[Reviews - 243]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 5552 times

- Text Size +




Chapter 9 – Can We Talk?


Walking into the Bronze the next night, Spike felt the nostalgia and anxiety wash over him. Running a hand over his face as he looked around the darkened interior, he tried to stop the memories from overwhelming him. Glancing up at the balcony, he briefly closed his eyes, trying not to think of the nights that he and Buffy had danced with each other, secluded in the shadows, wrapped in each other’s arms.

“You okay?” Angel asked, clapping his friend on the back to snap him out of the trance he seemed to be in.

“Uhh…yeah…yeah, I’m fine.”

“Seems like you’re in another world.”

“Wish I was,” Spike muttered, following his friend through the club.

“Hey, guys,” Angel said with a nod, sitting down at the familiar table with Oz and Willow.

Seeing the redhead look at him and quickly look away, Spike clenched his jaw, wishing, yet again, that he hadn’t made such a stupid decision that splintered him from his friends.

“Xander not here?” Angel asked, looking around at the dancing couples.

“He and Anya are on the dance floor,” Willow said softly, obviously uncomfortable with how to act around Spike. This was a man who used to be her friend but broke her best friend’s heart. She couldn’t help but resent him for that.

“Guessing they didn’t want to see me,” Spike muttered, looking at the floor.

“It was a factor,” Oz replied, feeling bad for his friend.

“Might as well make it easier on them,” he said, turning to walk to the bar.

“Things aren’t going to be the same, are they?” Willow asked softly, looking at the two men who remained.

“Not unless Buffy forgives him,” Oz said, exchanging a look with Angel. Just because they hated what Spike did didn’t mean they would condemn him for it.

“Even if she does, Xander can hold a grudge longer than anyone I know,” Willow said with a heavy sigh, looking over at Spike as he sat at the end of the bar by himself. Her eyes widened when she saw Buffy walk into the club, her eyes immediately gravitating toward her ex-boyfriend before she shook her head and made her way over to the table.

“Hi!” she said in a chipper voice, obviously compensating for whatever she was feeling.

“Buffy!”

Turning at the sound of her name, she smiled when she saw Angel stand up to lift her into a hug, spinning them slightly before setting her back on the ground.

“Missed you,” he said, planting a friendly kiss on her cheek. Buffy could see Spike glowering at them out of the corner of her eye but chose to ignore it.

“I’m glad you’re home,” she said with a soft smile, walking around the table to offer Oz a hug.

“Hope you’re not all out of those.”

Turning at the voice behind her, Buffy gave Gunn a bright smile when she saw him, one arm securely wrapped around Fred.

“Always room for another hug,” Buffy said with a genuine smile, briefly hugging her friend before pulling back to look around the table.

“Um…Buffy,” Willow said softly, gesturing toward Spike as he sat at the end of the bar, staring into his glass.

Part of her wanted to let him suffer. She wanted him to feel a fraction of the pain he had caused her, but the larger part told her that she didn’t have the heart to do that. She never would. But that didn’t mean she had to go out of her way to be nice to him.

Not bothering to excuse herself from her friends who were lost in their own conversations, she slowly walked toward the bar, taking a deep breath and crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive maneuver as she approached.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in a cold voice, tilting her head to look at him.

“Avoiding you, apparently,” he replied in a soft voice.

“Well, you’re not doing a very good job of it.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he said, throwing some money on the bar before turning to stand, bringing him face to face with the woman he loved. “I’ll just be off, then.”

“Where do you get off acting like this?”

“Like what?” he asked in exasperation, trying to cover up the pain he was feeling at being so close to her and not being able to have her.

“Like you…” don’t care about me “…don’t care about anything.”

“I care,” he said, his voice dropping so low, Buffy could barely hear him as the pounding music almost drowned him out. “I know you don’t believe me…but it’s the truth.”

“I never wanted this, you know,” Buffy said, looking at the floor as the all too familiar tears began to pool in her eyes. “I wanted you to come home and everything could be the way it was. I never wanted this.”

Unable to respond, Spike just nodded, knowing that anything he said would be thrown back in his face.

“I’ll just go,” he said, gesturing toward the back door of the club before looking at the table where his friends and former friends sat, each talking and pretending not to notice the former golden couple that was standing next to the bar. “Give my best or whatever…have fun.”

“No,” Buffy said, taking a deep breath as she shook her head. “You stay…can’t say I’m in much of a partying mood right now, anyway.”

Turning to walk toward the door, Buffy shuddered when she felt Spike’s hand on her arm, hating herself for the automatic reaction of her heart speeding up. Feeling short of breath, she stepped away, needing the distance from him.

“What?” she asked, not bothering to look up at him.

“Can we talk?”

“We are talking,” Buffy said, looking around the club to keep her eyes from her hottie of an ex-boyfriend. Noticing the looks that were being cast their way by the available and not-so-available females in the club, she felt the familiar sickening feeling spread through her stomach. “And if you want me to forgive you…don’t hold your breath.”

“Not asking for forgiveness,” he said softly. “Just want to talk, Buffy. I know you don’t owe me anything, but that doesn’t mean I don’t owe you anything.”

Finally turning to look up at him, Buffy was mildly surprised when she saw his watery eyes. Opening her mouth to respond, she nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice interrupted her.

“Yeah, I’d say you owe her more than you could ever give her.”

Closing her eyes, Buffy shook her head to stop herself from spinning around and confronting the man behind her.

“Xander, I can handle this.”

“But you know what I don’t understand?” Xander continued, advancing on Spike, ignoring Buffy. “How you can possibly confess your undying love for a woman like Buffy and then go screw a two-bit whore? You don’t even deserve to be talking to her right now.”

Clenching her jaw in frustration, Buffy resisted the urge to walk away from the conversation, knowing that emotions were running too high for her to do that.

“Go away, Xander,” she said, seeing Anya walk toward them. “This is my life. I have the right to talk to whoever I want.”

Seeing the look of disbelief cross Xander’s face as Anya dragged him back to their table, Buffy tried to stop the pain in her chest, resisting the urge to bring her hand up to her heart and attempt to stop the pressure.

Casting a look in Spike’s direction, she made her way to the back door, quickly pushing it open in the hopes to get control over her emotions as the fresh air hit her face. Buffy nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand on her arm. Spinning around, she looked at Spike in disbelief.

“Do you not understand that when a person walks away it’s usually because she doesn’t want to see you?”

“Please, Buffy,” he whispered. “Just talk to me.”

Nervously running a hand through her hair, she avoided his eyes as she nodded. “Okay,” she whispered. “The park…tomorrow at five. You’re one minute late and I’m leaving. I’m not going to bother waiting around for you.” Not waiting to see his reaction, Buffy quickly turned away so she wouldn’t be able to give in to temptation. With a fast pace to her step, she made her way out of his sight.





Thanks so much to: gypsy_jin, Karyn, Stephanie, --, Smitten, Cordykitten, willowmouse, Juanita, & B for reviewing!





You must login (register) to review.