mere suggestion of such a thing. Still though, I wasn't afraid because at the time, it was nothing more than two friends simply remembering the past. So, for the rest of the afternoon we simply sat and talked about anything and everything. 

I never realized that Abbey was just as devastated as Taylor and I at the news of our parent's death. I was so caught up in my own bullshit that I never even noticed. I also realized that day just how long I'd been wallowing in my own self pity, and it was time to stop being afraid. The bad thing about my being afraid was, I could no longer remember exactly what it was that I'd been afraid of to start with. Something inside of me began to change that day, but I was still unaware of it at the time. 

~~~~~~

As I was working the next day, I'd placed a red tag, indicating that I was working on a particular circuit, over the same circuit breaker in the panel which supplied power to the building we were working in. All of a sudden it felt like my whole body being was covered in fire ants, and the last thing I remember was the sound of someone yelling and the bright flash of the fixture I'd been mounting on the ceiling as it exploded in front of me.

~~~~~~

When I opened my eyes again I was in a hospital room with my sister, Taylor, standing over my bed as tears rained down her face.

"Mark," she fearfully cried, "Mark, sweetie, are you alright? Can you hear me?"

"I'm alright," I croaked, my entire body aching, "But I could sure use something to drink."

"Oh my God," she continued crying, only this time hugging me tightly, "I was so afraid that you weren't going to wake up." 

"I'll be alright," I smiled, as she poured me a cup of water, "What happened?"

"Do you remember anything, Mark?"


It's Always Been You



~Part 1~

"Hold on a second," I said through my phone as I was standing in the parking lot looking for my car keys. Ah, found them! "Alright, what were you saying?"

My best friend, Laura, always tends to ramble on a little and if I'm being honest, I occasionally tune some of the less important parts out. "I was seeing what you were doing tonight. Wanna come over? I'm bored."

"Yeah, I'll be over around 6. Make sure food's ready because I'll be starving by then! I haven't eaten all day. See ya, hun." I put the keys in the ignition and started to pull onto the highway, hoping to beat rush hour traffic. In the cold winter of Ohio, it's always much more pleasurable to be snowed inside of a warm, cozy house than it is to be stuck on the highway with a semi-reliable heater in your car. I'm thankful Laura called because I haven't had time to see her the past few weeks. I've been working on this big, commercial real estate project for my company and it's been taking up most of my evenings and weekends. However, I finally have a reason to celebrate after wrapping up the first major step of the project and my team and myself will have the next week relatively free.

My road to the real estate company is somewhat different than I think what most people take. Laura actually got me into the company through one of her friends. She works in fashion merchandising, but knew a few people in the real estate industry from her college years. I didn't know anything about real estate, but figured that I was willing to learn anything that could give me a stable paycheck. I started as an intern, learning the basics of real estate, but being a quick learner, I moved up the chain and am now often chosen as the project manager for many of my company's larger deals.

Laura and I have been friends for about 4 years now. We met my junior year in college, her first year out of college, at a somewhat upscale bar in downtown Columbus. She was out celebrating her first big project lead at her company and I was with a few people celebrating a friend's birthday. Within about the first 5 minutes of being at the bar, I realized the bartender had no interest in serving me, as she appeared to be spending her time schmoozing with some stuffy, overpaid businessman. After about another 10 minutes of waiting, this girl slides in beside me, reaches across the bar, grabbed two beers, and stuck some money where they used to be. I must have shown the shock in my expression because she just smiled and said, "This one's on me" as she handed me one of her "stolen" beers.

The rest of the night, I kept wondering who she was and why she decided to share her little secret with me. There were at least 20 other people at the bar who were waiting for that rude bartender. Later that night, as I was headed out, she stopped me and asked when I was going to return the favor. "Next weekend?," I asked. She smiled, "I'll be waiting to collect."

That night, as my friends and I were walking down the street trying to find a cab, my one friend, Jack started nagging me. "Hey Sara, you got a girlfriend or something?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, a little confused.

"That girl back there. At the bar. She was totally into you."

"You're crazy! She was just being nice." The truth is that, at the time, I completely thought it was innocent. Jack was just giving me a hard time. After all, they all knew I was straight. I'd been dating the same guy for nearly 3 years before we broke up just last summer.

"Whatever you say, Sara. Don't forget, this is the city. Some chicks dig other chicks around here. Not like that small country town you come from," he chuckled.

I started to wonder about what Jack said, but by the end of the night had come to the conclusion that this girl, whoever she was, just wanted to be nice. Everyone can use a new friend, right?

As I walked into that same bar a week later, I have to admit I was a little nervous. What if Jack was right? What if this girl was actually "interested"? I'd have no idea what to even say or do. Oh well. I told myself to suck it up and just have fun. This girl was nice enough to get me a beer last weekend and the least I can do is pay her back.

I spotted her standing next to the bar, she was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and dark jeans. Her wavy dark hair added a sense of mystery to her. It was almost as if, by trying to blend in with the business crowd in their dark suits and monotone attire, it made her actually stand out. She was very pretty, from anyone's standards. I caught her eye and she smiled, waving me over to join.

"Hey, I wasn't sure if you'd show," she said.

"Are you kidding me? I always pay up."

"I'm Laura, by the way. We never actually met last week."

"I'm Sara, it's nice to meet you, finally." I hesitated for a second as she stuck out her hand to shake mine. She was looking at me very intently and it made me feel a little nervous. Her green eyes were a little mesmerizing. "Drinks?" I asked, breaking the silence.

She smiled again, "Absolutely."

~Part 2~

As I pulled up to her house and parked on my usual side of the driveway, I smiled to myself. I haven't thought about how we met in a long time. We've come a long way since that day. We've been through the loss of Laura's grandpa, breakups, and location changes. For the past 4 years, she's been the person I could always rely on and I play the same role for her. It's funny how two lives become connected.

"Hey, where are you?" I yelled as I walked in. I hear her coming down the stairs.

"You scared the crap out of me, Sara. Do you have to yell when you walk in?" She gave me a hug and kissed my cheek, as always. "You look awfully fancy today. How was work?"

I was dressed up especially nice today because of the meeting that I had on that big project. My regular workouts keep me in pretty good shape, so I had just bought an expensive suit that fit my athletic frame perfectly. My dark brown hair was straightened and the bright blue shirt I wore underneath brought out the blue in my eyes. I had to agree with her that I looked pretty damn good today.

"Oh you know, same old, same old." I grinned, waiting to see her response to the next part. "Nothing major, just wrapped up the first $60 million of that giant deal."

Pause. "Are you kidding me?! That's amazing! I'm so happy for you, sweetheart! You should have told me and I would have made something more special than take out Chinese food."

"Haha you know I love Chinese food! Why would I ever need anything more special than that and an evening with you?"

"You're such an idiot, but at least you're happy with what I've got. Seriously, congratulations Sara."

"Thanks, hun."

The rest of the evening we just hung out, watched movies, and ate some semi-stale cookies we found in the cupboard. It reminded me of those first few months of becoming friends. I had my own apartment, but still being in college I dealt with unstable roommates so we usually hung out here at Laura's house. She had bought this place right after she graduated from college and fixed it up. I've always loved it here. It's cozy, but still fits her upbeat, stylish personality. I must have been smiling because she gave me this goofy look. "What?" I said.

"Why are you grinning over there? You look like you're thinking about something awfully good. Please tell me you're not thinking about Paul. I know you think he's great, but I never liked him. He's just...."

"Ok, ok! Stop haha. I'm not thinking about Paul. I was actually thinking about you, goof."

"Umm...excuse me? I'm sorry, but I don't think you should smiling like that when you're thinking about me little Ms. Straight-As-An-Arrow," she said, snickering.

"Hey now. You better watch it! First of all, I should be allowed to smile when thinking about my best friend. And second, just because I like guys doesn't mean that I'm "straight-as-an-arrow" as you like to call it. I'm friends with you, now aren't I?"

"Whatever you say, sunshine."

Nearly 3 months after Laura and I became friends, she told me that she was a lesbian. I had kind of suspected when she never mentioned anyone when I would bring up the subject of exes, but wasn't going to push the issue if she wasn't comfortable. She was so relieved when she realized that it didn't matter to me one bit which gender she had feelings for. She was my best friend and I loved her no matter what.

"So what exactly were you smiling about? I know it wasn't just thinking of me haha."

"Oh, I was actually thinking about when we first met. I was just thinking about how tonight reminded me of all those nights we'd just hang out here back when I was still finishing up college. All the stupid things we did. Remember that night when we got drunk and decided to have a foot race down your street? Mr. Hamilton was so mad when he woke up the next morning to us asleep in his front yard."

"Wow! I completely forgot about that. Wasn't that after Rachel and I broke up? You definitely did a good job of helping me forget about her that night. I still can't believe we passed out in Mr. Hamilton's yard."

"We've had some really good times over the years. I'm glad they were all with you." Laura got this strange look on her face after I said that. It was just for a second, but I know her so well I picked up on it right away. It was almost like she was disappointed when I said what I did. I brushed it off. Maybe I just thought I saw something.

"I guess I should head out. I don't want to keep you up too late."

"Oh, alright. You know you can stay here if you want. You're always welcome. Not like anyone else sleeps in that guest bedroom except for you, anyway." She looked a little hopeful, but the way she said it was quieter than her usual confident self.

