She Never Saw Him Coming
Chapter I
I kinda hate you,” she whispered.
He smiled, leaning over to kiss her forehead, “I love you, too.” When she returned his smile he reached out and stroked her cheek, “See, there’s my girl.”
She brushed his hand away, “Matty... I wish you wouldn’t do that.”
He gave her a confused, innocent little look, “Do what?”
“Baby me,” she replied.
The Hardy Boy shrugged, “Why not? You do it to me all the time.”
Was that it? Was that the moment?
Kalli stepped further under the nuzzle of the shower, grateful for the warm gush of water washing away the remnants of her night. She had lay in bed in tears for minutes after Matt had left her, only vaguely aware of the musky aroma of sex than hung on her skin. As her tears had slowly subsided, the knowledge that it was morning, and that Jeff would probably return, if only for a shower and a change of clothes, slowly sunk in.
She had called for room service and had them come straight up to put fresh sheets on her bed, watching them awkwardly all the while. The moment they had gone, she had tugged loose the sheets and tossed around the pillows in the guilty hope her tracks were covered.
But the shower was the most welcome choice of all.
Matt’s touch still hung, tingling on her, and if nothing else, the water flooding her exhausted body deadened the feel of him adoring her every smile, her every movement...
It helped cleanse the longing for that touch again.
She turned to face Matt, her own concern near forgotten when she saw the frightened look on his pale face. "Come here, Matty." She slipped her arms around his neck hugging him tightly. "Are you okay?"
He murmured softly into her hair as she held him, "I think I just had heart failure."
Dribs and drabs of memories, in no particular order, kept coming to her. Haunting her. For the first time in her life, she wondered how well she really knew her best friend at all. She fussed and scrutinized over every conversation she could recall, pondering the possibilty of hidden meanings in statements she had never wondered about before.
Touches that she had never thought twice about now played over and over in her mind.
For years she had seen nothing but Jeff.
He was the be all, the end all, of her entire universe. She longed for him, she loved him, in ways she had never cared for anyone. When he had broken off their relationship after only months together, she had never been more miserable.
Kalli McMahon thought she had lost herself the day he told her it was over.
Maybe, just maybe, she had found herself instead...
“Kalli?"
"Hmmmm?"
"If you were Krissy, who would you choose?"
She looked down, instinctively fidgeting with the ring on her left index finger, somehow uncomfortable with the question. "Matt..." Not sure what else to say, she whispered, "I'm not Krissy."
Surprised by the gesture as she toyed absently with the ring, knowing it to be a nervous reaction, Matt eyed her closely, his voice curious. "Who would you choose?"
"Matt..."
"Kalli." He spoke her name firmly, just enough push in it to force her into an answer.
She sighed, quietly telling him, "It's a no contest, Matt." Still not looking up she smiled softly, "I'd choose you."
Kalli held her left hand up before her, stepping back out of the stream of water enough to open her eyes and stare at it. The silver ring on her finger glistened, coated in tiny droplets. A present from the McMahon’s on her 16th birthday, that ring was her comfort. It served as a reminder of her family’s strength in times when she was frightened, when was unnerved.
That night in Matt’s car was the first time she had ever been so uncomfortable in his presence.
She had thought nothing of it. The moment had never truly even touched her mind again.
She sighed.
Was she really that blind?
The girl reached out, turning off the shower and slowly stepping out of it, roughly drying her hair before towelling off her body absently, her eyes locked on nothing as she stared blankly before her, almost unaware of herself.
She loved Jeff. She did.
Didn’t she?
Regardless...
She wrapped the towel around herself, slowly moving across the bathroom.
The moment she came clean, and she knew that ultimately she would...
Jeff Hardy would be lost to her forever.
“Hey Baby.”
Kalli nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Jeff’s exhausted voice as she stepped out the bathroom door. She looked around for him quickly, almost cringing when she saw he was spread out on the bed, his arms resting beneath his head as he stared up at the ceiling.
