Chapter Four

Anton sat back in the passenger seat of the car. "And you're not going to tell me where you're taking me?"

Sabryn gave him a sweet smile. "I already told you, if I did, it wouldn't be a surprise."

He made a face. "Have I ever told you I detest surprises, my dear?"

She laughed. "I hope you really like this one."

Anton raised an eyebrow. Something was going on, and he hadn't quite figured out what. All Sabryn had told him is that she had 'something special' planned for the evening. So he was allowing himself to be shuttled off to only-Sabryn-knows- where without much more than a token protest.

"Since it's a surprise, you have to close your eyes...and no peeking. If I even see a hint of an eyelash fluttering, I'm turning this car around and going home."

Something told him she wasn't kidding--and that he didn't want to disobey her one little bit. With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. What seemed like only a few minutes later, she was pulling the car to a stop and parking. Telling him to stay put, she hurried around the car and helped him out the door, careful not to hit his head.

He could smell gasoline. Car exhaust. His shoes scraped across a hard floor, most likely concrete, and the sounds around them echoed in tunnel-like reverberation. Grabbing his arm, she guided him around a car, giggling slightly as he bumped into it, and then straight ahead. When he heard her push a button, followed by a ding, he whispered, "Elevator."

"Very good," she said, in an amused voice. "Now step in to it."

A few seconds later he could feel them lifting, a sudden dizzy feeling overtaking him. Being in an elevator with your eyes closed was a little like riding Magic Mountain. When the bell dinged again, she pulled him along behind her.

"Just a little bit further." Her voice sounded funny, as if she'd been sucking helium. It'd climbed an octave since stepping into the elevator. He could hear voices around him, coming closer, and then passing behind him. After a moment she stopped, and he heard her digging around in her purse. "We're here."

"Can I open my eyes?"

"Not yet. Patience, babe. You won't regret it."

He gave another put upon sigh. He could hear the rattle of a lock and a door creak open. "Take four steps forward and wait. Watch your feet on the doorframe."

"To watch my feet, I'd need to open my eyes," he grumbled. But he was more than willing to play along with Sabryn. He stepped into what he guessed was another room, and heard her shut the door behind him. "Now what?"

His answer was a pair of hands tracing over his chest. "No, keep your hands at your sides," Sabryn whispered. He complied, and allowed himself to be pushed back against the door. A set of warm lips descended on his. He kissed back with an open mouth, trying to puzzle out why she was kissing him differently. Her technique was tentative, much like when they first met.

She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, and he wanted so badly to grab her. He could hear her breathing heavily, nibbling lightly upon him before pulling his head down into an even deeper kiss. After a moment, she stopped and just ran her fingers through his hair.

"Can I open my eyes *now*?"

She snickered slightly, and then cleared her throat. "Not yet. Keep 'em closed."

The next thing he felt was her hand on his chest, sliding leisurely down the front of him before firmly cupping the growing bulge in his pants. He moaned slightly, pushing himself into her hand, and he thought he heard whispering.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just talking to myself." She followed this with another giggle. "What do you want, Anton? What do you need?"

"Depends on where we are--you ever plan on telling me?" He was slightly annoyed, but he couldn't help it. For all he knew, she could be grabbing his crotch on a Broadway stage.

"Mm-hmm..."

When nearly all of the buttons of his shirt popped open at once, followed by tugging at his waistband, he damned near opened his eyes anyway.

He jumped when he felt a tongue circle his left nipple. His low moan was greeted with a giggle. "You're in a playful mood tonight, my dear," he said with a grin.

"Anton, you have *no* idea," was her response, followed by another giggle. He frowned slightly. The giggle was coming from by his chest, but the sentence had come from about two feet in front of him. Deciding to risk her wrath, he cracked one eye open.

If he hadn't already been dead, he would have had a heart attack from the shock. He looked down at Lindy, who was cupping his groin and had a slightly sheepish grin on her face. He then looked over at Sabryn, who was grinning from ear to ear. "Ah, Bryn, my dear..." For once in his existence, he was speechless.

Dropping her purse onto a nearby chair, she sauntered over and sat on the bed.

[Bed!] He took a quick inventory of the room, his heart pounding about a mile a minute...not in the least impeded by the hand still cupping his balls. Jesus! They were in a hotel, Lindy was on him like lioness, and his fiancée was sitting on a king-sized bed, dangling her high heel from her toes. [This can only lead to very bad things.]

"Why don't you touch her?" Sabryn asked, leaning back on her hands. "She doesn't break."

"Uh..." He swallowed heavily, looking down at Lindy. "Excuse me for a minute. Could someone please tell me what's going on here? I mean, besides the obvious?"

Both of the women giggled. Standing up, Bryn reached behind her and slowly unzipped her dress, letting it fall casually to the floor. The lacy black lingerie and stockings she wore underneath, a far cry from her normal underwear, made him twitch in Lindy's hand.

"I don't know, Lindy--do you think we should clue him in?"

Lindy gave him a predatory grin and shifted her hand, making him shiver. "He's a smart boy. He'll figure out what's going on." She started undoing the buttons on his fly. "Bryn, I could use some help here."

"Happy to oblige," she murmured, giggling as she saw the look on his face change to helpless defeat. Stepping over to where he stood, she nudged him forward a bit and pulled his shirt off his shoulders from behind. Kissing the bare expanse of his back, she reached around to his chest and began sliding his nipples between her fingers until he shuddered. "Surprised, Anton?"

"You," he gulped, "have no idea."

She grinned, nipping him on the shoulder as she felt his pants drop to the floor. His chest was rising and falling in uneven rhythm, his fingers flexing, hands fluttering uselessly as he tried to decide what to do with them. Sliding down his side, Bryn met Lindy's gaze.

"You ready for this?" she whispered.

Lindy nodded, focusing her attention on Anton's face. He tried his hardest to remain calm but flinched as his fiancée tugged his shorts down and let them fall on top of his pants. He could see Lindy's eyes widen a bit, pupils dilating, before she slowly ran her hands up his thighs. Her fingernails combed through the hair on his legs, making him shudder. His gaze darted back to Sabryn's face, and he saw her mouth drop open as Lindy stared at his erection in awe. And then she was standing back up, running her fingers up his side.

"She's never done this before, Anton," she whispered in his ear. "You have to help her. Show her what you like."

He gently took Lindy's hand. "Are you sure you're okay with this, Lindy?"

Lindy nodded. "You know... everything. I trust you, Anton."

