Sweet SurrenderBy Sophie
Chapter 5
Riley didn’t even give her time to open her mouth.“What is this?” he asked, putting the paper under her nose.
“A magazine?” she suggested.
“Don’t play the smart-ass with me, Buffy. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
She turned the key in the lock and opened the door. “Let’s do this inside, and not where the world can see, ok? Because been there, done that. All day long.”
He followed her inside and closed the door rather brutally. She jumped.
“Hey! If you can’t behave yourself, you might as well get out!”
She forced herself to calm down. After all, Riley had every right to be angry.
“Riley, listen…” she paused for a moment. She was about to tell him the fake pictures version, but something held her. She was sick of lying. “I don’t know what to say. I kissed Spike. That’s it, and I’m sorry,” she shrugged.
Riley’s face turned slightly red. “That’s it? Buffy, do you know what I had to endure today?”
She looked at him, gob smacked. “What you had to endure? What do you think I went through? Everybody was staring or laughing at me, probably thinking the worse. And the Principal told me he had had some parents asking if I was fired. I am lucky he appreciates me, or I would be jobless right now. But he gave me three days free and adviced me to keep a low profile for a moment. All this because some stupid paparazzi thought it would be funny to expose my private life to the whole country. Did I do anything to deserve this? I don’t think so.”
“I certainly didn’t deserve that either. I was the laughingstock of the school today. I’ve never been humiliated like this in my entire life. All this because you couldn’t help but stick your tongue down your stepbrother’s throat!”
She blinked, slightly shocked by his manner of speaking.
“Your stepbrother Buffy! You know, I had sensed something weird was going on between you two the other night, but I thought it was just me. And I never thought for one second that you would do this to me. This is disgusting! It’s like…incest!”
She got angry. She was fed up of hearing people degrading her relationship with Spike. It was no one’s business, damn it. “Don’t be ridiculous. Spike and I have no blood relation. It is not incest.” She took a deep breath. “Riley, I’m really, really sorry. Of course I never meant for you to be humiliated. What happened with Spike…I didn’t see it coming. It happened, and that’s all. I can’t tell you more. If you want to end things between us, you have the perfect right. I would totally understand.”
He seemed to relax at that. “I don’t know what I want right now…” he came closer and instinctively she stepped back. “But I know one thing.” He suddenly grabbed her arm violently and spat in her face, “You’re just a filthy whore like all the others!”
As quick as he had grabbed her he let her go, and she stumbled. He shoved the paper in her face, hitting her cheek just under the eye. She couldn’t help but let escape a yelp of pain.
He smiled at that, before leaving the house, once again slamming the door violently.
Stunned, Buffy sat on the stairs. Her cheek was shooting with pain, but she didn’t pay attention. She was too shocked by the confrontation. Of course she hadn’t thought Riley would take it easily, but she hadn’t expected the violence and the insults. Maybe she should have. Willow had been right.
She got up but her legs were barely sustaining her, and she was shaking all over.
She didn’t know if there was a risk that he would return tonight, but she didn’t want to stay here alone.A sudden sob caught her by surprise. She had repressed her emotions all day, with the exception of the few tears shed while talking to Spike. But now the dam was breaking, and the tears came back full force, with deep hiccups going through her chest and constricting it painfully.
Still crying, she took her bag and got out of the house. She climbed into the car and pulled out of the driveway.
There was only one place in the world where she would feel safe and good right now.
In Spike’s arms.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
She had to stop several times on the way because she was crying so much she couldn’t see the road. So it took her three hours to arrive in Los Angeles and a few more minutes to stop the car in front of Spike’s apartment, right beside his. Which meant he was home.
She then realized she hadn’t quite thought clearly about this. What if Darla was there? She doubted the young actress would be glad to see her arrive like that. They had gotten along rather well until now. Of course, that was before Buffy kissed her fiancé on the front cover of a magazine. So she probably wouldn’t welcome her with open arms. But the need to see Spike was the strongest, and she got out of the car. She would deal with Darla if needed be.
She avoided looking at herself in the rear-view mirror. She knew she was looked awful, her eyes red and puffy, her face swollen from crying, and she probably had a slight bruise on her cheek from where Riley had hit her with the magazine. And if she needed any proof of that, Spike’s face when he opened the door was enough to convince her.
“Buffy? What…? My God, what happened to you?”
The concern in his voice opened the gates again and the tears were flooding in an instant. He closed the door behind her and took her in his arms. They needed to have a serious talk, but right now it was comfort time.
“Shhh…It’s ok. What happened? I thought you were fine.”
“I…I lied…” she managed to say between sobs.
He rocked her gently for a few minutes, murmuring soothing words in her hair. If Darla happened to walk in right now, he would be in a lot of trouble. But right now, he didn’t care. Buffy was his priority.
When she calmed down, he pulled away and looked at her. “You should never have driven the car like this. You could have been in an accident. What were you thinking?” he chastised her softly. Then he noticed the red mark on her cheek. He brushed it delicately with the tip of his finger and she winced.“Who did this?” he asked, his voice suddenly hardening.
“Riley did,” she whispered. “He was furious. I can’t really blame him.”
“Buffy, that bastard has no right to lay a hand on you. I’ll make sure he understands that the next time I see him.”
She closed her eyes. Exhaustion after the events of the day and the journey were catching up with her. Spike caressed her hair. “Look at you, you crazy little bint. You were lucky I was even home.”
“I know. I’m sorry I showed up like this. I had this huge fight with Riley, and I kinda broke. I’ve been selfish. I don’t think Darla would be too happy to see me here.”
“Probably not,” he admitted softly. “But you are, and I’ll take care of you. Do you want to take a shower?”
She nodded and he led her to the bathroom, giving her a towel and one of his t-shirts. She reappeared a few moments later and came to sit next to him on the couch.
“Feeling better?” he asked.
She shrugged. He sighed. “Buffy, I think we need to talk about what happened.”
“I know.”
“I told you earlier today…I don’t regret it. But that doesn’t mean it can happen again.”
“I know,” she repeated. She had expected that, but it was painful nonetheless.
“There are many reasons why we can’t…why we have to stop this right now. You are tired, so I think we’ll keep that part for tomorrow morning. I just…Buffy, I acted like a jerk towards Darla and you. And you both are suffering because of that. I could apologize endlessly but unfortunately it won’t change anything. But it’s not too late to make things right. I hurt Darla and I hurt you. I hope you can forgive me.”
She looked him in the eyes. “I was there. I kissed you back. I’m responsible too. I know exactly what I was doing.”
Despite himself, he caressed her cheek with his knuckles. When he was in front of her, all the good resolutions he had made were melting like ice in the sun.
