Spitfire

I wish I could say that Sean and I came home to find one of my 'guys' sitting on my doorstep waiting for me to get my pretty little butt home but no, that would be too 'every girl's fantasy'. No, Sean pulled his car up in front of my house only to see my mother at her finest - screaming at our neighbours with a drink in her hand and a cigarette hanging from her lips.

"Mom!" I fumbled with the door handle in my haste to get out of Sean's car and over to my mom before the neighbours called the cops on her...again.

"Janie just wait," Sean was out of the car and opening my door before I could even respond. "Did you want me to -"

I gripped the frame of the car, pulling myself out. "Mom!" I called again as, in a moment of stupidity, I stepped down with my injured ankle. "Damn it!"

"Hey now," Sean caught me in his arms, holding me tight against his chest. "How about you let me help you Sunshine?"

"My name is Janie!" I snapped at him. "Not Sunshine!"

"Oh?" He raised a brow. "You don't like Sunshine? How do you feel about Little Spitfire?" When I rolled my eyes, he laughed. "Ah yes, that's a good name for you, Spitfire."

"Janie!" My mom came running over to us. "What happened to you?" While I was telling my mom how I fell and hurt myself, she turned to Sean. "You aren't Devon."

"No ma'am I'm not," he held out his hand to her, "I'm -"

"I know who you are," mom cut him off as she turned to me in disbelief. "I'm shocked Janie, I didn't think you had it in you."

"Didn't think I had what in me?"

"To get what you want without worrying about what others think." She stared at Sean for a moment, "It's about time someone put that snooty little brat in her place and showed her that she can't have everything." To me she continued, "I don't know how you could've been friends with that girl anyway, you are too good for her."

I frowned, my mom was prone to rambling on about nothing when she was drinking, it always confused me. "Mom I don't know what you are talking about."

Mom wasn't listening to me though, she was still rambling on, "Although being seen in broad daylight flirting with with the little tramp's boyfriend wasn't the smartest idea...unless," her eyes widen. "Are you planning on sticking it to her? Show her that she's nothing? That she doesn't deserve a rich young man like Reed?"

"Reed?" I gasped - first in confusion and then in shock as I realized that mom thought Sean was Reed. "Mom! This isn't Reed!"

"Oh sure," mom laughed. "And I'm the Queen of France!"

It took a few minutes and Sean showing her his ID before she believed that he wasn't Reed. "Well," she got all snotty. "You are still a better catch than that little tramp."

"Amber isn't a tramp mom! She's my best friend and I won't stand here and let you talk down about her." I went to stomp off towards the house, forgetting about my ankle for a moment. "Son of a..." I bit my bottom lip as the pain shot up through my leg.

Sean's arms were around me before I could fall into a heap on the ground. "Maybe you should cut out the dramatics until the ankle is better?"

I glared at him. "Shut up."

He chuckled, "What am I going to do with you Spitfire?"

"How about you leave me alone? That would be a good place to start."

"Hmmm," he shrugged. "And miss all the cute little remarks you make?" He shook his head. "Nah, where would the fun be in that?"

"Just leave me - hey!" I shrieked as he lifted me up in his arms. "Put me down!" I demanded but he ignored me.

"Bring the crutches," he said to my mom as he headed towards my house.

Sean didn't put me down until he had forced his way into my house and stood before my bed. "You should get some rest," he told me as he laid me back against the pillows he made my mom arrange for me. "You'll need your strenght when you start using those crutches - I won't always be here to help you."

He was still leaning over me as he spoke. If I wanted too, all I had to do was lift my hand and I would be able to touch him pretty much everywhere. He was too close. I didn't want anyone to be that close to me, it stopped me from thinking straight. It made me say stupid things like, "Why can't you stay?"

"There's no reason I can't," he said softly as his eyes slide from mine to rest on my lips for a moment. "Mmm," he smiled. "I could stay..." For the second time in less than ten minutes, I was biting my bottom lip but this time it was for a totally different reason as his rough fingers brushed against my cheek. "Don't do that," he groaned as his thumb attempted to coax my lip from between my teeth. "Let me do it instead."

A groan from deep inside me escaped as my eyes closed. "I'm not stopping you." I could feel his breath against my cheek, I waited for his lips to connect with mine but it never happened. He pulled away and the cold air surrounded me. "Sean?" I opened my eyes to see him retreat to the door. "What's wrong?"

He didn't stop to answer me, he just walked through my doorway, "Take care of yourself," he threw over his shoulder before he disappeared.

I've heard from everyone except for Sean since that day, they all wanted to know how I was doing. Even Devon dropped by with flowers but I was sleeping so he just told mom to give them to me.

I don't know what he's doing. I don't know why I care. I wish I didn't, it shouldn't matter to me but it does.