Page 7 of This Time Around
“Dad, while you set up, I’m going to check on Noel, see if she wants to come join the fun.”
Mom shifted in her seat, and no one made eye contact. I know Noel is not exactly everyone’s favorite, but she’s my wife, I thought.
I walked upstairs and heard Noels’ voice through the cracked door, but her words were muffled. When I walked in she rushed her phone conversation and hung up.
“Who are you talking to?” I asked, though the answer was not particularly intriguing to me.
“Just wishing my sister a Merry Christmas,” she said but her tone was flat.
“We are playing games, wanna join?”
“No, I have a headache, so I’m going to try to sleep.”
“Ok.”
In our relationship, “I have a headache” was usually code for “I want to fight” and I wasn’t interested in another fight, so I closed the door and rejoined everyone else down stairs.
The only open chair was next to Blake, and our seamless interactions as we played games were a stark contrast to the forced conversations and touches between Noel and me.
I wished April and my parents would go to bed so I could spend time with Blake-alone.
In hindsight, I’m glad they didn’t because I’m not sure I could have kept my hands off of Blake that night, and cheating on Noel was not something I could live with.
I take a sip of my coffee. For some reason, now those feelings feel even more real. Her scent of honey and vanilla linger in my memory long after she is gone, and if I try hard enough right now, I can almost smell it all around me as if it’s a lit candle nearby.
A momentary lull in the ER affords me a much needed break. Finally, I have time to just sit in my thoughts about her. I should get a jump on the book she was so excited to read. I find a quiet spot in the break room, pull it out, and start reading. The prologue grabs me immediately with its dark setting and mysterious tone. I find myself so engrossed in my thoughts I almost lose track of time.
As I reach for my phone to text Blake, it buzzes with a text from her. My heart races as I read her message.
Blake: OMG! Just started reading. The prologue is so fucking AMAZING! I want to climb inside this damn book!
A smirk curls my lips as I type back.
Me: I’m a few pages in too. It is pretty damn great. Good pick. I’m already hooked.
Blake: Right! It’s like the story has its own gravity, pulling me in. I’m excited to see where it goes.
Me: Same here. It’s great to have something to look forward to. Thanks for the idea! See you in a week.
Just as I went to put my phone away, it buzzed with another message from Blake. When I read it, my smirk turns into a full-blown smile.
Blake: I’ve really missed you. I’m looking forward to our time together—let’s make it unforgettable. 😉
Me: I’ve missed you too, B.
As I set my phone down, I feel a rush of mixed feelings. This book, this connection with Blake, it is all more than I was expecting when I moved back.
My excitement is clouded by a pang in my chest. I’m genuinely curious how April will take this. She used to get annoyed at the idea of Blake flirting with her big brother. Is she going to lose her shit when she hears we’re spending time together-alone-or will she be excited we are finally making a connection?
New Beginnings
“I love you more with every breath…”
-Savage Garden
Blake
“So you’re telling me you are going to dinner tonight with April’s brother and you’re not telling her? This is a fucking date, Blake,” Ana declares as we walk down the path behind her house. With all the changes in her life recently, I don’t get to see her as much as I used to. I miss her like fucking crazy, so we formed a pact, we’d go on a walk, just the two of us, every Sunday morning.