“Alright. We are both responsible. So Darla is the victim in this story. I don’t want to hurt her like that again.”
It was almost a plea. Help me fight this, Buffy. Whatever is going on between us, we have to fight it.
“I understand,” she said simply, not really committing herself. She hadn’t said her last word yet.
“You should go to bed,” he advised her gently. She nodded and he led her to the guest room. She slipped between the cover and he sat down beside her.
“Will you stay with me? Just for a while?” she pleaded, knowing well she shouldn’t ask him that, mostly because he couldn’t refuse. For a brief instant she saw him hesitate, but he finally gave in. He lay down beside her, although he stayed on top of the covers. Buffy spooned herself against his body, and he wrapped his arm around her.
Her breathing became regular, and he thought she was asleep when she spoke.
“You know what was hurting the most?” she whispered.“What, pet?”
“The way people were looking at the pictures. At me. Like it was something gross and disgusting. I don’t know what’s going on between us Spike, but I know it’s neither gross or disgusting.” There was a pause and she asked in a less firm voice, “It’s not gross, right?”
“Of course it’s not, baby,” he said, the term of endearment slipping before he could help it.
She let out a sigh, of content or fatigue he couldn’t tell. But a few minutes later she was asleep.§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
Spike listened to her slow breathing but didn’t move. She had been asleep for more than one hour now. But he was still holding her, ignoring the little voice in his head telling him to safely go back to his own room.
It was wrong. He knew it. This was going too far beyond the ‘comforting between stepsiblings’. This was wrong in so many ways, he didn’t even want to start counting them. All those feelings he had repressed so far…he had almost succeeded in forgetting about them. But now they were back with a fiery vengeance, and whatever means he tried to bury them back were useless. They only seemed to grow stronger with each passing day. And he could tell himself that he loved Darla and was engaged to her, that Buffy was his stepsister and that Rupert would have his head the minute he heard about it…It didn’t change the fact that right now, holding her in his arms was the best, most peaceful moment he had had in months. He had never felt this with Darla.
He had been attracted to the young actress immediately. She was beautiful, of course, but she was also nice and not pretentious at all – a rare thing amongst the actresses he knew. She seemed to be in a perpetual good mood. He had learned afterwards that it was a smokescreen to hide how bad she was feeling after a very painful experience. And he had admired her for that. So they had gone out for a few months, and they were getting along so well it had seemed natural to take the next step and ask her to marry him.
Spike had dated a lot of girls before Darla. Being very good-looking and a popular actor, he never had any trouble finding one. But Darla had been the first one he had fallen in love with. She was different. He remembered thinking at that time she reminded him of Buffy.
He froze as an insidious thought crept up in his mind.
Had he fallen in love with Darla because of that? Because in some ways she was like Buffy?
No! A voice in his mind shouted. Of course not. He loved Darla for who she was. Not because she had some vague resemblance to Buffy…not at all.
Right, keep telling yourself that, stupid wanker, another voice whispered. The voice he didn’t like to hear because it was generally telling the truth, a truth he didn’t want to deal with. What’s better then, being a wanker or a coward? he asked himself ironically. But people would get hurt, starting with Darla and Buffy. If he still had doubts about his feelings, he knew all too well how Buffy was feeling towards him. He had read it in her eyes. He just hoped it was not the reflection of his own.
Tomorrow, he decided. Tomorrow we’ll talk and I’ll try to explain why this can’t be. I have to convince her.
If only he could convince himself as well.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
When Buffy woke up, she was alone. It was day outside, but the clock told her it was still early.
She found Spike in the kitchen, reading a transcript. She didn’t offer to rehearse with him, though.
“Hey,” she greeted softly.
He raised his head and smiled. “Hey. Had a good sleep?”
She nodded, studying his worn out face. “Looks like that was not your case. You up since when?”
He shrugged. “Dunno…an hour, maybe.”
“Thank you for…for last night,” she said.
“You can thank me by preparing some coffee,” he said, smiling. “I could use a cup now.”
“Sure,” she said, glad to be of some help. She started the coffee machine and put some bread, jams and cereals on the table. When the coffee was done, she poured two mugs and handed one to him.
“Thanks,” he said, closing the script and putting it aside.She smiled and sat in front of him. “You’re welcome. That’s what sisters are for.”
He took a sip before putting the mug on the table, his eyes never leaving her face. “You’re not my sister,” he said quietly.
She shook her head, her heart suddenly racing. “No, I’m not.”
She felt a new flood of tears coming but didn’t let them spill. Hearing that phrase –you’re not my sister – although it could have sounded mean and insensitive, was in fact the most wonderful thing she had heard in her life. It was finally the recognition that he wasn’t looking at her that way anymore.
He took her hand in his and entwined their fingers.
“Buffy…we can’t.”
She focused her gaze on their joined hands, still struggling against the tears. Deep down she knew he was going to say that. It didn’t make it less hurtful though.
“I didn’t sleep last night because I thought about us…and about all the reasons why this ‘us’ can’t exist.”
Her stomach made a painful twist and her hand tightened on his. “Darla,” she whispered.
Guiltily, Spike realized he hadn’t thought about his fiancée as the main reason. But she should be. “Yes, Darla. I asked her to marry me…and I will.”
Why don’t you break up with her? The little mean and selfish part of Buffy’s personality screamed. She could never say that out loud.
Like he had read her mind, Spike said, “I can’t break up with her. First, I don’t want to. And second…not a lot of people know that, but two years ago, Darla was engaged to another guy. He dumped her one week before the wedding.”
Buffy winced. “That must have been awful for her.”
“She was devastated. She agreed to marry me because she trusts me, Buffy. Can you imagine her reaction when she saw the pictures yesterday? And still she forgave me. So there’s no way I’ll hurt her like that again. Breaking up with her is out of the question.”
In Buffy’s mind, it was still unclear if he didn’t want to leave Darla because he loved her, or because he didn’t want to hurt her. But she wasn’t ready to deal with the possible answer, so she didn’t ask. She just said,” Darla’s not the only reason, right?”
He saw the pain and struggle on her face and cursed softly. Why did this have to happen? Why had things changed, inducing feelings that were only creating a soddin’ mess?
“Tell me,” she said finally in a damped voice. “I need to hear it.”
“I don’t want to, but I bloody well need to hear it too,” he muttered, pinching his nose in a way that reminded her of her father. “You know I don’t really give a damn about what other people think. But there are situations where you can’t just ignore it. You experienced it yourself first-hand yesterday. The way people reacted…In Sunnydale, most people know us as stepsiblings. But some of them actually consider us like brother and sister. They considered us like that for 13 years. You saw yesterday how they would react to any…closeness between us.”
