Chandler
CHANDLER
“ I ’m showering first! I had to clean off dirty furniture!” She shouts back to me as we run up the stairs.
“I had to clean a health-hazardous kitchen!” I shout back.
We laugh as we both try to enter the bathroom at the same time. She slips in easily and tries to shut the door to the bathroom, but I stop it with my foot. I push my way in, almost landing on top of her, but I catch myself and wrap my arm around her waist to make sure she doesn’t fall.
Her nose touches mine when she looks up at me. I take in every facet of her beautiful face. The light-hearted moment has shifted into an intense stare down with her, and her eyes dart to my lips. She leans in, closing her eyes, and her lips press lightly on mine. Before I can pull her any closer, she pulls away and then pushes me out, shutting the door.
“Hey!” I hear it lock, followed by the sound of her laughing on the other side of the door.
“You snooze, you lose!”
“You seduced me!”
“Not my fault you were thinking with the wrong head! ”
I laugh, and when I hear the shower turn on, I head back downstairs, smiling the entire way. I survey the room, all of the hard effort that we’ve put into this place over the last few hours, and my heart swells with pride. Sam did such a great job. This place looks better than it did before it went to shit. I could see myself here, sitting in front of the fireplace, watching television, turning the garage into a miniature gym like Derrick. I could see my niece and nephew as much as I wanted and have family dinners on Sunday nights. I’d moved away to get away from the constant stress that my family put on me, all of the responsibility I had from the time I was 15 was the catalyst for moving to Florida. I know they didn’t mean to we were all just trying to do our best, and it meant I had to grow up fast. And now, even though I’m back home, at least for a few more days, I feel homesick. Cheyenne and Derrick seem to be doing well now, and as far as I know, Gramps enjoys staying with them and the kids.
Maybe if I did move back, it wouldn’t be so bad. But now the thought of leaving Florida when Sam and I have finally started something, whatever it is, makes my blood run cold. Well, this sucks.