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OKDeanna's Passions Fan Fiction Forum > Luis & Sheridan Stories > The Twisted Truth: Prologue - Chapter Five |
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The Twisted Truth: Prologue - Chapter Five Posted By: OKDeanna - ezOP Posts: 227 Posted At: (10/13/02 11:38 am) Reply |
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Author: Deanna (OKDeanna) Email: asjfan@cox.net Important Note: This story was written by me, but part of the idea came from Melissa (luvpasions). I thank her for her help! It takes place after Luis learns about Sheridan’s nightmares and after he connects it with his father’s death. They believed Eve when she said Sheridan didn’t kill Martin Fitzgerald and this brought them closer, but now Sheridan is wondering about Luis and how he feels about her. She is remembering the night of the wharf and decides it’s time to confront him about it. She confronts him after Julian, Hank, and Eve leave the cottage. The story starts just after she tells him what she heard him say that night. Prologue Sheridan Crane wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the man standing near the living room window. Luis hadn’t said anything since she’d confronted him about that night on the wharf. In fact, he was quieter than she had ever seen him before. But she could tell he was angry. She could feel the tension that vibrated through him even though she stood a good twelve feet from him. “After everything I’ve done for you.” Luis said finally breaking the tense silence that had followed since Sheridan told him why she had turned against him all those months ago. “After all the times I’ve risked my life to save yours, you still don’t trust me.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement of fact, but it wasn’t the whole truth she amended silently. She trusted him with her life, but she didn’t trust him with her heart. She could never and would never do that. He’d already broken it once and she wouldn’t give him the chance to do it again. “You said so yourself Luis, you risked your life because it’s your job.” Luis gave a snort of disbelief then shook his head in one quick angry movement. “If you believe that,” he said his voice as cold as the look in his eyes. “Then you don’t know me at all.” “What do you mean?” Sheridan asked unsure if the implication in his words were true. Had he lied about that too? “Figure it out!” he yelled, unable to contain his explosive temper any longer. “Oh wait I forgot. You don’t need to figure anything out. You already know. I’ve never seen anyone so good at ignoring the truth the way you do. It can be staring you right in the face and you still don’t ever see it. I’m beginning to think you don’t want to see it. I mean that would throw a wrench into your plan to keep yourself from getting too close to people, right?” “What the hell are you talking about Luis? I know the truth! I saw you with my own eyes and I heard you with my own ears! You can lie all you want, but I know the truth.” “No you don’t. But I’m not going to deny it again. Hell, I shouldn’t have to! You should know me well enough to know what I would and wouldn’t do.” “You aren’t going to deny it because you can’t!” Sheridan said unable to keep the pain and anger out of her voice any longer. “You know I heard you. You know I saw you. And you can’t deny it because it’s truth!” Luis looked at her in total disbelief. She really believed he had said those things. She really believed it was him that she saw that night. He’d busted his ass over the last few weeks to get her to trust him, to open up to him, and he thought they were finally making headway, but obviously he’d been wrong. He hadn’t been at the wharf that night, but he had no way to prove it. He didn’t see any reason why he should have to. After all, either she believed him and trusted him or she didn’t. The fact that she didn’t was painfully clear. “I’m through trying to get through that Iron Gate wall of yours, Sheridan. Do you hear me? I’m through.” “Luis –“ Sheridan interrupted unconsciously taking a step forward. “No,” he said stepping back away from her, his voice tight with anger. “Forget it. What I say doesn’t even matter anymore. I was a fool to ever think it did.” That said he turned and stormed out of the cottage, nearly knocking Hank down in the process. “Keep an eye on Sheridan.” Luis ordered not even bothering to stop and see if Hank was all right. “Don’t let her out of your sight.” “Where are you going, buddy?” Hank’s asked from behind him. “Anywhere. As long as it’s as far away from Sheridan Crane as I can get!” Luis yelled as threw open the door to his police cruiser. He heard a gasp as he slid into the front seat and when he looked up, he saw Sheridan standing in the cottage doorway, tears streaming down her face. He refused to let those tears get to him again. He refused to let her get to him again. Through the windshield, he watched as Hank walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug. Then he watched as Sheridan returned it by wrapping her arms around him and burying her tear stained face in Hank’s shoulder. Jealousy raged through him and he cursed it then slammed the driver’s side door shut, started the engine, and backed up out of the driveway. Backed out of the drive and away from the image of Sheridan wrapped in his best friend’s arms. Chapter One Sheridan pulled away from Hank and watched through tear filled eyes as Luis’ black and white police cruiser tore out of the driveway and out onto the road. As his taillights disappeared from view, she couldn’t help but think that she had just made a terrible mistake. Maybe confronting him about that night hadn’t been such a good idea after all. Maybe she should have left well enough alone. She felt someone touch her shoulder and turned to see Hank standing beside her with a concerned look on his face. Thank god for Hank, she thought with a small smile. He was always there when she needed a friend and tonight she needed one. Maybe he could help her make sense of what had happened between her and Luis. After all, he was Luis’ best friend so he should know him better than anyone else, right? Sheridan gave a heartfelt sigh then turned and walked back into the cottage. She scarcely heard Hank shut the door to the cottage. She was too busy going over what had happened in her mind. The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind of information. First, she learned she killed Martin Fitzgerald then she learned she didn’t. Now she had no idea what to believe and on top of that she and Luis had another argument. Only this one had been ten times worse than all the others put together. His voice was so cold and his eyes even colder. She shivered at the memory of them. She had never seen Luis like that before. It was almost as if she had betrayed him in some way, which