Excuses

Misty's response to Alec was confusing. What could she possibly see in him? And yet... what had Ryan seen when she'd come to visit him at TJY? He takes a spoonful of soup and lets it slide slowly down his throat. It felt oh so good, and seemed to taste better than anything he'd ever had.

Her prompting to know more wasn't surprising, but Alec wasn't completely sure what to say. He takes another bite of soup to stall. Letting his eyes just study his food, the silence lingers to an uncomfortable level before he musters up the courage to respond. 

"Just failing miserably." His tone is quiet... defeated. "Ever since Reese let me go, I can't find a job... nobody wants anything to do with me. Everything with Ryan is over for good. Everybody who owed me anything is all paid up, so I've got nothing left." 

He concentrates on his food again for several moments, only now realizing just how hungry he'd been. "I've got a little while left before Reese kicks me out of my apartment, but... I don't know what I'm going to do then." It sounded pitiful, but it was true. The reality of being homeless was much closer than he'd like to think. He'd been trying so hard to find work and it was just impossible. "I'm broke. Nobody at TJY wants me within fifty feet of them... Dani wants nothing to do with me... your husband hates my guts."

Finally looking up at Misty, Alec's eyes reflect his weariness... his pure exhaustion. He had fought so long and hard, and now... his fight was just... gone. The spark had been snuffed out by cold hard reality and the realization of how wrong he'd been. But with nowhere to turn, he was simply stuck where he was. "I just..." He shrugs lamely. "Guess tonight I got... lonely." 

As tears fill his eyes, he glances back down at his soup before forcing another spoonful into his mouth to try and get a grip on his emotions. "You were the only person left I could think of that might not turn me away." 

At the end of his bowl of soup, he makes sure he gets every last drop with his spoon. "I know I can't stay long though." His eyes remain downcast. "If Carson finds me here, he'll have my hide, and I don't want him mad at you too." 

Having Katie not even answer his question about her, Hunter realizes that she had indeed read into his voice more than he thought she would. She was good, no doubt. 

Sighing, he looks out at the lake. "Nah... I'll be fine." It was a lame excuse if ever he'd heard one. He really wasn't quite sure what to do with himself at the moment and getting away did have an appealing ring to it. But to Texas? Where he knew no one? Going to a strange place? A horse ranch no less? Seriously? Although... he did know Katie... and he did miss her company...

"You might regret a city slicker like me coming to visit," he teases. Declining her offer was best, right? "Besides, if I'm not racing, I gotta save my pennies. A vacation to a ranch wasn't planned into my budget." It was probably pretty expensive to go stay at that ranch, from how Katie had described everything. They had to make their living somehow, and Hunter really couldn't afford that right now. And yet... the thought of some fresh air was nice... getting away... She'd already invite him once. But.. was she really serious? Or was she just being nice? He wouldn't want to impose if she was just offering to make him feel good.

"I wouldn't want to leave my barstool at Mickey's for too long anyway." He chuckles, although he wasn't going to tell her about how drunk he'd been the other night. "They might miss me." And... that was another lame excuse. He knew Katie would see right through him, but he did it anyway.

Jeff sits on the edge of his bed, leaning forward on his knees, his head bent. It had taken him a while to walk back from Cindy's house. Partly because he was so tired, and partly because he just didn't want to be back here too quickly. Now that he was here though, tired or not, sleep was not what he wanted.

Cindy's words continued to play over and over in his mind. It would probably be best if you stopped hitting on the same women you pity. Is that what Jeff had been doing? He hadn't meant to but...

Yes, she was right. That's exactly what he'd done. He'd felt sorry for Stacy and so had tried to help, winding up on a path that was going to lead to him asking if she'd like to date him. That had been cut short by Eric's interference. Now he'd gone to Cindy - someone else he felt sorry for. He hadn't had bad intentions. He didn't mean any harm. He wasn't out to get someone or take advantage of any woman's position. That thought alone made him sick. But perhaps... someone in need... was the only type of woman that Jeff thought might want someone like him. He was weak. If he were to seem strong to a woman, she would have to be weaker than he. Was that the real issue here? Was that why he'd been doing things he had? Had he been attracted to Stacy just because she'd been dealt a tough hand? Had he gone to Cindy just because he felt badly about her loss?

Rising just to crawl into bed, Jeff buries his head in his pillow, sighing a deep sigh. Maybe this was simply his lot in life. Always careful. Always on guard. Always worrying and making those around him worry. If that were true though, it was hardly the kind of life he wished for.