Unraveled

Chapter Seven

Kellan

Layla met me at my place at eleven o’clock on Thursday morning.

She was dressed casually in khaki shorts and a black T-shirt and looked sexy as hell.

I wanted to take her upstairs before we ventured out, but she was clearly excited about touring the city.

And I was committed to giving her the best day ever.

“Where to first?” I asked as she drove us in her car toward downtown Seattle.

“Pike Place Market.”

It had been two decades since I’d been to the market. She echoed my thoughts, saying, “I haven’t been since I was little.”

“Me, neither.”

Because it was a weekday, the place wasn’t overly crowded, but there were a fair number of people milling about since it was such a beautiful day. Surprising me, she made our first stop for ice cream.

“Dessert before lunch?”

She shrugged. “Live a little and humor me?”

As if I could resist. “Yes, ma’am. What’s your pleasure?”

Her sexy smirk hinted she wasn’t thinking of ice cream. “I’m a mint-chocolate-chip kind of girl. How about you?”

“Rocky road.” Finding out this tidbit made me want to ask a whole lot more. We accepted our cones and walked for a spell while eating them. “Favorite flower?”

She cocked a brow. “Is this the get-to-know-you round?”

I chuckled. “I’m cramming it all in before you go.”

Her expression was sad for a moment before she gave me a big smile.

Then, standing on her tiptoes, she kissed me softly.

“I love honeysuckle, which isn’t really a flower you’d buy in a bouquet, but the smell is divine.

I adore lilies for the same reason. They smell amazing. What’s your favorite color?”

I moved her sunglasses so they were on top of her head. “Green, like the color of your eyes.”

She giggled. “Is that your line for all the girls?”

It really wasn’t. Her eyes were the color of the sea with the sun shining on it, and I could look into them all day. “Well, you know, I change the color depending on the girl.”

As I’d expected, she laughed even harder. I loved that she took my jokes in stride. We started walking along again, my arm around her waist. “My favorite color really is green, by the way. And yours?”

“Red. What’s your favorite food?”

“Steak. Although I love a good burger.”

“Me too. One with horseradish cheddar, bacon, mushrooms, and avocado on a pretzel bun.”

I stopped, pulling her into me. “Marry me.”

Amusement lit her expression. “Oh, yeah? The burger is the way to your heart and means long-term commitment?”

“It just might. After all, you did say horseradish cheddar. I’m also a big seafood fan. You?”

“Love it.”

“You want to get some clam chowder?”

“Sounds wonderful.”

During lunch, I slid into the same side of the booth as her. “I know, I know. I never thought I’d be one of those couples who has to sit together on the same side, but here I am.”

She took my hand under the table and leaned into me. “I’m not complaining. After this, I thought we’d do the Seattle Center. You up for it?”

“You bet.” Considering the relationship had started with sex, it was interesting that I was enjoying Layla’s company just as much outside of the bedroom. Since the sex was incredible, that said a lot.

Five hours later, I realized the problem with the perfect day spent with the perfect girl was that I didn’t want it to end. I’d had an absolute blast with her while we perused Pike Place Market, the waterfront, and the Seattle Center. In fact, I was falling for her.

Here I’d thought I would be stressed about taking a workday off, but I hadn’t thought about it once. That’s because I’d been with Layla.

But now that she was getting out of the car at my house, it was starting to sink in this would be the last evening she’d be walking upstairs with me. She was leaving tomorrow.

We’d both been quiet during the ride back.

The minute we reached my bedroom, I pulled her into my arms. “I don’t suppose they allow visitors at the space station where you’ll be working.”

She sighed. “I wish. This week has been incredible. I just—”

The emotion was already clogging her voice.

“Nope. We can’t talk about it,” I decided. “Otherwise, we’ll be sad. And sad and naked don’t go well together.”

That earned me a lip twitch from her. “No. I don’t suppose it does.”

In an effort to avoid being sad, I spent the next few hours focusing on the naked part.

After I’d made love to her twice, I lay there into the wee hours with her asleep in my arms. I hadn’t pushed her on where she was going tomorrow during our time together.

I hadn’t wanted to ruin the fun, but it was quickly coming to a breaking point. I didn’t want her to leave.

