Sometimes Goodbye is a second chance

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Taryn murmured incorherently as Clark carried her. Words of apologies, words of sadness. She thanked him so many times, the last words were ones of warning.

"Stay away from me... Disaster is written all over my face." she whispered as exhaustion claimed her entirely and she fell into a deep sleep where even her nightmares would not wake her.
 
Clark shook his head. "Only in your dreams sweetie, trust me." He whispered, carrying her up to his bed. He lay her down before taking her sandals off carefully and setting her bag on the floor beside the bed. He then brushed her hair out of her face before covering her with his favorite blanket. "Sorry if it smells like me..." He murmured, not remembering when h had changed his sheets last.

He stripped his shirt off, throwing it on the floor before moving to his bathroom and washing the back of his neck. As he had thought, the gash wasn't long but all head wounds bled a lot.
 
Taryn could not have remembered the night's events after Clark had come to her rescue if she had wanted to. All she knows is that at a quarter till four in the morning she woke with a shock of fear rippling through her. She woke up shaking and wiped at her sweaty forehead. She looked around, where was she? Everywhere around her was a smell she had briefly known.

"Oh God... Clark." she said to herself. She stood up with a wince and moved quietly around his home. She didn't know her way around but she had to find a bathroom and faucet, her throat was as dry as the sahara desert. The night was hazy and she was trying her hardest to remember if she had done something she'd regret, say something she'd regret to her boss. Things would be so much more awkward now. She made her way down a hallway and opened a room, she found the bathroom finally and quickly made use of the facility. Once she had washed her hands she head back out in the darkness. Her body felt like she had hit a wall going seventy-five. Ben had done some damage. With her luck she'd be black and blue by sunrise.

She accidentally knocked into an end table or coffee table and cursed beneath her breath. If he was sleeping she hoped she hadn't woken him.
 
Clark had stayed downstairs in a chair. He was half dressed, falling asleep with just his jeans on. He jolted awake at the sound of someone moving upstairs and he glanced at his watch. He stood and stretched before making his way upstairs with a bottle of water and Tylenol.

He nudged his way into his bedroom, sighing softly. "Taryn?" He whispered. He had thought he heard someone but he could have been mistaken.
 
Taryn heard her name being called and turned around. She headed back towards the room she had been in. "Clark?" she answered. She didn't care for turning on the lights... she'd be too embarassed. She moved until she felt his warmth nearby and reached her hand out. Her fingers slid across his bare chest and her hand recoiled almost immediately. Her breath caught. She hadn't meant to touch him intimately... oh she was digging herself deeper. "S..sorry." she said meekly
 
Clark blinked in the darkness, her touch had sent goosebumps up his spine. "Hey it's fine." He movies towards the bed and reached over to turn the lamp on. He set down the water bottle and Tylenol, looking over at her. "Come lay down." He tried to keep the frown from his face as he took in how bruised and battered she was.

Heaven help him if he ever saw Ben again the other man would be leaving in a body bag. "I brought you up some pain mess and a water. Want me to make you anything to eat?" He moved to pick up the few shirts he had laying on the floor before approaching her again.
 
Taryn shook her head as she downed some tylenol and drank nearly half the bottle. Her throat felt much cooler now that she had drank some water. She looked over at him in confusion.

"Have you slept at all?" she asked. "I should take the couch, this is your bed, You need your sleep as much as I do." She spoke even though she knew very little about Clark she could discern he wasn't having it. She would be resting in his bed because he was a gentleman and that was that. Knowing that beforehand made it a little easier as she settled on the side of the bed. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed as she looked at her arms. She shook her head. One man emotionally murders her, the next man physically harms her. It was enough to give up on men entirely. Not that she would ever bat for the other team, Taryn saw hersef now as spoiled goods. There was a reason things had happened to her the way they had.
 
Clark frowned. "No. Now lay down. Yes I've gotten plenty of sleep." He sat on the bed beside her, rubbing her back gently.