"Maybe a rain check for later this weekend. I've got a few days off, so I'm sure I'll end up staying over here past my bedtime at least one of those nights. See you tomorrow? Call me when you get done with work." We hugged at the door. "Love you, Laura."

"Love you too, Sara. Be safe driving home."

"Always. Night!" As I got into my car, I couldn't stop wondering why those last few minutes felt a little forced. Was it just me? Maybe I was reading too far into things. Could have been that she was just tired. For some reason, though, it kept nagging me in the back of my mind.

~Part 3~

BEEP! BEEP! BEEEEP!

"Ugh, you've got to be kidding me. Morning already?" Laura slowly stretched her limbs and began opening her eyes. She was still tired from barely getting any sleep last night. After spending the night with Sara, reminiscing about old times, she couldn't stop thinking about her.

She kept replaying that first night that she saw Sara for the first time, standing by the bar, irritated as hell. She was obviously a college student, but looked like she held herself with confidence. Definitely a little older, has some experience and stories to tell. Damn, she was sexy. Gaining the courage, Laura slipped in right beside her, swiped some beers behind the bar and as she left her money there, caught the first up-close glimpse into those gorgeous, blue eyes. For a second, Laura was at a loss for words. Then again, it looked like this beautiful girl was still a little shocked, so Laura took that time to regain her composure and offered the blue-eyed girl a beer. For Laura, that was the first time she'd ever really taken the initiative, but there was something about Sara that just pulled her in.

The rest, unfortunately, didn't go as smoothly as that first night. When Sara showed up that next weekend, Laura could immediately tell that Sara was just innocently being nice and repaying her for the drink she had gotten her last week. At first, she was crushed, wondering why she always fell for the straight girls, or the girls who were already taken, or even worse, the girls who were just curious and playing around for a few months. Still, there was something about Sara that was different. If nothing else, she was a great person with an amazing personality. Her smile made everyone around her happier. And that body definitely turned more heads than Laura would have liked.

The initial attraction that Laura had felt grew as the two became closer, but she always did a good job of hiding it. She realized that the two of them being more than friends wasn't going to happen and found a girl every now and then that would distract her from Sara. The only girl who had even come close to fully stealing Laura away from Sara was Rachel. But then when Laura caught her cheating, that was the end of that chapter. That night, as Sara helped her forget about Rachel with friend time and a lot of alcohol, Laura began to think that maybe there was hope for her and Sara. As they were laying in Mr. Hamilton's front yard, exhausted and near sleep, Sara rolled over towards her and whispered in her ear.

"I was always jealous of Rachel. I didn't like seeing you so in love when I knew she wasn't right for you."

Before I had the chance to respond, though, Sara was passed out and the next morning seemed to have no recollection of that night. That was, until last night when she started bringing up all of those old memories. I've been doing great not thinking about "us" for so long. Now, all of those old feelings were coming back up and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to hold them back this time. Four years of loving her was starting to take its toll.

~Part 4~

"Can you come over tonight? Wanna do pizza for dinner? I'll be back around 5 if you want to come over after that. -Laura"

I kept reading that text, wondering if there was more meaning in it than it appeared. Laura usually doesn't text me. She always calls if she wants or needs something because she thinks that texting is a lazy form of communication. "Why is it so wrong for me to want to hear an actual person's voice on the other end of a conversation?" she'd say. Me, on the other hand, can't text enough. I'm one of those people with unlimited texting and use it to my absolute advantage.

So why did she decide to text me now? Things have felt a little different between us the past few days. Ever since I brought up how we first met, she's seemed distant. Did I say something wrong? I wasn't sure. I figured that I'd bring it up tonight and hopefully clear the air. Maybe I was just imagining things, she'd tell me I was crazy, and everything would go back to normal.

At about half past 5, I pulled into her driveway with a large pizza in hand. Half mushrooms and onions for her, half pineapple and ham for me. She never understood why anyone would want fruit on their pizza, but every once in a while I see her sneaking a slice of my half. "Hey, I'm here! Better get your butt down here while the food's still hot."

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Thanks for grabbing dinner. I was in a rush all day at work. We're putting the finishing touches on our spring line orders."

"Anything good?"

"You'll just have to wait and see, now won't you."

"You'd think having a friend in the fashion industry would have more perks."

"Very funny. So what have you been up to all day?"

I thought about that, trying to remember what exactly I did today. When you're not working, you completely lose the concept of time. "Umm...watched tv, paid some bills, watched some more tv, and went for a run."

"Must be nice to not have an 8-5 workday like some of the rest of us."

"Yeah, yeah." I just laughed and smiled at her. She has more days off than I do to just work at home. When you're not in the middle of an ordering season, most of the work can be done from a home office and Laura takes full advantage of those days. The next hour flew by talking more about work and what some of our old friends from college have been up to. We eventually moved things onto the couch in the living room, seeing if any good movies were playing. After flipping through, we found Pretty Woman and decided to watch what was left of it.

As Julia Roberts was in the middle of her transformation during the epic shopping trip on Rodeo Drive, I started to feel the tension building in the room again. What was with this? Why were things feeling awkward between us lately? I glanced over to Laura and she had this far-off stare in her eyes, like she had no idea there was even a movie on the television. Wait, was she crying?

"Hey, sweetheart, what's the matter?" I asked, concerned for what or who had upset her. I've always been protective of Laura because as confident and sure as she appears, she's had her heart broken more than a few times.

"What? Oh, nothing. It's just the movie."

Looking back at the movie and thinking that this is the "happy" part of the movie, I wasn't buying it. "Laura, you know you can tell me what's wrong. You've never hidden anything from me before."

She looked as if there was this internal war going on inside of her, I could tell she was struggling. "Sweetheart, seriously, what's going on?" I scooted closer, wrapping my one arm around her and pulling her into a hug. I could feel her sniffling gently against my shoulder.

"I don't want to lose you," she finally said.

Completely confused now, I pulled back and looked into her green eyes that were now full of tears. "What are you talking about? Why would you ever lose me?"

She started to get up, pulling away from me and began telling me to just forget it. "Nevermind, it's not important. I don't know what I was talking about. I've just had a hard day."

I wasn't about to let her get away that easy. I held onto her hand and kept her in place right by the couch. "Oh no, you don't. Hold on a second. Tell me what this is all about. What do you mean 'you don't want to lose me'?"

Right then, she looked at me. No, she looked into me. I could see her pleading with her eyes something that I'd never noticed before. I've never seen her look at me that way. Not since I first met her, at least.

She pulled her hand out of mine and placed it on the side of my face. I was in a trance and wasn't sure what to do. I couldn't move as she started to lean down towards me. I knew exactly what was coming next. How had I never seen this before? Was this a new development or had she always looked at me like this and I just never noticed?

Her lips were so close, we were sharing the air between us. I closed my eyes, but just as her lips started to touch mine, I pulled away. What were we doing?

"Laura.....I...can't."

That was the last thing I said to her as I got up off the couch, grabbed my coat, and left.

~Part 5~

Laura was laying in bed, tissues all around her. She had cried for nearly 2 hours straight before she had exhausted herself. Why had she done that? Sara was her best friend and meant everything to her. Was this long-time crush seriously worth risking their friendship, all that they had been through together? "Why am I so stupid?" she thought to herself.

Just then, she heard a car pull in the driveway. Her heart skipped a beat, wondering if it could really be Sara coming back this late. It was nearly 2 in the morning. Probably just someone needing to turn around. But then she heard a key unlocking the door and someone quietly slipping inside. It had to be Sara. She was the only other person to have a key.

Laura got up, trying to make herself look like less of a mess, but there really wasn't much purpose. Sara had seen her at her absolute worse before and considering the circumstances now, Laura figured she'd understand. Laura made it to the top of the stairs before she saw Sara halfway up them already.

Without saying a word, Sara made her way to the top and pulled Laura into a long, tight hug. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left the way I did." Sara whispered in the darkness.

Laura started to tear up again, but she was so exhausted that nothing really came out. "You don't have any reason to be sorry. I'm the one that..."




It's Always Been You



Before she could finish, Sara's lips were on hers. The kiss was so gentle that Laura wasn't sure if it was even real. Am I dreaming?, Laura thought. Just then, Sara opened her mouth a little wider, inviting Laura in. Even if this was a dream, she wasn't about to let it go to waste. Slipping her tongue just barely inside of Sara's mouth, it was the most amazing feeling that she'd ever experienced. The taste of her was addicting. Sweet. Sensual.

Sara moaned so quietly that if it wouldn't have been for the complete darkness, Laura might not have heard it. She slid her hands down to grab Sara's hips and pull her closer. Against Sara's mouth, Laura whispered, "Are you sure?" Sara's response was to begin backing Laura into her bedroom, their mouths never leaving each other. The backs of Laura's knees hit the bed and she sat down, looking up at her best friend, the one person she had always been in love with. She couldn't believe that this was happening. Sara's gorgeous eyes were the deepest shade of blue that Laura had ever seen, they were full of desire.

Laura just slightly raised Sara's shirt, kissing the tops of her hips, along her lower belly. She could hear Sara's staggered breathing and it turned her on even more. Sara pushed Laura back onto the bed and climbed on top of her, but having wanted this for so long, imagining it a million different ways, Laura wasn't about to give away the upper hand. She rolled them over so that Sara was laying underneath of her dazed, breathing hard, a little unsure, and never looking more beautiful. With just a look, Laura tried to show Sara how much this meant to her, how much she meant to her. She smiled as she ran her thumb along Sara's jaw and then along her lower lip. She'd never been more mesmerized by the feel of another woman.

