Don't Play With My Heart

Without a destination in mind, Kara just wandered and somehow ended up at the small coffee shop downtown. She let out a soft sigh as she remembered the time, back just after they'd started dating, when she and Brian had stayed up all night talking on the phone and then met here for coffee. It was early, barely five in the morning, and they were the first customers, and the only ones there. They'd sat on the same side of a booth tucked away in a corner, just talking and laughing and Kara was sure that was the first time she ever thought that she might love Brian. It was such a stark difference to how things were now. It was back before her insecurities and sex were an issue, back before she started to feel like Brian didn't really care about her that much at all. She wanted it back so badly that she thought she might cry. Inside the coffee shop, Kara held a squirmy Lady in her arms as she stepped up to the counter. She ordered her coffee and then left, deciding she might as well go back home now. Surely Zacky and Brian were gone to their meetings by now.

---

Gavin only barely listened to Carter recount his night. He didn't particularly care to hear Carter's stories, but he knew he would anyway. "Well don't worry man, it's not like that's the last time you'll ever get laid," Gavin said, getting to his feet. He placed his plate in the sink and ran a little water into it. "And to answer your question a little better, no, I didn't score with Kenya. I'm too much of a gentleman." When Carter scoffed Gavin laughed. That might be a little bit of a lie. He wasn't as bad as Carter, but he'd definitely done his fair share of un-gentlemanly things over the years. "Anyway, there's absolute shit to eat in this house, so I'm gonna go to the store. I'm sure you don't wanna go, so just write down the shit you want while I'm upstairs changing. And if you want me to buy you condoms or any sex shit, you're giving me money."

---

"You're missing out man, Kenya is phenomenal in bed," Carter called after Gavin as he disappeared upstairs. He smirked to himself as he got to his feet. He grabbed a pad of paper and a pen from a drawer and started scribbling down things he wanted. Pringles, chip dip, Oreos, hash browns, toaster strudels. He decided to spare Gavin the horror of having to buy him condoms, which he was going to do just to fuck with him. But he didn't need any and he didn't feel like shelling out any money. "Here's my list, man," Carter said, tearing off the piece of paper and handing it to Gavin when he emerged from upstairs.

@ ZackyEffingVengeance
Zacky got to the place were they did their meetings and he sat down with Matt talking about nothing in particular. until Matt asked how Kara was doing at their place. Zacky frowned. "I don't know ask Brain. All I know is we finally got a dog and Brain gave it to Kara." he said and pretended to pout to hid his anger with Brian and his concern for Kara.

---

Brian and Jimmy ate their food and then hurried to their place. They walked in the last ones to drive. Matt shook his head. "Finally, alright let's get started." he said still not sure what was going on with Brian and Zacky but he could tell the group was off. Brian sat down smirking feeling satisfied from breakfast and he hoped he could go home and see Kara and talk to her. Maybe they could have a real talk this time.

---

Kenya sighed and went over to the little coffee place in the store and got a coffee hoping that would help her focus. She sat down beside her cart and waited for them to make it. Once she got her coffee she sipped it slowly her mind not becoming much clearer. She wondered what in the world it was that had her so focused on Gavin. Was it that he said no when he easily could have taken advantage of the situation and frankly she wouldn't have cared? Kenya sighed finishing her coffee and tossing the cup before going back to her shopping this time going to the vegetable aisle. She hoped that she could really get a chance to hang out with Gavin. Perhaps then he couldn't occupy her mind like this. Kenya sighed not knowing what to do with herself thinking like this. She would have to text Gavin one of these days and see what he was up to but todays she was just not brave enough.

When she got home, Kara found a note from Zacky on the counter, explaining that they had indeed gone to their meetings. Maybe they would go out to drink or something afterwards so Kara wouldn't have to see Brian. She had no idea why, but their fight last night had really had an impact on her and for reasons she couldn't quite place, she didn't want to see Brian at all. She wasn't even sure she wanted to see Zacky either, and he'd been so sweet to her last night. Maybe she just wanted to be alone. Kara picked Lady up, detaching the leash from her collar and setting it on the counter. She took the puppy over to the couch and laid down, curling up and dragging a blanket over herself. She settled Lady on top of the blanket, letting the dog bounce around a little before she made her lay down. "Come on Lady, let's take a nap before Brian and Zacky get home from their meetings," Kara cooed to Lady.

