~*~ Chapter 25~*~
NEW YORK CITY, NY - O-Town's Limo - Sunday
"What time is it?" Ashley asked to guys with the tired faces in the limo.
"It's a quarter to 11."
It was late already. Ashley wouldn't go to Kirstin's loft at that time. And also, he would have to start putting his plan into action.
"Hey Erik, Trev, did any of you guys, by any chance, got
Grace's
phone number yesterday?"
"No man, I didn't. Did you Trev?"
"No. Why you ask?"
"I need a favor from her. I'll ask Kirstin for that later."
~*~*~*~*~*~
NEW YORK CITY, NY - Kirstin's Loft
Kirstin was still kissing Tom. She wasn't thinking at all. Nothing was going on in her mind. Tom, on the other hand, was confused. Was she playing him again? He didn't want to, but he gently pulled back from the kiss.
"Wait, wait, wait Kirstin. What's going on here? Can you explain it to me?"
"Why? Why do I have to explain everything to you? Can't I just act by impulse? Can't I just kiss you if I feel like it?"
"You can't when you tell me you had sex with a guy that loves you and you've been with for a while."
"Well, you kissed me back and I know you had sex with Lexie last night."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"I talked to Erik and Trevor today and they told me you two
were all over each other in the car last night and Lexie would be the last one
you'd
drop by at her house. I know you had sex with her. I'm not stupid."
"Ok, wait! Don't go assuming things, ok? I never had sex with Lexie. And yes, I was all over her. And why wouldn't I be? It's ok if you're all over the pretty boy at the club, but I can't be with someone? And even if I had had sex with Lexie, things would be different than it is with you and Ashley. With us, it would be just casual sex, we are not together, we don't love each other. And I don't even know why we are having this conversation in the first place. I don't owe you any explanation."
"You know what, Tom? You are absolutely right. You don't. You know why? Because we have nothing to do with each other. This kiss was a mistake. This whole night was a mistake. You know why it was a mistake?" Tom just stared at Kirstin. She was practically yelling at him "Because I love Ashley! That's right. Don't act so surprised. I love Ashley! I love him!"
"So, I guess I have no reason to be here." Tom, clearly hurt, grabbed his coat and opened the door. Kirstin followed him to the door.
"That's right. Get out!" Kirstin slammed the door. She sat there on the floor, leaning against the door, crying her eyes out. She stayed that way for a while. When she was calming down and was going to the bathroom to wash her face, she heard her phone ring. She didn't wanna answer it. What if it was Tom? She let the machine get it. But when she heard Ashley's voice, she picked up the phone, trying to cover the fact she had been crying.
"Hey, Ashley. Sorry, I was in the bathroom."
"Oh, that's ok. I thought you were sleeping already."
"Nope."
"Good. I wanted to hear your voice and wish you a good night first."
"You did?" Ashley was so sweet 'How could I have
done that to him?'
Kirstin wondered.
"Yes, baby, of course. How was your day away from me?"
"Crappy. I stayed home the whole day. How about yours?"
"Shitty without you. But I'm happy we are seeing each other tomorrow. We are seeing each other tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, of course, honey. I really wanna see you."
"Ok, so let's do it like this. As soon as I get back from the TV show I have to do tomorrow, I'll call you just to make sure you're home, ok?"
"Yes, but tomorrow I have classes and work. Don't forget it's Monday."
"Oh, yeah! Stupid me! I totally forgot. But we are only free after 6 p.m., anyways."
"Oh, then it's fine. I'm gonna be here by then."
"Good. Then I'll call you."
"Ok, I'll be waiting."
"Oh! One more thing."
"Yes?"
"Can you give me Grace's phone number, please?"
"Why you want Grace's phone number?"
"Oh, it's not me. It's Erik and Trevor. But don't tell her that."
"Ok. They got along pretty good, didn't they?"
"Yes, they did."
"So, ok. Take note." Kirstin informed the number and Ashley wrote it down.
"Thanks, K. Do you think she'll be up right now? It's 11:45."
"I'm sure she will. She only sleeps after 1 a.m."
"Great. I'll tell them, then. So I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you. Bye."
"Bye." Kirstin hung up the phone. She was feeling bad. Feeling guilty. But, worse than that, she was feeling torn. She was also tired. She felt asleep right there in the couch.
