Two Different Worlds Collide

“We’re gonna head out,” Jared told her and Riley, who nodded knowingly. He probably wanted to leave as quickly as possible before Tasha got over the shock of being called out and came after me.

“See you at the game?” Alice asked, and I nodded, putting on a smile for her and Riley as Jared kept ushering me out.

“Cheye!” I turned to find Liza wrapping me into a hug.

“You okay? Brett told me she’s kind of a psycho,” she whispered into my ear, making me laugh and hug her back.

“I’m fine – I think talking back to her shocked her enough that we got out of there before she blew up at me,” I admitted, and Liza rolled her eyes before turning her attention to Jared.

“You take care of her – she’s my best friend and I love her very much. You hurt her and it will be the last thing you do,” she told him. He nodded, and let her pull him into a hug before putting his arm back around me. After a quick goodbye to Brett we went out to Jared’s truck. He let it run for a few moments before pulling out of the parking space and heading out. As soon as we were on the street he took my hand in his, running his thumb over my skin.

“Thanks for that, back there, with Tasha,” he quietly told me, keeping his eyes glued on the road. “I don’t know that I would have been able to stand up to her like that.”

“It’s just not fair that she keeps doing this to you Jared,” I sighed, holding onto his hand tighter. “You don’t deserve her bringing all of that pain and frustration back into your life over and over.”

“Sometimes I just don’t know. I mean, I know I want to be done with it all, but then I always ask myself what if she changed? Do I really want to throw four years away? But I know it would be the same, and somehow I’m still stupid enough to almost consider it sometimes. But tonight I didn’t – I just wanted to get the hell out of there. I just wanted to be with you,” I couldn’t quite keep the one rogue tear away at Jared’s heartfelt confession. There’s no way, in all of the people I’d met in Edmonton or around my hometown or any of the shows I’d played even relatively close to where I lived, that the one who I’d fall so hard for would have to live thousands of damn miles away.

“Really?” I whispered, unable to turn my eyes to him. I felt the vehicle come to a stop, Jared letting the engine run as we sat there in silence.

“Really,” he confirmed, and finally I turned to him. He looked to be in the same shape I was, and without a single word or action we moved toward each other and kissed. This wasn’t the same kind of gentle kisses we’d shared before, this was wanting more. I buried my hands in his thick, red hair, his huge paw of a hand on my cheek as he deepened the kiss.

“Let’s go inside, eh?” he cracked a grin at me as we pulled apart. He shut off the truck and got out, pulling me into his side as we hurried into his building and up to his apartment. From there it was just as it was in the truck, we pulled each other as close as was humanely possible as he gently pressed me against the back of the couch, his hands wandering over my back before making contact with my skin where my tank top had rode up. In one swift motion he was holding me up, his hands on my ass as my legs wrapped around his waist, our kiss never breaking the entire time.

“Where do you want me to take this?” he asked between kisses down my jawline.

“Wherever you want,” was all of a reply I could muster before pulling his lips back to mine. He carried me to his bedroom and laid me down on his bed, taking a moment and just staring at me before laying down on top of me. I’d started to feel self-conscious as his eyes went over me, and he must have noticed because he began pressing kisses to all parts of my face he could.

“You’re gorgeous Cheyenne, you don’t have to be self-conscious,” he whispered, his breath warm against my neck. I felt myself shiver, before rationale kicked in again. Sometimes I really did hate my brain, because I wanted nothing more than to let this go all the way and end up waking up in Jared’s arms tomorrow morning. But it wasn’t the smart thing to do, and I knew it.

“Shut up Jare,” I giggled, pushing at him and making him laugh. He met me for another kiss, this one long and sweet.

“I mean it,” soon we were lost in kisses again, and I couldn’t resist but pull his shirt over his head when he lifted himself up slightly. I had to chuckle, not having expected his freckles to go past his face, but he had a few light ones across his chest. He was even better built than I had thought, his pecs and abs well defined as I trailed my fingers over his skin. His hands had been toying at the hem of my shirt for a few moments, before he hesitantly gave it a tug up. I lifted myself up, letting him pull it up and over my head. Jared’s hands wandered over my skin then, both of us all but groping at the other.

“Cheyenne, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but I think we should still wait,” he murmured against my neck. I sighed, glad that he was on the same page I was.

“That’s kind of what I was thinking,” I admitted, even as I felt myself arch up when his lips gently pulled at the skin on my collarbone. He grinned, and I could feel the hum in his chest as he chuckled.

“You sure you have to go back home?” he asked, his lips finally coming back up to mine.

“Jared please don’t say that. I don’t want to think about having to leave right now,” I told him, putting my hands on his chest. He sighed before nodding and pressing his forehead to mine.

“I don’t want to think about it either, but I can’t seem to help it,” he told me. What was suddenly a ridiculously hot make out session suddenly got very serious and quiet.

“I know what you mean,” I told him, keeping my eyes down as I traced circles on his arm. He nuzzled my cheek then, bringing a smile to my face.

“How do you do that?” I asked, and he gave me a confused look.

“Do what?”

“Always seem to know what to do,” I said, and he just laughed at me before kissing my nose. He wrapped his arms tight around me then, our bare skin pressed together.

“I don’t. I mean, I try to, but it’s hard when you’re the youngest of four and spend a lot of time with two little kids, so I do my best. I don’t like seeing people hurting,” he shrugged, before making himself more comfortable, moving us up the bed slightly so I could put my head on the pillow.

“You’re good at it,” I told him, making an embarrassed smile come to his face.

“Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself,” he answered. I buried my face against his neck, taking a long breath. He was so warm and comfortable that I never wanted to leave.

“You wouldn’t want to stay… would you?” he asked moments later, making me smile as once again Jared Staal seemed able to read my mind. I looked up at him before pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

“I’d like to,” he moved to get up then, but I had no clue why. He moved to his dresser and after rummaging for a moment flung a t-shirt and a pair of boxers at me.

“In case you didn’t want to sleep in your jeans,” he explained, before sliding out of his and then crawling back into bed. I pulled his t-shirt over my head before shimmying out of my jeans and dropping them off the edge of the mattress before sliding into his boxers all the while staying beneath the covers. His clothes hung off me – they were ridiculously big on me – but they were soft and smelled like him.

“Thanks,” I pecked his lips before we cuddled in together.

“They look better on you anyway,” he whispered before I closed my eyes and went to sleep.