was ridiculous considering he was the one that was in the wrong. If only he would have admitted it, she thought sinking down onto the couch, then maybe she could have forgiven him and they could have moved on. But he hadn’t. He had denied it. In fact, he had denied with so much feeling that she almost believed him. Almost. How he could look her in the eye and lie, knowing that she saw and heard him? How could he do that? Any hope she had that she could forgive him and they could move on had flown right out the window when she heard his denial. He had flat out lied to her and he’d done it so convincingly. He had showed no signs at all that he was lying. In fact, he had looked affronted that she hadn’t believed what he was saying to her. Sheridan raised a hand to her pounding temples and prayed for some kind of relief. She wanted to forget what happened, but she wasn’t sure that was even possible. The look in Luis’ dark eyes as she had confronted him about what she had seen and heard that night was playing in her mind over and over again. That hurt expression on his face was now embedded into her brain and she couldn’t seem to make it disappear. “Here.” Hank said drawing her attention to the glass in his hand. “You look like you could use this.” “Thanks.” She said taking the glass and giving him a weak smile. She took a small sip and was grateful to find it was only water. She wasn’t in the drinking mood right now. “Wanna talk about it?” Hank asked. Not really, but she supposed if anyone could help her figure out why Luis had said what he said and then lied about it, it was Hank. “A few months ago, I overheard Luis talking on his cell phone down at the wharf. He was telling someone how he was only using me for his own ends. He called me a spoiled princess. He said that the Cranes had been using and abusing people for years and now he finally had a chance to use one of them, meaning me.” Hank didn’t say anything. He just looked at her like she had grown two heads or something. “Sheridan, I don’t know who you saw but I know Luis and I know he would never say those things about you. Hell, he would never even think them.” “I heard him, Hank. I saw him. I confronted him about it tonight and he…” She broke off, as her throat suddenly became too tight to talk. “He what?” Hank asked grabbing the glass out of her shaking hand. “He denied it? Of course he did. He denied it because it wasn’t him.” “And how do you know that?” Sheridan whispered as the tears started to well in her eyes. “You weren’t there Hank. You didn’t see him. You didn’t hear the words he said. I did. I was the one that heard him and it broke my heart.” Hank pulled her into his arms as the tears finally started to fall. He held her tight against his chest and stroked her hair. She took the comfort he gave her, but her mind and her heart was miles away. They were with Luis… wherever he was. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Luis sat on the barstool and grabbed the ice-cold beer Stan had just sat in front of him. He hadn’t been to the pool hall since the night he and Sheridan came here and he wasn’t sure coming here tonight was such a good idea. Then again, it didn’t really matter where he went, she followed him everywhere anyway. Ever since she had slammed into his police cruiser, he hadn’t been able to shake her from his thoughts. It was like she had become a permanent resident in his soul. No matter what he did she just wouldn’t go away. He took a sip of his beer but he didn’t taste the liquid as it slid its way down his throat. He couldn’t taste anything but the bitterness left by Sheridan’s inability to trust... to believe in him. How could she think he was using her? How could she ever think that of him? He thought she knew him better than that. Why didn’t she know him better than that? What the hell had he ever done to give her the impression that he was using her? Sure, he’d never made a secret of his distrust of the Crane’s or his belief that they had something to do with his father’s death, but his distrust of the Crane’s didn’t pertain to Sheridan and it hadn’t for a very long time. “Luis?” Stan hesitantly asked from behind the bar. “You okay? You’re already on your fourth beer. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you drink this much. What gives? Got women troubles?” Luis raised his head and fixed his buddy with a stare. “I don’t want to talk about it, Stan. I just want to forget it for awhile.” “Well, you know as well as I do that beer will only work for a little while.” Stan turned then and grabbed a towel off the counter behind him then began wiping down the bar. “Sooner or later Luis, you’ll have to face what’s bothering you.” “Yeah,” Luis muttered as he took another healthy sip of his beer. “But I’d rather it be later. Much later.” Stan just shook his head and moved to the end of the bar. Luis downed the rest of his beer then leaned over the bar and poured himself another one. No since bothering Stan again, not when he could pour his own beer just as well. “Care to pour me one of those?” A voice called from beside him. Luis sat back down on his barstool then turned to glance at the stranger beside him. He didn’t look familiar, but at the same time Luis could have sworn he had seen him before. He was about his height and his weight, with dark black hair and dark brown eyes. The eyes looked vaguely familiar, but Luis was so buzzed he couldn’t place why they looked so familiar. He shook his head then leaned back over the bar, grabbed a clean glass and poured the guy a beer. He sat it down in front of the guy then turned back to nurse his own beer. “Thanks.” the guy beside him said. “I really needed that.” Luis turned and saw the guy had already drank all his beer. Just as he reached for the beer spout to pour the guy another one, Stan came back and did it instead. He was glad because that gave him time to finish off his own beer. Stan poured him another one all the while shaking his head and muttering something about him going to have a hell of a hangover in the morning. Luis would have answered him, but the guy beside him spoke again. “From the way that bartender was muttering, I’d say you have a pretty good head start on me.” Luis turned to him and shook his head. “Yeah, I guess so. Stan has been a little on the big brother side tonight. Guess he thinks I can’t handle my liquor anymore.” He wasn’t sure why he was telling the guy this, but he figured his loose tongue stemmed from all the beer he had consumed and would continue to consume until he either passed out or was too drunk to care. “Name’s Bryant.” The man said holding out a hand. “Jake Bryant.” “Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald.” He replied taking the man’s proffered hand then quickly releasing it and grabbing his beer once again. “So Luis you play pool?” He hadn’t played pool here since