He pressed down against her on the bed and it was only then that she became aware of how aroused he truly was. She sighed softly into their kiss, her hands locking around his belt, somehow managing to get it undone. Shaking with desire, she moved her hands to the button on his pants, undoing it before moving her hand to the zipper. He broke away from her and their eyes locked...
It would be the only moment for the night that he would hold any doubts, "Are you sure you want to?"
And the smile she gave him in response was an answer in itself.
She shook her head slightly, forcing the image away.
“Jeffy...” Though she was trying to remain as calm as possible, her heart was pounding and her voice came across exactly as breathless as it was.
He gave her a small smile, “Did I frighten you?”
She nodded, “I didn’t hear you come in.”
The younger of the Hardy Boys waved her over, still smiling gently at her, “Come here, Kalli.” Somehow she managed to return his smile, slowly moving nearer to the bed. She froze dead in her tracks, her terror on her face when he exclaimed, “What the *hell* have you been doing?”
~*~
Chapter II
Jeff’s question rang in her ears, “What the *hell* have you been doing?”
“Do... Doing?” She stammered, mortified.
He motioned to her swollen, and now rather blackened cheekbone, “Dammit, Kalli. That wasn’t you and Stacy again was it?”
The McMahon Heiress breathed a sigh of relief, “Oh... This?” She ran her fingertips lightly over her cheekbone, “It’s nothing.”
Jeff motioned for her to come over again and she stepped to the bed. He reached out to take her hand, pulling her down onto the bed beside him so she lay on her stomach, half on the bed, half over him. he caressed her injured face softly, “Nothing my ass, Kalli. What happened?”
How much easier it would be to not tell him. But they had a Smackdown taping tonight, and surely someone else would mention it, whether she liked it or not. Shrugging as nonchalantly as possible she said, “There was a bit of a fight backstage at Raw last night. I jumped in trying to break it up and got collected with a stray hand.” She tilted her face into his soft touches, relishing the feel of his caress in ways she never had before, “It happens.”
“Dayum, it looks like the Big Show laid one on you.” He leaned in closer to look at it and she blushed, trying to brush his concerns away. “Who was it?”
“It doesn’t matter...” She started.
He cut her off, “Come on, Kalli. Who was it?”
For a long time she was silent. But eventually she murmered, “It was Matt.”
“Matt?” His voice raised an octave or two, “MATT hit you?”
Jumping in quickly, she cooed, “It was completely by accident, Jeff. And it was *totally* my fault. I should never have jumped in the way I did...”
Jeff was shaking his head, “He should be more careful, dammit.” He eyed her curiously, “Who was he fighting with?”
Shame filled her face as she whispered, “Adam.”
“Aww, Man.” The Hardy sighed. “That can’t have been good.” He pondered a moment and then said, “It kinda explains why they were so ready to pounce on each other tonight, though.” The memory played out in Jeff’s mind, “Man, I have never seen Matt as furious as he was when he left that Hospital.”
“Yeah...” Kalli shuddered, “I can imagine.”
He stepped up to her and Kalli, completely intimidated by his temper, backed away. "When she walked down that arena tonight to see what was going on, what did she see? You! You crying your little fucking head off once again and me! Me, the blind idiot holding you, comforting you. The same thing she's seen over and over again." She continued to back away and he followed her, "YOU were the reason she ran."
She sobbed quietly, "Matty, please... I don't understand... Please, just calm down... Just tell me what happened, please," she reached up a hand to soothingly stroke his cheek but he slapped the hand away.
Forcing away yet another image she had no desire to hold onto while she lay there in Jeff’s arms, she asked softly, “How is Krissy?”
The glint of pain appeared in Jeff’s eyes as he whispered, “She lost the baby.”
Without thinking Kalli cooed gently, instinctively hugging him tighter, “I know.”
“You do?” He questioned her curiously.
She nearly cursed under her breath but she somehow replied, “Matt called me...” She covered hurriedly, knowing the less talk about Matt they engaged in the safer she would be.
For now.
