Chapter 10 Koby
Koby
A few days have passed since the beach incident, and I have tried to keep myself at a distance, while still in the same house.
I’ve ducked out for early morning swims and followed it up with a long run, but that’s the thing about being in the same house with someone you’re consumed with.
There is no escaping. And when that person is Rayna Ellsworth, someone who exudes warmth, radiance and is drop-dead gorgeous, I am a goner.
I’ve arrived back after a decent number of hours out this morning to an empty house.
Pulling out my phone, I have an unread message from Rayna letting me know that she is trying out a new Pilates studio locally.
While I am glad for the extended time apart to keep my heart from sprinting and stop drooling over her, I miss her.
Knocking echoes through the house, and I double back to open the door to Rayna, gripping the wall and door frame, looking scuffed up and dishevelled.
I don’t think. Stepping towards her, I place my hands around her waist and arms to get her weight off her feet and support her hobble through the door. “Fuck, Rayna. What happened?”
“I was crossing the street, and I slipped off the gutter.” Her voice strained with pain.
Scooping her up easily into my arms, I walk her to the lounge and place her down gently. Kneeling down on the floor next to her, I ask. “Do you feel anything sprained or broken?”
She sniffs, holding back any sign of weakness. “No, luckily. It just feels really bruised and probably grazed. I’m just stiff and sore from coming down so hard and unexpectedly. I couldn’t brace myself.”
“Want me to check to see how bad?”
She nods, wasting no time in sticking her thumb into the waistband of her tights. Slowly dragging it down and exposing a decent-sized bruise from her hip to mid-thigh. It must have been a heavy fall for the bruise to show so quickly and deeply.
“I’ll grab an ice pack to help the swelling.
” Before I leave for the kitchen, I move down to her feet and gently remove each of her shoes, making sure to listen out for any pain noises she might make with the movement.
None, so that’s a relief. No strained or broken ankles.
Rising to my feet, I walk over to the kitchen and pull out a blue gel ice pack from the freezer, wrapping it in a clean tea towel and returning to Rayna’s side, now positioned at her hips, looking up at her.
I gently place the long rectangle pack across her leg, making sure to cover the bruise as much as possible.
She closes her eyes and winces softly. Once she gets used to the coldness, she opens her eyes again, looking at me with glassy eyes.
My hands stay over the ice pack, gently holding it in place for a few moments. “There you go.”
Softly, she replies. “Thanks.”
“You want to hold it, and I’ll go get you some anti-inflammatories.”
She nods in reply, sliding her hands over mine to take their position on the ice pack.
Standing again, I head to the kitchen to fill a glass with water and retrieve two tablets from the medical cabinet in one of the overhead cupboards before resuming my place back on the floor by her hip. She scoots over so I can sit on the edge of her deep lounge.
“Don’t move too much.”
“We are too old to be sitting and getting up from the floor.” Even when she is in pain, she is thinking of others.
I hold out the glass and tablets for her.
While she takes them, I move from the floor to the edge of the lounge.
She hands the cup back for me to set it on the coffee table in front of her.
I sit a little further back and instinctively put my hand on her calf.
Running my hand up and down, soothingly.
My hand sailing effortlessly across the soft fabric of her activewear tights.
I inspect her face, reminding my brain I'm assessing for cuts, bruises or bumps.
But they keep getting caught up admiring her beauty.
Her flawless skin, my fingertips itching to glide down the side of it.
Revel in the softness. Drag my thumb across her perfect lips, depressing and letting them bounce free as my thumb clears them.
Run my tongue up and down her neck as she tilts her head back and exposes the delicate area.
Drawing my attention back to the task at hand, I scan her face. Her hair is a bit dishevelled, and some dirt on her chin from the fall.
“Can I get you anything else?”
“Not for the moment. Thank you.” Her voice sounds a little more like her own again.
“I just got back from the beach and a run, so I’m going to head up for a quick shower and then I’ll be back down to help with whatever you need.”
“Okay.”
I drag her tote closer to her, assuming her phone and a small supply of things will be in there for her to access.
“I won’t be too long, so stay put and then I’ll be back down to do whatever you need me to do.”
Her face reds a little, simply nodding again and lays further down on the lounge.
Smiling in return, I head towards the stairs and run up the landing to shower in record time and head back down to Rayna on the lounge still.
Checking the ice pack, it’s warm. So I replaced it with another from the freezer, placing this one back to get it cold again. Sitting back on the lounge’s edge, my hand finds her calf again, rubbing up and down.
“How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?”
“Just feeling embarrassed and tender. Wishing I had the forward thinking to put my things in the shower downstairs so I don’t have to tackle the stairs.”
“Do you want one right now?”
“Yeah, I feel sticky and hot.”