“Gross and disgusting,” she repeated sadly.
“It’s not,” he said firmly. “But Sunnydale is a small town, and some things will never be accepted. If we were to be together, we could never stay there. You would have to leave your job, your house, your friends…and I don’t even want to think what impact it would have on your dad. How he would face the situation.”
She could have told him that she didn’t care as long as they were together, but she knew it wasn’t true. She could never throw her life away like that, and she loved her father too much to inflict that on him.
“Also,” he continued, “I didn’t tell you yesterday, but I had some reactions at work too. The people who don’t know you now think I’m a cheating bastard…and the others all think you’re my sister. You can imagine what they think. What I did…was very bad advertising for the show. To say Joss was furious is an understatement.
“And here I thought I had been the only one having a bad day. I’m sorry.” She had been selfish and had thought only about her problems, without thinking it could have dire consequences on his life too.
He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it sweetly. She watched him, not hiding the deep love she felt anymore. She smiled tentatively. “Well, that’s a lot of points in the negative column. Anything in the positive one?”
He closed his eyes for a moment, still holding her hand against his face. When he opened them, he said softly, “I love you.”
He put everything he had in him in that sentence, realizing also with terror that it was probably the first time he really meant it. That this was the kind of love you only met once in your life.
Buffy let the tears finally run free down her cheeks. “I love you too,” she managed to say, feeling so relieved to be able to say those words to him, even if at the same time it sounded awfully like goodbye. She got up. “I’d better get dressed,” she said, and he let go of her hand reluctantly. She smiled sadly at him.
She came back a few minutes later, ready to leave.
“Will you be ok?” he asked, concern written all over his face. “If you don’t feel ready to drive all the way back, you can stay a little longer.”
She shook her head. “No. I’ll be fine. And it probably wouldn’t be very wise to stay together right now.”
He knew she was right and that he had to be strong too. He was the one engaged to someone else. He was the one who had come up with all the ‘good reasons why not’. Still a part of him was frantically searching for a reason to make her stay.
Instead, he opened the door.
“Be careful, ok? If Finn is giving you any trouble, call me immediately.”
She nodded. “Don’t worry.”
She was about to go but suddenly he slammed the door and took her in his arms. Instinctively she put her arms around his neck and they held tightly to each other. They didn’t talk, they didn’t need to. Their bodies communicated well enough.
Spike drew deep down his strongest will to find the courage to let her go. He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead and they stayed like that a few more moments. She finally tore herself from him and ran to her car.He didn’t watch her leave.
Chapter 6Willow pondered for one minute if it was still necessary to do research on Riley. Considering what had happened – or was still happening – between Buffy and Spike, she doubted her friend would pursue her relationship with Prince Boring. She had tried to call Buffy earlier to see how things had gone between Riley and her after the publication of the article, but nobody had answered.
She had nothing else to do anyway for now. At 4 pm she was supposed to go pick up her wedding dress. Until then she was free, so she might as well check it out. The information could still be useful someday…that is, if she found something. Riley could be as innocent as a newborn lamb after all.
The difficult thing was to find a good excuse as to why she called. And there was also the risk that those people were still in touch with Riley. If he happened to find out she was investigating behind his back…
She had to do this for Buffy. There was definitely something about that guy that was disturbing her. She dialed the number to his former university in Iowa.
“University of Northern Iowa, how may I help you?”
“Hi, my name is Wi…Winifred Jenkins. I’m calling from California. I’m a…friend of Riley Finn, and I was looking to get in touch with some of his former friends for a birthday party we are organizing here…” she said, wincing at the lameness of her excuse. She didn’t sound convincing at all.
There was a silence on the other side of the line before the woman said,” Miss Jenkins…I don’t think that any of Mr. Finn’s previous classmates want anything to do with him anymore.”
“What? Why is that?”
“I’m sorry, I’m not allowed to discuss that kind of thing. But…I suggest you stay away from Riley Finn, Miss Jenkins. He’s a dangerous man. Have a good day.”
“Wait! Don’t hang up!” Willow heard the woman was still on the phone. “Ok, then I’ll be honest. There’s no birthday party. I just wanted some information on Riley Finn cause he’s dating my best friend and I…for some reason I don’t like him. So please if there’s anything, just tell me. It’s important.”
The other woman sighed and lowered her voice. “I can’t talk with you about that here, and I don’t know everything. If you want more information…you’ll have to call the Mc Lay’s. Hold on. I’ll give you their number.”Willow wrote it down. “Thank you, Mrs…”
“You never heard anything from me. Bye, Miss Jenkins.”
“Bye…” she said, but the woman had already hung up.
Willow replaced the receiver slowly. She didn’t know what she had expected, but not that. Maybe to hear about some stupid things he had done, a wild youth or whatever. But not that blunt declaration ‘He’s a dangerous man’. That simple sentence, given with no explanation, scared the hell out of her.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
“Willow, hey. What…isn’t that your wedding dress?”Willow walked into Buffy’s house and put the dress on the banister. “Yes, I came directly from the store.”
“Ooh, can I see it?”
“No. It’s bad luck. Believe me, you don’t need that at the moment.”
“It’s bad luck only if the future husband sees it. Wait…you have ‘Very Worried Willow’ face. Why?”
“I called Riley’s former university.”
“You did? Why?” Buffy asked, confused.
Willow suddenly remembered that it was Spike who had asked her to investigate, and that Buffy didn’t know about it. “Uh, remember our conversation, the other day? I know you didn’t want me to check on his past, but…I talked to Spike about it and he asked me to do it. Now before you get angry, let me add that I was right to do it.”
“I’m not angry. I know you are just concerned about me, and Spike…well, let’s not go there for the moment. But it’s ok. Riley was furious when he discovered the pictures, and he broke things up between us.” She frowned. “Or I think he did. It was not very clear. Anyway, It’s over. I can’t go out with him anymore after…after what happened.”
“I’m glad to hear this – and by the way you still have to clarify what happened exactly, missy. But that’s not my point. I called his university and the woman there became very cold when I mentioned Riley’s name…she said he was a dangerous man, Buffy.”
Buffy was tempted to laugh, but she changed her mind when she saw real concern on Willow’s face. Her friend was taking this very seriously. “That’s all she said? That he was a dangerous man?”
“It’s not so much what she said, but more the way she said it…and she gave me this phone number.” She handed the paper with the McLay’s phone number to Buffy who took it.
“What is it?”
“She told me to call these people if I wanted to have more information on Riley.”
“Oh God…Willow…what should I do?”
“Uh…Call them?”
