"Hey Brian." Lily said nervously, unsure of what Brian was doing there or what exactly his feelings were about the whole situation. Brian just looked at her with a half smile on her face, waiting to be asked inside. "Oh, come in." Lily said and moved aside to let Brian in.
He walked into the house and looked around the room and his eyes settled on Lily with a smile. "You're probably wondering what I'm doing here, huh?" he said.
Lily nodded and motioned for him to have seat on the sofa, saying "I have to admit I'm a little curious."
Brian sat down and waited for Lily to have a seat next to him before continuing. "Honestly, I don't really know, Lily. I just wanted to see you. To make sure you're OK." Lily smiled at his concern but wasn't completely sure of the reason for it. Brian saw her confusion and continued. "I just wanted to assure myself that...Kevin's treating you all right."
"Well, Brian it's only been a few days..."
"I know." he interrupted "I wanted to know that-- Did you want to marry him, Lily?"
Lily looked away from the concerned look on his face and said softly "It wasn't my choice, Brian. I...I just want to do what's best for my son. Right now his father may be what's best for him." She looked back up at Brian and saw uncertainty in his eyes. "Brian, however Kevin feels about me...doesn't matter. He's good to Jeremy. That's all I ask. Besides, Kevin deserves to know his son."
Brian was silent for a few moments and Lily watched him as he thought and saw several emotions cross his face. "I'm so sorry, Brian." she whispered, close to tears. "I know I betrayed you...I'm so sorry."
Brian put his hand over hers in a reassuring gesture and said "I don't blame you, Lily. In fact, I don't really blame Kevin either. We had really broken up that night and...you're so beautiful, I don't blame Kevin at all." He put his hand to her face to wipe away the tear that had started to fall. He looked searchingly into her eyes and whispered "I still love you, Lily."
Lily sucked in her breath at his admission and attempted to move away from his touch. "Brian..." she said.
"Now hang on." Brian said, grabbing her hands and pulling her back down beside him on the couch. "That didn't exactly come out right. I didn't mean.... Lily, when you left I was heartbroken. But after a while I realized we just weren't meant for each other. I realized that I had always seen you as somewhat of a little sister, someone who needed my protection. That's why it was so easy for me to get over losing you. I loved you like my little sister and I still do." He released her hands and grinned up at her sheepishly. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm fully aware that you're a married woman. Besides, I have a girlfriend myself."
Lily relaxed and said "Tell me about her, Brian."
Lily watched a smile spread on his face as he began talking about his girlfriend. "Leighanne is wonderful. She's so kind and caring. I think she's perfect for me. You'd love her Lil, you'd have to meet her sometime. That is..." he said the last looking somewhat uncomfortable. He didn't know whether it was appropriate or not for his girlfriend to meet his ex.
"I'd love to meet her, Brian." Lily said, reassuring him. She smiled, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. For the past two years, the thought that had been in the back of her mind was that she had betrayed one of the best people in the world. Her guilt was gone, knowing that she had Brian's forgiveness.
"Well, where is he?" Brian asked her, suddenly, making her frown in confusion. "I want to meet your little man and see if he's worth all the pain and suffering we've gone through." he said with a wink. Lily smiled widely and went to the back room to get Jeremy from where he was taking his nap.
She came back into the room caring a sleepy Jeremy who was resting his head on her shoulder. She sat beside Brian with Jeremy in her lap. When Jeremy wouldn't raise his head to look at him, Brian started making funny noises at him and tickling him until a giggle finally escaped him and he looked over at him.
Jeremy immediately took to Brian and within minutes they were playing around like they've been bestfriends for years. They were all laughing and playing around so loud that no one heard the front door open or anyone come in.
Kevin cleared his throat loudly and waited for someone to notice his presence. "Hey, Kev." Brian said, straightening up from playing with Jeremy on the floor. Kevin didn't respond, unsure of what Brian's feelings towards him currently were. Even more, he wasn't sure that he was happy with Brian being there with his with his wife and son.
Brian walked over to Kevin on his way out the door and stopped before him with his hand stretched out. Kevin saw the peace offering as what it was and knew he had no reason to be angry of Brian's presence. He was so devoted to Leighanne that it was sometimes sickening.
Across the room, Lily held her breath as Kevin continued to look at Brian's outstretched hand. She released her pent up breath in a silent whoosh as Kevin reached out and clasped Brian's hand firmly. Brian smiled at Kevin and then turned to bestow the smile on the other two occupants of the room before silently exiting it.
***************
The following week progressed in much the same way. Kevin and Lily established a sort of pattern with Kevin leaving for the studio about midday, spending the mornings with Jeremy, and working until late at night. The two rarely saw each other, and when they did, they acted polite and distant towards one another.
Almost a week after they were married, Kevin came home from the studio earlier than usual. He walked into the house and silence greeted him. He wondered if something could be wrong and apprehension formed in his mind. He walked back to Jeremy's room first and relaxed when he saw the toddler asleep in his bed.