My alarm went off way too early the next morning. But instead of my needing to wake Layla at the crack of dawn, she was rolling on top of me, naked. “I need you.”

My hands moved along her back, pulling her head down for a kiss, neither of us caring that we hadn’t brushed our teeth. We were frantic in our touches, both very aware this would be our last time together.

As I reached for a condom, she took the foil packet from me, ripping it open and sliding it down my length. She wasted no time in lining herself up and sinking down on me.

“Jesus.” I gasped at the sensation. Never. Never would I get enough of this woman.

“My breasts. I need you to—”

She didn’t have to finish. I knew what she desired and put one of her nipples between my lips to suck hard. Her groan filled the room. My other hand moved to her other breast, kneading it before I paid it equal attention with my mouth.

Soon she was setting a faster rhythm, gyrating on top of me. As soon as my fingers found her clit, she exploded. I quickly followed, holding her hips in place while I thrust up and matched her orgasm. My hands rubbed down her back while both of us lay there, reluctant to break the connection.

Finally she shifted, signaling that reality had descended.

“And here I thought you weren’t a morning person.”

She giggled. “I’m normally not. Guess I needed something to remember. I’m taking a shower.”

She was up and in the bathroom before I could react and figure out a way to hold her for one more minute.

It was tempting to join her, but I knew she had to get back home and then to the airport. At least, I assumed she was going to the airport. After disposing of the condom, I pulled on my sleep pants, brushed my teeth, and went downstairs to start the coffee.

I thought I was prepared to watch her walk down, her bag in hand, but it turned out I wasn’t. “I, um, made coffee.” Shit, I already had a lump in my throat.

“Thanks. But my stomach is too unsettled for it at the moment.”

She’d never turned down coffee before. Maybe she was as troubled as I was at the idea she was leaving. She stepped into my embrace, her arms going around my waist.

“I’ll miss this. I’ll miss you,” I said.

“I’ll miss you, too,” she breathed.

I kissed her, wishing she didn’t have to leave.

“Stay.” Despite my intention not to utter the word out loud, it left my lips as I pulled away.

Her eyes went wide. “Kellan, I can’t.”

I winced. I’d told her from the start that I understood she was leaving. Now here I was, trying to change the rules. “I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that out loud. Rather, I should’ve said I wish you could stay. But I’ve been thinking—”

“About?”

“What if I could visit you? I don’t care if it’s across the world or in some remote place.

Maybe in a few months I could come.” I was up to my eyeballs with Carly’s parents’ home and other new work, but I could manage to get away for a couple of days.

“We could stay in touch via Skype, text, phone calls, write letters, email—whatever it takes to keep talking to you.”

She’d be gone for a year. It seemed like a long time, and yet if I thought about it, the past few years had gone by in a blur. I’d never believed in long-distance relationships. To be fair, though, I’d never attempted one.

I could see the tears forming in her eyes, giving me both hope and dread.

“I believe you think you want to do this. But it’s an entire year. In that time, you’ll most likely find someone else or, hell, rekindle something with the ex.”

“That won’t happen.” Of that I was absolutely confident.

“Either way, we can’t start a long-distance relationship when we’ve only known each other one week. It wouldn’t be fair.”

No. It wouldn’t. To either of us. “So, we can play that by ear. But what would be unfair is to cut things off now. There’s a reason it’s been so perfect between us. Tell me you’ve ever formed this sort of connection with someone in only a few days.”

She appeared reluctant to tell me but then admitted, “I haven’t.

This last week has been one of the best of my life.

But maybe it felt so good because we both knew it would be ending?

I’m not perfect, and I doubt you are, either, but this week seemed so because we could each be the best version of ourselves, knowing we wouldn’t have to keep it up past today. ”

“Maybe that’s true. But don’t you think it’s worth staying in touch as friends at the very least?” I hoped I didn’t sound as desperate as I was feeling.

She didn’t seem to share the sentiment. “A clean break would be easier.”

A punch to the gut would’ve felt better. “Give me an email address. Somewhere I can write. You can take your time and choose whether or not to respond.”

She bit her lip, looking both vulnerable and unsure. “Okay. Just email.”