the night he and Sheridan came here and she won at darts. Sheridan, he thought scowling. Why couldn’t she just stay the hell out of his head? Luis shook his head and took another drink of his beer, then decided to take Jake Bryant up on his offer. At least if he was playing pool, he’d have more to concentrate on than Sheridan Crane and the fact that she had once again broken his heart. Chapter Two Luis shook his head as Jake shot the eight ball into the corner pocket and once again beat him at what used to be his unbeatable game. He would have chalked it up to being drunk, but couldn’t since he knew it stemmed more from his mind being elsewhere tonight than actually being too drunk to play. “Good game.” Jake said as he hung his pool stick back on the wall rack behind them. “Yeah,” Luis said following his lead. “It was a good game.” “But something tells me it wasn’t your best game. Am I right?” Jake asked looking him over as if he were trying to figure him out. Luis shrugged a shoulder then turned to grab his beer of the table beside them. “You could be. My head just wasn’t in the game I guess.” Jake laughed. “You guess? Luis, do you realize how many times you shot the ball clear over the table? Four. Hell, I thought that one guy was going to pounce on you for hitting him in shin with that ball.” Luis smiled at that then turned back around to face his new friend. “Okay, so I was more than a little off tonight. I have plenty of reason to be.” “Because of that chick you mentioned earlier?” Jake asked in a dispassionate tone. “What was her name? Sheridan? Is that it?” Luis nodded unconsciously tightening his grip on the beer glass in his hand. “Yeah, but do we have to talk about her right now? I was doing a pretty good job of forgetting her.” “You could have fooled me.” Jake said slapping him on the back and walking around him toward the bar. “Face it my friend, you’ve got it bad for this woman. So what did she do? Cheat on you?” “No, she didn’t cheat on me. At least not in the sense you mean.” Luis dropped his beer onto a table near the bar then turned a chair around backwards and straddled it. “She believed something that wasn’t true. She believed I did something I didn’t do and… Oh hell I don’t want to talk about this.” “Are you sure, Luis?” Jake asked taking the chair opposite him and sitting his fresh beer on the table. “Seems to me like you’re just aching to talk it over with somebody. Why not me? I mean I don’t know the chick and I really don’t know you so I’d be an objective third party. Maybe I can give you some new perspective or something.” Luis eyed the man carefully wondering why a red flag was suddenly going up in front of his head. He shook it off as being his cop nature then began to tell Jake about Sheridan and all that they had been through together. He left out some parts because some parts were just too personal to be shared with anyone else. When he finished his story, about an hour later, Jake just shook his head as if he couldn’t quite believe the story he’d just heard. He couldn’t blame him really. Half the stuff Sheridan and him had gone through seemed impossible, yet each and every one of them had happened. All except what she had told him tonight. That hadn’t gone through that one together because it hadn’t been him that she had seen or heard. He still wasn’t quite sure what to make of that yet. He reached for his beer and downed the rest of it just in time to see Beth walk in the door to the pool hall. She looked around and when her eyes landed on him, she shook her head then made her way toward him. “Luis, what’s going on?” “What do you mean?” He asked reaching for her hand and pulling her closer to him. “I mean,” she said pulling her hand away and taking a step backwards. “What are you doing here? Stan called and said you would need a ride home. From the looks of things, I’d say he’s right. Why aren’t you guarding Sheridan? Did you two get in another fight?” He scowled at that. Why did everyone keep bringing her up? “Beth, do you really want to talk about Sheridan? How ‘bout we dance instead? It’s been a long time since we enjoyed a dance together.” “Not tonight Romeo. You’re drunk. Come on,” She said holding out her hand. “I’ll take you back to the cottage.” “No.” He said grabbing her hand and pulling her into his lap. “I am not going back to the cottage. I’m going to stay right here.” “No, you’re not.” Beth said putting her hands on his chest and pushing her way off his lap. “The bar is closing. That’s why Stan called me. Now quit hitting on me. You’re drunk and in the morning you’re going to regret it. So just let me take you home, okay Luis?” Damn, he thought closing his eyes, what the hell was going on with him? He and Beth had been over for years. He didn’t want a relationship with her. He shook his head then eased up off the chair he was sitting in and favored Jake with a grin. “It was nice meeting you buddy. I hope you stick around Harmony.” “I just might.” Jake said holding out his hand. “Good.” Luis said taking his hand. “Then I’ll see you around.” Luis released his hand then turned to leave and he must have turned a little to fast, because he suddenly started to lose his balance. He would have fallen had Beth not wrapped her arm around his waist and thrown his over her shoulder. “Come on, Luis. Let’s get you home.” He nodded, but then froze when he realized he’d forgotten something. “Wait, Beth. I can’t leave yet.” “Why not, Luis? The bar is closing and you’ve had more than enough to drink. Stan should have cut you off hours ago.” “He tried.” Luis said grinning. “I wouldn’t let him.” Beth shook her head. “Why can’t we leave?” “Because I forgot to get my keys back from Stan. I can’t get into the cottage without my keys.” “I thought you didn’t want to go to the cottage?” Beth asked. “I didn’t, but you said you were taking me home?” He watched Beth’s eyes widened and couldn’t help but think something in his last statement shocked her. He didn’t know what it could be though and before he could ask her, she removed her arm from his waist and stalked back to the bar to get his keys from Stan. He watched as Stan pulled his keys from his pocket and handed them to her. Beth smiled then turned to make her way back to him, his keys dangling from her fingers. As he picked out the key to Sheridan’s cottage, the reason for Beth’s shock a few minutes ago hit him full force and caused him to stumble backward in realization. His leg hit the edge of a chair and the last thing he thought of before, his head connected with the corner of the table was the fact that he had just thought of Sheridan’s cottage as home. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The second Sheridan heard Luis’ police cruiser pull back up into the driveway, she sprinted off the couch and threw open the door. She watched as Beth got out of the driver’s seat and walked over to the passenger’s seat to help Luis out. The moment Sheridan saw the bandage over Luis’ left eye her heart burst open at the seams. “Oh my god. Luis! What happened?” She ran down the steps toward him and as she reached out to touch his face, he pulled back as if she’d burned him. When she saw the coldness in his eyes, she pulled her hand back then wrapped her arms around herself and tried to warm the ice he’d just sent her way. She stepped back away from him and averted her eyes. They landed on Beth, who just shook her head and helped Luis inside the cottage. Sheridan trailed along behind them feeling as if she had just entered the twilight zone. She turned and closed the door behind her as she walked inside then turned back around to see Beth helping Luis onto the couch. He sat down then rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. He looked so disheveled so… defeated. That was what he looked like. The way his shoulders slumped and the way he held his head, he looked utterly defeated as if tonight he’d…he’d been dealt a huge blow. Had something else happened tonight? Something besides the terrible fight they’d had earlier? “Beth?” Sheridan asked walking down the steps and into the room. “Was Luis in an accident tonight?” Beth furrowed her brow for a minute then shrugged a shoulder. “Sort of. He drowned his sorrows in beer at the pool hall tonight and as we were leaving he lost his balance and fell. His head hit the corner of one of the tables. I took him to the emergency room and he had to get some stitches. The doctor in the ER said he had a mild concussion. He said that someone should wake Luis up every couple of hours though.” Sheridan nodded. “I can handle that.” Beth looked like she was going to argue, but Hank emerged from the kitchen, demanding to know what happened to Luis. Sheridan watched as Hank knelt beside the couch checking to make sure Luis was okay. She knew the bond of friendship between them was strong, she’d seen in on more than one occasion. In fact, she was sure it resembled the bonds of brothers more than it did friendship. Her eyes wandered over Luis, who still sat with his head between his hands not saying anything. She wanted more than anything in the world to go to him and comfort him, but she knew she couldn’t. He wouldn’t want her to. “How are you going to get home, Beth?” Hank asked breaking her out of her thoughts. “Oh,” Beth said getting up off the couch and walking toward the phone. “I’ll have to call a cab to take me back to the bar. I drove Luis’ cruiser over here.” “Don’t bother.” Hank said resting a palm on his knee and rising to his feet. “I’ll take you home. It won’t take all that long and I’m sure Sheridan will be fine until I get back.” “Yeah, you two go on.” Sheridan whispered as she watched Luis leaned back against the couch and close his eyes. “We’ll be fine. In fact, Hank you can go ahead and go back to the bed and breakfast.” “No way.” Hank said. “Luis would have my head if I left you –“ “I’ll be fine Hank.” Sheridan said forcing herself to turn and look at Hank. “You don’t need to worry. From the look of Luis, you can come back in the morning and he’ll never even know you were gone.” “Are you sure?” Hank asked walking toward her with a concerned look on his face. “Luis is pretty out of it…” “I’m sure Hank. Go on.” He nodded then motioned for Beth to follow him toward the door. Sheridan followed them toward the door and held it open as they both walked outside. She smiled when Hank turned to her and told her to lock it behind them. He sounded just like Luis. Luis, she thought shaking her head and closing the door as Hank and Beth left in his car. She turned the dead bold so that it locked then turned her attention back to the man on the couch. His eyes were still closed so she figured he’d fallen asleep. She glanced at the clock and figured she’d wake him in a couple of hours, just as the doctor had said. Sheridan walked toward the linen closet and grabbed Luis’ blanket and pillow out then made her way back toward the living room. She threw the pillow onto the couch beside him then unfolded the blanket and reached down to cover him up. Just as she placed the blanket up to his neck, his hand shot out and clamped onto her wrist pulling her onto his lap then his dark eyes opened and focused on hers. His eyes blazed but not in anger like she suspected. No this time, they blazed in passion and they threatened to burn her alive. “Luis?” She asked in a breathless voice. “I don’t think –“ “No more thinking.” He whispered as his lips slowly descended toward hers. “I’m tired of thinking. Tonight I just want to feel. I want you Sheridan. I want you so much I hurt. And I don’t mean I just want you physically, I want your heart too. Will you give me your heart, Sheridan? Will you finally let me love you?” Sheridan tried to answer him but his lips closed over hers before she could. She tasted the beer on his lips and remembered what Beth had told her about him drowning his sorrows. She figured he had absolutely no clue what he was saying or doing for that matter and because of that she knew she needed to break the kiss. She knew she needed to, but actually doing it was a whole other story entirely. In fact, she wasn’t at all sure she had that much strength in her, especially since Luis had just point blank asked her for her heart. What would he say or do if he knew he already had it? That question gave Sheridan the strength she needed to pull away from him. She backed up off his lap before he had even opened his eyes and she was grateful for that. Because if she was still sitting on his lap, she would have tried to erase the pain she saw reflected in the deep brown depths of his eyes and she knew that would be a big mistake, one in which she never had any intention of making. Chapter Three Luis felt as if a bomb had gone off inside his head. He raised a hand to his throbbing temples and prayed for relief to come soon. This had to be the worst hangover he had ever had, he thought throwing the blanket off him and setting his feet on the floor. What the hell had he been thinking last night? He hadn’t drank that much since… Hell, he couldn’t remember the last time he drank that much. It was all her fault, he thought scowling toward the closed door on his left. He’d always known Sheridan could drive a man to drink, but he hadn’t counted on that man being him. He let out a harsh breath then slowly got to his feet. He managed to stay standing for all of two seconds before falling back down onto the couch and clutched his head in mortal agony. His memory of last night’s events was a fuzzy to say the least. He knew the reason he had gone to the pool hall and he could remember talking to… what was the guy’s name again? Jake? He remembered talking to Jake and playing a few games of pool – and losing, he thought in disgust, but he couldn’t