He then wondered where Lily was and wandered back to her room. As he opened the door, he realized this was the first time he'd ever been in her bedroom. His eyes traveled over the room and saw a room that was definatly fitting for Lily's personality. It was not overly feminine yet it was feminine enough to give the impression of her soft personality. As his eyes traveled over the room he took in every sight then his eyes rested on the queen size bed in the middle of the room. There Lily lay, clothed in only a towel. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail as if she'd hadn't wanted to get her hair wet.
Kevin sucked in a breath as his eyes traveled over her. She lay on her right side with her left hand clutching the towel above her breasts. Looking at her long, slender legs, Kevin remembered all the times she'd drove him to distraction with those legs of hers. Every time she'd worn shorts on the trip, he'd found himself staring, unable to help himself.
Kevin took in a deep breath, unaware that he'd been holding his breath throughout his appraisal of her. Sweat beaded on his forehead at the realization that the only thing that separated her beautiful body from his view was a thin piece of terry cloth towel.
He silently crossed the room and gently sat down on the bed beside her, but without touching her. He gazed down at her sleeping form and thought back to a time when, if only for that one night, he'd known her body better than he'd known his own, right down to the small mole on the outside of her left ankle. Unconsciously, his gaze traveled down the long expanse of her legs and settled on that very mole.
With his eyes still on her ankle, he gently raised his right hand and placed it on the back of her calf. Slowly he slid his hand up until it rested on the back of her knee. He stared at her tanned legs for a moment and allowed his gaze to travel slowly back up her body, to her face.
Kevin sucked in a breath when he saw her blue eyes open and the same desire he was feeling, blazing within them. His gaze remained locked with hers as he slid his hand up to rest on the outside of her thigh and he slowly moved forward to lean over her.
Lily held her breath as she waited for Kevin to kiss her. At the first touch of his hand to her calf, she awakened and immediately responded to the desire she saw clearly written on Kevin's face as he gazed at her body. Now, with him only touching her where his hand rested on her thigh, Lily felt as if her body was on fire, waiting for him to kiss her or touch her in some other way.
She felt Kevin's raspy breathing against her face as he got ever so close, yet still not touching his lips to hers. His eyes searched hers as if asking permission to kiss her, and Lily gave it, wholeheartedly. When his lips finally claimed hers, where Lily was only moments before passive, she became alive. She rolled over onto her back to allow Kevin to settle between her legs and put most of his weight on her. His right hand never strayed from her thigh and his left moved to bury itself in her hair, undoing her ponytail.
Lily moaned as Kevin's tongue teased hers inside her mouth. She moved her right hand to bury it in his thick black hair and her left moved to grasp the strong muscles of Kevin's arm, uncovered by the wifebeater he was wearing.
Upon realizing that the towel she was wearing had become undone and her body was open to his view, Kevin made a sound deep within his throat and slid his hand from her thigh up to her hip, past her stomach to rest on her breast. Lily moaned again when he softly kneaded her breast and flicked his thumb across her nipple.
The telephone was on it's fourth ring before it finally pierced it's way through their desire muddled brain. Kevin, breathing harshly, broke off the kiss and stared into her blue eyes, trying to control his breathing. When the desire in her eyes did nothing to help, he looked away from her and sat up. When she made no move to replace the towel, Kevin closed his eyes and breathed a deep breath before moving his trembling hands towards her to close the towel around her body in an effort to save his composure.
Finally, when he felt he had himself under control again, he snatched the telephone up from the table by the bed.
"Hello?" he asked huskily.
"Kev? What's up, man?" AJ asked sounding too chipper. "I just wanted to know what Lily said about the AMAs."
Kevin glanced back at Lily, who was slowly getting up from the bed, once again clutching the towel to her, before answering. "I haven't had a chance to talk to her about it yet." He replied.
"Oh, OK. Well hurry up and tell me if she agrees to go. We'd all like to see her there."
"I know AJ." Kevin replied "I'll talk to her." The two of them said their good byes and Kevin laid the phone back on the hook.
"Talk to me about what?" Lily asked, her voice only a little shaky.
"The AMAs are coming up." Kevin said, not trusting himself to turn to look at her, now that he didn't have the distraction of the phone call. "All the guys want you there. I guess they wanted to make sure I'd ask you. Which I was planning to do anyway. They are next week."
"Of course I'll go, Kevin." she said as she stood up and walked over to her dresser and pulling out a satin robe which she slipped into.
Kevin stood up and faced her, now feeling safe. "Good." he said and reached into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. He opened it up and pulled out his American Express card and tossed it onto the bed. "Use this to buy your dress and whatever else you want." he told her "I mean it Lily. Get whatever you want. Don't worry about the price." With that said he moved toward the door and turned back to her before exiting the room. "I'm going to Nick's. I probably won't be back tonight."
Kevin left the room and walked through the living room. He had to put some distance between them, that was the reason for the trip to Nick's house. He simply didn't trust himself in the house with her tonight.