~Part 6~

No one had ever looked at her the way that Laura was looking at her right now. It was as if Laura could see inside of her very soul and loved her without hesitation. She never planned on kissing Laura when she was driving back in the middle of the night. She just wanted to tell her that she was sorry and that she never knew Laura felt that way about her. But as they were standing in that dark hall and holding onto one another, Sara began having the realization that the love she had for Laura was stronger than just friendship. She cared deeply for this woman in her arms. And once Laura started apologizing, Sara didn't care about the consequences any longer.

Now, Laura was kissing her with a gentle passion that no man had ever shown her before. She could feel Laura's hand on her side, her thigh between her legs, and her breasts pressed against her own. Laura was restraining herself. Sara could tell in the way she was holding onto her breath, how she was nearly shaking from desire. Deciding that she wanted everything that Laura wanted to give her, Sara pulled her into a deep, tongue-massaging kiss and began grinding her hips up against Laura.

Getting the exact response she wanted, Laura moaned into her mouth and started to take the lead. She pushed Sara back further onto the bed and began pulling off her own shirt. Sara watched in awe as she saw Laura's tight stomach and perfect breasts. Never in her life had Sara looked at another woman like this and felt desire. All of these feelings were new, but not unwanted.

When Sara started to take off her shirt, Laura's mouth went dry. After wanting this woman for 4 years, the reality of finally having her in her bed, stripping, was surreal. Sara was beautiful. Before she had a chance to take off any other articles of clothing, Laura pushed Sara back again and began kissing her. This time with a little more urgency. She began massaging Sara's nipples outside of her bra, gaining an appreciative sigh from her. As she started nibbling and sucking at her neck, she slipped her hand down Sara's stomach and hesitated above the top of her pajama pants. For the first time since Sara kissed her, Laura thought that maybe they were going too far. Maybe Sara wasn't ready for this. She pulled back and looked in Sara's eyes, asking in silence if this was alright. If Sara was ok with where this was going.

Without a word, Sara placed her hand over Laura's and slid both their hands inside of her panties. They both moaned on contact. Laura couldn't believe how wet Sara already was and it made her crazy with desire knowing how hot she had made Sara.

Laura had a much softer touch than Sara was used to. It was gentle, but strong and sure at the same time. Fingers sliding along the edge of her pussy lips, Sara was going crazy.

"Please, Laura, I need you."

Breathing heavily and starting to ride Sara's thigh, Laura whispered, "What do you want me to do, baby?"

"I want you inside me. Now."

Not wanting to disappoint Sara in her first time with a woman, Laura decided to show her everything that she was missing. She began rubbing circles around Sara's clit, eliciting a deep, uninhibited moan from her. Laura started shifting her weight to move down Sara's body, kissing along her neck and collarbone. Her breasts, stomach, inner thighs. Then, as Sara could hardly take anymore teasing, Laura's wrapped her lips around Sara's clit as she slipped two fingers inside of her. Her hips thrust upwards as Sara couldn't hold back any longer. "Ohhhh, yes, fuck baby!"

Laura flattened her tongue against Sara's pussy and licked up and down, drawing every ounce of sweet honey from her. She continued licking as Sara began to come back down from the peak, then she moved back up to kiss her. Sara could taste herself on Laura's tongue and was amazed at how good the combination of herself and Laura tasted.

As Laura looked at Sara with a goofy, satisfied look on her face, she couldn't help, but fall completely in love with her. She had just given Sara an amazing orgasm and was happier than she had ever been. She kissed her again, putting all of her love into that kiss.

"I love you, Laura."

At this, Laura opened her eyes, not believing what she just heard. She was worried that Sara would regret what had just happened, but...love? "What?"

Sara laughed quietly, "I said I love you, you idiot. I don't know exactly how this is all going to work or what happens next, but I know I love you. I'm IN love with you."

With Laura leaning down to kiss Sara and seal the deal, she said "I'm in love with you too, beautiful" against Sara's lips.



It's Always Been You



"Mister Hennings was right about you," she giggled, her smile lighting up the room.

"Really," I knowingly grinned, "He told you that I was a pain in the ass then."

"Well, sort of," she said, "But I think you'd probably fire me if I told you what he did say, though."

"No really," I grinned, expecting anything at this point, "Tell me, what did he say?"

"Well," she stammered, "He...he said that you were full of shit."

I was certain that the whole office building probably heard the laughter that rolled out of me in waves, and once I'd regained my composure, I smiled at Tracy and told her, "I need for you to get me the progress reports on each of the jobs we've got going."

"You got it, Mark," she grinned, turning to look back as she walked out of my office, "One more thing...welcome back."

"Thanks, Tracy," I smiled, "I appreciate that, I really do."

~~~~~~

It felt different not being on my old jobsite that morning. It felt even better to be able to wear more comfortable clothes and not having to wear my heavy-ass tool belt around my waist all day. But what I really enjoyed the most was being able to go the other jobsites that we had going, and getting to see some of the friends that I'd mentioned earlier that used to hang out at my house sometimes on the week-ends. 

"What's the matter, Mark," teased Rick Miles, a friend of mine, as well as one of the other foremen, "Did you get tired of doing real work?"

"Go ask Gary," I laughed, "He said that the reason he put me in charge was so he could go play more rounds of Golf."

~~~~~~

After a quick bite of lunch I was back in the office two at o'clock that afternoon. I hadn't been back for more than ten minutes when Tracy informed me that I had a phone call.

"Hennings Electrical Contractors," I said, into the receiver, "This is Mark. How may I help you?"

"My goodness, you sound so official," giggled my sister's voice, on the other end, "You even have your own secretary now, too. Wow, I'm impressed, big brother."

"Hey, Taylor," I smiled, "What's up?"

"Nothing really," she chirped, "I just called to see how you were enjoying your first day on your new job."

"I really like it," I replied, "It's a lot less stressful, that's for sure."

"And a lot less dangerous, too, Mark," she pointedly replied, "Don't forget about that." 

"Alright, sis," I chuckled, "You're right."

"I know," she smiled, "I'm always right."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" I teasingly barked, "I've got work to do."

"Yes, there is," she giggled, "I want you to meet me at Sam's Café around one o'clock for lunch tomorrow, can you do that?"

"Okay, I'll be there," I laughed, "Now I've got to go back to work."

Bye, Marky," she playfully teased, right before hanging the phone up.

~~~~~~

When I got home after work that evening and walked into the house, a strange feeling began to overcome me. I looked around the house and realized that my sister had been right when she'd said that I had been "holed up" like Daniel Boone. All of the dreary memories of my relationship with Kerrie were all around me. So, with a new lease on life, I decided right then to do something about it.

I went all throughout the house and opened the drapes and let some light back into what was more like a dark self-imposed mausoleum than a house. Then I took every thing out of every room that reminded me of Kerrie, pictures, mementos etc, put them in boxes, closed and taped them up, then loaded them into the bed of my truck. I had plans for those boxes that, while it may not seem particularly sane to most people, would help me find some semblance of peace; but I'll go into that later. I cleaned, vacuumed, and polished my furniture like a mad housewife, and when I was done; my home took on the appearance of a whole new place.

After I'd eaten dinner that night, and once the kitchen was clean, the moment my head hit the pillow, I immediately fell into the peaceful slumber, which my soul had been missing for a very long time.

~~~~~~

I went into the office next morning to check in with Tracy to see if there was anything on the contract board. And after finding that it was clear, I told Tracy, "I need to take care of some personal business this morning, but I'll back no later than eleven-thirty."

"Okay, Mark," she replied, looking up from whatever it was she'd been working on, "I'll see you when you get back."

~~~~~~

After I left the office, I drove to the fishing docks over in San Pedro to look up an old friend of my Dad's who owned his own boat.

"Hey, Mister Tom," I smiled, finding him mending his nets, "How are you doing these days?"

"Well, hello, Stranger," he replied, hugging me, "How have you been doing?"

"I need to ask a favor, Mister Tom."

"Whatever it is," he smiled, "Consider it done."

~~~~~~

"We're hovering at nine-hundred feet, Mark," Tom smiled, "Do you need any help with those boxes?"

"No, sir," smiled, throwing the boxes of my past over the side and into the Pacific Ocean, "I've got it."

Once all the boxes had been thrown over the side and were bobbing up and down in the water, I picked up the twelve-gauge, pump action shotgun that I was given as a gift, and began unloading into the boxes, smiling in satisfaction as each one began to sink into the dark depths of the water.

"You feel better now, Mark," Tom asked, after I explained what I had done and why.