remember much else. In fact, he wasn’t even sure how he got back to the cottage. Luis took a deep breath then once again got to his feet. He swayed slightly but managed to stay on his feet this time. Praising that small effort, he slowly began to make his way toward the bathroom. He was almost there, when the kitchen door opened and a laughing Hank emerged. When he saw him, he broke out into a grin. “Hey buddy! How are we feeling this morning? I bet you got one hell of a hangover!” Luis winced, as the throbbing in his head grew more urgent. “Do you have to talk so loud?” “Yep!” Hank said his grin growing wider. “It’s not often I get to see you in this shape and I intend to make the most of it.” Luis groaned then raised a hand to rub his forehead and he froze when he felt the gauze material above his left eye. “What the hell –“ Hank laughed. “You were a little rowdy last night. According to Beth, your head connected with the corner of a table down at the pool hall. She said it was bleeding so bad she had to take you to the hospital to get stitches.” Beth? Hospital? Stitches? He didn’t remember any of that! He certainly didn’t remember seeing Beth last night! Was she the one that brought him back to the cottage? And if so how did he end up with Beth in the first place. An image popped into his mind and he wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him. Had he really pulled Beth into his lap at the pool hall? Had he really been hitting on her last night? God, he prayed he was wrong. He wasn’t interested in Beth anymore and he certainly didn’t want to give her the impression that he was. He made a mental note to call her later and apologize for his drunken actions last night. What the hell had come over him? Luis had just started to take another step toward the bathroom when Sheridan’s bedroom door opened and he found himself staring into her startled blue eyes. She smiled and the air left his lungs. Then he remembered the reason for the pounding in his head and cursed his lack of willpower when dealing with her. “Excuse me.” He said tersely as he walked, and slightly stumbled, past her into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Once he shut the door, he felt more in control of his emotions. He wasn’t as angry as he’d been last night, but he was still angry. But he knew more than anything else, he was hurt. All these months Sheridan had treated him like dirt was because she thought he was using her. Why hadn’t she talked to him about this months ago? Hell, why did she believe it in the first place? How could she have seen him and heard him at the wharf that night when he wasn’t there? The throbbing in his head continued and he opened the medicine cabinet above the bathroom sink and grabbed a bottle of aspirin out. After opening it and dropping two into his hand, he grabbed a cup out of the dispenser on his left and filled it with water then downed the two tablets and prayed they took away the pain in his head. Glancing into the mirror, he noticed the white bandage above his left eye. He frowned then sat the cup down on the cabinet beside him and reached up to slowly ease the bandage off. The adhesive from the tape pulled at his skin and caused him to grimace in pain. Once the tape was free on one side, his eyes scanned over the results of his meeting with the table. He counted twelve stitches and knew regardless of how good the doctor was at putting them in, he’d still have a scar. And he had no one to blame but himself. If he hadn’t allowed Sheridan Crane into his heart in the first place, she wouldn’t have been able to break it last night. He was a cop. He was trained to see things that people didn’t want him to see, but he hadn’t seen this. He had been totally blindsided last night. He still couldn’t grasp the knowledge that she didn’t trust him… that she believed… that she actually believed he would use her. What had he ever done to make her think that of him? Nothing. He’d saved her life again and again. Sure he’d said he’d done it because of his job but that was only because he hadn’t been able to find the words to tell her how he really felt. Now he was glad he hadn’t. Knowing she didn’t believe in him hurt badly enough, but to tell her how he felt and have her reject him? That would be almost unbearable. “Get a grip, Luis.” He said to his haggard reflection in the mirror. He placed the bandage back over his scar then decided to make himself a little more presentable. He cursed for not having thought to grab a change of clothes out of his bag. Would things ever start to go his way? ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Sheridan watched the door close behind Luis as he entered the bathroom then let out the breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding. He looked a little better this morning than he did last night, but not by much. She wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the head injury that made Luis so uninhibited last night, but whichever it was it sure kept her up last night. She had managed to check on Luis every two hours just as the doctor ordered but it hadn’t been easy. Every time she had roused him from sleep, he had kissed her and begged her to make love with him. It had taken all her willpower to continually turn him down, but after seeing him this morning she knew she had done the right thing. As drunk as he'd been, he probably didn’t even remember saying the things he’d said to her last night and if he didn’t, she sure as hell wasn’t going to tell him. No, what he had told her last night would just have to remain in her memory and hers alone. There was simply no reason to tell Luis about what he said. It would only make things between them more difficult. All she had to do was get his hypnotic words and the passionate look in his eyes out of her head then she would be fine. Just fine. “Sheridan?” Hank asked walking toward her. “Are you okay? How ‘bout a cup of coffee? I just made a fresh pot.” “That would be great.” She answered. She watched as he nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. She took a deep breath then pulled her hand from the doorframe and walked into the living room. The minute her eyes landed on the couch, memories of last night consumed her. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Flashback ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The alarm clock buzzed in her ear and Sheridan woke then immediately threw back the covers and got to her feet. She had to check on Luis. He’d fallen asleep after the episode earlier and she had been more than grateful for that. She wasn’t sure how much more she could have taken. The man was just too sexy and way too loose with his words to night. ‘Will you give me your heart, Sheridan? Will you finally let me love you?’ The words played over and over in her head and she was sure they were now imbedded into her brain. Shaking her head, she padded toward the door and opened it then made her way toward a sleeping Luis. The moonlight streaming in through the windows cast a glow over his bronze skin and made him look even sexier than normal if that were possible. The blanket covering his body had shifted down to his hips giving her an enticing view of his well-defined pecs. Her fingers flexed involuntarily and her hand reached out to touch him. Her fingertips came into contact with his heated skin and she immediately jerked them back as if she’d been burned. Why did he affect her this way? Why did the one man that made her heart do back flips have to be so two -faced? She sighed in regret then leaned down next to his ear then began to try and wake him from his sleep. “Luis.” She whispered. “Luis wake up.” Nothing. He didn’t so much as move. She raised her voice an octave as she tried again. “Luis, come on. The doctor said I had to wake you every two hours. Come on open those dark eyes and look at me. Luis.” Still nothing. She raised a hand to his shoulder and gently shook him. “Luis wake up!” His hand reached out and grabbed her around the waist and the next thing she knew her body was on top of Luis’ and he was devouring her mouth in a heated kiss. His tongue delved deeply into her mouth and she couldn’t stop herself from responding. One of his hands went to her backside and pressed her body closer to his. When she felt the evidence of his arousal, she groaned then quickly broke the kiss and squirmed to break free of his hold. He didn’t seem to want to let go though. In fact, he seemed to be trying to shift them over. She took a deep breath then said the one word she knew would get through to him. “No.” Just as she thought, his hands immediately loosened their hold and as they did she scrambled out of them. When she was standing again, she looked down at him and wished to god she hadn’t. His eyes were open and held his hurt and confusion, but they also held burning passion. That passion called to her, but she knew she couldn’t answer that call. It wouldn’t be smart. “What did you come in here for?” Luis asked in a husky voice. “If you didn’t come in here for this, then why did you wake me? Why did you touch me? Don’t tell me you don’t want me because we both know that you do. If you didn’t you wouldn’t have kissed me like you did.” “I… I…” She stopped and took a deep calming breath then forced the words past her lips. “I came in here to wake you up, because you have a concussion and that’s what the doctor said to do.” “Are you sure that’s all you came in here for?” He asked in a playful voice that she had never heard him use before. The light from the moon allowed her to see his dancing eyes and when he broke out into a devilish grin, she knew it was going to be a very long night. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ End Flashback ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ She’d been right too, she thought walking over to the blue genie bottle she kept on the credenza and pouring herself a glass of water. She heard the door to the bathroom creak open and turned to find Luis standing in the doorway wearing nothing but a dark blue towel. Beads of water fell from his hair and down his chest, causing her body to jump to life. She shook her head and tried to clear it of the erotic thoughts going through her mind. She had thought last night was long, but something told her today would be even longer. She sighed and turned her back on the image of Luis’ towel clad body. Would things ever go her way? Chapter Four Luis' right hand held the towel knotted around his waist while his eyes held Sheridan's across the room. He saw the confusion and the pain in them, both of which he knew she blamed him for. He could see it in her eyes. She still believed he had said those things on the wharf that night and there was nothing he could do to proof otherwise. Damn, if there was one thing he hated most in the world it was feeling helpless and right now that's exactly what he felt. He felt helpless to fight the accusations he saw in her blue eyes. A few days ago those eyes had held compassion for him, but now she had once again done a complete one-eighty on him. And once again he really had no idea why. Yeah, she said she heard him say he was using her, but how could she have when he never said it? He didn't have to remember the night clearly to know he never would have said something like that, not even jokingly. He didn't have it in him. He expected people to be honest with him and that's why he prided himself on being honest, but obviously Sheridan didn't know that about him, which hurt more than he would ever admit. They had spent so much time together and had gotten to know each other pretty well, at least he thought they had, but he had obviously been wrong about that. There was no way Sheridan could know him if she thought he would do what she was accusing him of doing. No way at all. He shook his head then walked toward the couch and pulled his black bag out from under the coffee table. Just as he started to straighten up a wave of dizziness hit him, causing him to loose his balance and fall backward onto the couch. He must have made a startled noise or something because Sheridan suddenly turned around. When she saw him, she dropped the glass in her hand and ran toward him. "Luis?" Her worried voice asked from beside him. "Are you okay? What happened?" He shook his head unsure himself. The only thing he could figure was that he tried to straighten up too quickly. He should have known better. "I'm fine. Just got dizzy is all." "You don't look fine." She said in a disbelieving tone. He let out a bitter chuckle as he realized that was the whole reason he was in the shape he was in right now. She hadn't believed him when he'd been telling her the truth so why would she believe him now? He shook his head then groaned aloud as a sharp pain shot straight to his temples. "That's it." Sheridan said putting his arm around her shoulders and helping him up off the couch. "You are going to the hospital." "No." He said pulling back away from her. "I am not going to the hospital. I am going to get dressed then I'm going to lay down on the couch." He tried to look intimidating, but he knew he didn't pull it off. The pain shooting through his head wouldn't let him. He'd be fine if he could just lie down for a few hours. He was almost certain it was the hangover causing the pain, but he couldn't be entirely positive. "Luis." Sheridan admonished. "Don't be stubborn. You're in pain and you need to go see a doctor." "I'm not being stubborn. I'm fine. I just need to lie down for a little bit. That's all." Sheridan looked as if she was going to argue with him, but instead she walked toward him and wrapped an arm around his waist. Her forearm grazed his bare skin and he had to stifle the moan