1.9

So, a few days after Kaylee had left Ty's dorm, things were strained between them and she didn't know what to do, she received a phone call from Rachael.
"How's it going Kaylee?"
"Pretty good," Kaylee replied trying to inject some enthusiasm in her voice.
"That's great! Are you making many friends?"
Kaylee's mouth twisted. She had never been the type to make "friends". For starters she and Janet had moved around a lot and then, when they had settled down for awhile, she didn't want to have to explain to anyone she brought over why her mother was laying passed out in the middle of the floor.
"Kaylee?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah! I have a few friends."
There was a pause then, "That's good. I was thinking about driving down there today. Just to hang out. You can show me around campus and introduce me to your friends."
Kaylee tried to rack her brain for an excuse but nothing came to mind. When the silence stretched she swallowed dryly. "Sure. I'm free this afternoon."
"Good," Rachael said with a twinkling laugh. "I'm already half way there."
Her eyes widening in horror Kaylee looked around her messy bedroom. "That's great! Hey, let me let you go. I have...I have some homework to finish up before you get here."
"Alright. See you in a few hours!"
By the time Kaylee heard the knock on the door she had just finished shoving everything underneath of the bed. Opening the door she peered out to see Rachael surrounded by a group of guys. Rolling her eyes she pushed through to give her a hug.

"So, how are you really?" Rachael asked once Kaylee had taken her upstairs to the rarely used study room.
Startled Kaylee looked into Rachael's concerned face. "I'm fine," she said her eyes sliding to look over Rachael's shoulder. She had never been any good at lying. "How are you?"
Kaylee felt Rachael staring at her and tried to brighten her smile even more. She guessed she succeeded because Rachael smiled and started to talk about the trips she'd been on, the new guy she was dating and how well her son was doing in college. Before Kaylee knew it was starting to get dark. Rachael glanced at the slim gold watch on her wrist.
"Kaylee, I need to speak with you," she said, reaching up to fiddle with one of her dangling earrings.
Alarm shot through Kaylee at her sudden change of voice. "Look, if this is about the check I'm not going to bug you over it. You can give it to me when you can give it to me. I mean, registration for classes next year, is tomorrow but I have enough money put aside to-"
"The thing is...I want all the money I loaned you back. Sometime within the next week."


Kaylee felt all the blood rush from her head and she gripped the arms of her chair to stay grounded. Instead of hearing the music playing in the background or the of conversation from people who had drifted upstairs, all she heard was the thundering of her own heart. She opened her mouth, to say what she didn't know, but Rachael made a slicing motion with her hands and it seemed as if her face...contorted and her eyes narrowed to slits. Absently Kaylee wondering what had happened to the smiling woman she had just been talking to.
"You see Kaylee, I heard from your mother today. She had no one else to turn to. Seems as if she's gotten herself into a little jam and needs to borrow some money. When I told her that I didn't have any money to spare she called me a liar! A LIAR!" she snarled leaning closer.
Kaylee licked her lips. "B-but why do you care?"
"Well, here's the thing. You're mother is like a siren, luring unsuspecting men to their downfall. I don't understand her appeal but," she shrugged. "Men are weak. I...I think I'm in love, for the first time in a long time and Janet...Janet says she'll pop back into town for a quick visit if she doesn't get the money she needs. When I told her that I didn't have that kind of money laying around she said she knew that I had invested some money three years ago. It seems as if she knew about our little agreement." Rachael shrugged.
"She told me that you're a survivor. You'd get by but she really needed that money as soon as possible." She smirked. "Apparently your mother is keeping tabs on you. Isn't that sweet?"
"If he loves you-"
"Love and sex don't go hand in hand you naive little girl!" Rachael snapped standing over her. Kaylee pushed herself up out of the chair.
"So, just like you blackmailed her, she's blackmailing you?"

"You don't understand Kaylee, it has to be done."
Kaylee turned and started to walk away, a numbness seeping into her body until her feet felt as if they weighed a ton and every step she took was a mile. Once again, after not hearing from Janet in years, somehow she managed to wreck her life.
"There's no way I can get you three years worth of money by next week," she muttered without turning around.
Rachael snorted. "You'd better. Otherwise I'm calling the police and telling them you were stealing money from my account."
Kaylee whipped around to stare at her in astonishment. "There's no way you can say that! I have check stubs and-"
"My ex-husband was a banker. I know the ends and out of the business Kaylee. It wouldn't be hard to tell the police I lost my checkbook years ago but it slipped my mind until now to check my account. I'm wealthy. I have several accounts. Hard to keep track of them no doubt."
"If you're so wealthy why don't you just give Janet the money?" she demanded.
Rachael shook her head. "My ex-husband likes to account for every penny that he gives me in alimony. If I suddenly withdraw such a large sum, without explanation, he and his damn lawyers could take me back to court and try to reduce his alimony. He owes me," she hissed.
Kaylee realized there was nothing she could say, nothing she could do, to sway Rachael into giving her a little more time.