"Hell yeah," I grinned, "Much better."

~~~~~~

Chapter Three

At one o'clock that next afternoon, Taylor and I were having lunch on the out-door patio of Sam's Café, and surprisingly enough, I was on time.

"Hi, big brother," Taylor grinned, greeting me with a hug, as soon as I appeared at the table she'd reserved for us, "You look different today. Did you get a hair cut or something?"

"No," I chuckled, "No hair cut, just me."

"Something's different about you," she said, one eyebrow raised, "I can't put my finger on it, but something is definitely different."

"I haven't got the slightest idea what you're talking about, Taylor," I flatly said, "I thought we were here to eat, I'm starving."

"Typical man, always thinking with your stomach first," she smiled, leaning over and pulling out a chair across the table from her, "Here, sit down so that we can eat Mister 'I'm Starving'."

"It's about time," I teased, as I took the offered chair, "I guess I'm paying, yes?"

"You bet your ass you are," she giggled, "Besides, you're a very highly paid executive now, and you can damn well afford it."

Of course either one of us could've afforded to buy anything by this time in our lives, but that was just one of the many ways that my sister found to bust my balls, the little shit. She was, and still is, incorrigible, I swear.

To tell the truth, Taylor owned her own structural engineering firm. In the first six years of its operation, my little sister out-bid several other major firms for three of the newest high-rise office buildings in Los Angeles. My company has worked on one or two of her projects ourselves. She's brilliant, she really is, and I've always been so very proud of her and I know in my heart that Mom and Dad, may God bless their souls, are as equally proud. 

~~~~~~

"All bullshit aside, I really am happy for you about your new job, Mark," Taylor devilishly giggled, "Now maybe you can talk Gary into coming down on some of his fees."

"I don't know," I cryptically grinned, "Are you gonna give me a kickback?"

"Shit, Mark," she accusingly teased, "What do you think I am...some kind of crook?"

"Now you know how I feel about trying to talk Gary down on his fees, those same fees that pay my salary," I pointedly but gently replied, "And besides, in the future, per Gary's authorization, I'll be the person to deal with where anything with the company is concerned."

"Oh, shit," Taylor giggled, "My General Contractors are gonna be real pissed off at me."

~~~~~~

I had enjoyed having lunch with Taylor that afternoon, and because she had covered for me during her lunch hour, I made sure that I brought my secretary, Tracy, a feast fit for the Queen she was.

"Here, Tracy," I smiled, handing her three larger delivery boxes packed full of food, "I'm sure you haven't eaten yet so; this is for covering my ass during your lunch hour today."

"Holy Cow, Mark," she exclaimed smiling, "I'll never be able to eat all of this."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" I grinned.

"As a matter of fact, I do," she smiled, her cheeks blushing, "His name is Michael Haynes and he works on Rick Miles' crew."

"Then give it to him when he gets off today," I knowingly grinned, "I know, for a fact, that Rick works the shit out of his guys so; I'm quite sure your fella will be starving come quitting time."

~~~~~~

"Hello," I said into the phone, which began ringing the moment I walked into my house that evening.

I knew who it was the minute I heard my ex-wife say, "Hi, Mark baby, it's been a long time."

"What in the hell do you want," I viciously seethed, my stomach turning into knots, "And why are you calling me, Kerrie?"

"There are still a few items that I was awarded in the divorce settlement that I never got which I would like to have," she sarcastically snipped, "Would tomorrow be good for me to come by and pick them up?"

"After all this time?" I spitefully asked, "Bullshit!" 

"Come on now, Mark, sweetie, please don't be like that," she sweetly purred, changing tactics, "I haven't seen or spoken to you in a long time and you're being so mean to me." 

"Mean?" I angrily growled "What you did to me went way beyond cruel, or have you forgotten, you fucking slut? Everything that was yours is long gone from here so, that means that I don't ever want you to call me again, and don't come over here or I'll have you arrested. Do you understand?"

"You're a spineless asshole, Mark," she laughed, with an evil tone of voice,

" You always were," and then she abruptly hung up.

"Fuck you, you fucking cunt," I spat, slamming the phone down onto the hook.

~~~~~~

That night I had fitful dreams, none of which I can remember; and maybe that's a good thing. I do remember it being about something having to do with my ex-wife though, and that was enough; making me even more thankful for not being able to remember. 

~~~~~~

Having turned the alarm off the previous night, I woke up the next morning, Saturday, at nine-thirty to the sound of my telephone ringing...again...funny, huh?"

"Hello," I groggily replied.

"Good morning, big brother," my sister chirped, "Are you still in bed, sleepy head?"

"Oh, hi Taylor," I yawned, "Good morning to you, too. Now, what do you need?"

"Why, what do you mean," she asked, feigning innocence, "What makes you think I want something?"

"Because, "I laughed, "I know you like a book, and I know you didn't call me on your day off to simply say good morning."

"Oh, alright, you got me," she giggled, "I need you to pick Abbey up at the Athletic Center at three o'clock. I just got a call from one of my contractors and I won't be able to make it back in time. Please say you'll do this for me."

"Jeez," I teasingly groaned, "Okay, but you owe me, girl."

"Oh thank you, Mark," she cooed, "I'll call and tell her that you're picking her up, you're the best, gotta go, love you, bye," and then she hung up.

"You, too, little sister," I laughed aloud, as I set the receiver back into its cradle.

~~~~~~

I mowed the grass, and trimmed the hedges, and then took a shower before I left to pick Abbey up. I didn't know that she worked on Saturday until I remembered what she'd said about being a fitness trainer or something. Then it made sense that most people would be more apt to take fitness classes in their off hours, as opposed to during the work week.

~~~~~~

"Hi, Mark," Abbey smiled, when I pulled into the parking lot of the Athletic Center, "Thanks for picking me up."

"No problem," I grinned.

"Actually, I'm glad you're here," she said, "I could use your help for a second."

"Sure," I said, "Let me park my truck."

~~~~~~

Abbey led me into the corner of an equipment room where two long staffs, called Hong Bo, or just plain old "Bo" staffs, and two short ones, called Escrima Sticks, sat on end in a corner behind a four foot, by two foot, wooden box which sat in front of them.

"Would you mind grabbing that box for me, Mark," she sweetly asked, "And I'll get the rest of this stuff."

"Sure," I smiled, "I don't mind at all."

~~~~~~

I hadn't taken notice of Abbey's attire until I was following her back to the truck. She wore a pair of black baggy pants with a pair of white with green stripes on each side, leather soled, mat-style shoes on her feet. Her hair had been tied back in a pony tail and she wore a tank top with a gray sports bra beneath it. And even though it was obvious that she'd been working out, she was still beautiful (Did I just say that again?)

~~~~~~

"Thanks again, for all your help, Mark," Abbey gently said, "I really appreciate this."

Just then, the name that I used to tease Abbey with when she and Taylor were little came to mind, making me chuckle and say, "You're welcome....Gabby."

"MARK," she loudly giggled, "You haven't called me that since I was a little girl."

"Yeah," I laughed, "Actually, it just came to mind."

"I remember," Abbey sweetly laughed, "I used to get so mad, too."

"It was funny, too," I chuckled, "You and Taylor were so cute then."

"What're you trying to say, Mark," Abbey indignantly asked, "You don't think I'm cute now?"

"NO...I mean, Yes," I stuttered, "Aw, hell," and then shook my head."

"Gotcha," Abbey delightfully giggled, "You should see your face. It was so......."

A sudden "BOOOOM," interrupted her, followed by the both of us being suddenly thrown forward then back in the cab of my truck, slightly jarring me. I looked into my rear view mirror when all at once, a large, black SUV passed beside us on the highway and then pulled in front of, and across our path, making me bring my truck to a slow halt.

"What the hell is this?" I asked, as two body builder types emerged from the SUV and came walking toward us.

"Don't worry, Mark," Abbey said, as she got out of the truck, "I've got this."

"Abbey, no," I warned. But before I could stop her, she'd retrieved one of the Hong Bo staffs from the bed of my truck and looked as if she was going to face them in a head to head confrontation.

I quickly walked over in order to step in between her and the two guys, but as I drew closer, I heard a harsh exchange of words, and then Abbey was all over the both of them. Her staff was spinning faster than the speed of light while her feet seemed to follow every blow of the staff. In a matter of seconds she had laid waste and devastation to the two assholes that had rear-ended my truck; and when it was all over with, the two would-be thugs were lying, prostrate, bloody and unconscious across the asphalt surface of the highway.

"Jesus Christ," I said, stunned, "What the hell did you do that for, Abbey?"

"Your ex-wife sent those two fuck heads to rough you up, Mark," she venomously replied, looking back at the two men who were still unconscious, "I just let them know that they were fucking with the wrong person, that's all."

"Holy shit, that was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen," I excitedly said, "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Damn, boy," she giggled, "You don't listen very well, do you?"

"I don't understand," I said, "What do you mean?" 

"Think back to when you were recuperating at Taylor's house," she knowingly teased, as we walked back to my truck, "Do you remember what I told you when you asked me what kind of work I did?"

"Yeah," I replied, starting my truck once we were both inside, "You said that you were some kind of fitness instructor, or something."

"Jeez, Mark," she giggled, and then began to laugh uncontrollably, "I guess the pain medicine that the doctor gave you must've really messed you up, huh"

"Shut up, little girl," I replied, trying not to laugh, "That's not funny."

"Seriously, sweetie," Abbey giggled, regaining her composure as I drove us away, "What I told you, was that I was a Karate Instructor; and in my off time, I like to train with the weapons used in the style of the Martial Arts that I teach, which, by the way is Togakure Ninjutsu." (Pronounced: Toe-gah-koo-rey Nin-joot-soo)

"Damn, Abbey," I ashamedly said, "I'm sorry for not remembering, but tell me how you learned to do all of what I saw back there."

"Alright, then," she smiled, "I went to college on a track scholarship to the University of Texas. One of my coaches told me that she saw something in me that I didn't even know existed."

"What was it, Abbey?" I mysteriously asked.

"You're gonna love it," she proudly continued, "The coach that I'm talking about, a lady named Lynn Sanderford, who also holds a fifth degree, or dan as it's called, Black Belt; and the thing she said she saw in me was herself when she was my age. She became my role model and taught me so many wonderful things. Not only did we become good friends but she was like a second mother to me and helped me through a lot of things I might've fallen victim to."

"She's a fifth degree Black Belt?" I asked, "Wow, is there such a thing a sixth degree?"

"No, not for Americans there isn't," she replied, "What I mean is, the discipline is of Japanese origin, therefore you have to be Japanese to be ranked any higher."

"So, what made you want to learn all this stuff?" I asked, "Don't get me wrong, I thought you were great. Hell," I laughed, "I'll put you up against all the men that I know."

"Oh hush, Mark," she demurely smiled, "You're embarrassing me."

"I'm sorry, Abbey," I apologetically replied, "But I'm really interested in why someone would want to learn all of that?"

"Well, for me it was the discipline at first," she explained, "But then after the first year or so, I began to feel better physically than I'd ever felt in my life. I also began to feel better about myself, and before I knew it, the confidence that I'd been lacking took its foothold and has been there ever since."

I knew better than to say anything right then so; I simply reached across the seat and squeezed her hand while giving her a wink and a smile."