Picking up the ice pack and placing it on the coffee table, I square up against the lounge and slide my arms underneath her body, easily lifting her up.
“Koby!” She gasped, gripping her hands around my neck. Holding on so tight, I love it.
“You're safe.”
I make my way carefully up the stairs. Being gentle to not jostle her around, but being slow so I can enjoy this feeling of Rayna in my arms, her hands behind my neck, gripping tightly.
Getting to her bedroom door, I softly place her down, but keep my hands around her, making sure her putting weight on her leg doesn’t cause her any pain.
“I could have made it up the stairs on my own.” She laughs.
“This was quicker. Can you make it into the bathroom on your own?”
She takes a step away from me, out of my reach. And looks back. “Yeah, it’s okay.”
“I’ll be in my bedroom ready to take you back downstairs when you’re done.”
“Thank you.” She smiles, keeping the bedroom door open as she limps over to her bathroom and closes the door.
I don’t want to move, rooted to the space inside her door frame.
The desperate need to be within earshot if she calls out for help is strong.
Listening towards her bathroom. Water being turned on, whooshing powerfully, dominating the silent house.
I hear the difference in sound as she steps under the water.
Pausing for several minutes while my ears strain in case she calls out to me, the changes in water indicate she is okay.
Retreating to my room, sitting carefully down on my bed, not wanting to do anything to distract me or make a noise that risks drowning out Rayna’s call.
But I sit, my room looks directly into her room as I stare into the door frame, listening to the sound of water until it’s shut off.
She takes a while to emerge from the bathroom until I hear the bathroom door click and open, and then she walks into my sight.
Towel wrapped around her body, hair clipped up, exposing her neck and shoulders.
She’s as gorgeous as she was when I first met her.
She is the same person, but refined, evolved.
And yes. Still very much a knockout, inside and out.
Just as quickly as she was in my line of sight, she is out, into her walk-in wardrobe.
“Oh, my goodness,” I hear in a deadpan, monotone voice.
There is no urgency in the tone, but I’m up in a flash and standing at her door.
“You all good in there?”
“Yeah. You can come in. I’m dressed.”
Stepping into her room, I am hit with her vanilla scent. While I can smell it lingering in the house, it’s strongest here.
She is still standing in her walk-in wardrobe, wearing a long, loose t-shirt and loose shorts. She has the bruised side’s short leg hiked up, raw and red bruise shining away.
“You did a bang up job there.”
“If you’re going to do something, do a good job at it.” She shakes her head, still looking at her leg. The tone in her voice was more annoyed than anything.
My eyes wander around her body. Seeing her so close, I can confirm, still stunning up close.
She drops her short leg and turns around, still looking at herself in the mirror. Inspecting her body, gently touching and smoothing over the handful of grazes that managed to get through her clothing.
“How is it to walk on that leg?” I finally ask. Breaking my gaze on her body.
“Actually okay. Definitely sore and tender, but it could have been a lot worse.”
“Do you need a hand back down the stairs?”
“Maybe just walk in front, in case I fall down?”
“Of course.”
She very gingerly walks down the stairs. Death-gripping my shoulder and forearm. So tight I’d be surprised she didn’t leave fingernail imprints on my shoulder.
Guiding her to the lounge, I offer. “Do you feel like something to eat?”
“Yeah, maybe just a salad? I’m not feeling too hungry, but I should have something in case I need some stronger medication a little later.”
“Done. Sit tight.” I pick up the TV remote and place it in her hand, tease her by fluffing some pillows and putting them under her legs, and reposition the water glass from earlier on the coffee table by a few centimetres.
Which yields the desired result. She’s laughing at me being attentively annoying.
Making a basic garden salad, taking it over to her and sitting with her to eat. She’s put on another Christmas romantic comedy movie. This one is not as raunchy as the last one I stumbled in on her watching a few nights ago, but it’s funny. It lifted her mood, which I love to see.
Spending the afternoon relaxing, we watch two more Christmas movies before I ordered a pizza.
Once we're done, Rayna has taken some more anti-inflammatories, and I have helped her hobble up the stairs into her room, relishing having my arms around her.
As she leaves my reach and enters her room, I offer. “I’ll stick around tomorrow morning instead of going to the beach. If you hear me downstairs, just message and I’ll come and help you down the stairs.”
“Thanks, Koby.” She smiles sleepily at me and reaches up to kiss my cheek.
It’s milliseconds, but I don’t miss a moment of it.
The feel of her cheek brushing my jaw. The hint of vanilla.
Her hair flyaways tickling my nose. The slight depression of her hand resting on my chest as she balances on her toes to reach up, but I dip my head down so it’s not as much pressure for her soft lips to make contact with my cheek.
“See you in the morning.” And she closes the door behind her.
“Night,” I whisper on an exhale.