Chapter No. 126: Rain

He tried to leave before she saw him but their eyes met and he was caught. He nodded his head and tried to walk on by but she caught his arm.

"Connor."

His eyes slid sideways and saw the look of guilt in hers. That was no good. He didn't want her to feel guilty, even though the mean spirited part of him was glad. What good was it that they had broken his heart if it didn't even make them happy? So he made his face a careful blank and she frowned.

"I hate it when you shut down like that," she said.

"What do you expect me to do?"

She shrugged. "I just want things to be OK between us."

"Don't worry about it," he said, looking away over her head as she stared at a point on his right shoulder. "Everything's just peachy."

"Uh huh."

"What the hell do you want from me, Katrina?" he said.

"I don't know," she said.

"So what else is new."

"Look who's talking," she said with a snort.

"Don't pick a fight with me," he said. "You won't like it."

"Oh, why is that? What are you going to do?"

"How about tell you the truth?"

"I think that might make a refreshing change, actually."

"Like hell," he snorted.

"So lay it on me."

"You couldn't handle it."

"Try me."

"You want the truth?" he yelled, rain pouring down his face.

"Yeah, I do!" she shouted back, getting up in his face.

"All right, here it is," he said, as rain pelted his face and soaked through his jacket. "The truth is, honeybun, you were never there for me. Never freaking once. I was always the bad guy. You never once gave me the fucking benefit of the doubt. If I looked guilty, I was guilty. Madison forgave me, which is something you never did."

"So maybe you're better off with her, then."

"Maybe." Except he didn't love her. Not the way he loved Katrina, anyway. And it took losing Katrina for good to show it to him, for all the good it did. He felt the sudden need to run before he started to hit something, or worse, cry. "I'll see you around. Have fun fucking my brother."

He saw the hurt in her eyes and was instantly sorry but he'd accomplished what he meant to. Hurt was immediately followed by anger.

"Ooh!" she slapped him hard, across the face. "Go running back to Blondie, why don't you."

"Maybe I will," he said.

"Good," she said. "You do that."

He grabbed her arms. "Tell me you love my brother. Look me in the eyes and tell me you love him or I swear to goddess I'll--"

"You'll what?' she said with a little sob. "You'll what, Connor?"

He kissed her, hard, and she resisted, and hit him again.

"I love Aidan, OK? I love him and what's more important I trust him. And I just don't trust you! You're like loving smoke, Connor. One minute you're real and solid and the next, poof."

"That's all I wanted to hear," he said, and pushed her away from him roughly. "Break his heart and I'll break your pretty neck."

She stared at him.

He turned and walked away.

Next Chapter

... Just .

They so love each other deep down inside. That's why they're acting like this.

You always hurt the one you love! They are both so afraid of being hurt again, that they just keep hurting eachother more...Only now, Aidan's invloved, so it just get's worse and worse!

You are one twisted plotter, SBW!

Aw, you say the nicest things.