I sit between Dylan and Leah on the couch as Dylan flips channels silently. I feel the tension in the air and shift uncomfortably.
We eat in silence, Dylan’s breathing heavy next to me. I try to catch his eye but he avoids my gaze.
I help Dylan with the dishes when we’re done.
“Lighten up,” I mutter to him.
“I’m doing the best I can,” he says through gritted teeth.
Leah stands from the couch, clearing her throat slightly. “Well, I best be going,” she says. “It was good to see you, Dylan. And nice meeting you, Katie.” She smiles slightly.
“Wait, Leah,” I say. “Do you have a place to stay?”
“Oh, I’ll find one,” she says. “There’s plenty of hotels around.”“Nonsense,” I say. “I’m sure Dylan wouldn’t mind if you stayed, right?” I look to Dylan.
“No, I couldn’t,” Leah says, seeing Dylan’s glare on me.
I glare right back.
“Of course you can,” I say, still looking at Dylan.
“No, she said she couldn’t,” he grumbles.
“Fine, then she can stay with me,” I say. “I live just across the hall, Leah,” I tell her.
“Katie,” Dylan snaps.
“Dylan.”
“Give us a moment, Leah,” he says to her and she nods, turning around.
“She’s not staying here,” he hisses.
“Then she can stay with me, if you’re so intent on not being in the same area as her.”“What if...I want to stay with you?” His cheeks flush slightly.
“Then she can stay here, and so will I.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because she’s your sister, and she has nowhere to go.” I step towards him. “If it was me and Courtney, you know you’d be doing the same thing,” I say lowly.
He looks down, sighing. “Fine, Leah, you can take the couch.”
She smiles widely. “That’s very kind, thank you, Dylan.”
“Yeah,” he mumbles, walking past me to the hall closet to fetch her blankets.
While he’s gone, Leah approaches me and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug.
“Thank you,” she breathes. “This means more to me than you know.”“No problem,” I say as she pulls away. “I kind of know how you feel.”She smiles at me as Dylan returns with blankets and a pillow.
“If you’re cold, there’s more blankets in the closet,” he mutters and Leah nods.
“Thank you,” she says.
I bid Leah goodnight and follow Dylan into his room.
He shuts the door and pulls off his shirt, digging for a clean one in his dresser.
“I love you, Dylan,” I say quietly.
He turns, his shirt still in his hand.
“I know this is hard for you, and I’m proud of you,” I go on.
He swallows and nods. “I love you, too.”
I smile and step towards him, pulling him into an embrace. I breathe in his minty scent and enjoy the feeling of his hot skin on mine as he hugs me back.
He pulls away and turns back to the dresser, looking for a clean shirt. I catch his wrist.
“Leave it off,” I say.
A big smile crosses Dylan’s face. “If I leave mine off, you have to take off yours.”I shrug and pull my top over my head, littering it to the floor. His eyes drink me in as I walk to the bed and sit on it, stepping out of my jeans and sliding under the covers.
Dylan’s jeans hit the floor and he joins me under the blanket, hands roaming my body. He presses a heated kiss to my mouth, his lips sending volts of electricity through me.
It feels odd to be kissing Dylan so passionately with so little clothing on with his sister in the next room.
“Dylan,” I say against his addictive lips.
“What.”
“Leah’s behind that door.”
“And?”
“And this feels wrong.”
“But...” He pulls away, his expression almost that of a disappointed child.
“It’s just...weird.”
“Alright,” he says, his fingers tracing my lips. "Why don't we just kiss, then?"
I smile, nodding as he lowers his lips back to me.
I don't know how long Dylan kisses me, but in the time that he does, I momentarily forget the danger we're both in; the secrets we both hold regarding Lyone Enterprises. Dylan pulls away from me too soon, sighing as he rests his head on my chest. I weave my fingers through his soft hair, his breath fanning out against my neck.
"You have soft skin," he says, his lips moving against my neck as he speaks.
"Thanks," I say, giggling slightly. "So do you."
He pushes himself off of me, a smile on his face. He lays on his back and pulls me to him, kissing me softly on the forehead. "Are you feeling better?" I ask him. "About...Leah?"