Buffy took a deep breath. “I’m not sure I want to hear what they have to say.”
“Did anything happen when Riley saw the magazine? Did he become…violent?”
“Well he…he slapped me in the face.” Instinctively she brought her hand to her cheek, where Willow noticed a fading bruise.
“Oh my God! I didn’t even see…Did you go to the police?”
Buffy looked embarrassed. “Not exactly. I went to Los Angeles…to Spike.”
“Oh…Oh! That’s why I couldn’t reach you. You spent the night there?”
Buffy nodded. The memory of what had occurred between her and Spike was making her both ecstatic and miserable. She sat down on the couch and Willow sat next to her. “You want to talk about it?” asked the redhead softly.
Buffy sighed. “I’ve been in love with Spike for several years now. I never told anyone because…because I thought it would pass, and that there was no chance for him to see me as something else than his sister. But lately…something changed. The way he would look at me…until we kissed on the back porch. Right in front of that paparazzi.”
“And when you went to LA…?”
Buffy smiled sadly. “He was very nice. He told me he loved me. But that he would still marry Darla. And that’s the end of it.”
Willow put her arm around her friend’s shoulders. “Oh, Buffy, I’m so sorry….”
“I try to convince myself it’s the best decision…but I can’t! It just doesn’t make sense…if we love each other we should be together, right? I know he gave me a lot of good reasons as to why it wouldn’t work but still…I’m not sure I can accept it so easily. I love him so much, Willow,” she said, letting tears run free down her cheeks. She hadn’t cried since she had gotten back from LA, but now, in her best friend’s arms, she needed to let it out.
Willow rocked her gently, profoundly unhappy to see Buffy so miserable. How could she have been so blind and not seen or guessed Buffy’s feelings for Spike? What kind of best friend was she?? “I’m sorry,” she said. “I wish you would have told me earlier…you kept all this for yourself for years, and that’s not good. What did Spike tell you?”
Buffy dried her tears and reported her conversation of the previous morning to Willow.
“Yes…I can understand his motives,” Willow said. “This…the two of you…would lead to a very complicate situation. And there’s Darla…and your Dad…ok, I guess you don’t need to be reminded again, sorry.”
Buffy shrugged. “It’s ok. I just need to get over this…the next ten years should do it,” she added with a half smile, before asking “You’re not grossed out by it, right?”
“By what?”
“Spike and me…together. Because that was most people’s reaction,” she said in a bitter tone.
“Of course not! You’re both my best friends! I would love to see you happy together. There’s nothing gross about that.”
“Thank you,” Buffy said, hugging her best friend. Then Willow pointed to the paper.
“So…Will you call?”
Buffy looked at it for a moment before saying,” No. I won’t. Things are over with Riley, and I don’t think it would be correct to get all nosy about his past…it’s not really my business anymore.”
Willow looked concerned. “But the woman said he was dangerous.”
“Well, maybe Riley did something violent, or stupid, and thus she thinks he’s dangerous. But I mean, if he truly was, and if he had done something serious, he would have been arrested, right? Or there would have been charges against him. I doubt the university here would have hired him if he had a criminal past, right?”
“Maybe,” Willow said, but she was not totally convinced. “Do as you like. I understand if you don’t want to have anything to do with him anymore. But I think you should tell Spike.”
“Ooooh, absolutely not! The last thing I need is Spike investigating Riley. He would probably take a plane to Iowa or something. I don’t want to worry him with that. Not that there’s anything to worry about anyway.”
“Ok, but remember Spike asked me to do this in the first place. If he asks me if I found something, I won’t lie to him, you know that.”
“I’m not asking you to. Just…don’t mention it deliberately, ok?”
Willow sighed. “Ok. But I don’t like that. So I hope he’ll ask me,” she said with a defying stare.
Buffy laughed. “Don’t worry Will. And don’t you have much more important things to think about? Like your wedding?”
At the reminder, an excited smile appeared on Willow’s face. Nothing better than bringing up her upcoming wedding to change the subject.
While listening to Willow’s babble, she put the small paper in a drawer. Maybe she would change her mind and call. But she doubted it.
It was better to keep Riley definitely out of her life.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
Darla put her cell phone in her bag with a sigh. Spike was not at home and there was no answer on his cell. Sure they weren’t supposed to see each other tonight, but her plans had been cancelled at the last minute, and she had hoped they could spend some time together. She had come to a small bar near his apartment, but he wasn’t there. So she had sat down and ordered a drink.
He was probably out with some friends. The thought that he could have gone to see Buffy in Sunnydale crossed her mind, but she put it away. He had to work early tomorrow so she doubted he would drive 4 hours just to share a quick moment with Buffy. She had to trust him. She knew he loved her. After all, he had asked her to marry him.
She wasn’t sure now if he had asked her for the right reasons though. And considering what had happened lately…
Strangely, that was not the most disturbing thing. When she had seen the pictures and Spike’s apparent confused feelings – he was doing his best to hide them, but she was not stupid – she should have been…horribly sad, or even devastated. It was a rather humiliating experience.
Only she hadn’t felt that at all.
It hadn’t pleased her, of course. It had even hurt her. But she had expected more pain or heartbreak, and it never came.
She had been thrilled when he had proposed to her. She loved him, and they were getting along so well…for the first time, she was having doubts about marrying Spike.
“Hey Darla. You’re on your own?”
The young actress raised her head and met a brown gaze she knew well. “Hi David,” she greeted Spike’s cast mate. “Yes, I’m alone tonight it seems.”
He smiled. “That makes two of us then. Mind if I join you?”
“I’d love to.”
He sat down next to her and ordered two drinks.
“Where’s Spike?” he asked.
“I wish I knew. Probably somewhere with some friends,” she shrugged casually, trying not to sound too concerned about it.
David frowned. He knew Darla better than that. “I see. So, how about you? How are you doing?”
She was grateful he didn’t insist on the subject of her fiancé, but it didn’t really surprise her. David was the sweetest guy she had ever met. When she had gotten that small role in the show, they had had a great time together. But he had never asked her out, and then Spike and her had gotten serious, so…Each time she met him she wondered why he was still single. He was so gorgeous and sweet. Surely he was the perfect boyfriend. The kind that would not cheat on his fiancée.
Banishing the thought, she concentrated on him. “I’m fine. It’s been what? 2, 3 days. People have moved on to the next scandal already. Spike and I talked and we’re good.”
David nodded. “I’m glad. I don’t like to see you miserable.”
“Don’t worry, I’m ok. Let’s talk about you. Is it true that you’re going to get your own show?”