"Why don't you lay down and get some more sleep?" He whispered quietly, studying her expressions. She looked so hurt and so wounded. All he wanted was to prevent her from looking that way. He reached up, stroking her cheek gently. "Lay down, hon...it will all seem better in the morning." He stood, ready to leave so she could rest.
 
Taryn's eyes followed him as he moved about the room. There was something so comforting about his touch, about his voice, the way he called her hon. Just as her heart warmed with new feeling her brain shut it down. Nate had been a romantic, such a sweet loving attentive boyfriend, fiancé and husband and look how that had turned out. Men weren't all the same but she wasn't going to allow anyone to get close to her again. She wouldn't survive another heart break. She bit her tongue as she almost asked him to stay and forced herself to look away as her eyes watered with tears. She leaned up and shut the light out and finally let the tears fall in her silence.
 
Clark had just left the room when he paused. What was that? He had called her all sorts of pet names...sure he did that with anyone but this was different. It felt different. He had wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her until she fell asleep.

He looked back in the room at her sleeping form and sighed. Clark wanted to stay close in case she needed him. So he did something he normally would never do. He moved towards the rocking chair in the corner of his room and sat down. It had been his mothers chair until his parents had both died. Now, he sat down in it, rocking back and forth and watching over Taryn like an overprotective guardian.
 
Taryn slept erratically. When the sun had risen and peeked in through the windows she sat on the edge of Clark's bed. She looked over at Clark, he had sat and fallen asleep in the rocking chair beside the bed. She looked him over as he slept peacefully. He was so serene looking, so handsome. She blinked her eyes as visions of herself caressing him awake made her cheeks crimson.

She made her way out of the bedroom quietly and head for the kitchen. The least she could do was make him breakfast. She worked diligently to make omelettes with what he had in the kitchen. She added mushrooms, peppers and onions to the mix in the sautee pan. Once it was done she added cheese and placed the plates at the table. Seeing as he was asleep she made her way back to the bedroom. She quietly grabbed the clothes from within her bag. She turned away from him as she stripped from her pajamas and began dressing with her bra.
 
Clark shifted in his rocker. He had fallen asleep? Then what was that smell? He opened his eyes slowly, groggily glancing around. The sight of a bruised back and slender legs surprised him. He inhaled sharply, suddenly remembering what had taken place.

He shut his eyes quickly, not wanting her to feel violated. "Good morning," his voice was husky with the morning and he snorted in annoyance. "You should have woken me..."
 
Taryn pulled the rest of her clothing on quickly not thinking he would wake up so quickly. She turned her head to the side as she ran her hairbrush through it quickly. She tied her hair into a high pony tail ad then faced him. "Sorry, figured I could do something nice for you. Breakfast is downstairs." she mentioned as she packed the rest of her belongings back into her bag and leaned over his bed to make the bed.

She walked downstairs slowly and sat at the table. She quietly picked at her breakfast. She would thank Clark and head out. No use in making anything more complicated or more emotionally heavy than it needed to be. She waited for him to join her.
 
Clark waited for her to leave the room before he changed into clothes for the day. He wandered downstairs, yawning softly. She looked so good sitting at his table. It made it seem less lonely. He sat down close to her, eyes taking in her face. " so, I think you should stay here a few nights. I'll get a new lock for your door and fix it for you." He took a few bites of egg, nodding in approval. "Until then you and I are stuck together like glue. I doubt he'll try another ambush but he might be counting on me being down for the count." He looked over at her. "How are you feeling?"
 
As soon as she was going to tell him goodbye and that she'd see him at work, Clark told her she'd be staying with him. How is it that he could almost tell what she was thinking? Her face must've given away just how surprised she was.

"Clark... that's awfully nice of you but I don't think a boss should go completely all out for his employees. I'll be out of your hair soon, really it's no bother. Thank you for wanting to fix my door though, I'll be fine. I promise." Taryn said her heart speeding up as well as her anxiety. She needed to get away from this caring man. It was a danger to him and her. She could see it.
 