He pulled her closer, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He noticed for the first time that she and Sabryn were wearing matching outfits. "Just do what feels comfortable for you, Lindy."

Lindy took a deep breath and placed her hands on his chest. She moved them in small circles, occasionally rubbing against Sabryn's hands. She jumped slightly when Anton settled his hands on her hips. His eyes were closed and there was a blissful expression on his face.

Standing up on her tip-toes, Sabryn put her hands on Anton's shoulders and said, "I want to watch you make love to her. Please?"

He opened his eyes and glanced at her over his shoulder. She nodded, before gesturing her head towards the bed.

"We might all be more comfortable over there, anyway."

He wasn't quite sure he could walk. His feet felt like dead weight. Once he was freed from his shoes and socks, and stepped free from the puddle of clothes around his ankles, he offered Lindy his hand.

Following them to the bed, Sabryn took Lindy's hand and told her to lay down. She knew what a gentle and talented lover Anton was, but she could tell Lindy was still nervous. Truthfully, she was more than a little nervous herself. As much as her statement was true--she did want to see him make love to his friend--she wasn't sure she'd be able to watch. She knew Anton loved her. He made that clear every day. But he also loved his friend. Perhaps in a different way, but it was still love. And the sudden jealousy she felt made tears come to her eyes as Anton leaned over the other woman and began gently kissing her face.

It made her happy to know her new friend was being so well cared for. She deserved it, after all, considering her childhood. But there was still that little part of Sabryn that wanted to scream for them to stop. To curl into a little ball and cry. Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed the tears away and laid down on her side next to them. It was only one night. Let them have this pleasure while they could.

She watched quietly, her stomach fluttering as Anton and Lindy kissed. She could see his tongue slipping into her mouth, tangling slowly with hers. And she had to admit it was arousing. He kissed her like he'd been doing it for years. Knowingly, lovingly. His hand running up her side to cup her neck and pull her closer. And when Lindy moaned deep in her throat, Sabryn pressed her thighs together and squirmed a bit.

They looked beautiful together. Rubbing her cheek against the comforter, she lifted her hand and brushed the hair away from Lindy's forehead. It felt so good to touch her, she scooted a bit closer and traced her knuckles down her friend's cheek. After a moment, she grew bolder still, and pressed a lingering kiss to her temple.

Lindy turned her head to look at Sabryn as Anton kissed down the column of her throat to lick at her shoulders, afraid she'd see nothing but jealousy and hate there. She saw Sabryn's eyes go wider as Anton dragged the lace covering her breasts down, exposing her erect nipples. She arched under him as he flicked one nipple with his tongue, and couldn't help but cry out when he guided one of Sabryn's hands to her other breast. "Bryn," she whispered, her mouth gone dry. "Kiss me."

Sabryn shuddered slightly, her fingers contracting around the full globe of Lindy's breast. She rubbed the palm of her hand in a tight little circle, drawing a moan from her, as she leaned in and slowly pressed her lips to her friend's. It started out as soft pecking kisses, merely the meeting of lips, before growing closer, her mouth opening slightly to tug on her lower lip. She thought it would be weird, maybe even a little scary to kiss another woman, but with her eyes closed it hardly mattered. And as she rolled her thumb over the hard nipple beneath her touch, she parted her lips and dipped her tongue inside Lindy's mouth.

She tasted sweet, an entire different experience from kissing Anton. The touch of her tongue was softer, lingering, sweeping with gentle grace before teasing the roof of her mouth. She grew a little more frantic, leaner closer still, tangling her tongue with the other woman's. A low moan escaped her throat, and when she heard her fiancé's low voice say, "Wow," she lifted her head and started down at Lindy's face. They were both flushed, breathing heavily, lips moist from each other's mouths. And Anton was staring at them as if he might have an orgasm right then and there. Giggling softly, she laid her head back on the comforter and gave him a smirk, right before she pulled Lindy's earlobe into her mouth.

Anton was now laying on top of Lindy, sucking her nipple while Bryn continued nibbling on her ear lobe. He shifted slightly so now his full, hard erection rested on her thigh. Lindy gasped and shivered. She was no longer a 23 year old, but a five year old girl...

He sensed the change in her mood immediately. "Lindy, what is it? What's wrong?" he asked, stroking her face and hair. He grew more concerned when she didn't respond. "Bryn, talk to her."

"Lindy, look at me," she whispered, physically turning her head when she didn't do it herself. "Look at me. Look at my eyes."

She could see the terror there, and it scared the hell out of her. Stroking the side of her friend's face, she gave in to the tears that were lingering behind her eyes ever since the night began. Sniffling slightly, she motioned with her hand for Anton to back away a bit, until he wasn't touching her.

"Lindy, you're safe now. No one can hurt you here. I promise. I won't let them." She gazed back at her fiancé, where he kneeled in heartbroken silence. "Anton won't hurt you. You know that. He wouldn't let anyone else hurt you, either. Look at him."

Lindy blinked, showing the first responsive sign since she'd frozen in fear. Sabryn smiled a bit, blinking away moisture. "Hi."

"Bryn?"

Sabryn nodded. "You're ok. Look at where you are. Look at Anton. He's very worried about you. He'd never do anything to hurt you. He'd rather cut his own heart out."

Lindy turned her head slightly, shivering, and met his gaze.

"I would too." He gently reached out to stroke her hair before cupping her cheek. "Is this too much for you to handle?"

Lindy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "No, just give me a minute."

"Okay." He looked over at Sabryn. To be perfectly honest, she didn't look that much better than Lindy did. He reached over Lindy to touch Sabryn's cheek as well. "And how about you?"

She gave Lindy one last glance before sitting up and wrapping her arms around Anton's neck. "I love you," she whispered.

He pulled her tight against him, nuzzling her neck. "I love you, too."

He held her that way for quite a while, until he saw Lindy open her eyes. "Looks like Sleeping Beauty is back with us."

Sabryn smiled, settling back down on to the bed. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Lindy nodded. "I'm sorry, I just let my mind get away from me for a moment there." She reached out for Bryn's hand, holding it securely. "I'll stay with you this time."

"Good. You promised me you'd enjoy this, so you better stick to your word...or I might have to kick your ass."

"I'd like to see you try."

They both laughed, and Sabryn scooted close to her side once more. She placed her hand on Lindy's stomach, feeling her work to calm her breathing. "Anton's going to touch you now, OK?"

Lindy nodded, meeting his gaze. "I'm fine. I promise."