He shrugs, sighing. "A little, now that you're here."
I laugh. "I've been here the whole time."
"I know."
I look up at him and he smiles down at me, and I can't help but think I have never felt so happy to be with someone.
“Katie,” he says, his tone turning serious.
I look over at him. “Hmm.”
“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” He flushes, turning his head away as if he didn’t mean to say it out loud.
I smile widely, turning back towards him and kissing his cheek. “You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” I say and he laughs loudly.
“I try,” he says, smirking.
“I mean, damn, those eyelashes.”
“Thanks, it’s Maybelline.”
“Maybe it’s Maybelline,” we sing together and then laugh.
I yawn and cuddle closer to him, wrapping my legs around his. He brushes hair out of my face and kisses me softly.
“Goodnight, Katie,” he says.
“Night, Dylan.”
Chapter Sixty Six
I wake up in the morning, burning hot.
My throat is dry and painful and my nose is stuffed, my skin on fire.
“You’re up, finally,” Dylan says. He’s dressed already in a grey t-shirt and his usual jeans, worry etched into his face. He sits by me on the bed.
“I feel horrible,” I croak, trying to swallow to ease the painful dryness of my throat.
“You were burning up, but I didn’t want to wake you,” he says. He hands me a thermometer. “Put this in your mouth.”I comply, the cool metal of the stick soothing on my tongue.
A few minutes later, the thermometer beeps and Dylan takes it from my mouth, reading it quickly.
“One oh two,” he says, placing it on the bedside table. “You’re not going anywhere today.”“But it’s Monday,” I say. “We have work—”
“There is no way in hell you’re going to work,” Dylan says instantly.
“But—”
“Here, put on some pajamas,” he says, ignoring my protests. He hands me some of my pajamas I must have left here before. I slide them on quickly and then am ushered back into bed by Dylan.
“Dylan, I need to go to work,” I say.
“No, Katherine,” he says. “You’re staying here, and so am I.”“You can’t miss work,” I say, shaking my head. “I’ll be fine.”“Katherine—”
“Is everything alright?” Leah opens the door a crack, peeking in.
I manage to smile at her weakly. “Morning, Leah.”
“Katie has a one hundred and two degree fever,” Dylan states and I roll my eyes.
“Oh dear, that’s not good,” Leah says, stepping into the room.
“Yeah, so we’re staying home from work today,” he says.
“No, you’re going to work, Dylan,” I say.
“I’m not leaving you here by yourself,” he says sternly.
“I could take care of her,” Leah says.
“No,” Dylan says instantly.
“Why not?”
“Because...because...” Dylan struggles for a liabl
e excuse and I smirk.
“Get in your work clothes, Dylan, I’ll make Katie some tea,” Leah says, smirking as well.
Dylan huffs, knowing he’s outnumbered. Leah turns on her heel and walks out of the room.
I lean back on Dylan’s pillows as he pulls his t-shirt off, swapping it for a white dress shirt and black slacks. He knots a black tie around his neck and grabs his coat, turning back to me.
I’ve always admired how handsome Dylan looks in his work clothes.
“I guess I’ll go, then,” he sighs.
I nod.
“I’ll tell Leah where I keep my medicine, and get lots of sleep,” he says, leaning down and kissing my burning forehead.
“God, you sound like my mother,” I say.
He rolls his eyes. “Don’t do anything stupid, and if you steal my Snickers I will know.”“And how will you know?”
“Trust me, I’ll know.” He smirks and kisses my cheek before straightening up.
“Have fun at work!” I call after him.
“Not likely!” He calls back.
Leah enters the room just after he leaves, bearing toast and tea. I smile at her thankfully as she sits beside me on the bed.
“I’m so sorry you’re ill,” she says as I take a careful sip of tea.
“It’s alright, it’s probably my fault that I didn’t get a flu shot this year,” I say. “I haven’t had the time.”“I don’t know if what you’ve got is the flu, have you got the chills?”“No, I feel like I’ve been doused in a pit of lava.”