~~~~~~

"Would you like to come in for a minute?" Abbey shyly asked, when we pulled up in her driveway, "Besides, I've seen your house so, now it's your turn to see mine."

She was right; I'd never seen the inside of her house. I think I remembered my sister telling me that she'd bought it a couple of years ago when she came back to town. But that was when I was wallowing in my own self pity, and so I don't remember much about that time, or least I'm trying to forget.

With that in mind, I smiled and said, "I'd love to see your home. Lead the way, M'lady."

"My goodness," she giggled, "Follow me, kind sir."

Perhaps it was because her pants seemed less baggy than before, or maybe it was just me, but I could've sworn that I saw I definite sway in Abbey's hips as she led me to her front door. And after unlocking it, she smiled and purred, "Welcome to my humble abode," and then she took my hand and said, "Come on, handsome, I'll give you the nickel tour."

I felt like I had just stepped back in time to somewhere in medieval Japan. Every piece of furniture, bedding, and/or table, throughout the house was culturally accurate, all the way down the to rice paper privacy dividers. Even the bedroom doors had been replaced with sliding rice papered partitions.

"Wow," I grinned, "This is beautiful, Abbey, really. You've done an excellent job with this house, I swear."

"Just for that," she giggled, "You're going to stay for dinner."

"Please," I objected, "I don't want you to go to any trouble, Abbey."




It's Always Been You



"Look, Mark," she smiled, "I was going to cook something anyway so, don't even think about saying no."

"Okay," I relented smiling, "You win, Abbey, thank you."

"You're welcome," she sweetly grinned, "Now; make yourself at home while I go take a quick shower."

~~~~~~

When Abbey returned from taking her shower, she wasn't wearing any make-up and while it was obvious that she'd only towel dried her hair; it fell wild about her head, giving her a sensuous untamed look. She was wearing just a pair of shorts with a tee shirt which made it obvious that her beautiful full; round breasts lay unfettered beneath it. 

I couldn't keep my eyes off of her, and at one point she unintentionally made it obvious that she was aware of it, but this was something that I'm quite sure I wasn't supposed to know so, I acted accordingly. She sat down next me on her couch and began combing her dark mane out, still drying it in places with the towel she'd brought with her, and said, "Do you like Teriyaki Chicken?"

"I sure do," I smiled, "It's one of my favorites."

"That's good," she mischievously giggled, "Because I'm making spaghetti," and then she began to girlishly laugh, reminding me of our younger days when she and Taylor would get me into trouble with Mom.

"Some things never change," I laughed.

"Why Mark," she replied, feigning innocence, "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean," I teased, "You're still a brat."

"Whatever," she giggled, "Are you gonna help me?"

"No," I continued teasing, "I figured that I'd sit on my ass and let you do all the work."

"Get your lazy ass up," she laughed, "You can cut up the vegetables while I cook the chicken."

"I thought we were having spaghetti," I chuckled, "Damn, woman, make up your mind."

"You were the one who said I was a brat," she giggled again; "I just thought I'd act like one, that's all."

~~~~~~

Dinner was great, and while we ate, I got to sit and actually talk to Abbey for the first time with no distractions. She was very knowledgeable, about a great many things, and it was then that I began to look at her as an equal as opposed to just being one of my little sister's friends from long ago. Being away from home had matured her in a way which, had we not practically grown up together and knew one another, I would've never recognized.

Yes, she had certainly become more beautiful than any woman I had ever seen, but I guess because of the training she'd undergone in college, she seemed much older and wiser than her years, suddenly becoming that much more attractive to me. 

~~~~~~

As I drove home from Abbey's house that night, I thought about everything that had taken place that day. I was still reeling from the way she had handled those two assholes that we'd encountered earlier, but now there was something about her that I couldn't quite put my finger on, nor could I get enough of, and the trouble was......I wanted more.

"Damn," I said aloud, "What're you doing, Mark?"

~~~~~~

The moment I pulled into my driveway I could tell that something was amiss. Every light in my house was on, and the front door was standing wide open. I put my truck in park, left the engine running, and then reached into my glove compartment and retrieved my father's old U.S. Navy issue, Colt .45 automatic pistol. And after chambering a round, I got out of my truck and quickly made my way to the house. 

~~~~~~

I was relieved to find that there was no one there, but whoever had been there had completely ransacked the place. I could tell that it wasn't a common thief who'd broken into my house, because too many things, like my stereo, television and other valuables had gone untouched. No, whomever it was that had broken in was searching for something specific, and I knew what that something was. However, before I touched anything else, I called not only the police, but I called my sister as well.

~~~~~~

"Oh my God, Mark," Taylor gasped, at the sight of my trashed home, "What the hell happened?"

"The police should be here in a few minutes," I replied, in a hushed tone of voice, "We'll talk about it after they're gone."

~~~~~~

The police came and took my statement while the Crime Scene Investigators did their jobs. They collected finger prints, samples of dirt that had apparently been tracked in by the intruder, and various and sundry samples of everything. They even swept the carpet for hair fibers. It was really pretty neat to watch these people work, or at least I thought so. Once everything had been done that was necessary, I gave the police my contact information and they informed me that I would be hearing from them after the CSI had run the samples they took.

~~~~~~

"Do you wanna tell me what the hell is going on, Mark?" Taylor asked, at the first given opportunity.

"Okay, here it is," I began, "Do you remember when Kerrie and I went to Jamaica the year before I caught her fucking the neighbor kid?"

"Of course, I do," she smiled, "You bought me that beautiful pearl necklace while you two were down there."

"Well, I went SCUBA diving while Kerrie spent the morning in the hotel spa, "I told her, "It was our gift to one another."

"Dammit, Mark," Taylor disgustedly laughed, "I don't wanna talk about that whore so; get on with the damn story."

"Okay," I chuckled, "Anyway, I saw something reflecting the sun from the ocean floor while I was diving. And when I went to check it out; I found a small gold box buried in the sand and lodged against the bottom of a large brain coral. It was pure luck that I found it, but the thing is, I didn't tell anyone on the dive boat about because I knew that I would have to turn it in to the Jamaican Government, or probably pay a very heavy tax just to get it out of the country.

"Holy shit, Mark" Taylor gasped, "You mean you smuggled it out? You could've gotten into big trouble if you'd been caught, you dumb fucker."

"Who're you calling a fucker?" I teased, "Besides, that's not the half of it. When I got the box home and was cleaning it, it popped open and inside of it were three gold coins, Spanish Pieces of Eight."

"Really," Taylor gasped, "Is that stuff worth anything?"

"That's the thing," I grinned, "I did some research and I found out that in seventeen thirty-two; King Phillip of Spain had three particular coins minted, which were basically prototypes, and after his approval, would be mass minted and then circulated into Spain to be to be proclaimed as His Majesty's gift to his people."

"And I can only imagine that you told your slutty ex-wife about it," she accusingly said, "Didn't you?"

"Well, of course I did," I sheepishly replied, "That's back when I thought I could trust her. Besides, she never really cared about that shit anyway."

"Well, it seems that someone is interested now," she venomously replied, "And I'm willing to bet that it's more than likely Kerrie, that fucking cunt."

"Damn, girl," I laughed, "Why don't you tell us how you really feel?"

"I never liked her, Mark," Taylor replied, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"Taylor," I gently asked, beginning to feel like shit because I felt I'd some how hurt her, "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Because," she openly cried, "I knew that you were happy, and I didn't want to sound like some kind of whiny little wimp."

"Don't cry, sweetie," I said, as I pulled her into my arms, "I only wished that you'd said something. You're my family and we've always trusted one another, haven't we?"

"Yes," came her muffled cry.

"Alright then," I smiled, holding her at arms length as I wiped away her tears with the palm of my hand, "No more secrets between us from now on, okay, little sister?"

"Okay," she smiled, "I'm sorry, Mark."