He took a deep breath, leaning forward to resume kissing her, his hand on her breast, careful to keep his weight off of her until she adjusted to his touch. When she began responding once again, he rolled to his side, bringing her with him, and then pulled her on top of his body, leaving her free to move if she needed. He could see immediately that she liked that idea much better.

Lindy squirmed a bit, settling eventually on his stomach. Looking down at him, she tentatively stroked his chest. Anton made an approving noise and reached over to caress Sabryn, not wanting her to be left out.

Sabryn sighed contentedly, laying her chin on his shoulder as she murmured, "Now. Hurry. I want to see you moving together."

A shudder passed through him as he reached up and cupped Lindy's breasts, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. He smiled as he shivered above him, out of pure arousal. He could feel her grinding herself against him, and slid his hands down to her hips to move her closer to his aching cock. They both gasped as he slid against her, his erection rubbing firmly against her soft folds. She didn't flinch, didn't shift from his gaze. And when he rotated his hand around to press his thumb against her clitoris, he drew a loud moan out of her throat.

She couldn't wait any longer. She got off of Anton long enough to remove her soaked panties. Straddling his stomach again, this time she pushed backwards until the head of his cock bumped against her. Pausing for a moment to gather her courage, she sank down on him, gasping at the sensation.

Anton held perfectly still, allowing her to get used to being stretched. "Take all the time you need, Lindy." He slowly resumed stroking her clitoris.

Sabryn closed her eyes tightly, but the image was seared on her closed eyelids anyway. She willed away burning tears, praying neither of them was watching her, forcing a smile to her lips before she opened her eyes again. There they were, both shifting slightly against each other, a look of slightly agonized bliss on their faces. And they were so beautiful. She swallowed heavily, watching Lindy sink down a little lower, adjusting to the invasion of Anton's penis inside of her. And Sabryn knew how that felt, how wonderfully full and complete he could make a woman feel. How loved, from the expression on his face and they way he touched her. And she tried to remember that, tried her damnedest. After a moment or two, she'd convinced herself she could actually move.

She pressed a light kiss to Anton's shoulder, before sitting up and kneeling beside her friend. And as Lindy slowly started to move upon him, Sabryn coaxed her to lean forward and let his mouth reach her breasts.

"Watch his face," she whispered. "He's beautiful when he comes."

Lindy was concentrating on the feeling of him inside of her. She opened her eyes, watching in fascination as Anton began writhing beneath her. When Lindy felt him surging inside of her, she gave in to her own orgasm with a whimper of surprised delight.

Anton smiled as Lindy collapsed onto his chest. But his eyes were on Sabryn the whole time. Idly, he cradled Lindy's head while reaching for Sabryn's hand. "Your turn next, my dear," he promised.

She nodded, giving his fingers a squeeze, before leaning forward and resting her cheek on Lindy's back. She truly was happy for her friend. Very much so. And for Anton. He loved Lindy so much. So why the hell did it hurt so much to see them make love? Closing her eyes, she could still see them moving...could still see Anton's face as so much pleasure overcame him. And it felt as if something inside her splintered into little pieces. She let out a shaky breath, and then squirmed a bit, feigning being overcome with desire. But as she murmured to them that she was going to get them a wet washcloth, she couldn't wait to get off the bed and hurry into the bathroom.

Once behind that closed door, she rested her head against the wood and stared at herself in the mirror. She looked like a slut. God, she didn't even look like herself anymore. Frowning, she gulped as she held back a sob and quickly grabbed a wash cloth from the rack. Turning on the sink, the water rushing out of the faucet in a torrent, she sat down on the closed toilet lid and finally let those damning tears fall.

[You did this. What the hell were you expecting? That he'd politely save himself for only you, with another woman on his cock?]

Anton knew something was wrong from the way she practically ran to the bathroom. "Get off me, Lindy. I'll be right back." Lindy, still riding her high, slid off him bonelessly. After a reassuring pat to her back, he walked over to the bathroom. He could hear running water, and, he thought, the faint sound of Sabryn crying. [Good lord, what have I done?] "Bryn?" he called.

There was a clatter behind the door, followed by a hasty, "Just a minute."

He heard the water shut off, followed by trickles of water as she wrung out the wash cloth. After a few minutes, she opened the door, an all-too-sunny smile on her dry face. "Sorry. Had to pee."

"There something wrong?"

"No, what would be wrong?" She glanced past him to Lindy, who was still lying quite limply on the bed. "Looks like everything is fine to me."

"Not from here it doesn't." It disturbed him deeply that she was withholding something from him. He put a hand lightly on her shoulder. "I just had sex, in front of you, with the woman you once accused of being my whore," he said softly so only she could hear. "And you expect me to believe you're okay with that? My God Bryn, why? Why this..." Then he remembered their conversation from the other night. "I shouldn't have said anything..."

"No, Anton--I-I never called her your whore. I might have thought it, but I didn't say it. And even if I did, that's not what I think of her now. I love Lindy. Besides you, she's one of my closest friends." She put her hand on his chest, silencing the words that were about to come out of his mouth. "I asked for this. I know I did. And I just found it to be a little more emotional than I anticipated. But that's *not* your fault. And it's not her fault. It's just the way I am, I guess. Maybe I don't share well, either."

"We never should have done--"

"Stop. And be quiet, before she hears you. She certainly doesn't need to worry about me. Neither do you. I'm fine. I just needed a moment to regroup."

"I don't think that's what I'd call it."

She sighed. "Look...I'm not sorry we did this. At all. I got a little jealous, is all." She cupped his cheek with her palm. "I needed to remind myself why I did this. Because I love you. And I want you to be happy. And I want Lindy to be happy, too. That's all there is to it. Now, will you stop looking at me like I might explode?"

He shook his head, chuckling. "You are a mystery, Bryn. One that I intend on spending a long time trying to decipher. Now lets get back to bed." He put his arm firmly around Bryn and guided her back to the bed. As he climbed into the center, he looked at Lindy. She had rolled over onto her belly, and was now watching them, chin rested on folded arms. "I thought you had better sense than to go through with this."

She shrugged. "Jess, my foster mother Bryn, has two partners. She's been in a loving triad for a long time. Can't blame me for wanting to see what it was like."

"Jess has two lovers?" Anton actually looked surprised.

"Kinky," Bryn commented, with a smirk. "A man and a woman?"

"No, two men."

Handing her the wet washcloth, Bryn settled back on the bed and hummed with interest. "Sounds like fun."

