Chapter 12
TWELVE
KATHERINE
The sound of Lance snoring next to me brings me peace for some odd fucking reason. Usually, I don’t like men disturbing my peace—especially if they stay the night and snore. But his sounds are soft and not at all eardrum shattering.
It also feels really nice just having him in my bed. The warmth he provides during this colder week is like having my own personal heated blanket. We cuddled for a good while after we had sex and then we knocked out, our bodies spent.
I roll over and try to be as silent as I can possibly be while I get up and head to the bathroom. A hot shower to relax my muscles sounds really good right now. I look back for a moment, watching the rise and fall of his chest before I head into the bathroom and turn on the shower. The steam fills the room quickly and I take my time lathering soap all over. My legs are sore from all the tension and shaking last night. I’m going to have to take it slow today at work if I want to survive.
I’ve got a few classes this afternoon before we do a dance rehearsal to make sure everyone knows their place and routine before tomorrow night.
The nerves are already getting to me and I’m their teacher, so I can’t imagine how all the girls are feeling. The hot water feels good against my head, as if it’s washing away all of my anxieties and worries.
I’m quick to get ready in the bathroom before entering my room with the towel wrapped around me. Lance is sitting on the bed, putting on his shoes, when he looks up.
I head to my dresser to pull out some clothes. I don’t feel uncomfortable with him sitting behind me, and especially after the things we did last night, I don’t think I should be embarrassed to change in front of him.
As I pull on my clothes he’s walking around, cleaning up the area. It’s a nice gesture and I thank him softly.
“You want some coffee or anything?” I ask after a moment.
“I’m okay. Thanks, though,” he finally responds from the door. I turn fully dressed and nod. His hair is unruly, but he still looks just as attractive as ever. His phone pings and he pulls it out, taking a look at it. His brows scrunch.
“Everything okay?” I ask, stepping closer. He nods before tapping a response and looking up.
“Ma wants me to help her put up some more decorations outside her house. I completely forgot to decorate my own place, so she just reminded me.”
I laugh. “I mean, have you seen my place? The weather is starting to get cold, but it’s not really giving us those Christmas vibes to want to decorate fully.”
“You still need a tree,” he agrees. I smile.
“I do, but I want a real one. Haven’t had time to get one, unfortunately. I’ve always had a fake tree, but last year I was wearing the slipperiest socks in the world, tripped, and fell right on it, bringing the whole damn thing down with me.” He laughs before I continue. “Since I don’t have a tree anymore, I promised myself this would be the year I get a real one. But, I have a day full of classes and then the dance rehearsal.”
“Busy day,” he states.
A thought comes to me. “You can come tomorrow, if you’d like.”
“To the dance recital?”
I nod.
He shifts his stance before leaning against the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t want to intrude. It’s your job and your space.”
“I’m inviting you, Lance,” I argue. “Plus, I’d like you there. As much as I appreciate Morgan and Peyton being there, I don’t know if their presence will calm me.”
“And mine will?” His voice goes soft.
I step again to close the distance. I crane my neck to look at him and he swallows. His eyes are so pretty, I could get lost in them.
I’ve lost myself in blue eyes for over half my life, but these blue eyes are something special.
Something new and exciting. Warm and comforting.
“Yes, it will,” I plainly state.
He takes a deep breath and nods. “Okay, I’ll be there.”
I smile before he steps back and we both walk to the front of my house. I give him a kiss on the cheek and his face reddens for a moment before he’s out the door and into his truck. My eyes never leave it as he backs out of the property. It’s not until a rooster screaming in the distance breaks me out of this trance.
“Fuck,” I shout before slamming the door and getting ready for my busy day.
The girls did so good tonight during the rehearsal and it eased my mind a ton. They perfected the moves, the music didn’t stall, and my heart rate didn’t cause me to go into cardiac arrest.
It went too well, which kind of scares me. If today went this well, does that mean tomorrow will be a shit show?
That’s the main concern I have while driving home until my phone pings and it’s my sister texting me. I’m thankful for the distraction as it pulls me away from my current worries.
Izzy
I can’t make it tomorrow. I’m so sorry.
There we go. The second shoe dropping. My heart stops for a split second and I fear this might be my last day on Earth if something else happens. I try to maintain composure while driving, I only have a mile left until I’m home. I’m absolutely against texting and driving, but my nerves won’t let me put the damn phone down. I type out a quick response, I’ll use the voice-activated assistant with my next text.
Me
What happened? Are you okay?
The voice automated assistant reads off her text as I take a turn.
Izzy
Twisted my ankle going UP the damn stairs. Haley has been icing it, but it hurts to walk. She’s scared it’s something more serious and wants to take me to urgent care tomorrow.
Fuck. That’s serious and not her fault at all if she has to miss the dance recital. I recite out a response for the assistant to send back to my sister.
Me
It’s okay. Ice up and rest, please. I’ll see you Saturday, hopefully.
Izzy doesn’t respond by the time I pull into my property. There aren’t any decorations outside yet, I haven’t had time, so it’s basically pitch black as I hop out of my car. Sometimes I wish I had a dog or a cat—it gets lonely coming home, especially at this time. No one to greet me once I come inside.
The house is quiet and memories of this morning come to the forefront of my mind.
Lance.
I haven’t heard from him all day and even though we aren’t really on a daily texting basis, it’s odd to not at least to get some kind of notification from him. As I get ready for bed, filling and turning on the tea kettle, I pull out my phone.
Our last text thread was from the bonfire. I didn’t even ask him what his plans were for today. I was so involved in my own stressors with the dance recital that it didn’t even cross my mind. All that he told me was that his mom needed help decorating, but I can’t just show up unannounced, banging on the door of his mother’s house. That would be weird.
I settle for a text instead. The tea kettle clicks off and I pour the boiling water into a green tea mug that has cute little red bows all over it. I got it for a buck at one of the nearby garage sales. I love bargain hunting when I have the time to do it.
Me
How did the Christmas decorating go?
It’s almost eleven, so I don’t expect him to answer me. I send my sister one last text to ask her to keep me updated on her ankle before heading to the bedroom and hopping into my comfy bed.
I glance one more time at my texts, deflated that the one person I really want to talk to isn’t answering me. I could call him, but are we on those terms? God, it’s been so long since I’ve dated.
We’re not dating, but this is the closest I’ve gotten to it in a long time. We’re not hooking up, that’s for sure. It seems more emotional and intimate than that.
I opt for a book to fill my time as I wait up just in case he texts back, if he ever does at all.