---

Gavin took the list from Carter, skimming it over before stuffing it into his pocket. It didn't surprise him that Carter wanted nothing but junk food. "Alright, well I'll be back in about an hour," he said. "And you're gonna fucking help unload the groceries this time. Fucking lazy ass." Gavin got into his car and made the short drive to the grocery store, cursing when he felt rain drops as he walked inside. Of course it would rain the one fucking time I didn't bring my umbrella. He grabbed a buggy and walked towards the produce section, deciding to start there. "Gotta grab some bananas, some...grapes, and some lettuce." He looked up when he felt his buggy hit something, an apology on the tip of his tongue. He smiled when he realized that it wasn't a stranger he'd bumped into. "Long time, no see," he said to Kenya.

---

While Gavin was gone, Carter decided to have a shower. He never knew what to do when Gavin wasn't home, unless he had a girl to entertain himself. He might have to go out that night to pick someone up, since last night had been rather disappointing. Maybe Kenya could introduce him to another one of her friends, one that was as hot as Kenya and Ryelynn, but more like Kenya in bed. Or maybe Kenya and Gavin wouldn't work out and Carter could have her again, at least for a few nights. But from the way things looked to Carter, it didn't look like things would sour between Gavin and Kenya anytime soon.

@ ZackyEffingVengeance
Zacky was glad when the meetings and writing was all over. He got in his car Brian tagging along. He was so angry with Zacky remembering last night and how Kara had cried into him. It made his stomach churn. Zacky tried not to say anything. He was silently screaming in his head when the were almost home he just popped. "What you did was shit Brain. I don't want to go through it again. You better fucking make it right and knock it off. She's a damn good woman and you were an ass. Next time I won't just take a walk." He frowned as Brian then scolded him for putting his nose where it didn't belong. But Brian was wrong. When Kara cried on him and he was the one to take care of her it became his problem too. Zacky sat in his car grinding his teeth for a few minutes after Brian ran away from their fight. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head getting out and headed into the house.

---

After a long day doing meetings Brian wanted to get home shower up and eat. He knew he had to talk to Kara to but after he took car of his basic needs. Brian caught a ride with Zacky who drove silently obviously thinking finally he spoke. "What you did was shit Brain. I don't want to go through it again. You better fucking make it right and knock it off. She's a damn good woman and you were an ass. Next time I won't just take a walk." he said and then went silent again. Brian rolled his eyes. "Shut up Zacky you have no fucking idea the shit that's going on so stay out of it. It's my fucking business and don't you try and say otherwise." he said and hopped out of the car as they got into the driveway not really waiting for Zacky to stop the car. He walked into the house and went straight up to his room and stripped getting into the shower.

---

Kenya gasped feeling someone bump into her. She turned ready to glare when she caught sighed of Gavin. She beamed and laughed. "Gavin!" she said and moved around his cart and hugged him. "It's you." she said and pulled back looking him over. How had they never bumped into each other like this before she met them? Kenya smiled as she stepped back. She didn't know if he had accidentally bumped her or done so purposefully. Either way she was glad because she got to see him. "Shopping for the house?" she asked. Kenya realized this was the first time Gavin would have seen her in jeans and not a tight dress. She wondered if he liked her laid back look as much as her dressed up look. Kenya couldn't believe he was here, she had been thinking about him all day. Kenya was more than happy to see Gavin like this though and more for him to see her like this. She was calm and sober it was more to who she was than whens he was drunk.

Kara woke up with a start when she heard the front door slam, sitting up just in time to see Brian storming up the stairs. She shoved the blanket away with a sigh. Wonderful, he's pissed off about something. That meant that he was probably going to be in a sour mood all night and Kara was probably the one he would take it out on. She sat the puppy on the floor and headed into the kitchen, deciding she might as well start on dinner. She didn't know what Zacky and Brian wanted, so she just flipped through her recipe book until she found something she thought looked good. She eventually decided on just fried chicken and mashed potatoes, because she was sure both of the boys would like it. "No Lady, none of this is for you," she said, laughing as the puppy placed her paws up on the lower cabinets. "I'll pour you some food here in a few minutes, okay?"