"Hey," Anton protested.

"What? You're the only one who's allowed?"

"This wasn't my idea. I'm totally innocent."

"Oh brother." She cast a glance at Lindy. "Apparently we dragged him in here kicking and screaming."

"Well, I never said that--"

"Uh-huh." She lifted her foot, running the side of her black suede heel down his thigh. "Totally innocent."

Pulling her other leg over his hip, he dragged her closer to him and leaned over her on his hands and knees. "You, on the other hand, are entirely guilty."

Smiling breathlessly, she whispered, "What are you gonna do? Spank me?"

"Only if you ask nicely, my dear." He brushed his lips against hers, but pulled back when she tried to deepen the kiss. Keeping his touches light, he kissed his way down her neck to nuzzle between her breasts. He opened one eye to check on Lindy, and was relieved to see her watching with rapt attention.

Sabryn bit her lip, arching her back to try to push herself even closer to him, but every time she did, he backed away. Moaning slightly in irritation, she reached out her hand and pulled Lindy closer, drawing her down to her mouth, kissing her full on the lips. She could feel Anton moving above her, pressing his mouth here and there, and she shivered in anticipation. But she concentrated on her friend instead. Unhooking her misplaced bra and dropping it to the bed. Cupping and stroking her dangling breasts as she leaned over her. Tangling her tongue with the other woman's, with more fervor than she'd dared before.

She could smell the scent of sex in the air and it turned her on. She wanted this, she realized, jealousy or not. The jealousy even made it a little more exciting somehow. A little more feeling than just sex. A little more than just desire. And when she slid her palm down to cup her hand between Lindy's legs, she found herself moaning as well.

Lindy whimpered, rocking back against Sabryn's hands. Her fingertips stroked over Sabryn's shoulders and traced along the lace of her bra. Urging her to sit up slightly, Lindy removed her bra and took one erect nipple into her mouth. Anton gave a low, appreciative moan before nuzzling Sabryn's other breast.

She giggled softly, rubbing her thigh against Anton's, nudging his balls with her knee. She felt like she was being overpowered by sensations. Her breasts ached as they were both attacked at once. Her fingers slid through liquid heat, tracing over bumps and curves, before being engulfed in tight quivering warmth. She could smell Lindy's arousal, mixed with the heady scent of Anton's semen, and she twirled her fingers in gentle circles inside of her, dipping in and out, barely brushing her clit with the pad of her thumb. She clenched her other hand in Anton's hair, gripping the silky tresses, holding him tight to her chest.

Anton lifted from Sabryn long enough to whisper something into Lindy's ear. Lindy nodded and shifted away from Sabryn, whimpering a little at the loss of Sabryn's fingers. Before Sabryn could protest, Anton rolled her onto her side, facing Lindy. He slid behind her back, nipping at where the spine joined the neck. Lindy adjusted the position of Sabryn's legs, and then helped guide the head of Anton's cock into Sabryn. Unable to resist, she bent down and lapped at where they were joined, offering herself to Sabryn at the same time.

A sharp cry left Sabryn's lips at the feeling between her legs. Between Lindy's tongue and Anton's slowly thrusting cock, she felt like she was coming unglued. Squirming back against him, she pushed her upper body forward and took what Lindy was offering. Nuzzling her nose against tight blond curls, she breathed in the scent of her before carefully parting her folds like pulling apart a ripe, juicy peach. Resting her head against Lindy's thigh, she began slowly by placing mere kisses around the opening of her sex, deliberately teasing her. She moaned as Anton shifted inside of her, picking up his pace, and the vibrations of her lips made Lindy giggle. Growing bolder, she placed an open mouthed kiss to her friend's clitoris, tracing her tongue in a circle around the swollen bud.

Anton couldn't help but smile as Lindy cried out. "I don't know what you're doing, my dear, but I think Lindy likes it." He shifted, trying to get at a different angle to get deeper inside Sabryn. He slid a hand between their warm bodies, fingering Sabryn's breasts.

She continued the circling motion for a while longer, lightly sucking on Lindy's clitoris, her hand sliding down behind her to grab Anton's ass. She pulled him tighter against her, unable to keep her hips from rocking back against in counter- rhythm. After a moment, she couldn't concentrate on what she was doing, and used her fingers to stimulate Lindy instead. Sensing her impending climax, Anton slowed down, trying to make the moment last as long as he could. And when her breathing slowed, Bryn rolled Lindy's clit under her thumb and dipped her tongue into the tart fluid escaping her body.

She could taste Anton's semen, mixed with the new flavor of aroused female, and she felt a shudder pass through her.

"You taste so good," she whispered, intending the comment for both of them.

Lindy began shuddering. The sensation of Sabryn's tongue and fingers between her legs was quickly becoming too much for her to handle. She continued teasing Sabryn, not wanting the sensations to end. She ran her tongue back and forth in one long stripe from Sabryn's clit to Anton's balls.

Bryn jerked against the sensation, the sudden jolt making her fingers press down harder on Lindy until her friend cried out as she came. Pressing herself hard against Sabryn's mouth and hand. Watching them over his fiancée's shoulder, feeling the sensation of Lindy's tongue teasing his scrotum and Sabryn's inner muscles starting to contract around his cock, Anton groaned. He pumped himself harder inside of her, holding her hip for leverage. Just as Lindy's own orgasm started to subside, Sabryn's own began...dragging him along right behind her.

Anton buried his nose into Sabryn's hair. He felt more than saw Lindy go limp, and then felt the mattress shift as Lindy turned around. Lazily he stroked up and down Sabryn's side. He felt sated, except for one nagging little question. "You two still haven't told me why..."

"Anton, hush." Lindy reached over and laid a finger against his lips. "Isn't it enough that we are?"

He subsided, still stroking Sabryn. It was bothering him that Sabryn and Lindy had set this up. Not that he was complaining that they had, but he wanted to know why. Lindy's mother may have been able to been in a long-term threesome, but he didn't have the feeling that any of them were made for that kind of relationship.

"She did it because I asked her to," Sabryn said, feeling sleepy. "So I could give you something special."

"Something special? A card would have sufficed..."

She gave him a slight smirk, before laying her head on his arm and closing her eyes. "I mean something you'd never had before. You've no idea how hard I would've had to search for something else."

"Who said you had to?"

Opening her eyes, she slowly turned to face him. "I did. Because there's so little of you that doesn't partly belong to someone else. Then again, sharing this night with you isn't exactly 'all mine' either, but I guess it was as close as I was going to get."