"It's alright, sweetie," I gently soothed, "There's nothing to be sorry for, okay?"

~~~~~~

"Who's responsible for this?" Abbey asked, as she and Taylor helped me clean up the mess left in the wake of the intruders who'd ransacked my home that night

"That whore he was married to," Taylor spat, "I am so gonna kick her ass the next time I see her."

"I heard that," Abbey laughed, "Save some for me, Taylor."

"Now wait a minute," I said, "We don't have any proof that she was responsible for this, you two."

"Oh come on, Mark," Taylor impatiently replied, "You said so yourself that she....."

"I said that I wasn't sure," I interrupted, "So I don't want you to go getting worked up over this. Besides, you could end up getting hurt, and then I would end up in prison."

"What you mean, you'd end up in prison?" Taylor asked.

"Because I'll fucking kill anyone that hurts you," I coldly replied.

~~~~~~

Chapter Four

"We found a few smudges, but that's about it," said Sergeant Ross, the responding officer who'd been at my house after the break-in, "This was done by a professional."

"So," I pointedly asked, "What am I supposed to do when whoever it was that broke into my house comes back?"

"Do you own a gun, Mister Albertson?"

"No," I replied, "Why?"

"You didn't hear me say this," he replied, leaning in secretively, "But in this state, if you shoot and/or kill an intruder during a home invasion, as long as the body is still in your house when we get there, then it would be considered a case of self defense."

~~~~~~

After I left the police station, I drove back home. I wasn't about to buy a gun, nor could I shoot anyone even if I did, besides; I already had Dad's, and also, I sure as hell didn't want that kind of thing on my conscience. Things were getting bad enough in the world as it was and I didn't need any more complications in my life than I already had. And as far as my ex-wife was concerned, I knew she was dumb bitch, but I didn't think she was that crazy. Little did I know what would unfold in the coming weeks?

~~~~~~

Hi, Mark," Taylor said, when I answered the phone.

"Oh, hey sis," I smiled, "The sergeant I talked to said that they didn't find anything other than some smudges here and there, nothing they could use."

"Dammit," she replied, "Well maybe whoever it was won't come back, especially since they didn't find anything."

"Maybe," I replied, "Let's hope so anyway."

"Listen," she said, "I'm having some friends over for a pool party this afternoon, and I was wondering if you'd like to come? I'm even having it catered so that you won't have to cook...Please Mark?"

"Hell," I relented, "Alright, Taylor, what time?"

My sister began giggling like she always does when she's being a smart ass and said, "In about an hour or so...bye."

~~~~~~

"It's about time you got here," Taylor grinned, when I arrived at her house, the party in full swing, "I thought I was going to have to send out a search party to come and get you."

"Hush, girl," I smiled, "I'm not late and you know it, smart ass."

"Come on in, then," she replied, "Did you bring your swim suit?"

"I'm not going to swim," I laughed, "I'd rather eat and drink the beer that I know you have plenty of."

"Uh huh, that's what I thought," she said, reaching into the front hall closet and retrieving a Wal-Mart bag, then handing it to me, "Here, I knew you weren't gonna bring some shorts so; I got Abbey to stop on her way over and get you a pair. Now go get changed or go back home."

"So," I teased, "It's gonna be like that, huh?"

"Come on, Mark," she crossly replied, "Don't be such an asshole. Lighten up and have some fun, okay?"

As I took my pants off to reveal my shorts, I laughed and said, "I was planning on going swimming. I just like yanking your chain."

"You fucker," she laughed, "Why do you do that?"

"For the same reason a dog licks his dick," I paused for effect, "Because he can," and then laughed my ass off.

"Fuck you, Mark," she laughed, "The beer's in the cooler outside."

~~~~~~

I was sitting outside talking to some mutual friends of mine and Taylor's, having a blast of a time. The food was very good and I thought it couldn't get any better until.....

"Hello, Mark," said a familiar female voice behind me, making me turn around.

My mouth went dry and I thought I heard my heart skip a beat, when there before me, stood the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my life. Abbey was wearing a dark blue bikini which wasn't skimpy, but it was more like a second skin and it looked extremely good on her. Her hypnotically blue eyes were dancing like candles as her shiny long dark mane flowed all down her beautifully bare shoulders.

I never knew that her breasts were as big and round as they apparently were, and I suddenly wanted to eat off of her flat beautiful stomach. But the way her bottoms hugged her tight but very muscular ass sparked a tingling in my groin that I hadn't felt in too many years. 

"Hi, Abbey," I smiled, as she took a seat next to me, "Wow, you look great."

"Thank you," she sweetly replied, "I'm glad you think so."

"Have you eaten yet?" I nervously asked, "The food's pretty good."

"I was gonna get in the water first," she smiled, batting her eyes at me while turning my stomach to jelly, "Care to join me?"

~~~~~~

"Taylor told me what you did," Abby giggled, while we were floated in the pool, "I thought it was funny as hell."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I was talking about when you got here, with your swim shorts on under your pants," she grinned, "Taylor got all pissy when I laughed about it."

"Oh that," I laughed, "Yeah, well, like I told Taylor, I love yanking her chain."

"I was wondering if I could ask you something." Abbey inquired, "It's kind of personal so, you can tell me that it's none of my business if you want to."

"What is it?" I smiled, "What do you want to know?"

"Well," she shyly began, "I wondering if you've ever thought about maybe trying to find somebody new, someone who can make you happy?"

"I don't know, Abbey," I replied, knowing where she was going with this and being a little intrigued, believe it or not, "The last conversation I had with my ex-wife proved to me that she was a lying, manipulating bitch."

"So, you're saying that you're over her then," Abbey inquired, "And that maybe you're ready to move on."

"Yeah," I nodded, "I guess so."

Because we had both been lying facedown on two separate floats while we talked, Abbey pulled my float towards hers until we were face to face, mere inches between us. Then gently touching my face, she smiled, and in a near whisper, said, "We're not all bad, Mark. I would never hurt you, not ever."

"I know, Abbey," I softly replied, "I know." 

The tender moment we were sharing was suddenly interrupted by the loud squeal of my sister as she'd tried to throw her fiancé, Travis, into the water, and ended up with him taking her with him as they both fell together.

Abbey and I both were laughing our asses off, as was Travis, when Taylor emerged from beneath the water, sputtering and yelling loud obscenities at us.

"Stop laughing, you fuckers," she playfully spat, "That wasn't funny."

"Yes it was, baby," Travis laughed, "You should've seen the look on your face."

Then she looked over at Abbey and irritably replied, "Men are such cocksuckers, aren't they?"

"No," I smirked, "I believe that's a woman's job."

When Travis laughed and said, "Oh, hell yeah, Mark," it was the last thing I heard before Taylor and Abbey both tackled me, dunking me beneath the water to chastise me for the crude remark.

~~~~~~

After everyone else had gone there were only Taylor, Travis, Abbey and I left sitting on the back patio watching the sun setting into the western horizon.

"I think everyone had a great time today," Taylor proudly smiled, "What do you guys think?"

"I thought it was great, sweetheart," Travis smiled, placing his arm around Taylor's waist and tenderly kissing her cheek, "And I heard more than a few people talking about what a nice time they had when they were leaving this afternoon."

"I don't know about you guys," I smiled, stretching out on the double Chais lounge beside Abbey, "But I really love this time of the evening."

"You're right, Mark," Taylor replied, looking dreamily into Travis' eyes, "I know what would be perfect right now," and with that said, she quickly disappeared into the house.

"Where's she going?" I asked.

"That's what I love so much about her," chuckled Travis, "I never know what she's gonna do next."

Suddenly the sound of David Gates and "Bread" began to gently flow from the stereo system, and Taylor returned with a tray containing a bottle of brandy with four snifters.

"Here's something that will warm us all from the inside out," my sister giggled. After filling all four snifters and handing them out as she poured them, she raised her glass and said, "Here's to the three people that I love the most," then took a sip of the amber nectar therein.

After we'd all taken the first sip, Taylor set her glass down, turned to Travis, and then taking his hand, smiled and purred, "Come dance with me, baby."

"You've got it, darlin," Travis grinned, as he and Taylor began to gently sway to the music, making smile because my little sister had someone to love and be loved by.

"It's good to see you smile," Abbey said, breaking me from my reverie.

"Oh," I said, regaining my composure, "I didn't realize that I was."

"Well that doesn't mean you should stop either," she softly giggled, "It's alright to be happy, silly boy."

It was then that I began to realized that, while I might not be totally happy, I was content with the direction my life had taken, very content.

"Would you like to dance with me, Mark?" Abbey shyly asked.

"Why sure," I smiled, offering her my arm to help her up as I stood, "I think that would be nice."

~~~~~~

The song, "Everything I Own", was playing, and as we danced together, Abbey gently pressed her body, now covered by the long tee shirt she wore over her bikini, firmly against mine, and softly laid her head on my shoulder.

I feared her when she hugged me like this a couple of months earlier, but now it suddenly began to feel like I was right where I was supposed to be; and for reasons unknown to me at the time, I wrapped my arms around her, firmly but gently holding her against me.

"It's about time," Taylor giggled, "She's only been waiting to dance with you since she and I were thirteen, Mark."

"Dammit, Taylor," Abbey angrily said, "Will you please shut the fuck up?"

"Chill out, Abbs," Taylor smiled, "My brother likes you, I can tell."

"Son of a bitch," Abbey replied, tears of embarrassment pouring down her cheeks, "Sometimes you make me so fucking mad." And then she broke away from me, turned and went inside and began gathering up her belongings.

"Wait a minute, Abbey," Taylor said, following her inside.