While he was talking, she was looking at him in the eyes. She realized that David hadn’t looked at her with pity, like other people had done. In his eyes, she only read friendship and compassion.
And right at that moment, something else that made her heart beat a little faster.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
After Willow left, Buffy went to take a shower before starting to prepare dinner and eat it in front of the TV. It was Wednesday, Smallville was on and Tom Welling was too cute for words.
She walked into the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks. “Oh God, Spike! You scared the hell out of me!”
“Sorry, love.”
He was standing near the kitchen island, drinking orange juice. He put his glass in the sink and came closer.
“I should have given you a ring. I heard the shower and waited for you here.”
She waved her hand. “It’s ok. I wasn’t expecting you, that’s all. And you don’t have to ring. It’s your house too.”
He smiled and put a lock of hair behind her ear. She shivered at his touch and didn’t conceal it. “What are you doing here?”
His fingers were now caressing her cheek. “I just wanted to check if you were ok.”
She laughed slightly. “You drove 4 hours from LA to see if I was ok? Did you ever hear about that great invention called the telephone? Much faster and less expensive,” she joked, though her heart was swelling from the thought that he had come all the way to Sunnydale just to see her.
“I needed to see it for myself.” He watched her more closely and frowned. “Were you crying?”
“Oh…yes. But I’m fine. I just had a girl talk with Willow this afternoon. No biggie.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
He sighed, opened his mouth but she interrupted him. “Please don’t say you’re sorry. Please.”
“I won’t. And I’m not. That’s the problem.” He was still caressing her face. “I didn’t tell Darla I was coming here. And I cowardly left my cell at home. If she asks me anything, I’ll probably lie to her. And a part of me hates this situation and myself. But the other part doesn’t give a damn. Because when I’m with you, nothing else matters. Nobody else matters,” he finished softly.
“Oh, Spike…”
He took her face in his hands. “I tried to stay away but I can’t. I know it’s not fair to you, I just can’t help it. I had to see you, hold you, kiss you…” And suiting his action to his word, he covered her mouth with his.
Buffy moaned, holding tightly to him. She knew as well as him that it wasn’t wise to start this. But no powers in this world could pull her away from him. She pressed herself against him, eliciting a groan. His mouth left hers and wandered along her jaw and neck.
“I love you,” she whispered fervently, invaded by a maelstrom of emotions that were making her dizzy.
He tore himself from her but didn’t let her go. They were both panting heavily.
Spike looked at her flushed face, her sparkling eyes. He smiled. “You’re beautiful.”She blushed. “Thank you,” she said, unable to think of a cleverer thing to say. She felt like her brain was a pile of mush. So was the rest of her body.
He kissed her softly once more. “I have to go back to L.A. I’ll call you tomorrow, ok?”
She nodded, enjoying his presence for just another few second, breathing in his scent.
And then he was gone.
Her swollen lips and shaky legs the only proof that the entire scene hadn’t been a dream. Even if it had felt like one.
The kind with a very rude awakening.
Chapter 7
“Hey bleached wonder! You’re not dancing?”Spike raised his head and smiled at Xander. “I just did, with your aunt Edna. But she kept grabbing my ass so I pretended my feet hurt.”
“You must be indulgent with her…she’s been a widow for 15 years…she grabs every chance she gets, if you let her.”
Xander sat down next to Spike and took his glass. “Must be a change for you from the fancy Hollywood parties, huh?”
“Believe me, I wouldn’t trade my place here for ten Hollywood parties. They are boring and full of uninteresting people. But they are a necessary evil in the business, I guess.”
Spike’s attention was suddenly attracted by a clear laugh. Buffy was dancing a few feet away with Willow’s father. Her long blonde hair was cascading down her back and she was wearing a long deep blue satin gown with straps. Xander followed his gaze and put his hand on Spike’s shoulder. “Spike, buddy…you’re my best friend. But so is Buffy. If you hurt her, I’ll have to rip your throat out.”
“Don’t worry Xand, I’ll do it myself if it happens.”
And I should, he thought bitterly, because he knew he had hurt her already. And although he was doing his best to avoid any further involvement and complications, there was a force he couldn’t control that was always pushing him back to her. He had spent more time with Darla, and as a result he felt guilty, both towards Darla and Buffy. And to make matters worse, when he kissed Darla, he felt like he was cheating on Buffy, and not the other way around as it should be.
The situation was slowly but surely becoming inextricable.
He couldn’t break up with Darla. But could he marry her while being madly in love with another woman? That would be highly unfair for the young actress. No, he had to talk to her…she was in Canada for two weeks, but when she got back he would talk to her.
Of course there was also the issue of Rupert’s reaction, as well as the fact that he had lie to thousands of people by pretending the pictures of Buffy and him were false…
He pinched his nose, feeling a headache coming on. Buffy had stopped dancing and was chatting with another bridesmaid. God, he needed to touch her, to feel her soft skin under his hands, her hot mouth under his lips…
He got up and went to invite Willow to dance.
“You look beautiful, Red,” he told her with a tender smile while taking her to the dance floor. To think she was barely 9 when he had met her…it felt weird to see her in her wedding dress. But he was sincere, she looked amazing.
She blushed. “Thank you. You look great too. I don’t often see you in a tux…except on E! at those premiere parties,” she added jokingly.
“He’d better make you happy,” Spike said, gesturing to Xander, “Or I’ll come kick his ass.”
Willow giggled. “Don’t worry. I’ll do it myself if he doesn’t treat me right! But he’s great. And I’m tremendously happy.” Her face became serious. “You, on the other hand…”
He sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s…things are getting a little bit out of control.”
“So I noticed. Spike, please…try to control them before she gets hurt too bad.”
He closed his eyes for a second. “Willow, do you think I want to hurt her? It tears my heart out every time I see her. I’m trying to find a bloody solution, but whatever option I choose, it won’t be pretty. Someone will get hurt. That’s inevitable. I don’t give a damn about me, but Buffy and Darla…they don’t deserve the shit I put them through. Sorry about my language, pet.”
She smiled. “It’s ok. I know you love Buffy, and that you care a lot about Darla. I also know it’s a complicated situation. But you’ll have to make a choice.” She rolled her eyes. “Ugh, could I sound any more patronizing? And I guess this is all a big duh! To you…what I just said.”
He kissed her. “Thank you, Willow,” he simply said.
The song came to an end.
“You should ask Buffy to dance,” Willow suggested. “You haven’t asked her yet.”
“I didn’t want to put her under any scrutinizing gazes.”
“Well it will be weird if you avoid each other all night. And I think Buffy can handle some stares. Go ask her to dance.”