---

"Yeah, it's me," Gavin laughed, hugging Kenya. As she pulled back, moving away slightly, Gavin looked her over. She looked a little different than he remembered, but maybe that was because she was dressed more casually, without so much makeup. And honestly, Gavin thought she looked better than way. He knew that it was really upset to women how much makeup they wore, but he thought the natural look was prettier. "Yeah, I'm doing a little shopping for the house," Gavin answered. "It would be nice if I could get Carter's lazy ass to do it occasionally, but I think the ship had sailed on that one." He laughed, running a hand back through his hair. He was starting to get an idea, and he wondered if Kenya would go for it. "Hey, do you think you might want to get lunch later?" he asked. "I mean, it would have to be after we're done shopping and took all of our shit home. But then we could hang out and I wouldn't have to sit at home with Carter."

---

Carter dozed off on the couch, waking up when he heard Gavin's truck pulling into the driveway. He got up, grumbling as he went out to help carry in the groceries. "Jesus Christ, did we really need this much shit?" Carter asked when Gavin lowered the tailgate and he saw how many bags there were. He flipped Gavin off when the drummer said that he could've gotten less if he wasn't buying for Carter's fat ass. When the groceries were inside and put away, Carter went into the living room and turned on the Xbox, since that's usually what he and Gavin did on lazy afternoons. "Alright man, Call of Duty or Halo?" he asked, picking up a controller. Gavin shook his head, saying that he was going to meet Kenya for lunch. Carter smirked. "Well you'll have to let me know how it goes."

@ ZackyEffingVengeance
Brian finished his shower and pulled on his boxers and some pants. He debated on a shirt and decided until he resolved things with Kara he should wear cloths. Brian put on a shirt and then headed down stairs. He had seen her on the couch earlier and he want down to see if she was still there. Brain preferred to act like nothing happened between him and Zacky so he put his hand on Zacky's shoulder as he passed through the living room not seeing Kara. She walked into the kitchen seeing Kara there and he bit his lip. "Hey... I know you're busy but I don't want to leave things like we did. I know we need to talk but I just want you to know I love you and I want you to stay..." he said and rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't good at apologies.

---

Zacky shook his head as Brian acted like nothing happened. Leave it to Brain to act so damn bipolar. ZAcky listened to the talk in the kitchen and he sighed wishing Brain would just say the words but he could only remember him saying them once to Matt about some stupid fight a long time ago. He sighed and kicked off his shoes and got comfortable.

---

Kenya smiled as Gavin suggested lunch. He was so cute she had to only assume he was actually asking her out on a date. Kenya stepped forward and touched his arm. "That sounds great." she said and they made plans then shopped together a little until they parted ways. "I'll see you Gavin." she said and smiled then headed to her car after checking out. Kenya got in her car and took her groceries home. After she put everything away. She freshened up a little but keeping it pretty casual. She wasn't in her lazy cloths so she wasn't to worried about it. She out on her heels though wanting the extra hight. She realized how much shorter she was than Gavin today when she went to hug him she basically had to jump to hug him. Kenya smiled and then bit her lip looking at the time. Once she was ready she headed to the restaurant Gavin had said they should meet at. She was so glad to get some time to spend with him. She got there early figuring Carter was keeping Gavin a little longer than normal.

Kara frowned, not turning around to face Brian. He never had been good at apologizing, and usually she overlooked that, but this time she couldn't bring herself to do that. "Brian, I just want you to know that the shit you said last night really hurt me," Kara said, slowly starting to peel potatoes. "Thank God Zacky was a good enough friend to listen to me fucking cry on the porch swing at two thirty in the morning. Seriously, Brian. Last night I really felt like you don't love me at all and all you care about is sex. And if that's the case, then you can just go find a fucking groupie, because I'm sure you already know how I feel about it." With a quiet huff, Kara threw down the potato she was peeling and the peeler, turning around to face Brian. "And I want to hear you say you're sorry. You never say it and I want to fucking hear it."