~*~*~*~*~*~
NEW YORK CITY, NY - NYU - Lunch Time - Monday
"Hey, K!" Grace greeted her friend, but got nothing. Kirstin was playing with her food, absentminded "Hello? Earth to Kirstin! Hello?" Grace snapped her fingers. Kirstin shook her head and looked at her friend.
"Oh, hey, G."
"Wow! You're that excited to see me? I'm flattered!" Grace joked putting her tray on the table.
"I'm sorry. A lot happened this weekend. And I really have to talk to you."
"Then talk."
"But not now. It's complicated. Do you think you can come to my place after my work is done? I can pick you up, if you want to."
"Uh... I... can't. Can't we talk now?"
"No. Why can't we talk later?"
"We can talk, of course we can. I just... can't go to your house today."
"Why not?" Kirstin felt Grace was weird.
"Why not? It's just that... I promised my brother I'd help him out with this thing tonight and I don't know what time he'll get home, so I have to be there when he gets there."
"Oh, ok. Can I go to your place, then? After work?"
"Yes, of course."
"After 6 then?"
"Yeah, ok."
"I gotta go now, G. But see you at 6."
"Bye, K."
~*~*~*~*~*~
NEW YORK CITY, NY - MTV Studios - 3 p.m.
Kirstin was working at editing for a while now and she sure had skills. Sometimes, Andy, her boss, would trust her a whole Making The Band episode. She was pretty good, but today she was totally unfocused.
"Kirstin, wake up! Didn't you hear me saying stop?" Andy woke her from her thoughts.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Andy. I didn't hear you. Can we start again?"
"Well, we are gonna have to. Just try to focus, ok?"
"Yes, I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
"It better not."
When it was 5:30 pm, Andy said it would be ok for Kirstin to go. Things were done for the day and Andy also felt Kirstin wasn't feeling too good, so he sent her home. Kirstin got her car in the parking lot and drove to Grace's apartment.
~*~*~*~*~*~
NEW YORK CITY, NY - Grace's Apartment
"Hey, come in." Grace greeted, motioning for her friend to get in. Seeing no one was home, Kirstin yelled something that was making her go crazy. She had to tell someone about that.
"I kissed Tom last night!"
"You did what?" Grace asked, shutting the door behind her.
"I kissed Tom last night." Kirstin collapsed on the sofa and held her head with both her hands.
"You didn't!"
"I did! I did! I really did! How stupid am I?"
"Pretty stupid! What were you thinking? Why do I even ask? You obviously weren't thinking!" Grace was pacing around the couch Kirstin sat on.
"I know! I know! But... I'm so messed up, I can't think straight! I'm totally messed up!"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know what to do anymore. Let's just say there was a person in your life who you were always in love with. And then something happened and he was gone for a while. And then you met another person and you started to have feeling for him." Kirstin stared with a pleaded look at Grace and she sat next to her. Kirstin continued "Do you think it's possible you could have feelings for two people at the same time, G?"
"Very, K. Very. What is not possible is to be true to two people at once. And you know that Tom has feelings for his own."
"I don't know wanna hurt him more than I already did, G."
"Don't toy with him."
"I'm not."
"I know things have been difficult for you and I know Tom has been the type of friend you needed and by the time you needed a friend like him. And you do care for him, possible as more than a friend. But if you don't intend to pursue those feelings, and I don't believe you do, you have to let him go."
Kirstin just stared at her friend. She hugged Grace and got up from the couch, heading to the door. Before shutting it, she said:
"Thank you, Grace."
And then, Kirstin was off to her car.
~*~*~*~*~*~
NEW YORK CITY, NY - Kirstin's apartment building
Kirstin was getting into the elevator. In her car, on her way to her loft, she had come to a decision. It wasn't gonna be easy, but she knew it was not only the best thing for her, but also for him. Still, it would not be easy to explain it to him.
When she put the key on the lock on her door, she heard a music coming from inside. 'Weird' she thought. When she opened the door, her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe her eyes.
* Thanx Stacie from http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/otownified/ for correcting the grammar on this chapter
~*~ Chapter 24 ~*~
~*~ Chapter 26 ~*~
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