"What do you mean by I 'partly belong to someone else'?"

She placed her hand over his chest. "In a way, I'm sharing you with nine other people, Anton. The eight before me, and Lindy," she said, casting a glance over her shoulder. "I wanted something that was just for me. And maybe this was an unusual way to go about that, but it is something you've never done before. You said so yourself."

"This is that important to you, Bryn?" He choked up a bit when she nodded. "Who am I to argue then?" He kissed her forehead before looking over at Lindy. "And is there something you want to tell me, Lindy?"

Lindy swallowed and shook her head. Anton knew better than to press her for an answer. She'd tell him if and when she was ready. He idly wondered if maybe he had misread her feelings for him. Every so often, when she thought he wasn't looking, he had seen expressions of longing on her face. But if there were feelings there, she hadn't acted on them, even when he was hurting and vulnerable over Sabryn. If anything, she had encouraged him to go after her.

He didn't think he'd ever figure out women.

At his question to Lindy, Sabryn turned over and met her friend's gaze. Lindy didn't have to say a word for her to know that she wasn't to say a word about her crush on Anton, and it broke Sabryn's heart. Here she was going on and on about how insecure she was feeling, and like an unfeeling oaf she was trampling all over Lindy's aching heart. She knew better than anyone what it felt like to love someone and not be loved the same way in return. And she'd never wish that on anyone.

Sitting up, she carefully climbed over Anton and settled down against his back. Nudging him closer to the middle, she whispered, "Hold her. I can put my arms around you from back here."

With a slight hesitation, he inched a bit closer to Lindy and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing his hand up and down her back. At the same time, he felt Sabryn press a kiss to his back and wrap her arm around his waist...pressing her hand over the hand Lindy held against his heart.

Lindy pressed harder against Anton, trying to memorize the feeling of his body against hers. She couldn't believe she was feeling two such opposite feelings at once. She was physically sated, but emotionally she was unsettled. She knew that tonight was her one chance to be with Anton, and she was intended to treasure the memories.

She almost cried when Sabryn touched her hand. She felt a surge of gratitude to her for not telling Anton. And she couldn't suppress the surge of jealousy when she thought that Sabryn was held like this every night. But she couldn't find it in her to hate her. She liked Sabryn, and Anton was obviously happy with her. She and Anton were just not meant to be.

Sabryn sat up and glanced down at the two of them, her breath catching. It was hard to think that if she hadn't stumbled her way into Anton's life, this never might have happened. And yet they looked so good together. He clearly loved her, in whatever form he was willing to give. And Lindy had already admitted she loved him. A simple crush, this was not. Whether they liked it or not, she couldn't in good conscience go any further with this until she knew where it was headed.

She'd much rather see the brick wall before she hit it. And if he remained her fiancé when he should have been with someone else, she wanted it stopped.

Climbing off the bed, she grabbed Anton's shirt off the floor and wrapped it around her. The both looked at her curiously as she stood at the foot of the bed. She swallowed heavily, hoping not to make an ass of herself by becoming a drama queen. She'd shed enough tears for one day.

"Lindy, I know you aren't going to like this, but you and Anton need to talk. I can't stay here and pretend anymore. It hurts me, and I know damned well it's hurting you."

"Talk about what?" Anton directed his gaze at Lindy, who looked a bit like a deer in headlights.

She whispered, "I'm sorry," to Lindy before saying, "She loves you, Anton. She has for a long time."

"Lindy?" He waited until she looked up at him. "Is this true?" Lindy nodded and hid her face against his chest. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

She shook her head. "I almost told you, right before you went to Santa Cruz. I told myself that I'd tell you when you came back. But when you did, you were heartbroken about Bryn and I couldn't..." She finally gave into the tears that had been threatening to spill over for most of the night. "I'm sorry," she sobbed to both of them. "I didn't mean to..."

He looked from Lindy, who was almost hysterical, to Bryn, who looked about to cry herself. He shook his head, not having a clue as to what to do next.

"It's not your fault, Lindy. You didn't do anything wrong," Sabryn said, reaching for her bra. "It was just bad timing, that's all. Although whose, I'm not quite sure."

"What are you doing?" Anton asked, watching as she dropped his shirt and hooked the bra behind her back.

"Getting dressed. I'm going for a walk."

"What? Why?"

"You need to talk to her, Anton. And me being here isn't going to help anything."

"But where will you be?"

"I don't know. Down in the bar, maybe. I don't know about the two of you, but I could use a drink." She tried to make the statement sound lighthearted, but failed. Pulling on her underwear, she stepped over to where her dress lay on the floor. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Do whatever you need to. Just please be honest with each other. The idea of marrying someone who should've been with--"

She let the sentence drop, shaking her head as she hurriedly finished dressing. "I love you both. I just want you to be happy."

Grabbing her purse, she walked over to the door and stepped into the hallway, leaving them completely alone as she shut the door behind her.

Lindy moved away from Anton almost before the door was even closed. "I can't do this with either of us naked," she said. She tossed Anton's clothes in his direction while putting on her own.

He dressed before moving to where she was. "Lindy, I'm sorry--"

"No, Anton. Let me say something first." Lindy took a deep breath. "I do love you. You're one of the few men I feel safe with, and I will always treasure tonight. But I know it can't continue once we step out of this door. You love Bryn. I can live with that."

He nodded. "I know you will. You are one of the strongest people I know, Lindy. But don't let your feelings for me blind you to other possibilities. I just wish you had told me sooner."

"I wasn't ready then, Anton," she said with a shake of her head. "I didn't intend to ever tell you. And it was fun, going out with you when you needed to show up for a business function with a date. I could pretend that you and I were..." She trailed off, tears coming to her eyes again. "But that was just a fantasy, and I knew it couldn't last forever."

"Lindy," he said softly, reaching for her.

"No." She backed away. "I think it's better if we don't touch. Too easy for me to misinterpret..." Lindy sighed again. "I just don't want this to affect our friendship or your and Bryn's relationship."

"Little late for that, Lindy." He shook his head. "Quite a mess we've gotten ourselves into." Ignoring her request not to be touched, he took one of her hands in his. "I love you, as my best friend, Lindy. We've been through a lot together. And I'm sorry if I hurt you, but it's Bryn I wish to marry."

"I know." She raised his hands to her lips for a brief kiss before letting go. "I think we'd better go find her and clear the air."