---

Gavin shook his head, laughing at Carter as he walked out the door. He knew that nothing worth talking about would happen, but Carter would still want to hear about it. He was more like a teenage girl than he would care to admit. Gavin hummed along to the radio as he made the short drive to the restaurant he'd told Kenya to meet him at. He didn't know what her car looked like, so he just walked into the restaurant, skimming the crowd until he spotted Kenya. "Hey," he said, smiling as he slid into a seat across from her. "How have you been?" he joked, since it had only been about thirty minutes since he'd last seen her. "Sorry it took so long. But you know my roommate. He can be a handful."

---

Even though Gavin was gone, Carter decided to play Call of Duty. He grabbed a controller and a headset, turning on the console before going back to the couch. He played online regardless of whether Gavin was there, because then he could curse and not feel like such an idiot. Besides that, actual players offered more of a challenge than CPUs.

@ ZackyEffingVengeance
Brian stood there his temperature rising. She scolded him and he ran a hand through his hair. When she turned to him he stepped forward to her real fast pinning her against the counter. "We were both wrong Kara. But there is no need to make me feel more guilty for last night than I already do. I'm fucking glad Zacky was there for you because you fucking didn't want me. You haven't seemed to really want me in months. It fucks me up inside okay? So you want a fucking I'm sorry? Fine I'm sorry... I'm sorry I trusted you with my heart because I fucking love you to much and for you to even think otherwise if a fucking slap in the face. And I'm sorry I brought you into my bed, my life and I'm sorry I was trying to see a god damn future with you!" he said and shoved away and headed out the door slamming in behind him. He walked into the back yard and tore shit up. He was pissed off that she didn't seem to care to see why he was acting this way. He had tried to figure her out, tried to help her see how beautiful she was and not be afraid of him afraid of sex but she didn't seem to care about that. She didn't want to fucking get better. Brian hit the wall his knuckles bleeding when he finally sat down on the steps his head in his hands.

---

Zacky winced as Brian passed by him and he stood and rushed into the kitchen. "Kara." he said worriedly and looked her over. He moved to her and put a hand on her hoping to steady her. She looked so pale and yet red at the same time and she looked ready to punch something and fall over faint all at once too. Zacky shook his head. She shouldn't deal with this. She didn't deserve this. He wanted her to leave. He didn't care if he ever saw her again he knew the haters and he knew how close Brian had been to hurting her. "Kara get out while you still can. Please..." he looked into her eyes his begging hers to understand.

---

Kenya smiled as Gavin walked inane sat down. She brightened up around Gavin. Kenya chuckled at his joke. When he talked about Carter she was curious a moment what Carter had said. She bit her lip and shrugged. "Yeah I know of him." she said and teased a little back. She was wanting to get Carter out of her mind for even the mention of him brought back a caress or a flutter of lips. She pushed the thoughts from her mind feeling guilty for it. But it was still so fresh and she hadn't been with anyone else since so it was odd. "Gavin I am really glad we're finally doing this." she said having wanted to be around him sober. She took a sip of her water then opened up her menu. "Shall we order?" she asked.

Kara's eyes went wide when Brian pinned her against the counter. She listened to him rant and rave, saying almost the same things he had last night. She felt so many things all at once; she felt scared, she felt angry, she felt dizzy, she felt sick to her stomach. Brian was trying to put all the blame on her, trying to invalidate the feelings she had just because they didn't suit his needs, and so she let him storm away, just staring after him as she felt Zacky touch her shoulder. She shook her head at his words, feeling her eyes burn with tears. "I can't, Zack," she said, her voice quiet. "I can't. I...I love him." Kara moved past Zacky, following Brian out to the backyard. She saw him sitting on the steps, head in his hands, and she cautiously took a seat next to him, leaning her head over on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Brian," she whispered. "I...I didn't mean to make you think that I didn't want you. I do want you and I'm sorry if I made you feel like I didn't." She paused, swallowing hard as she started to cry. "But sometimes...I-I just feel like y-you don't want me for...anything besides sex. But...I guess I-I can try and do...things m-more often if that's what you want. Just p-please don't say you're sorry you're with me." That was what had stung the most. Kara hated to hear that Brian regretted their relationship.