~~~~~~

Deciding not get involved, Travis and I sat back down and finished our brandy. And after a couple of sips, he looked at me and said, "I'm not trying to be disrespectful. Mark, but sometimes Taylor...."

"Can be a real pain in the ass," I interrupted, finishing his sentence, "Yes, I know very well."

~~~~~~

"Way to go, sis," I sarcastically said to Taylor, as she came back out onto the patio after Abbey abruptly left.

I could tell by the way she was acting that she'd had way too much to drink as she slurred, "I was only teasssing her, she just can't take a joke."

"Whatever," I angrily spat, "Look, you're drunk and I'm leaving."

~~~~~~

My phone rang at eight-thirty the next morning, and knowing who it was before I answered it, I picked up the receiver and said, "What do you want, Taylor?"

"How did you know it was me?"

"Because I know you," I disgustedly replied, "You got drunk and showed your ass last night, and now you're calling to apologize. I'm right, aren't I?"

"I'm really sorry about last night, Mark," she quietly said, "I really am."




It's Always Been You



"That's all well and good," I told her, "But I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, dammit."

"I tried calling Abbey," she replied, "But she won't answer her phone."

"Do you blame her?" I asked, my displeasure with her present in my tone of voice, "Shit, Taylor, you humiliated that poor girl. I'll be surprised if she ever talks to you again."

"I know," she began to weep, "Please help me, Mark. I couldn't take it if that happened, please help me."

"Well, I'll go talk to her," I flatly replied, "But I don't know how much good it's gonna do."

"Thank you, Mark," she sniffled, "Thank you so much. I know she'll listen to you."

~~~~~~

"Are you alright?" I asked Abbey, as she answered her door looking like she'd been up all night crying.

"No," she sniffed, "Taylor is such a bitch sometimes."

"She sure is, "I laughed, "But I wouldn't let it bother me if I were you. Can I come in and let's talk about it?""

"Okay," she slightly smiled, "You want some coffee?"

"Sure," I said, as she opened the door to let me in, "Can I help you in any way?"

"No," she wearily replied, "But I'd like it if you'd stay and keep me company for a while."

"Of course," I gently said, "I think I'd like that."

~~~~~~

"I know that Taylor sent you over here," Abbey said, while we sat out on her back patio drinking coffee, "But I'm glad you're here."

"Taylor's not the only reason I came over here," I replied smiling, "I wanted to make sure that you were alright after the awful way you were treated last night."

"Thank you, Mark," she sweetly said, "I know that you really care."

"I don't know," I gently teased, "You make pretty damn good coffee."

"Why do you do that, Mark?"

"Why do I do what?"

"You always crack jokes when someone even remotely tries to be tender with you," Abbey said, her eyes filling with tears, "I know that you care. You think I didn't see the way you were looking at me in my bikini yesterday?"

"I'm sorry, Abbey," I replied, "I guess it's just a self defense mechanism or something."

"Self defense?" she softly spoke, "I'd die before I'd ever hurt you, Mark. Please tell me that you understand that."

"I do, Abbey, I really do," I replied, "But I'm still afraid."

"Aw, Mark, sweetie," she replied, coming around the table to sit in my lap and throw her arms around me, "I'll never give you a reason to be afraid of me, not ever. I do hope you know that."

"I'm not trying to make a joke, I swear," I smiled, "But I've seen you in action, girl, and you scare the shit outta me."

"Silly boy," she softly giggled, holding my head to her breast, "What am I gonna do with you?"

"What you're doing right now feels great," I replied.

"Hmm," she smiled, leaning back against me, "I'll keep that in mind from now on, believe me."

"I've always believed you, Abbey," I smiled contently, "And I always will."

~~~~~~

"What are your plans for today, Mark?" Abbey asked me.

"I don't know," I casually replied, "I wasn't really planning on doing anything today."

"Well then," she grinned, "I was gonna go surfing today. I know that you used to surf a lot when you were younger and I hoping that you might wanna go with me. Whadaya say?"

"I say, hell yeah," I happily smiled, "You're pretty smart....well, for a girl, that is."

"And you're a smart ass," Abbey playfully giggled, "But of course I'm sure you practice, huh?"

"And you call me a smart ass?" I chuckled, "That's a case of the pot calling the kettle black, if ever I heard one."

"That's right," she giggled, softly but quickly kissing my lips, "And don't forget it either.

~~~~~~

After stopping by my house to pick up my wetsuit and surf board we were on our way. We took my truck for the obvious reasons of being able to haul both of our surfboards, wetsuits, and cooler, and also the picnic basket that Abbey had packed.

~~~~~~

Thanks for coming with me, Mark," Abbey smiled, on the way to the beach, "But then again, you've always been a nice guy."

"I don't know about the nice part," I chuckled, "But thanks just the same, Abbey."

~~~~~~

Abbey guided me to a spot that, while there was a decent point break, wasn't crowded. As a matter of fact, there were hardly any people there at all. We pulled up in the parking and got out. It was difficult to see from across the bed of the truck as we were getting into our wetsuits; but as Abbey pulled her tee shirt off I saw her red bikini top which was, to say the least, a bit more revealing than the blue one I'd seen her in the previous night. I didn't get to see her bottoms as she bent down to take her shorts off before she stepped into her wetsuit, but a small part of me sure wanted to.

~~~~~~

Although I hadn't gone surfing in more years that I cared to remember at the time, it all came back fairly quickly. And in no time I was surfing like I'd been born to it. It's difficult to explain to someone who's never done it, but there is something about surfing that is purely spiritual. 

To me it feels like I'm riding the hand of mother earth as she gently caresses the shoreline. Call it silly if you will, but until you've done it yourself, nothing compares to the excitement of riding a wave, knowing that at any time you could possibly be swallowed up by it.

Abbey surfed very well herself, I might add. And watching her is an experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. Her wetsuit fit her like a glove, outlining every contour of her body. And I loved the way she looked with her hair slicked back on her head, giving her the look of a seductress, stalking her prey with every smile or wink. God, she looked so sexy that day, but then again my dumb ass didn't realize that the best was yet to come.

~~~~~~

We'd been surfing for well over three hours when Abbey paddled up next to me, her cute little ass covered by her wetsuit and shining in the sun.

"I don't know about you," she panted, clearly winded, "But I've had about all the surfing I can stand for a while."

"Okay," I smiled, "Let's go ashore and dry off, then."

~~~~~~

When we got back to the truck Abbey stood before me smiling, like she had a secret or something. Then reaching for the lanyard that was connected to the zipper talon on the back of her wetsuit, she pulled it down until the back of it opened.

I was okay when she began to pull her wet suit off until she had it around her waist. Then she slowly pulled it down to reveal a small, tight bikini bottom that barely covered her. It was the same color as her top, and tied together by strings on both sides of her hips. And because it was still wet, it molded to her body clearly defining the cheeks of her beautiful little ass as well as the small patch of hair that covered her mons. 

I knew that Abbey had worn this bathing suit strictly for my benefit, reinforcing the fact when she giggled and asked me, "Do you like what you see?"

"Oh, my God, Abbey," I gasped, "How could I not?"

"Then you do care about me, huh, Mark?'

"Of course I do, Abbey," I smiled, "I always have. Hell, you've been a part of this family since Taylor brought you home that first time to spend the night, back when the both of you were six years old."

"Oh, Mark," she irritably replied, "That's not what I'm talking about," giving me a derisive glare then turned her back and began to dismissively put her shorts and tee shirt back on. Then she suddenly stopped and slowly turned back to face me, and with a forlorn look on her face, she slowly and wearily sighed. 

"Are you okay?" I asked, moving to gently place my hand on her shoulder.

She took my hand into both of hers, and placing it on her soft and tender cheek; Abbey looked into my eyes, and in a bittersweet tone of voice, replied, "I'm alright, Mark. I'm just dealing with something that's been going on for a long time now."

"Is it because of Taylor?" I asked, taking both of her hands into mine, "I'll talk to her if you want."

"No," she laughed, "Your sister and I have been at each other's throats before and are still friends. It's just something I've got to take care of."

"Okay," I gently replied, "Is it something I can help with?"

"I don't know about right now," she softly replied, kissing the tip of her finger and then placing it upon my lips, "But maybe one of these days, I hope." Then she grabbed the picnic basket out of the back of my truck, and smiling, said, "Come on and let's eat, I'm starving."

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about all kinds of things and basically enjoying one another's company. I didn't realize it at the time, but all of the fears that I once harbored began to slowly recede back into the darkness, allowing me to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

~~~~~~

Chapter Five

Then next day was Monday and a work day. I walked into my office to find Gary, my boss, waiting for me. "Hey, Gary," I grinned, looking at my watch, "You should be halfway through the front nine by now."

"Yeah, yeah," he laughed, "Aren't you just full of yourself this morning?"

"Whatever," I laughed, "It's better than being what you're full of."

After both of us laughed I leaned toward my intercom, and pushing the button, said, "Tracy, would you bring Mister Hennings and me some coffee, please? He takes his the same way I do."