that threatened to tear from his throat. It would be so much easier if she didn't affect him so damn badly. She turned him around and his hand had to grip her shoulder to keep from falling. "What the hell are you doing, Sheridan?" "I'm taking you to bed." She said as if that was something he should have figured out for himself. "Don't you dare give me any trouble either. You're obviously in pain and I'm not going to let you lie on that couch when I have a perfectly good bed for you to sleep in." He swallowed hard as she opened the door to her room and led him inside. He knew he should have argued with her, but the queen-size bed looked so damn inviting he couldn't. They reached the edge of the bed and she removed her arm from around his waist to grab the dark gold pillows off the bed and toss them into the white wicker chair that sat in front of the window just on the other side of the bed. Next, she pulled back the yellow and gold flower covered comforter and pale yellow sheet. The soft look of the sheets beckoned to him and as Sheridan placed her palm against his bare back and gently pushed him forward he didn't even hesitate to drop the navy cotton towel at his waist and climb inside. As he lowered himself onto the bed and pulled the covers over his naked body, he heard Sheridan's quick intake of breath and as he glanced up at her, he thought he saw desire lurking in the blue depths of her eyes but then she blinked and the emotion was gone, if it had been there at all. Damn, he thought closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the soft pillows, were his eyes starting to play tricks on him now? He didn't remember hitting his head against the table last night, but judging by the stitches in his head, he knew he had to have hit it pretty hard. Maybe he should have gone to the hospital as Sheridan suggested. Maybe they had missed something last night. It was possible. If he was starting to hallucinate then… He lost the thought as he felt the bed shift to accommodate Sheridan's weight. He took a deep breath and when inhaled the soft scent of her perfume he opened his eyes and locked them onto hers. He saw the worry etched along her forehead and couldn't stop himself from reaching up and tracing the lines with his finger. "I'm okay, Sheridan. You don't have to worry about me. I have a hard head, didn't you tell me that once?" She smiled and he congratulated himself on that small feat. It had been too long since he last saw her smile. "I did say that, didn't I?" "Yes you did." He said smiling as his large palm cupped her cheek. "On more than one occasion." She leaned into his touch and just as she opened her mouth to speak, a figure appeared in the doorway - Hank. Damn, the guy might be his best friend, but he had the worst possible timing. "Hey buddy." He said dropping his hand from Sheridan's face. "Is that coffee for me?" "One of them is. The other is for Sheridan." Sheridan gave Hank a wide smile and Luis couldn't help the twinge of jealousy that stole through his heart. Why didn't she ever smile at him that way? Why did she save all those smiles for Hank? He started to raise himself up into a sitting position and wasn't surprised when Sheridan jumped up off the bed and helped him. She had a good heart, he just wished she'd trust him with it. "Thanks." He said as she removed her hands from his arms. He turned and saw Hank holding out a cup of steaming black coffee. "How did you know I needed that?" "I'm psychic, didn't you know?" He laughed then grabbed the mug out of his buddy's hand and brought it to his lips. The liquid went down the way it was supposed to, but it unfortunately did not sit well with his stomach. He spit it out with a grimace. "You call that coffee? It's worse than Sheridan's!" He watched as Sheridan took a small sip then laughed as she too spit it right back out again. At least he wasn't the only one that couldn't stomach the stuff Hank called coffee. "Thanks anyway, buddy, but I think I'll have to pass on the Java." He sat the cup on the nightstand beside him then smiled when Sheridan did the same. "Me too. No offense Hank, but Luis is right. This stuff tastes worse than mine and I didn't think that was possible." "Okay so I can't make coffee. I have other talents." Luis groaned inwardly as Hank winked at Sheridan then scowled when her laughter filled the air. Why didn't she laugh that easily with him? Because, he thought in disgust, she doesn't trust you. It was obvious to see she trusted Hank though. Damn, what he wouldn't give for her to give him just an ounce of the trust she placed in Hank, just an ounce. "Hey," Hank said breaking into his dark thoughts. "Why don't I run over to the book café and get three cups of steaming Java? Would that make you guys feel better?" "That would be great, Hank. You sure you don't mind?" "No, it's the least I could do after getting your hopes up and all." Hank leaned in to place a light kiss on Sheridan's cheek and Luis turned his head away unable to watch his best buddy kiss Sheridan even if it was only on the cheek. "I'll be back in no time." Luis turned back around just as Hank walked out the bedroom door. A few seconds later, the sound of Hank shutting the front door echoed throughout the cottage and as it did, the tension inside raised a couple of notches. In fact, the tension inside the bedroom alone was thick enough even the sharpest knife wouldn't penetrate it. He glanced at Sheridan and as their eyes met, something indescribable passed between them. He wasn't sure if it was due to the fact that he was in her bed or that he was naked in her bed, but he knew one thing for certain... Sheridan Crane wanted him and it was written all over her face. Chapter Five Sheridan stared at the man lying in her bed and couldn’t get his pleas from last night out of his head. He’d asked her to love him. He’d asked her to make love with him and here he was lying naked in her bed, looking at her as if waiting for her to come to him. She swallowed hard, unable to keep herself from walking toward him. She stopped at the edge of the bed. Luis’ hand shot out to pull her down onto the mattress and as her hands came into contact with the hardened muscles of his chest, she knew she had been waiting for this moment ever since she first laid eyes on him. Unable to fight the pull between them any longer, she leaned toward him then closed her eyes as she prepared herself to meet his kiss. But his kiss never came. She opened her eyes in realization and as she did she found herself drowning in a deep brown pool of raw emotion. “Tell me you believe me.” Luis said his warm breath caressing her lips as he spoke. “Tell me you trust me. Tell me you know I would never use you.” Tears welled in her eyes and she tried to blink them back, but looking at the pain and hurt in Luis’ gaze caused her heart to hurt. He looked as if… as if