She headed toward the door, absently noticing that life was moving on around her while she felt as if hers was somehow ending. She stopped at the door.
"I trusted you," she whispered. "I trusted you when, against all reason, I shouldn't have. Did you have some other plan in mind when you offered help? Were you going to wait until my senior year before you pulled the rug out from under me and left me floundering? Was this all some payback scheme for what Janet did to you?"
"Kaylee, for what its worth, I truly did intend to help you. I never planned for things to turn out like this."
"The best laid plans and all that," Kaylee whispered before walking away.







She didn't know when she started to run or for how long she ran. All she knew is when she finally was aware of her surrounding she was standing outside a familiar door. Did she really run that far, she asked herself disjointedly as she stared at the wooden panel in front of her. And why here? Things still aren't cleared up between us. She had way too much baggage and even more now with having to leave college. She made up her mind to leave but her feet seemed rooted to the ground and of its own accord her hand rose up and formed a fist.
No, no, NOOOO, she silently screamed as her hand headed toward the door. Don't do it. Just leave quietly. He'll-
The knock seemed to echo down the hall. It seemed as if an eternity passed before the doorknob started to turn but she knew that it had only been a few seconds.

"Kaylee?"The bright beam of light from inside his room seemed to rouse her from her stupor and suddenly everything seemed to come rushing at her. What had occurred earlier, the hammering of her heart, the trembling of her exhausted legs, and the fear that the boy she loved wouldn't want her anymore after hearing all the details. She raised a shaky hand to her mouth and tried to look anywhere but at his face but in the end she just wanted one last glance before she had to walk away.
She looked up, wanting to memorize every feature, and without conscious thought blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"I love you."

She didn't know if it was something about her face or if the words made him move but suddenly he was reaching for her and it was if a dam had broken. She began to sob. Deep, gut wrenching sobs as tears streamed down her face. Tears that she had denied herself all these years. Tears she had always feared crying because...what if she never stopped?
She didn't feel Ty lift her up and place her on the bed but she rolled toward him when he climbed in after her and wrapped his strong arms around her waist.
She cried for the childhood that she never had, for never knowing a mother's love, for the past she couldn't remember and the future which seemed to stretch out before her in years of just scratching by. And most of all she cried for what might have been with Ty if she had truly let him in.
She cried for what seemed like hours and he held her quietly the entire time.

"All I ever wanted to do," she said in a husky voice as she tried to wipe at the tears that were still coursing down her face, "Was make something of myself. Prove that my genes might determine what I looked like but not who I was. And I was so close. So close and now, now I'm once against shoved aside."
Flinging her hand in the air she looked up at the ceiling. "You would think if there really was a being out there controlling our destinies that it would cut me a fucking break." She gave a watery laugh. "No, never a break for me!" She glanced up into Ty's face and was startled to see that he was crying...
Seeing her staring he palmed the back of her head and pressed her face against his chest. "Babe, what happened?"
She squeezed her eyes closed and moved closer. "Janet. She happened and now I have to repay Rachael back by next week."
"How does she expect you to-"
Kaylee gave a weary sigh. "I don't know Ty. I don't know. But, I wanted you to know that, even though I might not have said it enough, or shown you like I should have...you were the only guy I ever wanted. The only person that I could be myself around. And if I learned nothing else from our time together I learned that not everyone is out for themselves...you're the exception."
Exhaustion seemed to beat at her and with a heavy sigh she drifted off to sleep.

A shaft of sunlight hit Kaylee across the face making her wince. She moved then groaned when her tired body protested. She snuggled deeper into the pillow smiling when she caught Ty's scent. She reached out hand and only met with air. She slowly opened her eyes, wondering why they were so sore, before everything suddenly came back to her. She squeezed her eyes closed and bit her lip to prevent herself from crying. A tear slid free anyway.
"Hey little girl, there will be none of that. I hate when women cry."
She bolted up in bed, gasping from both the pain and the sight of Ty's dad leaning against the door staring at her. Shoving her hand through her hair she tried to swing her legs out of the bed but only succeeded in flopping back on the bed.
"Yes, I don't think you're up for another marathon Kaylee. That was some distance you made last night."
She grunted trying to avoid his eyes.
"And what's this? What are you hiding for? You have nothing to be ashamed about. Ty told me everything."
Kaylee's eyes flew to his and Damon nodded decisively. "He had no right!"
"That's my boy! He had every right! He was worried sick about you."
"I can take care of myself," she snapped more embarrassed than anything.
"Yes, we all know you can. And we're all proud of you. Now, Rachael has been paid in full, a check was hand delivered to her personally, by me, this morning. She has instructions to never bother you again and as soon as we track down your mother I'll repeat those same instructions."
Kaylee opened her mouth but was forestalled by the hand he raised to silence her. "Get angry and then get over it. Like it or not you're part of this family now Kaylee Ravensworth. And we take care of our own."
She didn't know what to say. Thank you sounded trite and getting into an argument with Damon seemed pointless. "I'll pay you back," she sad instead. For the first time she saw a look of anger cross Damon's usual jovial face.
"Now why are you gonna insult me like that? Did I even mention a payback? Did I say this was a loan? Hell, you don't even have to stay with my sorry excuse for a son and we'd still consider you family."
"He's not sorry," she snapped without thinking.
Damon only grinned. Walking forward her chucked her underneath of the chin. "No, he picked you didn't he?" Winking he walked out of the room.