---

"I'm glad, too," Gavin agreed, smiling as he reached for his own menu. It was nice to get away from Carter and out of the house every once in awhile. And spending time with Kenya made it ever better. There was just something about her that he couldn't quite place, he wanted to be around her. Gavin's eyes skimmed over the menu, trying to decide what he was hungry for. "Hmm, I'm thinking about roast beef with some mashed potatoes," Gavin mused out loud. And saying it pretty much cemented it; he was imagining the roast beef sitting in front of him and it almost made his mouth water. He looked up at Kenya. "So do you have any idea what you're going to get?" he asked. "Oh, and don't worry about paying for it. I asked you out to lunch, so it's on me." Gavin wasn't really sure if this was an actual date or what, but regardless, he always insisted on paying if he invited anyone - especially a woman - out to a meal. It was just the way he was raised. It was respectful.

---

"Ha ha motherfucker, I got you with a headshot," Carter jeered, mashing buttons on his controller. "Little bitch." He finished off his game and tossed his controller aside, getting up to go turn off the game system. He had no idea what to do now since Gavin wasn't back. But then his stomach grumbled and he decided he should probably eat something. But he was too lazy to cook, so he'd probably hit up Tayo and see if he wanted to go out and get something to eat. Hell, maybe he could even pick up a girl. He could stand to get laid.

@ ZackyEffingVengeance
Zacky stood there where Kara had left him and he hung his head. Zacky knew she was in to deep and it would only get worse from here. He sighed and shook his head not knowing what t do with himself. He needed to do something. Zacky headed out the front just needing to go. He found himself at Matt's house before he knew it.

---

Brian didn't look up when he heard the door open. He didn't move until he felt Kara's head against his shoulder. He sat there his hands in his lap as he listened to her watching the grass. He frowned as he listed to her cry and he pulled her into his arms. Brian kissed her head. "Shh Kara I'll never regret having you in my life. I love you. I love you for more than just the sex Kara. The sex is just how I show it best. I need your affection and I know it's hard but that's why I want to help you so we can both so easily enjoy what's great between us. But I should make an effort to take you out more and show you it's not just the sex." Brian said and kissed her head again. "Now darling please don't cry. Let's take you inside and I'll finish making dinner okay?" he asked softly.

---

Kenya smiled as she listened to Gavin talk about what he was going to order. She smiled and looked over the menu again. "Mmm that sounds goo too. But I think I want the country fried steak sounds good." she said. Kenya loved gravy and very rarely did she allow herself to indulge but sometimes she needed to and she wasn't going to eat like a rabbit to impress Gavin that was stupid how some girls did that. Kenya smiled at Gavin and set her menu aside. "So Gavin you started to tell me about your home and your dog. Tell me more please." she said leaning in smiling at the thought of his family living around here.

Kara shook her head. "No, I'll finish dinner," she said. She wiped at her eyes as she smiled slightly. "You always burn the chicken," she teased. But Kara didn't want to get up just yet, and she reached for Brian's right hand, tracing the letter tattoos on his fingers. M-A-R-L. She always thought it was weird for Brian to have a cigarette brand tattooed onto his hands, but she also found it endearing, just like all his others. Maybe it was because she'd become so familiar with them. "I think I want to get another tattoo," Kara said, randomly. She looked up at Brian, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear when the wind blew it into her face. "Maybe next weekend if you're not busy we can go so I can get one." She smiled softly, leaning up to kiss his lips before she got to her feet. "I'm going to go finish supper. But I could use your help peeling potatoes?" Kara headed inside, frowning when she saw that Zacky wasn't there. She glanced over at the hooks where they all kept their keys and saw that his were gone. "I guess Zacky left," Kara said. "Would you call him and see if he's going to be home for supper? Because if he isn't I'm not making a shit ton of chicken."

