Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
"What?" Sarah's voice sounded like a yell but came out more as a squeak. She cleared her throat and tried again.
"They want to meet you. . . ." Holly began.
"I get it. . . .but. . . .why?" Holy shrugged.
"The concert is over at 11," Holly said.
"What time is it now?" asked Sarah, getting nervous.
"Ten fifty," Sarah sighed and tried to straiten her clothes.
"Great," she mumbled. "What are the chances that he'll recognize me anyway?" Holly looked dubious but she didn't say anything.
"I didn't know you before you moved here, but you haven't changed all that much since I met you," Holly finally said. Sarah glared at her and Holly smiled encouragingly.
"Are Dani and Jenny coming back?" Sarah asked. Holly nodded. As if on cue the door opened and Dani and Jenny walked in.
"It was amazing," sighed Jenny dreamily.
"Thanks for falling," said Dani happily. "Otherwise we'd never be able to meet them."
"I'm glad that you can find a positive side to this," Sarah muttered. Dani shrugged.
"Don't look so depressed!" she said. Sarah managed to look even more depressed. Holly, Dani, and Jenny flitted around the room like fairies, fixing each other's hair and makeup.
The door opened and Sarah buried her face in her hands. Jenny, Dani, and Holly squealed and sat up straighter. They gripped each others hands tightly.
"Hi," said a pleasantly friendly voice.
"You were great!" Dani blurted.
"Thanks," the person said almost uncertainly. Sarah lifted her head, she knew it wasn't Lance. Voices can't get higher.
Wow, she thought. She was definitely impressed. She hadn't really been paying attention to the pictures that she had seen in the lobby, so it was a pleasant surprise to see such a good looking guy.
He was tall and looked Italian. He had brown hair with red tips, brown eyes, and a goatee.
The next guy stepped into the room.
Even better, Sarah thought. The first guy looked good. The second. . . .looked better. He had chocolate brown eyes and spiky dark hair. He had a little beard thing, not exactly a goatee, that Sarah thought gave his hard edge a more softer, playful look.
Sarah was beginning to think that it wasn't such a bad idea that she had fallen.
If the first two guys were cute the third was just plain sexy.
He was tall and muscular with spiky dark hair and the most piercing blue eyes.
Oooooh baby! Bring all that sugar straight to me! Sarah's mind yelled.
His nose was a bit big, but big in a lovable way.
The fourth guy walked into the room and Sarah's mouth fell open. Everything about him was perfect. Perfect little curls, perfect baby blue eyes, and the sexiest body.
Those little curls were what Sarah liked the most about him. They were so. . . .curly. She was tempted to pull on one and see if it sprung back into place.
Sarah's mind laughed wickedly. She wondered what he dorky Lance would look like next to these hunks.
Your Lance? her mind asked smugly. Since when did he start being your Lance?
Sarah wished that her mind would shut up. She held her breath as Lance walked into the room.
Sarah's eyes widened and all the air left her lungs.
The man that she had been waiting, wanting to see, for the past four years, the man that she had held responsible for the death of her twin, boyfriend, and friends, for all those years, now stood before her.
He was still the same height but he had lost his faggy haircut and replaced it with twiny spikes. It was lighter at the tips and made his slightly chubby face look leaner. It looked deliciously tousled, as though he had just fallen out of bed and ran his fingers haphazardly through it. She wanted to run her fingers through it, see if it felt as tantalizing against her palm as it was to look at. It was incredibly sexy.
His eyes were the same shade of seafoam green. His face was leaner, it wasn't just the hair and had some whiskers on it. He was more muscular than she remembered. Sarah wanted to push her hands against his chest to see if he felt as solid as he looked.
Sarah stood and her eyes never left his face, searching for some sign of recognition. There was none.
Sarah swallowed the lump of bitterness in her throat and fought back her tears.
Everyone had congregated into a corner of the room to introduce themselves. They seemed to have forgotten about Sarah, standing lost and forlorn by the couch. She was the reason why they were there and nobody bothered to ask her how she was feeling.
The curly boy turned around and finally noticed her.
"Hi!" he said. He stuck out his hand and Sarah shook it cautiously. "I'm Justin."
"I'm Sarah," she answered, craning her neck over Justin's shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of Lance.
"You're the girl that fell?" he inquired, not unkindly. Sarah blushed and nodded. "Why don't you come over here?" he asked, gesturing toward the small group. Sarah looked over at them and her heart lurched. Holly had her arms wrapped around Lance as if they belonged there. Justin followed her gaze and grinned.
"A Lance lover huh?" he joked. "Come on. . ..he's got no confidence, you gotta build it up." He began to pull her over to the group but she held back.
"Shy huh? Well, if you won't go to him we'll have to bring him to you." Sarah shook her head in vain. "Lance? Lance! Come over here!" Justin called. Lance disengaged himself from Holly and walked over to Justin and Sarah.
"Hi," Lance said. He looked at Sarah and did a double take. "Sarah?" he whispered hoarsely. Her lower lip trembled and Lance urgently pulled her body against his. Justin stared on stupidly.
"I guess you two know each other already?" Justin asked, perplexed. Lance nodded and Justin walked away.
Sarah breathed in Lance's cologne and tried not to cry. She loved feeling his body pressed so closely against hers but she had to stop.
When Sarah pressed her palms against his chest it was all Lance could do not to moan. He reluctantly let go of her.
"How are you?" she asked, trying to compose herself. Lance wrapped an arm around her and led her back to the couch.
"Good. You?" he asked, just wanting to hold her. A bleak look entered Sarah's eyes as she remembered her dream. Lance noticed how she suddenly became distant. "What's wrong?"
"I had a nightmare earlier. It just kind of bothered me." Sarah shrugged her shoulders.
"Wanna talk about it?" he asked gently. She shook her head. "Please?" Sarah sighed.
"I had a dream that I killed someone. . . you. . ..then killed myself." Sarah slid her eyes to his. "I would never try to hurt you." Lance wrapped his arms around her.
"I know you wouldn't," he murmured soothingly. He smoothed her hair away from her face and slanted his lips over the corner of her mouth. Sarah turned her head and his lips grazed her cheek.
"I. . .I can't," she whispered, even as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her flushed face in his shoulder.
"Do you forgive me?" he asked in his deep voice. His fingers traced slow circles on her back. Sarah nodded. "Then what's the matter?"
"Everytime I think of you I get guilty. You should be with Natalie. I don't want to be her replacement, Lance," Sarah whispered.
"Sarah, you aren't her replacement. I didn't love her. It was a fling. After I left I couldn't stop thinking about you."
"You were going to use her?" Sarah asked angrily, standing up. "How could you be so selfish? I can't believe you!"
Sarah stalked angrily from the room. Everyone stared after her in shock.
"I'll go get her," Holly said. Lance stood up.
"No. I made this mess now I have to fix it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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