“Poor Krissy.” She whispered, “She’s been through so much this last few months... I can’t believe now she has to go through this as well.”
Through this...
And through even more.
Her bare foot touched the tiles of the bathroom floor and she moved to take that last step into the bathroom.
But Matt hooked a hand around her arm. She was still only partially aware he had followed her until he whirled her to face him.
Matt was Krissy's...
But it didn't stop him from doing what his instincts told him to do in that moment.
Pulling her firmly against him, he tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her into a heated and adoring kiss.
Whatever the hell had just happened that night between Kalli and Matt...
They’re timing could not have been worse.
Kalli would like to think that there was someway around this. Someway that Krissy and Jeff never had to know. But if she really knew anything about Matt after all, she knew eventually he would tell Krissy. And eventually...
Her concious would force her to confess all to Jeff.
She groaned angrily at herself under her breath.
Her concious?
Shouldn’t it be her love that would make her confess?
Jeff’s voice broke her from her thoughts as he whispered, “I wish I knew how to help her, Kalli. But... I just don’t know what to do.” Honest to God pain filled his voice, “How do I get her through this? How do I make it right?”
“Baby...” She cooed again, snuggling deeper into his arms and placing light little kisses on the base of his throat, “I... I wish I knew what to tell you.” She thought a moment and then told him, “You can’t make it right, Jeff. But you can be there. Like you always are. Be there for her. Love and support her no matter what.” She told him truthfully, “I think that is what she needs most of all.”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “Although... I honestly thought it would be Matt doing that for her.” He shook his head, his confusion evident, “But for some reason I don’t quite get, she’s turned him away.”
Kalli paled at this.
"Tonight when Krissy saw us together, she saw me holding you... She heard me call you baby..."
She knew all too well why Krissy was had pushed Matt away. Why she had pushed, and why she would keep on pushing.
“Whatever the reason,” Kalli only barely kept her voice from breaking, tears of shame dying for release, “she needs you right now, Jeff. More than ever, she needs you.”
He whispered softly, “She needs her sister too, you know.”
Kalli shook her head, “No... No, Daddy was right. For now, the best thing I can do for Krissy is stay away.”
And she would too.
Because she had no idea how she would ever be able to face her sister again.
“Maybe,” Jeff shrugged, “Maybe not.” He continued on, “You know she checked herself out this morning?”
Shocked, Kalli stammered, “She what?”
“Yup, she got out of that bed this morning and checked herself out and went back to work.” He shook his head, “That girl needs to slow down.”
Kalli murmered softly, “She shouldn’t be back at work yet.”
“Well, you try telling that to your sister.” He moved slightly beneath her, glancing over at the clock, “Dayum, I should go shower so we can get on the road.” She nodded against him and he started to sit up, only now truly aware of the fact that only a towel covered her naked body.
He gave her a delicious smirk and she shook her head at him as playfully as possible, “Don’t even think about it, Hardy.”
“Aww, come on.” He leant over, placing a tantalizing kiss on her lips. When she only barely returned it he pulled away, pouting slightly but concern in his eyes, “Are you okay?”
“Uh huh.”
Disbeliving he asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” She nodded, “I’m just a little tired, that’s all.” She placed a light kiss on his forehead, “Go have your shower, Jeffy. We can head off when you’re done.” And with that she climbed from the bed.
He watched her curiously for a few moments and then sighed, knowing she probably was just that. Tired. Maybe a little emotional. No doubt she had laid awake most of the night worrying about her sister, the baby, Matt, Adam... Everything. She always worried too much. He got up from the bed, grabbing some gear from his suitcase and laying it out on the bed to wear. “Won’t be long, baby.” He told her while she sought through her own suitcase in search of something to wear. She simply nodded and he sighed, moving over to the bathroom door. He paused before he stepped inside, “Oh, and Kalli?” She looked up at him and he told her, “Don’t think Matt has heard the last about that shiner he gave you.” And with that he disappeared into the bathroom.
When Kalli heard the shower start, she sank to her knees by her suitcase...
And she cried.
~ The End ~