---

"Uh, well my dog is pretty simple," Gavin answered, sipping on his sweet tea. "She's a German Shepard, solid black. Her name is Koda. She's about four years old and the sweetest fucking thing you'll ever meet. Pretty worthless as a guard dog, but I love her anyway." He grinned. "And by my home I guess you mean my family. My parents have been married for about thirty years. I'm the oldest, and I've got four younger sisters. Jessica, the one that keeps my dog, she's twenty four. She's an elementary school teacher. Erica is twenty one and she's going to school right now to be a nurse. She's got a one year old daughter, my niece Lily. And then there's Hailey, who's nineteen and Katy who's seventeen. She'll be graduating from high school next year. I remember when I was younger I would always beg my parents for a brother, but now I wouldn't trade my sisters for the world." Gavin took another sip of his tea, looking at Kenya. "So tell me about your family and shit."

---

Carter eventually managed to talk Tayo into grabbing a bite to eat with him, so he grabbed his keys and headed off to Buffalo Wild Wings, where they were supposed to meet. Beer and hot wings sounded pretty good, and the waitresses were usually pretty fucking hot. Carter got to the restaurant first and he asked for a table, shooting a flirty smile at the waitress. When she blushed and giggled, Carter knew he had an in.

@ ZackyEffingVengeance
Brian smiled softly and stood with her headed into the house. He smiled relaxing now. He was glad they had worked it out. Brian texted Zacky who texted back he was going to stay at Matt's tonight. Brian smiled and moved over to Kara and kissed her shoulder. "Zacky went over to Matt's for the night." he said and held her sweetly from behind. "I love you Kara." he said and tried to think how to surprise Kara. "Yeah we can go get one. Make an appointment tomorrow." he said and swayed with her until she needed to move to keep cooking. He sighed and sat at the kitchen table and watched her.

---

Zacky sighed setting down his phone as he sat in Matt's living room. "Shit man I don't know what to do." he said and shook his head. "I know I shouldn't have gotten involved but Kara's no normal girl Matt." he said and ran his hand through his hair. Zacky was besides himself. He would go to the moon and back for Kara and she was with a man who didn't appreciate her.

[line

Kenya smiled as she listened to him talk about his family and his dog. She thought it was so sweet. Kenya happily listened until he turned the questions to her. She frowned. "Well I never really knew my father and my mother has been traveling for the last three years." Kenya smiled softly. "I'm an only child so it's just me and my mom really. She's pretty laid back." Kenya said and chuckled thinking what a kick he would get out of her. She was a great person and friend but not the best mother.

"I love you too, Brian," Kara said softly, nodding her head when he told her to make an appointment tomorrow. "I thought I told you I needed help with the potatoes?" Kara said teasingly, turning around to face Brian. "Get up off your lazy butt and get to work, or else we'll have raw potatoes with our fried chicken instead of mashed potatoes." She went back to her task, which was mixing up the breading for the chicken. She mixed together bread crumbs, salt, pepper and a little flour in a plastic baggie and then cracked a couple of eggs into a tin pan. "So what do you think we should do tonight since it'll be just us?" Kara asked, cutting open the package of chicken breasts. She threw them into the breading mix and then into the eggs and then into the breading again. Kara looked over at Brian and smiled. "We could maybe rent a movie from pay per view?" she suggested.

---

"Well for having all of that to deal with, I'd say you turned out pretty great," Gavin said. "I know it might be a little weird to hear, but Carter might actually be a good person to talk to about that kind of stuff. His parents got divorced when he was like six or seven and his dad took off, Carter hasn't seen him since. And his mom tries, but sometimes trying just isn't enough." Gavin swirled the ice around his tea glass, looking up a few seconds later when the waitress returned with their food. "Man, you have no idea how tired I am of takeout. I mean, this isn't home-cooked or anything, but it definitely beats Chinese food or pizza for the seventieth time this month." And knowing Carter, he probably wouldn't even be there when Gavin got home, which meant if Gavin ended up dining out, he'd be by himself.

