Chapter Forty-three

“You sure you’re going to be okay?” AJ asked, picking up his watch from the bedside table and putting it around his thin wrist. “I can stay with you, the others wouldn’t mind.”

Megan shook her head and snuggled deeper under the blankets. She‘d been planning on going out with everyone tonight to celebrate a successful tour so far, but a monster headache had changed her mind.

“I’ll be fine. I’ve taken some aspirin and all I’m going to do is rest. I’ll see you when you get back.”

“All right. Feel better, babe.”

AJ kissed her softly before grabbing his jacket and slipping out the door, making sure to turn off the lights. Megan rolled over and faced the window, thinking. Just a few more weeks and then she would be home and away from Kevin. Although she couldn’t convince her heart that she didn’t love him, want him, or dream about him at night, she could pretend.

It would be easier once she wasn’t near him so much. Then she would be able to focus more of her attention on AJ and make their relationship work. She knew she and AJ made a great pair. He really cared about her and treated her like a queen. If she could get Kevin out of her mind and heart, she could live happily ever after with AJ.

She groaned and decided to get up and get something to drink. She flipped on a lamp and made her way to the small refrigerator.

“AJ, you nerd,” she muttered when she opened it to find it empty of anything.

She didn’t want to call for room service just for a can of Dr. Pepper, so she changed from her T-shirt and shorts to jeans and a sweatshirt for the trip to the pop machine at the end of the hall.

Carlos was guarding the hallway and he nodded at her as she left her room. She walked to the pop machine, plunked in four quarters and made her selection. The can dropped and she took it from the slot.

“Guess we had the same idea,” the voice that haunted her dreams said from behind her.

She yelped and whirled around, the can of pop dropping to the floor with a thud.

“Dammit, Kevin!” she said, reaching to pick it up.

“I wouldn’t open that right away,” he warned her.

“No shit. God, what are you doing here? I thought you’d be out with the others.”

“Didn’t feel like going. I’ve been partying too much this tour as it is. I needed a night to relax. What’s your excuse?”

Megan rolled the can around in her hands. “Headache.”

Kevin nodded and eyed the can. “Can I buy you another one? One that won’t explode on you?”

“I guess.”

He bought two, one for each of them, and handed her one.

“Want to join me in my room?” he asked, popping the tab.

“What?”

“I’m not propositioning you, Megan. I thought that maybe we could just watch a movie or something. No point in both of us being alone.”

Megan ignored the goosebumps that rose on her skin and said, “All right.”

Against her better judgement, she followed him back to his room. He closed the door and motioned towards the couch.

“I’ll even let you pick the movie,” he said, tossing her the remote.

“Wow, what a gentleman,” she said, smiling. She set both of her cans of pop down on the coffee table and started flipping through channels.

Kevin left a cushion between them as he sat down on the couch. He settled into the corner and rested an arm along the back.

“What are you in the mood for?” she questioned. “Comedy? Drama? Mystery?”

She avoided romance, fearing he would choose it anyway.

He did.

“How about a romance?”

Megan bit her lip before answering. “Sure, why not?”

“Ooh, that’s a good one, stop there,” Kevin said.

Megan frowned. “What is it?”

“Far and Away. You’ve never seen this?”

“Nope.”

Kevin shifted on the couch, moving closer to take the remote from her hands.

“Then you have to see it. It’s just starting, so you can watch the whole thing. You’ll love it, trust me.”

Megan nodded and made herself comfortable, trying not to notice that Kevin had made no motion to go back to his part of the couch. She started to reach for her pop when she realized she didn’t remember which can had been dropped. Deciding to take a risk, she grabbed one and popped it open.

The sticky spray that erupted from the can covered her and Kevin, who was still sitting close by.

“Shit, I picked the wrong one!” she said, jumping up. The brown liquid was now dripping from her face, hair and shirt. Kevin’s appearance was the same. “Sorry.”

Kevin laughed and got to his feet. “It’s okay. Just stay there, I’ll get us some towels.”

Megan carefully carried the can to the sink and dropped it in. Then she washed her hands and face.

“Here, I brought you a towel and another shirt,” Kevin said, coming up behind her. He had cleaned himself up and changed into a sweatshirt.

She took the towel and eyed the shirt. “I could just run back to my room and change.”

“But then you’d miss more of the movie. Here, just take it, it won’t bite. You can change in the bedroom.”

She accepted the shirt and headed for the bedroom where she dried off and removed her sticky top. Picking up the T-shirt Kevin had given her, she held it out and laughed. It was going to be huge on her!

She pulled it over her head and slipped her arms through the holes, laughing again when she saw that it was short-sleeved, but still came down past her elbows, the bottom hem reaching her knees.

“God, just what size is this thing?” she asked, returning to the living room where Kevin was watching the movie.

He took one look at her and smiled. “It’s an extra large. Wow, sorry, I’m sure I have a smaller one. Maybe Dana left one behind.”

An uncomfortable silence filled the air as Megan walked back to the couch and sat down.

“Have you talked to her lately?” Megan finally asked.

Kevin shook his head and stared at the tv. “I tried calling her yesterday, but all I got was the machine.”

Megan fiddled with her earring. “Kevin? Why did you, um, what did you tell her?”

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I told her I thought we needed some space. I swear, I didn’t say anything about us. She doesn’t know so don’t worry.”

“I wasn’t.”

“I tried to be gentle, but I think she knows we’re over.”

“Why did you do it?”

“Do what? Send her home?”

“Yeah.”

He focused his sparkling green eyes on hers and said, “I think you know why, Megan.”

Megan looked down at her hands, surprised to see they were trembling.

“I can’t be with one person when I want another,” Kevin said, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s not fair.”

“It’s not fair, it’s not fair,” repeated itself over and over in Megan’s mind. “Can’t be with one...want another...not fair...“

“Megan?”

“Hmm?”

She looked up and saw Kevin edging closer and closer, stopping just beside her, one hand coming to rest on her leg. She did nothing to stop him.

“Do you think you’re being fair?” he asked her, gazing directly into her eyes.

“To AJ? Or to you?” she whispered.

Kevin shook his head. “No, to yourself.”

Well hell, she knew the answer to that one. No, she wasn’t being fair to herself. But she was trying so hard to keep things right between her and AJ, that her happiness didn’t seem so important.

“Megan. . . “ Kevin breathed, dropping his lips to her collarbone and kissing the skin. “I love you. I love you so much, can’t you see that?”

His mouth traveled up to hers, and again, she did nothing to stop him.

This is wrong! her conscience screamed. This is so wrong!

“But God, it feels so right,” she murmured out loud.

Her body seemed to take on a mind of its own. Her hands found their way around his neck, pulling him closer, running through his hair. He shifted on the couch, pulling her down beneath him and caressing every inch of her.

Megan broke away for a moment, and Kevin feared she would leave. Instead, she ran a hand along his face and said, “Not out here.”

He nodded and rose to his feet, taking her into his arms in one single sweep. He carried her to the bedroom and placed her gently within the rumpled sheets, then crawled in beside her.

Megan banished all thoughts of AJ and Dana from her mind, ignored her conscience, and focused entirely on the here and now.

Here she was, with the man she truly loved and desired. Now they were about to make love, something she knew they both wanted more than anything in the world.