Simpsational

From Simp to Player

Chrissy

Chrissy was still waiting for the moment that this life felt like her real life again. It had been like this every fall, the intense life at Chuck's ranch giving way to the normal day to day of school and family so slowly. It was so much worse this year. She was walking around like a ghost, her friends exchanging worried looks every time her attention drifted back to him.

Drifted back to Jace.

She'd known going into it with him that he would never be hers. It hadn't mattered. He was just as great to be with. She had fallen just as hard. But in the end, she'd broken her own heart, denying him the chance to do so. But she'd also denied him a chance to choose her.

She should have at least slept with him, one less regret to live with.

She'd done it again. Her friends were all making plans for the game that night and she'd missed all of it. She knew she needed to go, that the distraction was better than another night of wallowing.

The school parking lot was clearing out, the milling crowd of students dispersing to whatever activities would fill the hours before kickoff.

"Sorry, guys, what's the plan? I spaced."

"Jace, again?" Ally asked.

"Yeah. It's so bad, I can almost hear his voice."

"Well, if that gorgeous guy walking over her calling your name is Jace, then so can I."

And just like that, he was there. He wore his simple black t-shirt. It had fit him at the start of summer, but the muscle he'd added seemed to want to burst out of it all over. His usually unruly mop of hair was brushed and swept back out of his face. He'd even trimmed his beard. Chrissy was pretty sure she was going to faint.

"Chrissy, hi," he said. She just stared, so he went on, "You said that my not loving you made you sad. I've been thinking about that a lot. I love spending time with you. I love your laugh. I love the way you still curl your ponytail even when you're running on two hours of sleep. I love how brave you are, how you take care of your horses before you take care of yourself. I love the dimples at the base of your back, the way you whimper when I break off a kiss to soon." He paused for a breath. "I'm nineteen. I don't know if I even know what love is. But I love you enough to drive down here, to meet your friends, see your school, where you train your horses. And, after that, if you want to show me your bedroom, I would love to make love to you all night long."

Chrissy still just stood there, paralyzed. Ally gave her a shove into Jace. Their lips came together, telling her all the same things he had just said. She was helpless to the whimper she gave as they parted.

"Jace," she said, "these are my friends, that's my school, you likely saw my arena on the way into town. Would you like to see my room?"

Jace

The early morning sun angled through the window into Chrissy's bedroom. There wasn't a surface or scrap of wall that wasn't covered with ribbons or trophies. He'd been nervous the whole way here, but it seemed to have been the right choice.

Chrissy entered the room, dressed in a western shirt and jeans. She flopped down next to him and gave him a kiss. "Morning, sleepyhead."

"Horses all fed?" he asked.

"Yeah. I also got a mini lecture from my mother." She rolled her eyes. "I guess I'm not supposed to have boys for sleepovers."

"Are you in trouble?"

"Nah. I told her we'd do it in the back of my pickup like proper teenagers next time. She said my room was fine. You are going to have to eat a three thousand calorie breakfast in about ten minutes."

Jace laughed. "I'm ok with that. I've got a feeling in going to need every one of them."

She blushed. "I've been fantasizing about last night for a years."

"I hope I was up to the task?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm pretty sure I win the prize for the best first time." She was quiet for a second. "I've got to ask. Did you actually hook up with Page?"

"Yeah. She didn't really give me much choice."

Chrissy laughed. "Yeah, right."

"You're ok with that?"

"Yeah. She's always been sort of the welcome wagon. I'd only worry about it if it was more than twice."

Jace wondered what thirty-six more times than twice meant.

Page

Page was trying really hard to act normal. Jace had obviously figured out what she had done, but he'd ignored her apology and refused to talk to her.

She was really hurting. It was so dumb that she'd let herself have feelings for him. He was seven years her junior and she'd spent the whole time they were together pushing him at Chrissy. She'd never even told him she liked him.

She knew it was, in part, about Chuck. He'd been her first love, but in the end the age gap had been too great. Jace had been a nice substitute, even though the roles had been reversed.

"Page, walk with me," Jace said. He'd been looking at her differently since returning from his visit to Chrissy. She was about to get laid into, but that was at least better than the silent treatment.

Once they'd gone far enough to be out of earshot of everyone, she said, "I'm so sorry, Jace. Truly."

"I know you are, Page." They walked for a while yet. She waited for him to speak. "I couldn't for the life of me figure out why you did it. Protecting me is one thing, but to steal her letters? Strand her on the mountain? Naked?"

Page could only look at the ground.

"But the Chrissy said something that made it all make sense. You'll have to forgive me. I'm told I have a low relationship IQ. There's only one reason you'd do all the things you did." He stopped, looking down at her. "You like me."

She started to protest, but he put his finger across her lips. "Just say it."

She swallowed, took a breath, and said, "Yes, I like you."

"I like you too. Here's what's going to happen. We're going to go back to the bunkhouse, you're going to apologize to everyone because they're pretty freaked out and half of them blame Chrissy, and then I'm going to spank your bare ass in front of all of them. Then you and I are going to try to have a more normal, romantic relationship.

She felt chills all through her body. "What about Kayla? And Chrissy?"

He smirked. "This from the woman that finds the temptation of a taken man irresistible?"

"I don't know, Jace." Could this really happen?

"That's ok, Page," he said. "I'm not asking."