"Very well. Lindy," he said as she put her hand on the doorknob. "While we can't repeat tonight, that doesn't mean we ignore it like it never happened. If you need to talk, come to me."

"I will, Anton. And I'm glad that you are... were my first lover. Lindy opened the door and nodded in the direction of the hall. "C'mon. Let's go find her before anything else happens."

Anton took the door from her, and held it for her to pass through. Side by side, they walked down to the elevator, ready to face Sabryn.

Sabryn walked slowly into the dimmed, smoky room, and sat down on the nearest stool, showing the bartender her ID. She ordered a Long-Island iced tea...not because she liked the things. They were about as appetizing to her as drinking gasoline. Luckily, they were also just about as potent. She could think of nothing else that would get her drunk faster, and at the moment that was exactly what she wanted to be. Leaning her cheek on her hand, she played with the napkin set before her while she waited for her drink.

"Tough night?"

She ignored the voice for a moment, until she had a sense of familiarity. Lifting her head, she gazed to her left and met a pair of smiling green eyes. Nathaniel, from the college. She tried to summon up a smile, but couldn't.

"You could say that, Mr. One-liner."

"Ouch. Careful, I left my haz-mat suit at home."

That made her smirk, at least. "Sorry. I'm just not in the mood right now."

"Could'a fooled me." She turned her head at his suggestive tone and caught his eyes taking a slow crawl up and down her body. "Nice."

"You like it? You should see the stuff underneath. I bought it so I could fuck my fiancé and his girlfriend."

Nathaniel's mouth dropped open, and she felt a certain satisfaction in shocking him. Reaching for her drink, she took a long gulp and winced as the alcohol burned down her throat.

"Are you serious?"

"Yep," she said, barely hiding a belch. "You got any cigarettes?"

"I didn't know you smoked."

"I don't. Do you have any, or don't you?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't. Smoking's bad for you."

She gave a helpless laugh. "Do you honestly think I'm worried about my health right now?"

He considered her for a moment, before ordering his own drink from the bartender. The man came back a few minutes later, with both Nathaniel's beer and a refill for Sabryn's half-drained cocktail.

"Are you on some sort of self-destructive bender, or what?"

She sighed, leaning a little off-kilter on her other hand to look at him. "You'd think that, wouldn't you? Hard to believe I did all of this because of love, right?" She took another drink. "Do you know that I was trying on wedding dresses today? What a crock. Sometimes I wonder about myself."

"Why?"

"Love doesn't last," she said, bitterly, her eyes misting over. "Just look at my parents. You'll never find two bigger assholes. They only stay together because they're too cheap to get a divorce.

"Then there's my brother and his wife...they argue half the time. He flirts with other women, and spends his nights jacking off to porno movies. Will they last another ten years? Good question. People get divorced left and right. Look at Hollywood. Ninety percent of them are split. The other ten percent will either die or get sick each other." She paused in her tirade for a moment to tilt her drink in his direction as she gestured with her hand, inadvertently spilling a few drops on his pants. "You wanna know the only thing that does last in this world? Pain. And lots of it."

He shook his head, taking a long gulp from his beer bottle. "To be honest with you, I think you're right. It's hard to find anything lasting anymore. And trust me, I've seen a lot."

"A real man of the world, huh?" She sniffled, before blowing her nose on her napkin. "You know, you could be around for a thousand years and not see what's right in front of your eyes."

"What a pity," he murmured, brushing the hair out of her eyes. She flinched, giving him a long stare before turning back to her drink. He watched her take another sip. "You want to tell me why you're in here getting sloshed alone?"

Her lower lip trembled and she closed her eyes. "No."

"Fair enough." He scratched his temple, then leaned over the bar on his forearms. "But I have to warn you--I'm a social drinker, so if you don't want someone here talking your ear off, you'd better tell me to get lost now."

"Why bother? Before long, I'll have a nice buzz going and I won't notice you anyway."

Smirking, he gestured to the bartender for another round. "In that case, this one's on me."

A little more than ten minutes later, they were sitting in their own private booth. Sabryn stared at him with a dreamy smile on her face, feeling quite content after three drinks on an empty stomach. He, on the other hand, munched endlessly on a bowl of pretzels as he talked. He even laughed louder when she giggled so hard she snorted.

"So, your fiancé is a vampire?" he asked, sounding amused.

"Uh-huh."

"And his girlfriend is--"

"A werewolf."

He nodded, popping another pretzel in his mouth. "And what are you...a banshee?"

Giggling, she shook her head. "No, no. An alien abductee."

"Oh, OK. See, I would have had you pegged more for a witch. You know, like Samantha Stevens?"

"Like this?" She tried to wiggle her nose like the character on Bewitched, but only resulted in flaring her nostrils, staring cross-eyed at herself.

Nathaniel laughed, nearly spitting out his gulp of beer. He swallowed quickly, choking a bit. "Can I be a mummy?"

"No...you can be a daddy, though."

He winced slightly at that, but quickly covered for himself by laughing again and pulling her drink away from her. "I think you've had enough for now."

"No, I'm serious, he really is a vampire."

"All right, I believe you."

"No, you don't."

"You're right. I don't."

She sighed. "A vampire and a werewolf are much better off together, anyway. They don't even need to dress up for Halloween!"

Smiling, he offered her a pretzel. "That may be true...but you still love him."

"No, I don't," she pouted. "He's--he's--difficult."

"So?"

"So, I'm easy."

"I don't think you want to say that too loud. Half the guys in here will have you flipped over their shoulders in a second if they hear that."

She grinned, turning her head to look around the room, swaying slightly as everything spun around her. "Whoa...cool. I think I'm tipsy."

"I think you're right. You're not driving home, are you?"

"Why?" She leered at him. "Are you offering, mummy?"

He shook his head, opening his mouth to respond, when something caught his eye. Swearing mentally, he hastily stood up. "I'll be back, gorgeous. Gotta take a leak."

And with that, he disappeared into the haze.

Sabryn scratched her head sleepily, yawning, her gaze drifting towards the entrance of the bar. When she saw Anton and Lindy walking towards her, she groaned and leaned her head back on the plush bench.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite couple...Vlad and Mina..."

They stopped before her, not holding hands like she expected. Then again, maybe they were just trying to be polite and respect her feelings. She almost laughed. Anton looked from her face to the various glasses and beer bottles before her, and said, "You're drunk."

"Bingo. And you missed my mummy...oh well, he'll be back."

