A New Life (COMPLETED)

Chapter 14

Jenika tried to keep her mind occupied with work but kept wandering to her thoughts of Tim. Of what he said, how he reacted, how he ignored her. More over why any of this bothered her.

Ever since Chance had been in the coma and the conversations they had, then being hired as tour manager, she felt like she had to prove herself. That his opinion of her really mattered. And what happened with Drew definitely wasn't to the standards she felt she had to live up to.

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Tim leaned back against the cabinet as Chance handed him the wet cloth. A moment of dejavu, how he had spent time with Chance while he battled his headaches, but mostly of Caroline and the times he held her up against him exhausted from her illness.

"Tim.....Tim" Chance said quietly, trying to get his attention.

Tim looked at him, shaking his head a bit, realizing where he was. "Hey, sorry" he apologized.

Chance sat down on the floor across from him. "No need, been here done this, remember" he joked.

Tim placed the cloth over his face, "you have any good pain killers you care to share".

"No need for the really good stuff anymore. Strongest I have is prescription ibuprofen, but it'll kill your stomach if you don't eat anything when you take it" he replied.

"I'll take my chances" Tim replied,  holding his hand out.

Chance dropped the tablets in his hand after pouring a glass of water. "Can I ask you something" he said to Tim as he popped the pills in his mouth.

Tim nodded, drinking the water.

"Why did you say that to Jenika?" he asked cautiously.

"Why did you pound the crap out of  your friend" Tim asked in return.

Not wanting to reveal her secret he merely said "he turned out not to be the person I thought he was" he replied.

"Ditto" Tim responded, covering his face once again with the cloth.

"You know I never tell you what you should do" Chance stated.

Tim replied from behind the cloth "so why start now ".

"Because you know you were wrong and you need to do the right thing. You need to apologize to Jenika" Chance told him.

Tim knew he crossed the line with what he'd said to her. She'd never given him any reason to think less of her the whole time he's known her. "It's not that simple, Chance. You don't understand" he replied.

"Then help me understand. Tim, we're best friends. We've confided in and leaned on each other more than anyone else. I trusted you with my life for God sake, surely you can trust me with whatever this is" Chance told him.

Tim sighed heavily, he couldn't look at him. Keeping the cloth over his face he told him how he'd seen her and Drew coming out the door of her place. How she was dressed, her flirting with him as they got on the bike. How Drew looked at her as they walked into the diner, her being totally oblivious to them being there as well.

Chance knew he had to be careful with how he responded, not wanting Tim to become angry. "So, how did that make you feel?" he asked cautiously.

Tim hesitated. He dropped the cloth when he pushed his hand through his hair. He couldn't look at him, he kept his eyes closed. "I...I don't know...kind of like a kick in the gut..and I don't understand it"

"Do you think maybe you...maybe you have feelings for her? Maybe you feel..umm...jealous?" Chance asked.

"I can't...I love Caroline, I always will..I can feel her near me all the time, Chance..." he told him as a tear fell.

Chance moved next to him, "I know but sometimes...sometimes someone else comes into our lives to help ease the pain..maybe, for you, that"s Jenika" he said quietly.

Tim shook his head, "even if that were true..I just can't...I have this feeling of intense guilt and anger...at myself.. every time I have the slightest thought of her...I just can't betray Caroline..I just can't " he told him. 

"Caroline...you have to tell me or show me what's next before he loses his mind" he thought as he held him while he cried.