Leah chuckles. “Dylan mentioned having ibuprofen, I’ll go see if I can find it.” She exits the room.
My phone suddenly rings from the nightstand and I roll my eyes at Dylan’s caller ID.
“You haven’t even been gone five minutes, what could you possibly want?” I smirk.
“It’s important, I swear.”
“What?”
“Don’t tell Leah where I keep my Snickers.”
“That’s the important thing?”
“Chocolate is very important, Katherine.”
I sigh. “Fine, your secret is safe with me.”
“Good. Also, I love you.”
I flush and smile. “I love you, too.”
I hear his smile. “I’ve got to go, there’s a lady wearing too much lipstick in the car next to me giving me the evil eye for talking on the phone.”“Alright, I’ll see you later.”
“Damn, she needs to take it easy with the lipstick. She looks like she drank a liter of blood or something.”“Bye, Dylan.”
I hang up just as he begins ranting about how the woman may or may not be a vampire, chuckling at his humor.
Leah bustles back into the room, studying the label on a bottle of pills. “I think this is the right one, take two,” she instructs, handing me a glass of water.
“Thank you, Leah,” I say, swallowing the white tablets and leaning back onto some of Dylan’s pillows.
Leah switches on the TV and constantly asks me if I need anything, her caring green eyes hopeful and wide. I’m so grateful for Leah now, she’s so kind and sweet. Although she and Dylan have a muddled past, I hope they can get past it, because I know Leah and I will be good friends, regardless.
We watch crappy daytime soap operas and share a sleeve of Saltines throughout the day. Leah finds medicine for my stuffed nose and cough drops for my aching throat. Dylan texts me on and off, mostly judgmental messages about our coworkers. For instance:I never noticed just how bald Arnold is.
Or:
Oliver’s hair is really tall today, you should see it.
And, my personal favorite:
Damn it, Katie, now that you’re not here I’m directly facing Caitlin and she looks like she wants to sever my head from my neck.
I giggle and share each text with Leah. She laughs along with me as we exchange stories about Dylan, many of which I’m sure Dylan would not want Leah telling.
“He swallowed a chunk of our mother’s lipstick when he was four,” she tells me.
I widen my eyes. “No way!”
Leah chuckles. “Yes, I remember it quite well. My mother was so worried he would get sick, she called poison control and our doctor multiple times. But Dylan never did get sick, he’s got a stomach of steel.”I laugh. “That’s too funny.”
She also tells me about her travels to distant places and the people she’s met. She’s been to every continent aside from Antarctica, but she assures me she’s going there one day. I listen with interest, awed by how much Leah has seen of the world at only age twenty seven.
“That’s incredible,” I say when she tells me of the magnificent blue color of the ocean off the coast of Australia.
“It was,” she sighs.
“You’ve seen so much,” I say.
“I have,” she agrees. “But I can’t help but think it’s all an act.”I cock my head at her. “How so?”
“I’ve spent almost three years of my life travelling in hopes of soothing the pain of my mother’s death,” she says. “But in all honesty, it truly hasn’t.”I watch her as she runs a hand through her dark hair.
“That’s why I’ve come, to get some closure, I guess. I was hoping Dylan and I could talk things out a bit but I see that’s never going to happen.”“It will, he’s just hurt,” I say. “He loves you, Leah, I mean, you’re his sister.”“You believe that?”
“Of course, Leah. He just needs a little time.”
Leah’s wide eyes brim with tears and she wraps her arms around me tightly.
“Thank you,” she breathes.
I nod into her shoulder and she pulls away quickly.
“I realize I shouldn’t have done that when you’re sick,” she says and we both giggle.
Leah wants so badly to mend her relationship with Dylan and I recognize that. I’ve felt it before, and it’s a nagging, horrible thing to feel. I do hope she and Dylan work things out.
“He’s changed, Dylan has,” Leah says. “Since I last saw him, anyhow.”“Really,” I say.
“Yes, very much. His eyes are much greener, I think. His smile’s a lot wider, too.” She pauses. “I think it’s because of you.”“Me?” I almost laugh.
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