He frowned at her in obvious confusion, his eyes scanning the mess next to her. "Who've you been drinking with?"

"My friend. He's very sweet. I think I like him a lot." She smiled, lopsidedly. "See, I'll be fine. You don't need to worry about me at all." She gave them a shooing motion with her hands. "You can go away now. The hotel room is paid for. Go. Have fun."

"I'm not in the mood to have fun now." Anton frowned down at Sabryn. "We have to talk."

Sabryn sat back in the booth. "So talk."

"Not here," he said. "And not upstairs. Let's find someplace neutral and just... talk."

Lindy slid into the booth, frowning and sniffing a bit before turning her attention to her friend. "Go on, talk to him."

"Why bother? I mean, really. This is stupid. Why don't you two go back to whatever you were doing, and I'll catch a ride home."

She stood up to walk past him but didn't make it two steps before she stumbled over her own foot and damned near fell over. Anton caught her against him, holding her upright, casting a meaningful glance at Lindy. She nodded and he started leading Sabryn away from the bar.

She tried to shake off his grip. "You're hurting my arm."

Lightening his grip, he put one arm around her waist and kept walking. "You need to sit down somewhere. You don't look very well."

"Why don't you go back to looking at Lindy, then? Probably much nicer scenery."

Gritting his teeth, he led her through the lobby towards the elevator to the parking garage. "Because I don't want to. I'm talking to you right now. And it would help me immensely if you'd quit fighting me."

Once inside the elevator, she pulled away from him and leaned against the wall. Her sullen glare was the most responsive look she'd given him since he entered the bar. "What do you want from me? If you're just going to tell me you're leaving, save your breath."

Anton raised his eyebrows. "Why are you assuming that I'm leaving you?"

"Because that's what you're doing, isn't it? Want me to tell you why?" Sabryn spat the words at him. "She's beautiful. She's poised. She's got her life in order. She's in love with you. She's a werewolf and understands you better than I ever could."

Anton appeared to consider her words for a moment. "Those are valid points, Bryn. But there is one important one you are forgetting."

"What would that be?"

Anton crossed over to her side of the elevator. One hand went on the wall on either side of her head, effectively pinning her in place. There was a hint of a growl in his voice. "I'm not in love with Lindy. I'm in love with you. Now tell me what the hell I have to do to convince you of that."

She looked away, her eyes growing moist. "I know you love me, Anton. Or at least you think you do. But that's not the point."

"Then what is?"

"You belong with her." She licked her lips, only willing to gaze as high as his mouth. "Do you know what I was thinking when the two of your were making love?"

He frowned. "I can't imagine."

"I was thinking that you were perfect together. The way you moved. The way she looked at you, and the way you took care of her. She needs you, Anton. She loves you so much, and she's not going to just get over that. And despite what you say, I know you love her, too. I could feel it."

"This is insane." He said the words through gritted teeth, his jaw muscle flexing involuntarily.

"I'm human, Anton. I'll never know what you go through. Sometimes I'm not even sure I want to." The elevator bell dinged, the doors slowly sliding open to reveal the well-lit garage. "And how do you know this is love, anyway? All we ever do is have sex. You could have that with anyone. It's called lust, and it's very easy to come by. And yes, I mean that both ways."

Ducking under his arm, she stepped out of the elevator and started walking towards the car.

He caught up with her and grabbed her arm. Halting her, he swung her around to look into her eyes. "Is that what you thought this is?"

She pulled her arm from his grip. Without a word, she turned around and got into the car. "Bryn, where are you going? Don't tell me you're going to drive-- Bryn!" He couldn't do anything but watch her drive off.

Lindy was finishing Sabryn's drink for her, albeit slowly, as he approached. She looked up to see a dark-haired man hovering over her, staring at her in curious silence. He scratched his chin, before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Either I've had more to drink than I thought, or you're not the same person who was sitting here when I left."

"Sabryn left. Sorry." She started to get up, but he put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. She had to pause for a moment. Damn he smelled good.

"No need to leave. I'd like the company." He licked his lips, pale green eyes assessing her. "I would like to know your name, though."

"Lindy," she said, softly.

Smiling, he resumed his seat in the booth. "Nice to meet you. I'm Nathaniel...but you can call me Nate, if you'd like."

"All right."

"Excuse me for saying so, but you don't look much better than she did. Rough night?"

"You could say that."

"Pretzel?"

"No thanks."

He took a swig of his beer, never taking his eyes off of her. "You're the werewolf, aren't you?"

Lindy choked on the drink. She put it down, slopping some over the side of the glass. "How the hell did you know?" She immediately cursed herself for not bluffing a denial.

"Sabryn was rather chatty about the nights events, including that you are a werewolf and the object of both of your affections is a vampire."

Lindy rested her head on one arm. She had just placed why he smelled so good to her. While different, there were similar undertones to Anton's scent. "And you believe that?"

"Of course not."

"Don't try to lie to a werewolf, Nate." She tapped the side of her nose. "Although in this form my senses aren't as sharp as a wolf's, I can still smell a lie a mile away, although it smells different on a human than it does on a vampire."

A slow smile crept to his face. "Clever girl."

"The question is, why were you sniffing around Sabryn?"

"Apparently the girl attracts vampires like a lode stone. Must be something in the blood."

She couldn't quite tell if he was lying or not. It seemed true enough, but there was still a hint of guilt in him. "You were going to feed on her?"

He looked shocked, and not a little hurt by the accusation. "Of course not. I don't make it a habit of feeding on women. And besides, the only thing I'm hungry for right now is companionship."

"Somehow I doubt you're too lacking in that area."

"That makes two of us."

She gave him a heartless laugh. "You don't know me."

"Doesn't mean I wouldn't like to." She could feel her heart fluttering in her chest. Obviously he was flirting, but there was something in his casual stare that made her feel warm inside. Or at least warmer than she'd been since leaving the hotel room. Maybe the drink she was nursing was stronger than she thought. Leaning over the table, he murmured, "Would you object if I asked if you'd want to get out of here...with me?"

She met his gaze evenly, although her heart was pounding. "That all depends on what's on the agenda."

"Agenda?" Nathaniel gave her an innocent smile. "Who said I have an agenda?"

Lindy laughed. "You are trouble."

"Was that a yes?"

She swallowed. "Yeah, it is. But first I do need to talk to someone"

"Sure." Then he remembered who it was she's probably want to talk to. "Meet me out front when you're ready. Watch for the black Viper."