---

(skipping Carter's bit for a little while)

@ ZackyEffingVengeance
Brian chuckled and then started to peel the potatoes. "Sorry I got distracted by your beauty." he said and then leaned over bring her to him for a short kiss. He then helped her finish dinner. After they finished dinner and eating Brian took Lady out to the backyard. He played with her and let her go potty. Once the pup was worn out he took her up the stairs and put her in her crate coming down and moving over to Kara. "Hey love." he said and moved close to her and wrapped her in his arms. He wanted make up sex but he also didn't want her to think he was pushing again. Brian didn't think he had been so bad but he was going to try and work on it for Kara.

---

(Same for Zacky)

---

Kara smiled grateful Gavin thought so. She blushed and looked down as he brought up Carter. She didn't think Carter wanted to sit down and talk about her family life. If he wanted to do anything with her it would be crazy sex before he threw her out. Kara smiled and chuckled as Gavin talked about take out. "Well then you have to be glad that you're home and you have groceries now." she said and chuckled. "But you know if you ever wanted someone else to cook a home meal for you Gavin you can come on over to my place." she said blushing remembering the last time she had invited him over. She was the kind of person who though that her home was the home of everyone she considered friends. And so far Gavin was just that a friend until something else made it evident that he was more than that. "I'm always glad for the company. It gets quiet in my empty house. I thought of getting a goldfish but I want to travel sometime and you can't really bring along an animal." she said and slowly cut into her food.

While Brian was outside playing with Lady, Kara finished up with the chicken, placing a breast for herself and a couple of legs and thighs for Brian into the grease. She heard the back door open and close as Brian came back inside and then she heard the sounds of Brian's footsteps heading upstairs. When he came over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, Kara smiled. "Hey Brian," she whispered. She was glad they'd worked things out, because she would really hate to lose Brian. Despite Zacky's strange warning, she really did love Brian. She wondered if he would want to have sex tonight since Zacky was gone and she also wondered if he would press the issue even though he knew where she stood. Kara didn't mind having sex with Brian; he was a generous lover and he always made her feel amazing. She just didn't like feeling like she was being forced to do to keep Brian happy. "So what should we do tonight after supper?" Kara asked, laying her hands on top of Brian's.

---

"Well I don't know if you noticed, but most of the groceries I bought were junk food," Gavin laughed. "Carter and I hardly actually cook, it's a wonder we both don't weigh five hundred pounds." He stabbed a chunk of roast beef and ran it through his mashed potatoes before sticking it into his mouth. "But I mean, if you want to cook for me, I'm not gonna say no," Gavin continued, swallowing his bite and washing it down with a sip of sweet tea. "And it would be an honor to keep you company," he added, smiling at her. He liked the idea of having a little time with Kenya all to himself. Even now they weren't really alone and so it was hard to actually talk and get to know each other. But if Gavin visited Kenya in her home, they could talk more easily and he could figure out if there night be something more than friendship forming between them.

@ ZackyEffingVengeance
Brian smiled and shrugged. "Oh I could think of a few things but what ever you want to do love." he said and kissed her cheek. Brian loved Kara so much. He knew things had been off between them for a while but he would do anything to get it to work out. He didn't know what was Zacky's problem but he could guess. But this was different with Kara. He needed her in ways he never needed anyone before. Brian paced a little around the entrance way of the room. He wondered what Kara would want to do tonight.

---

Kenya smiled at Gavin. "Yeah sure. Next day off I get I'll let you know what I'm cooking and you can come over if you like." she said and smiled. Kenya continued to eat her food glad that she had decided on the chicken fried stake. She had been craving the gravy and just hadn't realized it. She smiled at Gavin. "So Gavin when you're not out shopping what else do you do?" she asked. Kenya was going to try to play this like they were two people getting to know each other not a superstar and a fan.

Kara shook her head. "No, no, don't make me choose," she said. "I'm horrible at choosing." Whenever Kara was left to choose what they did, they usually just ended up on the couch watching a movie. She never was that good at thinking of fun things to do. She was a pretty boring person. But leaving things up to Brian could be a little risky sometimes, given that his idea of a fun evening usually consisted of the two of them rolling around between the sheets. And since Zacky was gone for the night, Kara was almost certain that Brian would try to talk her into bed, especially since they were making up from a fight. Kara checked the chicken and when she was sure it was done, she removed it from the pan. "The food's ready," she called out to Brian. "Let's eat and then we can decide what we want to do with the rest of our evening."