Clark frowned. He reached over, taking her hand in his. "Slow down." He shook his head. "Taryn, please. You'd be doing me a favor. I got more sleep last night than I have in weeks. Plus I woke up spoiled to breakfast." He grinned, trying to set her at ease. If she felt like he was doing her a favor than she would never stay...but if she thought she was helping him he knew she would stay within reach. "Please? You'll be helping me out. Besides, you can help me with things at the bar too..."

He waited, surprised at himself for the effort he was putting in. Normally he was the type to patch them up and send them on their way. This one was different though. His eyes searched her face and he felt a need to put arms around her.
 
Taryn looked up at him from her plate. Her mind began to shout almost immedaitely, Don't you dare fall for those hazel eyes, for that sweet talking. Taryn Renee Roberts don't you do it.

She licked her lips as she did when nervous and sighed, a look of giving in on her face. "I'm glad I could help though I did absolutely nothing. You're giving me more credit than deserved. Fine... I'll stay but I get the couch." she said with no nonsense determination. She went back to her breakfast finishing her omelette and looking up at him from beneath her lashes every few minutes, it was as if she couldn't look at him enough and that was something she hadn't experienced even with Nate.
 
Clark beamed like a schoolgirl and stood to clear plates from the table. He knew it work if he was careful about it. He moved to put the dishes in the sink, teasing with her. "Or we could share the bed." He chuckled, moving to the living room where he cleaned up his space. "I'm glad you're staying. The house gets quiet..." He paused, eyes info using for a minute before he shook his head and moved around again.

He ran fingers through his hair with a frown. "Guess I need a haircut." He mumbled to himself.
 
Taryn blinked her eyes at his comment. Oh goodness. Sharing a bed with Clark would get her in a heck of a lot of trouble. Fun, probably amazing trouble she thought to herself and immediately scolded her mind for running to such places about her boss.

She was standing now too and looked over at hm running his fingers through his hair. She shrugged, he looked pretty damn good as it was but who knew how he'd look clean cut, he could be one of those guys that made women's panties drop when he was fresh shaven.

"Well you go on and do that... I'll work on spreading word for the open auditons today... we'll meet up at the bar?" she asked looking back at him. She fought off a blush. She remembered how his bare chest had felt beneath her hand. Staying in his place was looking like more a challenge with every passing second she spend around him. She waited for his approval before heading out.

Once inside the bar she got onto the bar's social media page and posted the ad as well as call two radio stations to run the advertisement. She would pay it from the tips she was refusing to accept. She was walking out of the cooler with some boxes of beer when she turned around. Standing in the bar was none other than Nate.

"T." he spoke in that deep voice that had helped Taryn fall for him in the first place. Taryn placed the boxes down on the counter and crossed her arms over her chest.

"How did you find me? Why in the hell are you here? You're not getting me to agree for you to take half my inheritance. It was there in place before you and I even dated. You don't get a dime Nate."

"I just wanted to come see you T. I miss you. I really do. I miss us." Nate began moving towards the counter. Taryn scoffed and her eyes wet with angry tears.

"Nate is there a life or death situation here? If not you need to get out. I left you and my whore of a sister the house, the car, everything so why are you even here?"

"Taryn... you are my wife, I want to talk to you. You can't deny me that right."

"You lost that right when you fucked my sister Nate." Taryn growled as she filled the beer chest at her station. She looked at her watch hoping he'd disappear before Clark or Adam showed up.
 
Clark stared at her, not wanting her to go separately from him. He finally relented. After she left he moved about and straightened things up.

He spent an hour at the grocery store picking up some stuff for his house. He knew he was low on just about everything and he wasn't sure what Taryn would like to eat. He took everything by his house before moving to shave.

He trimmed his own hair, taking off the longer strands until his hair was slightly shorter and much neater. Things he had needed to do for weeks were finally getting done.

It wasn't long after when he was opening the door to his bar, several different pizzas in hand. "Hey Taryn!! I brought us some lunch before we get started."
 
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