she was breaking his heart. But how could that be? He was the one that used her. That lied to her. Wasn’t he? Yes, her head answered, he was. She saw him. She heard him. She hadn’t made a mistake. It was him. Luis closed his eyes and nodded then allowed his arms to fall away from her. “You still don’t believe me. You still think I was using you. Why?” He asked opening his eyes again. She was surprised to see the water in them. “Why can’t you believe in me?” “I want to Luis. More than you know. But I… I can’t. I can’t because I was there. I heard every painful word you said about me and I can’t just ignore that. I can’t just forget that. You tell me you didn’t say those things, but I know you did. I saw your face and I heard your voice. It was you, Luis. It was you.” Tears clouded her vision and pain filled her heart. She looked down at Luis and when she saw the lone tear traveling down his cheek, she could no longer bear the burden of the truth. “You broke my heart and I can’t let you do it again. I just can’t.” Sheridan jumped up from the bed intent on leaving the room, but Luis caught her arm and held her where she stood. She struggled to get free, but Luis held her firmly in his grasp and when she realized he had no intention of letting go she stopped trying. She took deep ragged breaths trying to calm her tattered nerves, but it did no good. Her nerves were shot. “Why do you always run away when things get too intense?” Luis asked his voice low and full of hurt. “We need to talk about this Sheridan.” “There’s nothing left to talk about.” She said in a quiet voice. “Unless you can admit you said those things about me there is nothing left to say.” “I’m sorry, Sheridan.” She froze then whirled around and looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise. Was he finally going to admit the truth? “Luis –“ “No,” He said his voice full of resignation. “Let me just say this, okay?” She nodded and he continued. “I’m sorry that you’re hurting. I’m even sorrier that you think it’s because of me. I didn’t say those things about you, but it’s obvious to me that you will never believe me. You need proof, but I have none. The only thing I have is my word and obviously it no longer means anything to you. I won’t ask you to believe me again. I know you can’t. I know you won’t. I can see it in your eyes and I can hear it in your voice. You honestly believe I was using you and there’s not a damn thing I can say to change your mind.” He stopped and shook his head then gave a tiny grimace of pain. “A relationship between us would have never worked anyway. We’re too different. I see that now. We believe in different things. I trust what my heart tells me and you don’t. You trust what your head tells you. You trust what you see and hear. It doesn’t matter that I’ve done everything I can to show you the type of man that I am. You’re past experiences have clouded your ability to really see me and I realize that’s something we will never be able to overcome no matter how hard we try. I can’t compete with your past, Sheridan. I don’t even want to try. I think it’s better for both of us if we agree to keep our distance from each other. And it’s only fair to tell you that I plan to ask Hal to assign someone else as your bodyguard. I think it would be the best decision under the circumstances.” As his last words registered in her brain, the pain in her heart increased in intensity. It was so strong it stole her breath. She took in gulps of air, one right after another, but she couldn’t manage to fully catch her breath. Luis grabbed her by the arms and tried to calm her but it only made it worse. He wanted to leave her. He wanted to stop being her bodyguard. She never dreamed he would come to a decision like that. She pulled away from him and he let her go. He let her go… She stood on shaky legs and stumbled toward the window on the other side of the room. As she looked out the paned glass window toward the rose bushes that lined the back gate, tears blurred her usual twenty-twenty vision. He was going to leave her. She knew that day would come but she never dreamed it would come before the bad guys were caught. “I don’t want you to go.” The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them and once they were out, she didn’t want to take them back. She heard his quick intake of breath and gave a small sad smile that she’d actually managed to catch him off guard. The words were true. She didn’t want him to go. She didn’t trust anyone else to guard her the way Luis’ did. “I can’t stay.” He whispered into the sudden unbearable silence. “You don’t trust me and I can’t guard someone that doesn’t have total trust in me.” Sheridan turned then and looked at him. His face was a mask. It showed no emotion, but his voice had held his pain. “I trust you with my life, Luis. I just can’t trust you with my heart.” “That sounds like a contradiction. Either you trust me completely or you don’t. You already said that you don’t and we need to find someone you can trust. My guarding you was never a good idea in the first place. We have too many issues between us and those issues make it harder to stay objective. You need someone that has no emotional attachment. Someone that can focus entirely on your safety. But that someone isn’t me. Not anymore. I lost my objectivity where you are concerned and that could put your life at risk. It’s better if I go. I’ll stay until the FBI can find a replacement but once they do…” His voice trailed off and Sheridan watched as the pain in his voice suddenly filled his usually warm eyes. She had hurt him. The evidence was all over his face. Her inability to trust him… to believe in him had hurt him. Why did she suddenly feel as if she had been wrong? How could she have hurt him if he had only been using her? The fact of the matter is she couldn’t have. If he didn’t truly care for her then she would not have had the power to cause the pain she saw in his eyes and heard in his voice. If he had only been using her then she would not have had the power to hurt him. Dear god, she thought her eyes widening in surprise, he had been telling her the truth. He truly hadn’t said those awful things about her. But how was that possible? She saw him. She heard him. But her heart said he didn’t say them. And if he truly hadn’t said those things then there was only one other possibility for what she saw and heard… she was losing her mind. To Be Continued... Author of over 40 fan fiction stories, some of which include:
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| The Twisted Truth: Prologue - Chapter Five | OKDeanna | 10/13/02 11:38 am |
| Chapter Six - Ten | OKDeanna | 10/13/02 11:40 am |
| Chapter Eleven - Fifteen | OKDeanna | 10/13/02 11:41 am |
| Chapter Sixteen - Twenty *Final Chapters* | OKDeanna | 10/13/02 11:43 am |
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