(written by Lacy) Jade sat staring out at the reflection of the moon on the lake, her foot gently pushing against the ground and the hammock swinging slowly back and forth. She was thinking. Thinking of that summer 3 years ago when she was so carefree... so happy to face the world and all it's challenges that were so new and exciting to her. What had happened to that girl? She had become a mother, that's what.
Sighing, she lifted her bare feet up into the hammock and gazed up at the leaves that created a shady canopy above her head. God, how she had missed this place. She missed the fun days in the lake with the guys, the barbeques in the backyard, the feeling she used to get whenever Kevin wrapped his strong arms around her... she shook her head suddenly. Stop thinking like that! she scolded herself, He doesn't love you anymore... maybe he never really did. A sudden movement out of the corner of her eye made her glance over at the corner of the house. "Oh, hi, Nick. Don't scare me like that," she said, laying back in the hammock and directing her gaze back to the lake. "Is A.J. really pissed about the party?" she asked.
When she didn't receive an answer, she continued; "I guess you're mad at me, too. Look, Nick, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause a scene like that. I never meant to tell Kevin about Scott like I did. It wasn't supposed to come out like that. I wanted to talk to him privately... but when I saw him with that girl, I just got this feeling inside me... almost like pure anger! But I don't know why I was mad... maybe it was jealousy. Nick, I think I'm still in love with him... and I don't know what to do because it's so obvious to me now how much he despises me. Nick, are you okay? You're never this quiet." she said, looking up at the silent, dark figure now standing just 10 feet from her. "Nick?" she asked again.
He took a step closer and entered the light and she realized what a grave mistake she had just made. "Kevin!" she gasped, standing up and almost tripping over a tree root. She saw the dark, unmoving expression on his face and a chill ran through her spine. He took 2 more steps towards her. "Kevin, I--," she started, but her words were cut off when suddenly he pulled her against him and his mouth came down hard upon hers.
He ran his hands through her soft hair as a moan escaped past his lips. God, how bad he had wanted to do this the first time he saw her stainding in the backyard, holding her son. His son. THEIR son. Suddenly, he forgot how angry he was at her and all the horrible things he had said to her just a short time ago.
He felt his arms wrap around her waist and he barely kept himself from picking her up and carrying her into the house to make wild, passionate love to her. God, how much he had missed her... he felt his heart beat quicken as she opened her mouth beneath his. She circled her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. She pushed herself even tighter against him, as if she were afraid something was going to tear them apart. She could taste the alcohol on his breath, and for a moment thought of pulling away, but her thoughts quickly evaporated as his hands roamed over her body, which was hot beneath his touch.
He felt as if an electrical shock had just gone through him and he knew his body was reacting to hers. Jade felt as if her heart were about to burst from her chest from the lack of oxygen she was receiving. Her arms reluctantly removed themselves from his neck as his grip loosened on her waist and they pulled apart simultaneously, both gasping to catch their breaths, but not stepping away from each other. They stood, there, looking into each other's eyes, both wondering what the other was thinking.
"Jade--,"
"Kevin--,"
They both said at the same time. They smiled at each other, knowing that there was much to be said, but neither of them wanted to talk. He ran his thumb gently over her face. She closed her eyes and quietly took in the moment. She wondered how long this would last before he blew up at her again... she knew she deserved everything she got. After all, Scott was his son and she had neglected in telling him until the last minute. She wondered if she ever would have told him if she hadn't of moved back to Orlando when she did.
Neither of them were aware of the curtains in the upstairs bedroom window being pulled aside and a smiling Jess glancing out at them. But the smile disappeared just as quickly as it had come as the curtains quickly fell back into place before the silent unlooker was discovered. Finally, Jess thought to herself, Romeo and Juliet are together again.
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Jade woke up with a yawn and made a move to turn over, until she realized where she was. She was still laying in the hammock in the backyard. She looked at her watch and it read 8 o'clock a.m. Had it all been a dream? But then she felt the warm body beside her and the strong arms that encircled her and she knew it hadn't been a dream at all. Then another thought crossed her mind. Had they made love last night? She replayed the night in her head and sighed in thankfullness when she remembered that they hadn't. Feeling a chill from the cool morning air, she snuggled closer to Kevin and closed her eyes, drifting peacefully back off to sleep...
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Kevin woke up and felt the red fire behind his eyelids and knew immediantely he was going to have a hell of a hangover that morning. Feeling the pounding in his head and hearing the dull roar in his ears, he groaned and attempted to move his arm to cover his eyes, but something was weighing it down. Opening his eyes slightly only to come face-to-face with the morning sun made him moan in pain again. Shielding his eyes from the sun with is free hand, he looked over to his left and almost fell out of the hammock in shock when he saw Jade laying there, her head on his chest. What the hell happened last night? he asked himself, thinking back to just a few hours ago.
Then he remembered everything: how he had received the shocking news that he was a father... how much he had had to drink after he found out... how he had left AJ's house to find Jade and demand an explanation... how she had mistaken him for Nick and confessed to him how she felt... and how he had reacted to it. He ran his free hand over his face. He couldn't believe how vulnerable he had been to her... or that she still had that kind of power over him. He had obviously been drunk; yeah, that's it! That explained everything. He looked down at Jade again and felt his heart swell with... with what? Love? He shook his head as if he was mad with himself.
Slowly, as not to wake her up, he removed his arm from underneath her. Being careful not to move the hammock too much, he stood up and grabbed his leather jacket from the tree limb he had hung it on last night. With one last look at Jade, he turned and walked around the house and out of the backyard and -- ultimately -- away from her.
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