Chapter Text
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I came out of the movie saying, "All my 'Why Choose?' friends are going to go ga-ga for this movie!" Then I was surprised to not find much out there, so here is my attempt. I haven't written anything like this before so I am open to feedback and comments, but please be considerate. This will mostly take place after the last tornado scene but before Kate goes to the airport. I don't expect it will be long but I will have to write it in chapters. Please enjoy!
Kate lay there in a hotel bed in the dark. She couldn’t sleep, not because of the pain from her bumps and bruises when the truck flipped like it was a pancake during the tornado, but due to her memory replaying the same scene over and over in her mind.
“There was a time I would have done anything for you.”
“Ugh!” she grunted and slapped her pillow over her face. She flipped through all of her memories of Javi and she could not recall a single instance of flirting or signs of something…larger. Maybe she had just been too young to recognize them. Maybe she wasn’t sure what to do with them, at the time.
She grabbed her phone off the nightside and began to type.
Kate: You awake? I need to talk to you.
She gnawed on her thumbnail. She knew it was late, and Javi had been so angry at her. Honestly the chances of him answering were slim but –
Javi: Couldn’t sleep either, huh?
Kate took a big breath, and leaped.
Kate: Come over to my hotel room. Please.
Kate was anxious. She paced the hotel room in the dim light of a lamp as she thwittled with her fingers. After Javi agreed to come over in a bit, she had leaped up to put back on clothes and wait. She didn’t have anything that one could view as “sexy” clothes, but her white, sleeveless turtle neck and green cargo joggers were better than the ratty university shirt she slept in. And this was Javi, why was she anxious? She couldn’t remember the last time she had really been anxious, not over a boy. Or, a man. Well, except Tyler, recently. Not that he made her anxious, though, more like…flustered. With his multifaceted personality, and his brains, and his, well quite frankly his solid, corded arms….
Kate was startled out of her reverie when a knock sounded at the room door. She took a large breath as she walked to it. She hadn’t seen Javi for years, then he walks in her life and now she’s worried he will just walk out again? It was ridiculous. But when she swung open the door, Javi wasn’t on the other side. It was Tyler.
Tyler’s gaze looked her up, and then down. He held a new pizza box in his hands. “Figured you had another rough day. It feels like bringing you a pizza could become a traditional remedy for that,” he drawled.
Kate rolled her eyes and took the box. “Thanks Tornado Wrangler, but I have company coming.”
Tyler’s eyebrows raised under his hat as he looked to his left, then to his right. “I don’t see anyone yet. How ‘bout you let me in, and we share this pizza while we wait?”
Kate sighed. She looked at him, then peeked into the box. Ooo Tyler had remembered that she loved extra pepperoni. “Fine, but don’t get too cozy.”
Tyler grinned and pushed through the door. There was only the bed, so Kate sat on top and set the pizza box down as well. Tyler sat across from her and flipped it open. As Kate picked up a slice she asked, “So what really brings you here? Its late. Is your leg bothering you?” Tyler had needed to get stitches in his thigh to repair the damage from the beam that had fallen on him. Fortunately, one of his crew had been a paramedic at some point, and acted as a fixer for Tyler and his cronies. However, they were unable to provide any heavy pain medication.
Tyler shook his head. “Naw, it wasn’t my first rodeo. I’ve had worse.”
Kate nodded, “Ah yes, the infamous bull riding. I’m sure. But still, stitches are stitches and you got quite a few. Can’t feel good.”
Tyler just looked at her. He cleared his throat. “So what next Kate? You came here to work for Javi, now you seem clear of that. What are you going to do now?”
Kate shrugged and picked at her pizza. “I’m not sure. Actually, um, actually Javi is the one on his way. He should be here soon.”
Tyler nodded. “He’s, he’s not a bad guy. Maybe got caught up with some assholes, but in the end, he seemed to really come through.” He looked directly into Kate’s eyes.
Kate nodded solemnly. “Yea,” she murmured. “Yea he did.”
Tyler scooted closer. “I try not to pry but when you two were yellin’ loud enough for the whole county to hear, it was hard not to. I think, I think he may have loved you.”
Kate closed her eyes. Tyler continued, “Or maybe, still does?”
Kate glanced away. But then she felt Tyler gently take her chin with his knuckle and gently pull her back around to look right at him. “How does that make you feel, Kate? Knowing he may love you?”
Kate felt herself falling into Tyler’s green eyes. “I, I never knew he felt that way. When we worked together, I had a boyfriend. We were serious and,” she shuddered, “he died, protecting me in an F5.”
Tyler moved his hand to cup Kate’s right cheek. “Baby, I’m so sorry. That had to be rough.”
A tear dropped down Kate’s face. “It was heartbreaking. And Javi and I, we had been friends but we just couldn’t stand to look at each other, knowing we had survived and our friends had not. But I never, not before or after, ever recognized that he may have…”
“Wanted you?” Tyler continued for her. Kate just stared at him.
“And what about me, Kate?” Tyler prodded.
“Y-you?” Kate stammered.
Tyler just grinned and tilted his head. “You have to know, I think you are magnificent. You are so strong, and brave, and smart. I can certainly understand why Javi would be smitten for you.”
Kate took in a big breath. ‘So, what, you want to claim your prize? Put down your stake, mark me as yours before Javi does?”
Tyler just chuckled. “Darlin’, I just said that I understand him. I never said I wanted to fight him. But, Kate,” He glanced down at her lips. “Kate, do I have permission to kiss you?”
Kate sucked in a deep breath. Javi was on his way but this man, he was here and he was offering. And they had almost just both died…”Yes,” she let out in a whoosh.
Tyler’s hand moved to cup the back of her head. He scooted closer to Kate, shoving the pizza out of the way. He grazed his nose against hers, moved his cheek against hers. “You sure? I don’t want to pressure you. I just, I thought you were gone today and I…”
Kate quickly nodded. “Its okay Tyler. I, I felt the same, when that beam was on you.” And with that she turned her head and rubbed her lips softly against his. “Kiss me, Tyler,” she breathed. He pushed back against her lips and kissed her, and boy, did the man kiss like he looked – hot and a bit rough. Like he couldn’t wait to taste her, to see if she was really all he thought she could be. She kissed back in force, sliding her hands around his neck and knocking his hat off his head. She gripped his hair and pulled him closer to her as he wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her close until she crawled into his lap and they were chest to chest, feeling each other gasp for breath as they kissed any doubts away.
*Knock knock*
Kate and Tyler pulled away from each other’s face, looking into each other’s eyes as they remained tangled. “Damn,” Tyler breathed out. “Dame Kate, if you aren’t better than I even imagined.”
Kate swallowed, then startled as a knock at the door sounded again, followed by Javi’s voice saying, “Kate? Kate, you there, you okay?”
Kate’s breath stuttered in and out, her eyes frantically looking across Tyler’s face when he grinned and said, “Don’t leave the man hanging, Darlin’. Let him in.”
Ooo, yes Kate, let Javi in to join you and Tyler! You will have to wait until the next chapter to see what happens when Javi is in the room.