Lindy smiled as she got up. "Why am I not surprised? I'll be there in five minutes." She could feel Nate's eyes on her whole time until she stepped out the door. Hurrying to the elevator, she wondered how she was going to explain this to Anton and Sabryn.

A quick look around the parking lot didn't turn up either of them, or Sabryn's car. Thinking that everything must have worked out, she walked up to the front of the hotel and waited.

Five minutes later, a black Dodge Viper pulled up. Nate got out of the driver's side. "You like?"

"Yes, I do." Nathaniel opened the passenger door, and she stepped inside, admiring the leather upholstery and the in dash CD player. "What's that playing?" she asked.

"Orgy." Belatedly, he realized that might not have been the best music choice, considering Lindy was now blushing bright red.

He closed the door quietly, stepping around to the driver's side. As he settled behind the wheel, he glanced her. "I didn't even think about my manners. Would you like to drive? I'd be glad to surrender the keys."

"Are you serious?"

He nodded, giving her a grin. Sliding out of his seat, he held out his hand. Instead of getting out of the car, she merely stood up and stepped over the center console. The open roof made it easy for her to slide behind the steering wheel. As he quickly came around the car and settled into the passenger's seat, he murmured, "Try to keep it under 90, OK? This thing's still not completely paid for."

She gave him a giddy smile, cautiously pulling out into traffic. "Where to?"

"Wherever you want to go, gorgeous. Just get me home before sunrise. I have a curfew, you know."

With a sudden surge of adrenaline, she stepped on the gas and took them onto the freeway. She couldn't seem to stop smiling. Oh yeah. She was gonna like this guy.

After a long drive and an early morning breakfast, Lindy gave the keys back to Nathaniel and let him drive her home. They'd talked nearly non-stop. Nothing really important came up; it was as if he didn't want to bring back bad memories of earlier events that night. They discussed favorite movies, cars, sports...silly things. But she felt comfortable in his presence, and that was all she really cared about.

Still, he was a vampire, and she didn't just run into those every day. Only twice in a lifetime, it seemed.

On the quiet drive back to Sabryn's brother's home, she watched him drive. He was very intense behind the wheel, concentrated, shifting with ease, weaving casually in and out of traffic. And he wasn't bad to look at, either. Turning his head, he caught her staring and gave her a wink that made her blush.

"What's on your mind, gorgeous?"

She sighed, turning to stare out the window. "I guess I'm just a little leery about going back so soon."

"I'd keep you with me, but I think I might get accused of kidnapping if I did that." Turning his attention back to the road, he added, "But, from what I heard, it sounds to me as if you have every right to be leery of returning."

That caught her attention. "What exactly did you hear?"

He swallowed heavily. "It's really none of my business."

"No, I want to know what she told you."

He cast her a sideways glance. "Well, you know...that you and she...kind of slept with the same guy. The guy she's supposed to marry."

She closed her eyes, mentally cursing. "It's not something I do every day, if that's what you're thinking."

"Quite the contrary, Lindy. I was wondering if it was really true. Because if you ask me, you don't seem like the type."

"I wasn't. Once."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't a vampire once, either."

"You don't think I'm a--"

"A what?" He looked at her, not a trace of condemnation on his face. "I think you're human. Well, mostly," he said, with a teasing smirk. "And I see nothing wrong with what you did."

"Most men wouldn't," she said, with a bit of sarcasm.

"She told me you love him. Sounds like reason enough to me."

She could feel tears spring to her eyes. Looking away, she nodded. "Something like that."

"Turn here?" "Yes."

He turned down the street, pulling to a stop before the right house, without her even giving him directions as to which house it was. She gave him a curious glance, but wasn't able to comment before he cut the engine and stepped out of the car. As he walked around and opened her door, offering her his hand, he murmured, "It's getting late...or early, rather. Let me walk you to door."

"Okay." She felt a little thrill run through her as they touched, and from his almost imperceptible gasp, she thought he felt the same thing. He was clearly on edge as he walked her to the door, glancing nervously at the front windows and towards the east. But when they got to the door, he didn't drop her hand. "Thanks for tonight, or I guess it's last night now," she amended. She sighed heavily. "I am *not* looking forward to going in there."

"I can understand why." Nate reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. "Got a pen?" Lindy pulled one out of her purse, and Nate scribbled something on it. "My cell phone number, in case you need to talk to someone... nonjudgemental. Perhaps tonight, maybe?"

"Tonight?" Lindy almost shouted 'yes' but then remembered what tonight was. "No, no good," she said, gesturing at the sky. "Full moon, and I'll be a bit bitchy. But tomorrow's good."

"Great," he said with a smile. Nervously, he glanced at the windows and east again. "I'm sorry, but I've got to be going..."

She made a little shooing motion. "I understand perfectly. Go on. I'll talk to you later."

He leaned forward, as if to kiss her, but stopped. "Call me," he whispered before practically fleeing to his car. With one last grin back at her, he hopped in and roared off down the street.

Lindy giggled, but also wondered what had made him so nervous. [Wonder if vampires are territorial and he's afraid that Anton's going to take over his hunting grounds.] She'd have to ask...

[Anton, Bryn, yeah.] She took a deep breath as she fumbled for the key Sabryn had given her earlier and let herself in.

As the door swung in, she saw Sabryn stand up hastily from her place on the stairs, rushing forward, but she stopped abruptly as Lindy closed the door behind her. As she pushed the hair out of her face, she could clearly see that Bryn's eyes were red and swollen.

"He's not with you?" She gulped. "Why isn't he with you, Lindy?"

"Anton?" Lindy shook her head, glancing out at the early morning sky. "He's not here?"

"No, he's not," she said, almost angrily. But she couldn't hold the stare. Her face crumpled like a little girl's, before she collapsed back on to the bottom stair. "Oh God."

Hurrying forward to kneel in front of her, Lindy asked, "What happened? I thought the two of you had made up?"

"Nooo, he's gone..."

"He left?"

She shook her head rapidly, her hair flapping around and sticking to her wet face. "I--I was so stupid. I left him standing there." Sucking in a shuddering breath, she met Lindy's gaze. "I didn't mean--I thought he'd go back to you--"

"Why? Bryn, he wanted you."

Burying her face against bent knees, the legs of her old jeans darkened with moisture, she let out a muffled, "What have I done?"

Lindy could feel her own eyes burning. "I'm sure he'll be back. It's almost..."

[Damn it, Anton. It's almost too late...]

End Chapter Four