---

"Uh well mostly just play video games," Gavin answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Me and Carter practically have a lifelong subscription to Xbox live and we play online Call of Duty and shit all the time. Typical guy stuff. Oh, and we drink, obviously," he added, grinning. "And I like to run sometimes. And every so often I'll go down to the rec center and play basketball or work out. I can bench press like three hundred pounds, way more than Carter." He and Carter were really competitive when it came to working out, especially when there were girls around. And knowing that Carter had already slept with Kenya made Gavin a little jealous, so he couldn't help but make himself seem a little impressive. "You should come with me sometimes, I always do better when I have an audience, especially when that audience is comprised of pretty girls."

@ ZackyEffingVengeance
Brian smiled as Kara said dinner was ready. He sat down with her after they got their plates and he started to eat. He smiled at her across the table. Brian wasn't as into TV as some people thought. He rather do things. "Let's go dancing." he said and smiled knowing if they did then it would be an easy transition between that and sex. Brian took a bite of his chicken and groaned softly. "As always Kara this is good thanks babe." he said and smiled at her. It had been a while since he had Kara had gone out and done something and usually it was because as soon as he stepped out in the public people noticed him.

---

Kenya chuckled. "Well sometime you will have to teach me how to play." she said. She had never really been good a video games and there for had never really gotten into them. When he said he liked to run she grinned wider. She wondered if it might be fun for them to run together. Kenya chuckled as he basically told her he wanted to show off for her. She nodded. "Sure I'd like to see you kick some butt." she said knowing he would like to show off and she wasn't going to deny him that especially when Carter had been a little prick the other night. Kenya smiled at Gavin. "But in exchange you should come running with me." she said and smiled at him. "I know some trails I've been afraid to take alone that you could come with me on." she said.

Kara giggled a bit at Brian's suggestion. "You want to go dancing?" she asked, wanting to make sure that she'd heard him correctly. "Seriously? That doesn't seem like you, Brian." In a way though, it kind of did. By thinking the way that she knew Brian did, Kara could see the connection between dancing and what Brian's end goal always was: sex. It left a sour feeling in the pit of Kara's stomach. He'd just told her that he didn't care just about sex, but he here was, already falling back into the rut of only wanting sex. "We can go dancing if you want, though. I'll just have to dig through the closet for something to wear."

---

"Well next time we both have a little free time and I can convince Carter to get the fuck out of the house, you should come over and I'll show you how to play Call of Duty," Gavin said. "That's my favorite game. You'll have to play as my guest so you don't mess up Carter's stats, though. And then the next day or whenever, we can get up and go running and then head over to the gym when they open. It'll be fun." Kind of like a date. The words floated through Gavin's mind, but he didn't say them out loud. The thought of a date with Kenya was definitely a nice one, but he didn't dare say anything about it out loud until he was sure he knew how Kenya felt.

@ ZackyEffingVengeance
Brian chuckled. "I'm just trying to think of something you might enjoy and I can't deny I love to have you close and show you off." he said and gave her a sweet wink. Brian was more than happy to dance with Kara they hadn't done it in a while and he knew it would be fun for both of them. Brian smiled as they finished dinner then cleaned up the dishes and kitchen. He smiled as Kara went off to find something to wear. He freshened up a little but he always dressed fairly nice. Brian sat back waiting for his girl to finish so they could go dancing.

---

Kenya smiled and nodded. "Sounds like fun." she said thinking how nice it would be to have a lazy night and a vigorous morning. She smiled at Gavin. She wasn't sure when Carter would want to leave the house though. Kenya chuckled and shook her head. He seemed like the kind of guy that rarely left the house for anything. Gavin though seemed like he needed someone to help pull him out of his shell that Carter had encouraged him into. Kenya chuckled. "So what exactly do you do in this call of duty besides as I assume shoot things?" She asked.