I took out my phone to type in her email address when I realized her earlier argument against a long-distance relationship had left out something.

“You’re worried I might meet someone, but what about you?

You might do the same thing. For all I know, you’re going to work overseas as a government contractor in the Middle East, where the ratio is thirty men to each woman, and you’ll be courted by dozens of guys. ”

Instead of laughing, she took my phone and typed in her information for me. “Not even close. Now kiss me before I start crying and am late.”

I put every emotion I was feeling into our kiss as I fought the urge to say something stupid.

Such as repeating my urge for her to stay.

Not only would she resent me for it, but I also wasn’t quite sure what I was offering.

Stay and date me longer? That wouldn’t exactly be an incentive for her to give up her dream.

But was it her dream? Something was humming in the back of my brain that I couldn’t quite put a finger on.

She broke the kiss first, stepping back and giving me a broken smile. “I’ve gotta go.”

“I know.” Fuck, this was hard.

I put on a hoodie and insisted on walking her out to her car. Once there, I put her bag on the passenger seat and kissed her one final time. “Safe travels, okay. And I’ll email you. Send you pictures so you don’t forget about me.”

“As if that’s possible. Goodbye, Kellan. You are evidence that the best things that happen aren’t always planned.”

“I feel the same. Stay in touch, okay?”

She seemed impossibly sad as she touched my face and gave me one more peck. “Bye.”

Watching her pull away from the curb, I felt as though a part of me was driving off with her. It was crazy. I’d known her for six days. But it felt as if I’d been searching my entire life for her. Our connection had been real.

As I walked back into my house, I realized how empty it was.

I went through the motions of getting ready for work, wishing I at least knew where she was going and what she’d be doing.

I found it strange she’d automatically dismissed the idea she might meet someone else while we were apart.

Indeed, she’d insisted I not wait for her.

Added to that was her apparent reluctance to leave.

Not just to leave me, but to leave in general, like she was dreading wherever she was going.

As if she wished any of the scenarios I’d joked about had been true. Something was off.

The question was what?

Although I hated to put my friend on the spot, I also couldn’t ignore this instinct that she might be in trouble. So, I called her brother, Russell. The moment he picked up, I realized he was driving. Probably on the way to take his sister to the airport.

“Hey, man,” he answered.

“Hey. Sorry to call this early, but I figured you might be in the car?”

“Yep. I am. Seattle traffic is shit.”

“It definitely is. You on the way to take Layla to the airport?”

“Uh, yeah.”

His hesitation didn’t sit well. “Look, I’m laying this out because there isn’t a lot of time. I spent the entire week with your sister.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. We hit it off starting the night of the draft. And although I’ll spare you the details, I’ll simply say she just left here this morning. And she was sad. I respect that she can’t tell me or won’t tell me where she’s going for a year, but I can’t shake the feeling she’s in trouble.”

“Kellan, I can appreciate you being concerned over her, but—”

“Tell me there’s nothing to be concerned or worried about, and I’ll hang up now. Tell me honestly that this is about some dream she’s pursuing or some goal she can’t wait to accomplish, and I’ll be content with that.”

He muttered a curse, which implied that I was onto something.

“I apologize for putting you in the middle, but I want to help. Is it money she needs? Is she in some sort of trouble? All sorts of scenarios from her needing rehab to serving a prison sentence have floated through my mind.”

“If she didn’t tell you, I really can’t.”

“I know. I’m crazy about her. And not in a way that makes sense considering we’ve only known each another less than a week. All the same, I believe she could be the one.”

Now that I’d spoken the words out loud, it reaffirmed the idea. I’d never felt this way about a woman.

He was quiet for a few seconds and then asked, “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“Very. And all I want to do is be there for her.”

He sighed heavily. “She’s going to kill me. You know that, right?”

Hope spread through my chest. “I promise she’ll probably attempt to kill me first, allowing you time to escape.”

He chuckled before expelling an uneven breath. “I’m not sure what to do.”

“I wouldn’t put you in this position if I wasn’t invested. Whatever her secret is, I just want to be there for her.”

I only hoped I was prepared to hear what he was about to tell me.