Having decided that she needed to work out in order to clear her mind Kaylee went to the gym a few nights later and saw Ty working out as well. She paused in the doorway before walking over and sitting down on the bench next to him.
"Hey," she said quietly not wanting to startle him.
He glanced over and shot her a grin. "Hey," he puffed out rapidly rising and lowering his legs.
She admired the flexing and relaxing of his muscles before clearing her throat and starting her own repetitions. They worked in silence for awhile before she cleared her throat again.
"So, I was thinking we should probably start looking for a place soon."
She jumped when his weights clanged against the bench and he sat frozen in place. "Ty?" Her mouth suddenly went dry. What if, after all that happened, he didn't want her to move in with him? What if, right this second, he was trying to think of some excuse to let her down gently.
"I don't want you to move in with me...not if you're just doing it because you think you owe me."
She let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "There's no way I could pay you back for the kindness you've shown me. Not just recently but over the years. I just realized that it's time for me to step from behind Janet's shadow. I'm not her. I can make my own choices. And I choose to live with the boy I've fallen hopelessly and completely in love with."
He let out a loud whoop before hopping up and yanking her up as well.
"Thank God," he whispered in her ear. "Thank God."

Later that same night they discussed what they were looking for in a rental.
"One bedroom," Ty said leering at her. She rolled her eyes then shot him a look.
"Speaking of that...how much experience do you have Ty?"
He stiffened then looked up from the magazine he had been flipping through. "Huh?"
"You heard me. I mean, you know you were my first-"
"And last if I have anything to do with it," he muttered.
She went on as if she hadn't heard him. "But I don't know about your sexual past. I know this is something that we were supposed to talk about before we actually had sex but," she shrugged then turned back to the computer and started to type in the requirements they were looking for in an apartment to narrow the search down.

She was about half way through the list when she realized that Ty hadn't answered her.
"Well?" she asked glancing over at him. He was staring straight ahead and if she didn't know any better she would swear he was blushing.
"Two. I've only slept with two people. And if we're going to be technically I had sex with one and made love to the other. And," he said in a louder tone when she opened her mouth, "my first time was in the eleven grade with a cheerleader from a rival team. So, I didn't even know you then."
"I wasn't going to say anything!"
He snorted. "Yeah right."
With a small grin she went back to searching. A local realtor had several listenings that fit their rquirements and they decided to go met her the next day to try to beat the rush on upper classmen looking for a place off campus.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Kaylee asked.
Ty put his hands on his hips and stared at her. "How many times are you gonna ask me that? You're the one who wrote down the directions! And just what is wrong with this place?"
"It just looks kind of pricey."
"Kaylee, it's a building. Now come on! Five people have went in while we were standing here."

Ty signed them into the guestbook, a freaking guestbook Kaylee thought wildly, then looked around the place while they waited for their name to be called. It wasn't a long wait and before Kaylee knew it Ty was striding up to a girl that looked oddly familiar.
"Oh my god! When I saw your name on the register I just HAD to meet you!"
Kaylee rolled her eyes as the girl gushed over Ty. Yeah, she knew that voice. That girl was in her Chem II class...and she never stopped TALKING!
"Hiya Kaylee! So you guys are FINALLY moving in together. I work here part time. I love it. Tell me what you guys are looking for and I guarantee that we'll find it for you."

"Okay, here's the key. Just let youselves in to look around. If you don't like it maybe we can change some of the things you insisted on. Those rentals went weeks ago so all that's left is the bare bones."

"Thanks Cindy." "
No problem," she chirped before heading off to help someone else.
Kaylee tossed the key to Ty. "The address is just a few blocks over. Want to walk?"
"Sure."
Kaylee slipped her arm around his waist and he drew her closer by putting his arm around her shoulder. She closed her eyes when she felt him place a kiss on her head. They walked in silence, enjoying the warm weather. Kaylee was so lost in thought that she nearly stumbled when they rounded the corner and Ty jerked to a stop.

"You have got to be fuckin' kidding me!"
Kaylee whistled at the sight of the house in front of them. Digging in her pocket she glanced at the piece of paper with the address on it and then squinted at the address on the house. Yep, this was it.

"It's like a freakin' tenement. There's no way in hell that we're going to be staying here Kaylee," Ty snapped moving to turn around. Grabbing his wrist she dragged him up the cracked sidewalk, weaved around the discarded door laying in the yard and the tires stacked hapazardly and gingerly walked through the grass that was blocking the door.
"Un-fucking-believeable!" Ty snarled as he dug the key out of his pocket.
"It was in our price range."
"A price range YOU set because you didn't want to 'live above our means'," he snapped using air quotes before he shoved the key into the lock and gave it a sharp twist.
"Well, maybe it'll look better on the inside. You know, you can't judge a book by its cover."

Kaylee tried not to breath through her nose as the smell of something rotting brought tears to her eyes. She peered into the darkness as she heard something scuttle past her feet. She cleared her throat.
"So, it just needs a little fixing up," she said cheerfully.
"Un-fucking-believeable."