“I will. And I know I just said it, but thank you. If there’s anything I can do…”
“Spike, stop it. Buffy and you are my friends. I want to see you happy. And at the moment you are not, so neither am I. I mean, I’m happy because this is my wedding day and the most wonderful day of my life, but I’m not happy to see my friends unhappy.” She smiled wickedly. “Now, if you really want to do something to thank me…did you by any chance ever meet that cute guitarist from Dingoes Ate My Baby?”
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
When Spike took Buffy’s hand and led her on the dance floor, they attracted a lot of stares.Mostly curious or envious ones, because they made such a beautiful couple. And also because as much as they wanted to hide it, the love they had for each other was radiating from their eyes. And it was definitely not the platonic kind. You could almost see the electricity crackling above their heads.
Buffy repressed a sob when she slipped into Spike’s arm. He had arrived early this morning and they had barely had the time to talk during the day. She had been busy with her bridesmaid duties, and she suspected that Spike had stayed away to spare her the same curious looks they were receiving now.
But now she needed to be near him, to touch him. And she didn’t care if people were looking at them.
She pressed herself against his body and felt the evidence of his desire for her. He raised an eyebrow and she blushed. The pressure of his hand on her back tightened slightly and he felt a shiver running down her spine. She raised her face to look at him while he lowered his. Their lips were mere inches from each other.
She fixed her eyes on his. “If I don’t kiss you now, I’ll die,” she whispered.
They were both breathing rapidly. For one crazy moment he was tempted to kiss her there, in front of everyone. And that would probably be the safest option for them both. Because if they escaped and found themselves alone in a room…“Let’s get the hell out of here.”
At the end of the dance, she left first. The wedding was taking place at Xander’s uncle’s house, and the wedding party was hosted outside.
Spike waited a few minutes before sneaking off discreetly.
He found her upstairs, in the dark hallway. He took her hand and opened the door to what seemed to be a little salon.
The door was barely closed when she literally jumped on him. He took her mouth in a kiss so hungry, a moan rose from her throat. His hands were everywhere, cupping her bottom through the satin of her dress, pressing her against that part of him that throbbed between them.
She arched her head back, giving access to his devouring lips. “Oh Spike…Oh God, yes…”
Locked passionately together, they kissed each other with a feverish intensity for several long moments, all the love repressed deep inside them only deepening their need for close contact.
His hand fumbled with her long skirt, raising it, finding their way to the soft velvet of her thighs. He knew he had reached his goal when he heard her gasp in pleasure.
“Buffy….” He whispered against her skin in a raspy voice. “I need you so much…”
“I’m all yours, Spike…all yours.”
Locking her gaze with his, she slipped her hand between them to unzip his pants and when she touched him, he growled against her throat, sending delicious shivers through her whole body.
Buffy had often imagined her first time with Spike, and it had always included a nice comfy bed, candles, soft music and lots of foreplay. Not this primitive, passionate coupling against the wall of a stranger’s house.
But now she wouldn’t have it any other way.
She wrapped her legs around him and guided him to her entrance. He buried himself in her softness, reaching deep. “You’re so hot,” he breathed, and when he saw her eyes widen and her mouth open he captured her cry with his mouth.
Once again they gazed at each other, stunned by the pleasure that was already engulfing them. Then Spike moved, thrusting deeply, urgently into her again and again. Buffy was lost in bliss, meeting every thrust, soft moans of ecstasy coming from deep in her throat every time his shaft drove into her.
He suddenly felt her inner walls tighten around him before waves of exquisite pleasure exploded through her body. He found his release a few seconds after her.
Still holding her, he laid her down on the nearby couch, not breaking their embrace. Savoring the aftermaths of her orgasm, Buffy welcomed the warm, heavy weight of Spike’s body, his mouth now gently nuzzling her neck and collarbone. She enjoyed it, knowing that at that moment he was totally hers.
He raised his head. “Are you ok?”
She smiled – the smile of a very satisfied woman. “Never been better,” she replied huskily.
Spike waited for the first wave of guilt to crash, but it never did. He had never felt so happy in his entire life. Once again his mouth found hers, now taking the time to kiss her slowly. He just couldn’t get enough of it.
“We should go back,” she finally said, caressing his cheek. She knew they needed to have a conversation. Most of all, she needed to know where they were going from here. But she didn’t want to bring that up now, and certainly not throw the name of Darla into their unexpected intimacy.
He got up reluctantly, adjusting himself, before helping her find her panties – he had ripped them out during their quick and intense lovemaking.
“If Willow knew what I just did at her wedding party, she would have my head.”
“And if Xander finds out, he’ll have my head. At least we’ll die together.”
“That’s really romantic,” she chuckled, before smoothing her dress with her hands and checking her hair. “Ok. I’m ready.”
“You go back first. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
“Do you really think people didn’t notice our absence?”
He shrugged. “Most of them are probably sloshed or busy with their own hunnies…does it really matter?”
She smiled and prepared to leave but he held her back, placing a last tender kiss on her mouth.
And he didn’t want to say it, not as long as things were not clear and certain, but he couldn’t help himself.
“I love you.”
He whole face brightened. “I love you too.”
“Now go.”
He opened the door and checked the corridor before ushering her out and closing the door behind her. He leaned against it and closed his eyes, waiting for his heartbeat to regain a steady rhythm.
They had crossed the line. There was no way back now. And it had never felt so good.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
Hidden behind the corner in the corridor, Riley watched Buffy leave the room. He knew Spike was still inside, and the noise he had heard a few minutes ago were a pretty clear giveaway to what had occurred in it.That filthy whore. He wouldn’t let her humiliate him like that. He had warned her, but she wouldn’t listen.
Just like Tara.
And like Tara, she would pay.
Silently, he made his way out before anyone could see him.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
Spike followed Buffy silently inside their house, locking the front door behind them.They had been the last to leave, staying with Xander and Willow the rest of the night. And the newlyweds were apparently oblivious to what had happened between their best friends. Then again, they had been oblivious to everything except themselves.
Buffy climbed the first two steps of the stairs before turning back to him. She didn’t have anything to lose after all.
“Can I sleep with you?” she whispered. She wasn’t pleading. It was just the request of a woman who didn’t want to be separated from the man she loved and with whom she had just shared intense moments for the first time.
Spike smiled. How could he refuse her? He was as helpless as she was. And he was already lost in the green depths of her eyes.
He switched off the lights, took her hand and led the way.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
Bath, England
“Oh, Rupert, look. They have some American magazines there.”
Jenny pulled Giles to a newsstand nearby. “It’s mostly tabloids, honey.”
She shrugged. “Yeah, well, I want some news from home, even if it’s trashy gossip.”
