Chapter 10 – Kat
TEN
KAT
After his shower, Elijah came back into the room and we finished the movie. He offered to take me home, said that it would be more comfortable for me, what with the air conditioning failing to cool the house. However, I could tell he wanted me to stay.
So I stayed.
Now, I lie in his bed, staring at the ceiling fan as it pushes hot air around. It’s nearly impossible to keep my mind from racing.
The more I try to recall the future, the less I know. While I’m aware I already lived it, it’s starting to seem more like a fading memory. Whatever murky future Elijah and I have, I don’t remember any of it. I know he’s important—that has to be enough for me to figure it out.
It has to be.
I squirm uncomfortably under his heavy arm, sweat trickling down the exposed skin on my stomach. The sound of his deep snores fills the room. I carefully shift out from under his dead weight, relieved to finally have some space to breathe.
So thirsty.
Elijah’s room is shrouded in darkness, but a faint glow from the streetlights outside seeps through the plastic blinds. Not enough light to see any detail, but just enough to be able to feel around in the dark with enough awareness that I won’t run into something.
Fuck.
Okay, almost enough light to not run into something.
After slamming my foot into the edge of the bed, I struggle to stay quiet as I putter around the room, trying to find something to throw on—although, given how soundly Elijah is sleeping, I’m not completely sure why I am working so hard to be quiet.
Feeling around in the darkness, I finally find his dresser shoved in the far corner. I pull out a pair of boxers and tug them on quickly. I could just put on my shorts, but the thought of putting on any kind of denim with my sweat-damp skin sounds like my own personal hell. I debate pulling out one of his shirts, but decide to just wear my tank top, choosing to forgo finding my bra in the darkness. I’ll be damned if I run into that fucking bed again.
I find my way into the hall, which is even darker than Elijah’s bedroom, and by the grace of God and luck alone, I manage to make it down the stairs with a death grip on the banister.
I take a deep breath before turning on the kitchen light. The old bulb flickers for a few seconds, then beams with a dim yellow glow. I blink rapidly as my eyes adjust to the sudden change in brightness .
Although I’ve frequented this kitchen countless times, I can’t recall ever seeing it in such pristine condition. The floors are spotless, the countertops gleaming, and the smell of disinfectant fills the air. It’s as if someone had just finished cleaning before heading to bed, evidenced by the drying rack overflowing with sparkling white plates and crystal-clear glasses. A sponge, still damp from recent use, clings to the side of the sink.
I grab a glass from the rack and rinse it, then fill it, relishing in the icy chill of the water sliding down my parched throat as I take a long, refreshing sip.
I don’t believe water has ever been this satisfying.
“What are you doing up?”
I nearly lurch out of my skin at the unexpected voice, jerking around and fully prepared to grab something sharp out of the cup of silverware drying on the counter. I reach for the handle of a steak knife, but as the velvety salvation of the black plastic lands against my palm, a much more masculine hand wraps around my own.
“Calm down, killer, it’s me…and I’m far too pretty to have steak-knife-sized stab marks all over my face.”
I twist around, finally connecting the voice with a face as Tanner comes into view.
He releases my hand as a chuckle breaks free, his infuriating smirk weirdly managing to quell my racing heart.
“Jesus Christ, Tanner, you scared the shit out of me.”
“Yeah, I gathered that,” he says as he tries and fails to bite back a laugh. “A steak knife? Really? That was your brilliant plan if somebody was actually coming up behind you to cause you harm? It would barely break the skin.”
“Not if I used enough pressure. ”
“Yeah, maybe in a perfect scenario, but I could’ve gotten that knife out of your hand before you had a chance to even touch me.”
I think on it for a second, realizing that Tanner might have a point. Whatever—it’s not like I was actually expecting someone to attack me. He just snuck up on me.
“Agree to disagree,” I say with a chuckle.
“Yeah, yeah.” Tanner rolls his eyes in amusement before his humored expression is replaced by something else, something unreadable. His eyes travel around the room, clearly attempting to find something to look at that isn’t me.
“Are you okay?” I ask with genuine concern in my voice.
