"1,2,3 Strikes You're Out."

Chapter 9

Air. She needed air, and quickly. Hyperventilating beside Jazzelle wasn't the funnest thing to do ever, but it had its strong points. Like the fact that she was into the whole medical thing. In the blink of an eye, the car was pulled to the side of the road and she was instructing Keely on how to breathe. As if she didn't know already, rolling her eyes she focused on her friend as her breathing slowly returned to normal.

"Are you okay?" Jazzi asked from her seat as she turned toward her.

"Do I look okay? No. I'm not okay, Jazzi. I just knew something like this would happen, I knew it." shaking her head, Keely fidgeted with some papers on the seat. She wouldn't cry here. Wouldn't.

"How about we stop off at the store get ourselves a chocolate supply, run home and watch sappy movies?" inquired Jazzelle, her heart was in the right place obviously.

"No, I really just want to be alone. Thanks for the offer though, Jazzi."

Jazzi nodded, and drove toward home. Keely could hardly wait to get home and contemplate on her life without him, yet again. She didn't have the stuff to stick around for strike four. No, she'd move, change her name, anything for him not to be able to get to her hurting heart again.

Finally, the car stopped in front of her house, no longer did it give her a feeling of happiness to look at it. It was one more thing keeping her heart on the line, he knew where she lived. Sighing, she looked at Jazzi, "I'll be moving to the other side of town..I don't want him knowing where. Do you understand?"

Jazzi nodded, "I wouldn't give out that information without your permission." Reaching over, Jazzi hugged her, "Be good, call me if you need anything. You know where I'm at."

Keely nodded, "Thanks for being there and here."

Without another glance back, she hopped out of the car and walked toward her building. Sighing, she slid the key into the lock and walked inside. Exhaustion clung heavier than sadness, cuddling up on the couch, she fell fast asleep.

--

Blaze could kick himself, here he was still standing where Keely had left him, holding her ring in his hands, and crying like a baby. What could he do to get her back? This wasn't like the first times where he'd given up because he couldn't commit to her. No, he loved this lady and he wasn't going to quit and back down now.

"What's going on, Blazey-baby?" called Emma from the doorway.

"Leave." he barked, clutching the ring closer.

"But Blaze..." her big brown eyes welled with tears as she clung to him.

"Don't 'but Blaze' me. I have a woman to get back, if you'll excuse me." hopping in his truck, he sped off toward Keely's house ring still in hand. He had to do something. He just had to.

Every scene possible played through his head, including the one he'd just lived through. How could he have known she would have come in just then? Why had she shown up? Sighing, he worried his bottom lip, this was not good. Not at all. He couldn't get her out of his head, and she wanted to be the farthest from him she could be.

Her apartment was dark, yet he knew she'd be there. Turning off the truck, he walked to the door and knocked twice. "Keely?"

Nothing.

"Keely, I'm not leaving until you open this door." he called, waiting for her to answer the door.

"Go away, I'm not opening the door." she yelled back, he could envision her red, puffy eyes boring holes through the door.

"Well then I'll come in. Back away from the door."

"I'm not backing away from the door." she added stubbornly.

Grumbling under his breath he backed away from the door, "I'm serious, Keely, back up." Giving her adequate time to back away, he ran for the door kicking it in. He smiled, "I told you I was coming in one way or another, we need to talk."

She didn't give him the pleasure of lending her ear, no she was already half way to the bedroom. He wondered if this was some sort of test from God or something, possibly. Having the woman he loved ignore him, run away as if he was a stalker.

"I don't want to talk, Blaze. I want you to go away. For good."

The words rent his heart further, he sighed, "Please, Keely, hear me out."

"No."

"I'm not seeing Emma, I promise." he called, hoping she'd listen anyway.

"Right, and I'm the only woman you'd ever see for the rest of your life. Or that's what you want me to believe. I wasn't born yesterday, Blaze."

He could hear the window slipping open in her bedroom, sighing he moved backward again kicking in the door. "This could get really tiring, Keely. Fast." Grabbing her arm, he hauled her toward him, "Please believe me, baby, I'd never do that to you."

Jerking away, she shoved against him, "Don't touch me, go home Blaze. You aren't welcome here any longer."

Stepping away from her, he tried once more to get her to listen, but she turned her back. Sighing, he began walking toward the opening where the front door had stood.

"Alright, you take a seat. Keely, get in here!" Jazzi was walking in the front door hauling Emma behind her, by the hair.

Keely rounded the corner, "Jazzi what...What is SHE doing here?"

"Sit." Jazzi commanded, pointing toward the couch with her free hand.

"Yes, yes, fine." Keely sat as far away from him as possible on the lone couch.

"Tell her." Keely's friend told Emma.

"Blaze didn't want me there, I showed up. I still love him, I...missed him. Couldn't keep my hands off of him. I still had a key. I'm so sorry, Keely." the woman's brown eyes held contempt not repentance, but Blaze was smart enough not to point this out. He simply bit his lip and waited for Keely's reaction.

"Good enough, now Jazzi get her out of here." Keely commanded, standing to her feet and stalking before him like a caged tiger.

Jazzi nodded, and tugged Emma out the door with her.

"We need to talk.."

"I agree." he waited, what was coming next, he didn't know.