"Okay, Mark," came her reply.

"So," I asked, "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, boss?"

Gary had a look in his eyes which I'd seen many times over the years, a look which meant he had something important that wanted to discuss with me. He was about to speak when Tracy suddenly came in with our coffee. Wasting no time, she put our cups in front of us, and then quickly left."

"Thanks, Tracy," I said, as she closed the door behind her, but not before she gave me a quick grin. Then I turned back to Gary and said, "Okay, Gary, what's going on?"

"Sergeant Ed Ross and I play golf together," he pointedly replied, "And I heard about what happened over at your place this past weekend; and I guess I just wanted to make sure that everything was alright with you."

It was then that I realized something I had almost forgotten. While I was wallowing in the years of pain and self doubt, I had turned my back on a number of people that love me, and in doing so knew that I'd hurt them. But Taylor, Abbey, and now Gary had always been there for me all along, even though I couldn't even stand to be around my self, much less them.

"I'm just fine, old friend, "I retrospectively smiled, "Whoever broke in just made a mess. It was probably a bunch of kids, I'll bet."

"Man," Gary tersely replied, "Kids these days are such assholes sometimes."

"I don't know," I grinned, "Our parents used to say the same things about us."

"Yeah, they did," he laughed, "They sure as hell did."

~~~~~~

I had just returned from lunch when my intercom buzzed. "Yes?" I answered.

"You have a visitor," Tracy replied, "She says that she's your ex-wife."

"What the fuck does SHE want?" I thought, and then flatly said, "Show her in." 

~~~~~~

"Who the hell do you think you are, coming to my work like this," I disgustedly growled, "And what the fuck do you want?"

"I want the coins. Mark," she pointedly spat, "Or else I'll tell the police that you illegally smuggled them into the United States."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I laughed, "What coins?"

"Don't you dare try that shit with me, asshole," she hissed, "You know damn well what coins I'm talking about."

"Fuck you," I growled, "Now get out of here before I have you thrown out of here, you evil fucking whore."

"You've still got someone else doing what you never had the balls to do yourself," she mockingly laughed, "That's alright, but I think you should know that a couple of friends of mine think that your little sister is a hottie. You've met them; they were the two guys that your dyke bodyguard attacked. Maybe they can ask Taylor if she knows where the coins are."

Suddenly something inside of me caused me to snap, and in a rage of anger; I took a hold of Kerrie's once long and dark, now bleached blonde hair and wrapped it around my right hand, lifting her off the ground in the process. Then slamming her against the wall, I got within mere inches of her face and seethingly hissed, "Let me tell you something, you fucking cunt. If you or any of your fucking muscleheads come near me or my sister again, I'm gonna fucking kill you. Do you understand me you God damn whore? Now get the fuck outta here," and with that said, I threw her onto the ground, releasing her right before she hit the floor."

"Oh my," she seductively giggled, "It looks like you've grown some balls after all. You're making me hot, baby, you wanna fuck me?"

"Get the fuck outta here," I panted, while I pushed the intercom button, "Tracy, call building security to my office immediately."

~~~~~~

"Taylor," I said, the moment she answered her work phone, "I need for you to do something for me. It's very very important so; please don't argue with me."

Taylor knows when something serious is going on just by the tone of my voice. It was the same tone of voice I used when I told her about Mom and Dad's death. So, with that in mind, she worriedly asked, "What's wrong, Mark?"

After apprising her of the situation, I said, "I want you to go home and back a bag, then go to my house and make sure that no one knows where you are; okay?"

"Alright, Mark," she giggled, "But...."

"No buts," I replied, interrupting her, "Just do as I ask, please."

Okay, Mark," she snickered, "I'll do what you want me to," giggling as she hung up.

"Damn her," I thought, hanging up my phone, "This was serious and she's laughing about it. I'm gonna have to have a talk with her."

~~~~~~

As I pulled up into my driveway, I saw not only Taylor's car, but Abbey's as well. Now I've always been the type of person to give someone the benefit of the doubt, regardless of the circumstances or situation. So, with that in mind, I parked my truck and then got out and went inside.

~~~~~~

Imagine my surprise when I walked into my house to find Taylor and Abbey sitting at my kitchen bar laughing and drinking lemonade.

"So," I laughed, "I guess you two kissed and made up, huh?"

"You wish," Taylor blandly replied.

"I was just helping Taylor get her stuff over moved here while the exterminators are spraying over at her place," Abbey sweetly smiled, "She made me some lemonade for helping her. I hope that's okay." 

Abbey's warm smile totally disarmed me, making me realize that I might've been a little harsh when I thought of Taylor's behavior over the phone earlier, eliciting the gentle understanding smile that spread across my face.

"Well, I'd better go," Abbey said, standing up and smiling, "I've got some things I need to take care of."

"We'll see you later, Abbs," Taylor smiled.

Take care, Abbey," I replied, "We'll see you soon."

"I hope so," she grinned, winking at Taylor, "Bye, you guys."

~~~~~~

"Can I ask you something, Mark," Taylor asked, at dinner that night, "Without making you mad?"

"That's never stopped you before," I chuckled, "But go ahead and ask me anyway."

"What do you think about Abbey?" she blurted out.

"What kind of question is that?" I replied smiling, "I think she's great, you know that"

"Okay, let me rephrase it then," Taylor grinned, "How do you feel about her?"

I knew that look on my face as I thought of Abbey had betrayed me when Taylor excitedly chirped, "I knew it. You do care about her, don't you Mark?"

"I never said that," I replied, "Don't go putting words in my mouth."

"I don't have to," she giggled, "I can tell you do by the look on your face so; don't even try to deny it."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Taylor Lynn Albertson," I grinned, knowing that she hated it when I used her middle name.

"Oh, yes you do," she said, "And stop using my middle name, dammit."

Taylor leaned back in her chair with a pleading look on her face and quietly told me, "I don't know whether or not you know this, but do you remember when Abbey and I were thirteen years old and in Junior High School, and you dropped us off for our first dance?"

"Sure I do," I smiled, "You two looked so pretty that night, and you were both scared shitless, too."

"Yeah, we were," she sweetly replied, "And because you're my big brother, I knew that you meant it. But Abbey took it even further because you were the first, well, the only boy that ever told her she was pretty."

"I'm very sure that's she's been told how pretty she is by now," I pointedly replied, "I mean, jeez, look at her, she's beautiful."

"Yeah, she is," Taylor said, "But she didn't look like she does now until after she came back from college."

"I love you, Taylor, I really do," I said, scratching my head, "But I haven't got the slightest idea what you're talking about."

"She's in love with you, Mark, "my sister said, "She has been ever since we were both young girls."

"You knew this, didn't you?" I accusingly asked, "Why didn't you ever say anything to me about it, Taylor?"

"You're right and I'm sorry," she sadly replied, "At first I thought it was gross, but as we grew older I began to warm to the idea of Abbey and you being together. I'm going to deny ever telling you this if it comes back to haunt me, but I don't know what hurt her the worst, you getting married, or you becoming the hermit you did after you and Kerrie divorced."

The thought of Abbey hurting or being hurt suddenly turned my stomach into knots, and looking in my sister's eyes, I said, "Damn, Taylor, she probably thinks I'm some kind of cold hearted asshole now."

"No, she doesn't," she smiled, "she still loves you with all of her heart."

"Jesus," I sadly said, "What am I supposed to do, Sis?"

"That depends on you," she grinned, "I assume that you're over your cunt ex-wife, yes?"

"Hell yes," I vehemently said, "That fucking bitch can kiss my ass."

"Good," Taylor giggled, "Give Abbey a chance, Mark. I promise you that you'll never regret it."

"I'm, afraid, Taylor," I replied, my voice beginning to tremble.

Suddenly my sister stood up from the table and walked around to where I sat, and then after leaning down and placing her arm around me, she smiled and said, "It's alright to be afraid, big brother," she began to cry, "but I'm willing to wager my soul against the fact that I know Abbey will never hurt you, and that she'll always love you. Please, Mark, please give her a chance."

"She is beautiful," I smiled, "And she's always been so sweet, too."

"Yeah, she is," Taylor giggled, pushing away from me while she wiped her eyes, "And she's a whole sweeter than you deserve."

"Yeah," I grinned, "You're probably right about that one. Okay, I'll call her tomorrow."

"You won't be sorry," Taylor smiled, hugging me again, "I promise you, Mark."

~~~~~~

I was busy at work the next day until well after two o'clock. As I came back into my office I sat down and immediately dialed Abbeys work number.

After a couple of rings, she picked up and said, "Abbey Collins, can I help you?"

"Hi, Abbey," I smiled, "This is..."

"Mark," she giggled, sweetly interrupting me, "What're you doing calling me at work, silly boy?"

"Well," I shyly began, "I was wondering if...uh...Oh hell, I was wondering if you like to go out to dinner with me?"

"Really?" she wistfully asked, "As in a date...with you?"

"Yes," I hopefully replied, "I mean, if you're not busy or anything."

"Oh, Mark," she tenderly replied, "I'd love to, when?"

"How about if I pick you up at your place around seven o'clock this evening," I smiled, "If it's okay with you, that is."

"I'm really looking forward to it," she giggled, "I'll see you tonight then."

"Okay, sweetie," I replied, "I'll see you then."