“Oh, uh…yeah.” Tanner clears his throat before walking over to the wall and flipping on the ceiling fan. “This house is sweltering, huh?”
“Yeah, it’s pretty brutal. I don’t know how you guys have been doing this for days.”
“Meh, I’ve lived through worse.”
“Is something wrong?” I ask tentatively.
“No, no…um.” He gestures to my body.
I look down and notice that the sweltering heat has caused me to sweat profusely, and my camisole sits low on my breasts, clinging to my damp flesh like a second skin. The chill from the fan has caused my barely covered nipples to harden and they now unavoidably poke through the fabric.
“Oh geez,” I say as I cross my arms over my chest, only to realize that covering my nipples only pushes my boobs further out. I keep adjusting myself, trying to figure out how to be a sliver more modest, to no avail. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, I don’t mind. Doesn’t bother me one bit. However, it seems to bother you… Here.” Tanner pulls his T-shirt over his he ad and hands it to me. My expression must give my thoughts away as he laughs, “It’s not sweaty, you big baby. I just put it on.”
I pull it over my head without questioning him. I’ll admit, I feel a lot better now that I’m covered up.
“Better?” he asks. I nod in response. “Good. What’s got you up so late?”
“Couldn’t sleep. Someone broke the air conditioning.”
“I don’t like what you’re implying, Katarina.”
“Just Kat,” I say, attempting to be stern, but a smile invades my lips as I say it.
“Oh yes. Just Kat. ” He says my name in a way that perplexes me, like there is some other meaning to the word. “But no kidding, it’s hot as balls in this house.”
Tanner walks to the fridge and pulls a pint of ice cream out of the freezer door. He holds it up in question.
“Yes, please.”
He reaches past me and grabs two spoons, one teaspoon and one tablespoon, before extending the smaller of the two to me, earning himself a grin.
“I’ve always preferred those ones,” I say as I snatch it out of his hand playfully.
“Lucky guess.” Tanner opens the ice cream container to reveal a fresh, untouched pint of rocky road.
“My favorite!” I immediately dig my spoon into the perfectly smooth surface of deliciousness and then shove the massive scoop of ice cream into my mouth.
He stares at me with a puzzled expression on his face.
“What?” I say through my mouthful of ice cream.
His face contorts again, except this time his lips form a smile. “Nothing, you’re just really hot when you talk with your mouth full like that,” he says, dodging my arm as I swat at him. He digs his spoon into the other side of the rocky road.
“Shut up,” I laugh.
He simply shrugs as he slowly chews through the chunks of chocolate.
We stand side by side, leaning against the cool countertop. The only sound in the room is the scraping of our spoons against the cardboard container as we try to get every last bit of the rocky road.
“I’m sorry for keeping you up,” I say quietly.
“I was already up—I’ve always been a massive insomniac, and this heat doesn’t really help. Besides, I heard someone come downstairs, so I was pretty sure there was gonna be someone to talk to.” He flashes me that signature Tanner Adler smile and I know with certainty that he means it.
As the faint sound of a throat being cleared echoes through the otherwise silent room, both our heads snap toward the open doorway.
“Are you coming back to bed?” Elijah asks, a clear crease of irritation in his brow.
“Yeah, I just couldn’t sleep, so I came down for some water, but then I ran into Tanner.”
Elijah’s usually stoic demeanor breaks as his jaw clenches and his expression morphs into one of possessiveness. His dark eyes glare daggers at Tanner. “Are you done, then?” he asks, his face softening as he looks at me.
That’s new.
“Yeah, I was just going to come up.” The lie falls off my tongue with ease; telling Elijah that I was actually enjoying talking to Tanner sounds like a bad idea .
He simply nods before gesturing for me to follow him back upstairs.
Without questioning, I cross the room, then turn around to look at Tanner. “Thanks for the ice cream.”
“Anytime…Just Kat.” He smiles, a faintly sad expression marring his face.
Trying not to linger, I walk back upstairs with Elijah, but the moment we land at the top of the stairs I notice he’s sporting that same irate look he had in the kitchen—except now it’s aimed at me.
Then I realize he isn’t looking at me .
He’s looking at Tanner’s Blink 182 T-shirt hanging off my frame.
Oh.