He smiled. “You can have news from home by watching CNN, dear.”
She gave him a glare before heading to the newsstand to make her choice.
Chuckling, Giles followed her and waited patiently.Then he heard her squeal.
Chapter 8
Spike woke up slowly, wrapped around a soft and hot body. He smiled when he remembered who the owner of that body was.Buffy. His girl.
Well, not yet. Soon, he hoped, after resolving some complicated situations. But he didn’t want to think about that now. Better concentrate on how tasty her skin was, just right there under her ear, and how he liked to see her wake up under his tender ministrations and hear her moan.
The phone rang.
“Just leave it,” Buffy said, her voice muffled by the pillow. But Spike took the phone, and immediately wished he hadn’t.
“William! What the bloody hell is going on?”
All naughty thoughts forgotten, he sat up straight, releasing Buffy rather brutally.
“Hey! What…” she protested vehemently but was cut by Spike’s hand on her mouth.
“Good morning, Rupert,” Spike said, emphasizing the name, and Buffy’s eyes grew wide.
“It’s evening here, and it’s not good at all! How come you and Buffy are on the cover of one of those awful tabloids? And…kissing!”
Spike took a deep breath. “I…Listen, Rupert, I don’t think it’s a good idea to talk about this on the phone. But…you don’t have to worry, alright? Everything is fine now.”
“It doesn’t seem fine to me, young man. What on earth possessed you and Buffy…You are like siblings, for God’s sake! What happened? Everything was normal when I left!”
“Everything is still normal. Buffy and I, we…” He looked at her. She gave him a sweet smile and a nod. “We love each other. In a non-sibling kind of way. Believe me, it was a surprise for us too. It happened very fast, and…I think we should discuss this calmly when you get back.”
He heard Buffy’s father sigh. “William, you know I love you like a son. And I trust you. But last time I checked, you were engaged to another woman. We can talk when I come back, but please, I don’t want one anyone to get hurt. Be very careful. Am I making myself clear?”
“Crystal, Rupert. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her. You know that.”
“Yes, I know. Nevertheless, you should have called and warned us.”
“We didn’t want to explain it over the phone. We hoped you wouldn’t find out until you got back.”
“Well, we’ll be back in about ten days. In the meantime, try to behave and for the Lord’s sake stay away from paparazzi!” There was a silence before he added,” I’m sorry your mum isn’t around to hear this. It was her dream.”
Spike’s heart jumped in his throat. “What?”
“She had hoped that you and Buffy would someday fall in love and maybe get married. We never said anything because we didn’t want to influence your judgements…She sure has a big smile on her face right now.”
Spike swallowed and struggled against the tears that were threatening to spill.
“Is Buffy around?” Giles asked.
“Yeah, she’s just…I mean, I’ll go see if she’s awake,” he corrected himself in time, waiting a few seconds before handing the phone to Buffy.
“Hey Daddy. I’m so glad to hear from you. Yes, everything is fine, don’t worry.”
Spike half listened to her conversation while lying back on the bed.
“…Ok, we’ll see you in ten days, then. Kiss Jenny for us, will you? Yeah, I love you too. Bye.”
She put the phone back on the nightstand and looked at Spike. “I think it went rather well, right?”
“Sure it did. Considering it almost gave me a bloody heart attack.”
She chuckled. “Well, you handled it perfectly. And he didn’t seem negative, right?”
He picked up on the insecurity in her voice and caressed her cheek. “No, he didn’t, pet. Do you know what he told me?”
“What?”
“He said mum had always wanted for us to fall in love. It was her dream.”
“Really?”
He saw tears welling up in her eyes and took her hand. “Don’t cry, baby, please. I’ll cry too if you start, I swear.”
She hastily wiped her cheek. “Alright. But I’m so happy to hear this. It makes it really worth fighting for.”
He kissed the palm of her hand. “It makes it even more precious,” he said sweetly.
Her eyes caught the alarm clock. “It’s only 10 am. We’ve been sleeping for only five hours. No wonder I feel so beat.”
“So what are you waiting for? Come back here,” he said firmly, reaching out to her. She laid back happily beside him, resting her head on his shoulder, her arm on his chest.
“Do we have anything planned for today?” she asked.
“No. I have to pick up Red and Xander at 4 pm to drive them to the airport in L.A before going home.”
“Can we stay like this until 4, then?”
He smiled and kissed her hair. “Yes, we can.”
She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes. Spike lazily caressed her arm, pondering about the two of them. Last night, their brief moment had been all about passion, and now he was perfectly happy to just hold her and enjoy the quietness. Although, if she kept rubbing her thighs against his like that…He groaned and she laughed. “You little witch,” he said, finding her mouth and kissing her until she was breathless.
His hand ran from her breast down to her stomach, then lower. She spread her legs to give him better access, and within a few moments his expert fingers had her convulsing beneath him while gasps of intense pleasure were escaping from her throat. Once she had recovered, he took his time, positioning himself above her and slid into her in one fluid motion. He murmured sweet words of love while thrusting lazily in and out of her, loving the way her body responded to his. It was like they had been made exactly for each other.
Buffy held on tightly to him, feeling ecstasy building within her, until it exploded into a myriad of sensations. She felt Spike pause for a second before spasms took over his body.
He stayed inside her for a few more moments, kissing her hungrily. Buffy enjoyed every second, knowing that in a few hours he would have to leave. Waking up in his arms had been like Heaven, especially now that she knew he felt the same way about her.
She would just have to be patient, hoping that someday all her mornings would be like this one.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
“Good Morning. This is your wake-up call. It’s 8.30.”
Darla put the receiver back before getting back under the covers. Immediately, a strong arm came encircled her waist. She smiled.
She shouldn’t be smiling. She should have felt guilty, or bad. But she just couldn’t help but smile.
She had finished the shooting early, the day before, so she had gone back to her hotel situated in the centre of Toronto. She hadn’t felt depressed, just a little bit lonely. She could have called Spike. Only, when she had thought about calling someone, it wasn’t his name that came to mind.
It was David’s.
Since their impromptu meeting a few days ago, they had called each other more often. To talk, like friends. But she wasn’t a fool, and she knew he didn’t see her like a friend at all.
And when she had opened her hotel room’s door yesterday evening and found him standing there, she had understood it was the same for her.
“You came?” she had asked incredulously.
“After hanging up with you I went to the airport. There was a plane for Toronto leaving in the next thirty minutes. I was just lucky.”
She had laughed, tremendously happy to see him there. It had cheered her up to talk to him on the phone, but she had never expected to see him show up at her door a few hours later. That was the most incredibly romantic gesture ever.
