| Chapter 42 "What? You're shittin me right?" Nick asked. He had woke up a few hours later, and Tracy and Jade were informing him of the happenings after he fell to sleep. Tracy stared at him, "No Nick, I'm telling you what we saw." "But she hates my guts, how can she like me?" he asked. Tracy and Jade both shrugged their shoulders. "Nick, this may be what we've been looking for. If she becomes fond of you, it'll make what you have to do easier," Tracy said. "I know, but how am I suppose to pull this off?" Nick asked. "You're the actor, remember," Jade said, smiling at him. Nick shook his head, "Don't remind me." Angel whined a little, catching their attention. "Art? Nick's art?" Jade asked. Angel wagged her tail. Nick watched in amazement as the two communicated, "What's she saying?" "She said that Aleisha likes your art, maybe we could use that," Jade said. "Yeah she does," Nick said, starting to form a plan in his head. "Oh, what about Lyn? If I do this, and do it right, she's gonna hate me," Nick said, looking at Tracy. "Nick, when you explain everything she'll understand why you did it," she said. "Yeah, but is that gonna be to late?" he asked. "I don't know," she answered. Nick stared at her, not liking her answer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aleisha sat on the couch pretending to watch TV. Brian and Lyn were engrossed in a movie, and she welcomed the time to think. She couldn't be feeling what she was, it just couldn't happen. All this time she thought of Nick as her enemy, but now, her feelings were starting to change. She found herself being drawn to him, actually liking him. That thought sent chills down her back. Never in all her life had she felt this way about another human being. It was usually the other way around, and for good reason. She used then left, that was her m.o., but this, this was new and frightening. She had always been warned that this could happen. Her �teachers' made it clear not to let it, or the consequences could be damning. Aleisha sighed, trying to put the thoughts out of her mind. She caught some movement out of the corner of her eye, and looked over to see Nick coming down the stairs, his sketch pad in his hands. Brian looked over, "Hey man, you feeling better?" Nick smiled a little, "Yeah. Sorry about that." "Nothing to be sorry for," Brian said, going back to the movie. "You found your sketch pad I see," Lyn said. Nick sat down between her and Aleisha, "Yeah, thought I'd look through it. See how good I was." "How good you are," Lyn corrected him. He laughed, opening up the pad and slowly looking over the drawings. Nick noticed that Aleisha was looking at the drawings with him. He pointed out things he liked, she and Lyn picking out their favorites. Nick flipped to the last page, staring at it. It was the drawing he was working on when he was attacked. It wasn't finished yet, and there were a few drops of blood on the page. Aleisha watched him closely, looking for any sign of recognition. Nick closed his eyes, then looked at the drawing again. He had drawn the dragon in his dreams, hoping that if he drew it, somehow he would be able to make sense of everything. Lyn noticed his hesitation at the drawing, "Honey, that was the one you were working on when you were attacked." "Oh," he said, his eyes never leaving the picture, "Maybe I should finish it." Everyone looked at him. "If you want to, I'll go get your pencils," Lyn said, getting up and going upstairs. Aleisha looked at it, "I like it, even if it's not finished." It took everything Nick had not to cringe at her statement. Instead he looked at her, "Really?" "Yeah, I like all your drawings. You're very good," she said, smiling at him. Nick smiled back, realizing that was the first true smile she'd given him. Lyn came back downstairs, Nick's pencils in her hand. Nick took them from her, and the girls scooted over on the couch to give him room. He looked at the drawing for a little while, then began to mark. Aleisha couldn't help but watch him. It amazed her how he knew exactly where to shade something, or to put an element of the picture. Nick was well aware that she was watching him, hoping in the back of his mind that he could go on with what he was trying to do. After a while Nick was finished, holding the pad out for the girls to look at. "Nick, that's awesome," Lyn said. "Yeah, I love how you incorporated the blood stains into it," Aleisha stated. Nick laughed, "Yeah, well, when life hands you blood stains, make a picture out of it." Lyn slapped Nick's shoulder, rolling her eyes, "God Nick, that's morbid." Aleisha just laughed. Brian looked over smiling, "Nick, you wouldn't be flirting with the women now would you?" "Of course," Nick said, dawning his cheesy grin. Everyone laughed. Nick tore the picture out and handed it to Aleisha. She stared at him, "No, I couldn't take it." "Please, you said you liked it," Nick said, giving her his puppy dog look. Aleisha felt like her heart was in her throat, how could he do that to her? She took the picture, and stood up, "Thank you. I'm gonna go put it away." Nick watched as she left the room, seeing something in her eyes that intrigued him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A.J. sat in his room, looking out the window. He'd been there since they'd gotten back from the restaurant. He was trying to sort out things in his mind. Trying to figure out what it was that Aleisha did to him, to make him do the things he was doing. After the service that morning he was bound and determined to stop everything, then with one look from her, that idea flew out the window. He was angry at himself. Angry that he couldn't control his actions better, couldn't fight her. She was a speck of a woman, barely over five foot, yet she could make him do anything she wanted. He craved her, just like he craved alcohol. Well, he beat that addiction, he could beat this one too. He seriously thought about talking to Leighanne about it. Aleisha was so interested in what she was doing, maybe Leighanne could help him. He knew he needed to do it soon, while his head was clear and he could think. He just prayed that she would forgive him for what he did to her. Even if she didn't, he had to tell someone before Aleisha's game got them hurt. A.J. sighed and looked over at his bedroom door. He just couldn't make himself get up and go find Leighanne. Just then Tara appeared in the room. "Holy fucking shit!" A.J. said, standing straight up and staring at her. She looked at him, an angry look on her face. Her eyes piercing into his soul. "Tara, please...I'm sorry," he said, suddenly afraid of her. She lifted her hand, reaching for him, then disappeared. A.J. stood there trembling, looking around the room with his eyes. Wondering if she was going to appear somewhere else and scare the hell outta him. After a few moments, he realized she wasn't going to. He ran out of the room as fast as he could, searching for Leighanne. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aleisha sat in Brian's bedroom, staring at the picture. She was trying to will away the feelings that overwhelmed her, but she wasn't having much success. She knew this was dangerous for her. If she fell for someone, it would almost mean certain doom for her. But she couldn't fight what her heart was telling her. She wondered if this was how her victims felt, knowing it had to be. She suddenly felt sorry for them, feeling the agony for herself. "I can't be doing this. He's just a measly human, why would I even waist my time?" she said to herself. She put the picture on the night stand, looking at it one more time before leaving the room. "Get a grip Leish, you know what you're here for, and he's not it," she said, walking out the door. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A.J. ran into the kitchen, finding Leighanne, Kira and Howie. They stared at him. "Alex, are you alright?" Leighanne asked. "Yeah man, you look like you just saw a ghost," Howie said. "I did," A.J. said, collapsing into a chair. Kira and Howie glanced at each other. "You care to explain?" Kira asked. "I just saw Tara in my room," he said. "No way!" Howie said, sitting up straighter in his seat. "Did she say anything?" Leighanne asked. A.J. shook his head, "She didn't have to. The look on her face said it all." "A.J. what are you talking about?" Howie asked. A.J. looked at Leighanne, "Can we talk, alone?" Leighanne was a little apprehensive but decided she couldn't pass up this opportunity, "Yeah sure." A.J. got up, "D, can we use your office?" "Yeah I guess," Howie said, curious as to what this was all about. Leighanne followed A.J. down the hall and into the office. He closed the door and turned to look at her, tears in his eyes. "Alex, what's wrong?" she asked. "Lee, I've done something horrible," he cried. "Here sit down," she said, offering him a chair, then sat next to him, "What's this about?" A.J. didn't look at her, he couldn't take seeing her reaction, "Lee, I'm the one that messed up your car. I'm so sorry." Leighanne sat there shocked. She already knew this, but wasn't counting on him admitting it to her. "Why?" was all she could manage. A.J.'s sobs grew louder, "Because I was told to. Lee, I can't stop it, I can't fight it, please help me!" "A.J. you need to start from the beginning and tell me what happened," she said. A.J. wiped his tears and looked at her, "You don't hate me?" Leighanne smiled, "Of course I don't hate you. I love you like a brother." A.J.'s spirits lightened, knowing she didn't hate him, gave him hope. "Well, it all started when we went shopping...." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nick sat in the kitchen watching Aleisha and Lyn cook supper. They had banned him from helping, saying there wasn't enough room for all of them. Brian was working in his office, and Nick didn't want to disturb him. So he sat, observing. He had noticed that Aleisha's demeanor had changed toward him. She was becoming warm to him, genuine smiles crossed her lips, and this creped Nick out tremendously. He knew his plan was working, but wasn't sure if he wanted to see it through to the end. He would smile at her every so often, hoping that Lyn didn't catch it. It was his turn to seduce her, and though he found the challenge exciting, it also scared the hell out of him. He was afraid of losing Lyn in the process, and Brian. But it was for their own good, the safety of everyone. He kept telling himself that, trying to will away the doubts that clouded his mind. Lyn walked over and waved her hand in front of his face. "What you daydreaming about?" she asked, when he looked up at her. Nick smiled, "Stuff." Lyn laughed, "That's really descriptive." "Sorry, I guess I'm still a little out of it from the headache," Nick said, not thinking of another good excuse. Lyn looked at him concerned, "Nick, we need to get home soon, so you can have the surgery. I don't like what these headaches are doing to you." Nick looked down at the table, "I know. I'm just not ready yet." Lyn put her hand on Nick's shoulder, "Honey, I'm worried about you." Nick smiled and patted her hand, "I'm OK. I just need to stay here a while longer. I'm not sure I could handle the flight back with my ribs like they are now." "OK, we'll wait until after your next doctors appointment then," Lyn conceded. Nick smiled at her as she went back to help Aleisha. He noticed her looking at him, so he shifted his weight in the chair, and put his hand to his side, for emphasis. Aleisha looked at him concerned, and he half smiled at her. She turned back around to what she was doing, satisfied that he was telling the truth about wanting to stay. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Lee, what am I gonna do? When she's around me I can't fight it," A.J. said. He had told her of his and Aleisha's meetings, and what they consisted of. That Aleisha was suspicious of both her and Nick, and that she had been the one to put him up to sabotaging the car. Leighanne thought for a moment, "A.J. you have to keep doing things like you've been doing them." He looked at her horrified, "Lee, I could hurt you. I don't want to do that." "Alex, I won't let you. After you meet with her, I'll come and talk to you. We'll get through this, but we can't tip her off that I know about it. She's dangerous, and we can't take that chance," she said. "But what if she asks me if I said something to you? Lee, I can't lie to her," he said. "We'll deal with it," she said A.J. looked at her skeptically, "Are you sure? I could get on a plane and leave tonight. If she can't find me, she can't control me." Leighanne shook her head, "No, we're gonna need you here when this all hits." "You have some sort of plan?" he asked. She smiled, "It's best you don't know. The less you know, the less she could possibly get out of you." "Yeah, smart thinking," he commented. "Lee, I'm scared," he admitted. She reached out to hug him, pulling him close, "I am too." Chapter 43 |