He had walked into her hotel room and they had stayed there for a minute, looking at each other, not knowing what to say. The time to pretend they were just friends was definitely over.
“Darla…”
“Yes?”
“Please don’t use me to get revenge on Spike.”
Her eyes had grown wide. “Oh! David, no! Do you think…No, I swear it’s not that.” She had moved closer and put her hand on his cheek. “This…you and me…has nothing to do with Spike.”
Hope had flickered in his eyes. “So I was not dreaming? There is something going on between us? It’s not wishful thinking on my part?”
She had shaken her head. “I just realized it now…when I opened the door…I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else right now.”
“Darla…” He had finally taken her in his arms to kiss her senseless. And what a kiss it had been. Kissing him back fervently, Darla had realized she had been waiting for something like that for a long time. For a man like that…one that would sweep her off her feet, would put millions of butterflies in her stomach. She had chosen security by agreeing to marry Spike, thinking she loved him enough and that the friendship and the lack of passion between them would assure her that she would not get hurt again.
But that was just a boring way to live.
They had made love and then had talked some more. David had confessed he had loved her since the beginning, but hadn’t dared to make a move since she had seemed to prefer Spike. She had explained that she had chosen Spike because she liked him a lot and had thought she had no risk of suffering again. And when she had seen the pictures of Buffy and him, she had realized she wasn’t in love with him.
David was feeling guilty of course, since Spike was one of his best friends. They decided to wait for Darla to come back and talk to him. But even if he was delighted that she loved him as well, his joy was a tad diminished by the probability of losing Spike’s friendship.
Deep inside her, Darla was sure Spike would understand. Now that she was really in love herself, she recognized that look he had in his eyes, the way his voice softened when he talked about Buffy. She wondered if he had realized it himself.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
It didn’t take long for Buffy to feel Spike’s absence. He had been gone for one hour and she was wandering around the house like a lost soul.
She didn’t regret what happened, of course. But it was just more painful now, knowing her love was reciprocated and not being able to be with him. And Spike didn’t want to break up with Darla over the phone – that she understood of course – so they had to wait for her return. And even then, if they started a relationship, Spike would soon have to explain why he was in love with the very same girl he had claimed publicly to not having kissed a few weeks before. And they would have to face the looks of people they knew, people who saw them as siblings.
At least her father seemed alright with it. He was the only person whose opinion she really cared about. As for the rest, well, they would deal. If they were together, she would be ready to face anything.
She found herself standing at the threshold of his room, staring longingly at the bed they had shared just a few hours before. She sighed before rolling her eyes.
“God, Buffy, you are ridiculous. You’ll see him in a few days, everything will be fine. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.”
And with that pep talk, she went back downstairs to prepare something to eat.
She put the TV on, and closed the curtains.
She opened them back, and frowned. Riley was standing in front of her house, nearby the big tree. He didn’t seem to have any intention to show himself. He was just standing there, watching the house.
“What the hell…?”
She opened the front door and went on the porch.
But he had disappeared.
“Riley?” she called. She got no answer. That was impossible. He had been there only one minute ago. She hadn’t dreamt it, she was certain of that.
A chill suddenly ran down her spine, and she retreated back in the house, locking the door behind her.
No need to be scared, she reasoned to herself. It’s just Riley. I’ll go talk to him tomorrow.
But she didn’t dare look out the window for the rest of the night.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
“David! Wait up!”
David stopped and blanched. He had just stepped out of the plane from Toronto. Where he had spent a wonderful time with Darla.
So what where the odds he would meet Spike at the airport just at that moment ? He cursed under his breath.
Spike reached him, all smile.“Hey mate! What are you doing here?”
“Well, uh…I brought some friends. Who were leaving. By plane. Obviously,” he said, laughing nervously. “And you?”
“Same thing. My friends who got married this week-end, they were leaving for their honeymoon.”
“Oh. Great.”
“Want to grab a bite?” Spike offered.
David shivered at the prospect. “I…uh…no, thanks, I’d rather go home. Some cleaning and stuff.”
“Ok. Are you alright?” Spike frowned, noticing the paleness and obvious embarrassment of his friend.
“I’m fine. Just tired. I had to shoot Dido’s video on Friday and Saturday…I didn’t have much time to rest.”
“Oh, right. You’ll have to tell me about that. I’ll see you tomorrow on the set?”
“No, not tomorrow. No scene for me,” David answered, thanking Joss and The Powers That Be for that small respite. “I’ll be there on Tuesday.”
“Ok. See you then!”
And with a last tap on the shoulder, Spike walked away.
David sighed, relieved. This wasn’t awful like he had expected.
It was worse.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§“Hi, I’m here to see Riley Finn. Where can I find him?”
The secretary at UC Sunnydale smiled at Buffy and looked at a schedule.
“He has a break right now. You should find him in his office.”
“Thank you.”
Following the woman’s indications, Buffy found the room easily. And she was lucky since Riley was indeed there. To her surprise, he greeted her with a nice smile.
“Hello, Buffy.”
“Riley. Uh…Hi.”
“How are you?”
“I’m fine…I guess. Listen, Riley, I’m sorry about what happened. I certainly didn’t want things to finish like that.”
“Hey, don’t worry. No hard feelings on my part. Those things happened. I must admit I took it rather badly, and I’m sorry about the way I talked to you.”
Astonished, Buffy just looked at him. Who was this guy in front of her exactly? Just a few days ago he had slapped her and called her names, and now he was being all charming? Pretending it was no big deal?
God. Something was definitely wrong with that man. Which reminded her of the purpose of her visit.
“Riley, uh…don’t take this the wrong way, but…did you by any chance pass in front of my house yesterday evening…and maybe stopped for a while?”
He frowned. “Yesterday evening? No. I was home with some friends.”
“Oh…because there was someone standing in front of my house and I could have sworn it was you.”
He looked genuinely surprised. “No, it wasn’t me. I mean, why would I be there in the first place?”
“Yes, of course. I was probably wrong.”
“Well, if you see that guy again, you should maybe call the police. It could be a stalker.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that. I’m glad things are clear between us.”
He smiled. “Me too. Take care of you.”
She left, feeling totally confused. If it wasn’t Riley, then who could it be? Some psycho who had seen her picture in the tabloids and had thought it would be funny to scare her? No. It didn’t make sense.
Besides, she had good eyesight. And she was pretty damn sure she had recognized Riley’s face.
She drove back home, putting some music on. She had a feeling of uneasiness. She remembered Willow’s words of a few days before.
'The woman said he was dangerous, Buffy.'
What did she mean by dangerous?
Her eyes fell on the drawer where she had put the paper with the phone number.
Only one way to find out.