Beyond the Cherry Trees: The Cook Brothers Series

by Heather D'Agostino

  Ballerina Girl: ok.

  Ballerina Girl: Wanna come over and watch a movie?

  I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes I got stuck at the studio when I’d rather be somewhere else. I’d broke plans plenty of times with my friends in favor of practicing a routine or landing a leap that gave me trouble. The least I could do was try to make the best of the evening. If Ty was willing to give us a shot, I had to at least meet him halfway.

  TyObject: Really tired. Maybe tomorrow.

  That got my attention. My anger began to rise as I stood and began stalking back toward my room. I flung my phone on my bed so hard that it bounced before I yanked the dress over my head. I stormed into my closet to hang it up and grabbed a pair sweatpants. After wrestling to get them on, I tugged on a t-shirt and grabbed a hair tie. I twisted my freshly curled locks up into a bun, wrapping the hair tie around it, and I began scrubbing my face clean of makeup all the while grumbling and cursing my boyfriend. He told me he wasn’t busy. Why couldn’t he at least text me today and tell me that things changed and that he might not be able to go out after all?

  After giving myself a minute to get composed I texted back. If he was going to be that way, I could return the favor. I had a life too. I had things going on other than him. If he didn’t want to make time for me, fine, I wouldn’t either.

  Ballerina Girl: Doc apt tomorrow

  There! Take that Tyler Cook. Find something else to do if I’m not important enough. The response was almost immediate, and I jumped when the phone vibrated in my hand.

  TyObject: Late? I’ll bring dinner.

  I laughed humorlessly. He was trying to smooth things over. I wasn’t even sure if I’d want company tomorrow. What if the doctor told me something I didn’t want to hear? What if my foot wasn’t healing as fast as they’d hoped? We were almost to New Year’s. Joe would begin auditioning dancers in the next month for Swan Lake. I needed to be able to dance by the end of January. If I couldn’t, then there was no way I was going to be performing.

  I growled as I trudged back into my living room. I paced the room, gripping my phone in my hand, as all the possibilities that tomorrow held rushed through my head. All the what ifs, all the maybes, and all the possibilities that could happen. My dream could easily be broken with the words that the doctor uttered in the morning.

  Ballerina Girl: ok

  There. I agreed to let him come over. As angry as I was at him now, I knew that he’d understand. I would have asked Garett, but he was with his family, and there wasn’t really anyone else.

  He didn’t respond after that, and I wondered if he knew that I was angry. He had to know. I mean he made plans with me tonight, and then broken them at the last minute. I just wondered what or who was so important that he needed to cancel on me, especially after he fought so hard for me to give him a chance.

  “SO YOU’RE SURE?” I watched the doctor write a few things in my file as he nodded and murmured his response once again.

  “Yes Miss Callahan, I’m sure,” he smiled softly as he turned toward the door to the small room I was sitting in. “You’re doing remarkably well. Just go slow, and don’t push yourself too hard. Sometimes these things are harder to come back from than we think.”

  “I will.” I grinned as I rotated my ankle. It was stiff and ached when I moved it after all those days in the boot. “Thank you.” I could feel my eyes welling up, and I swiped at them, embarrassed that I was getting so emotional, but this was the best news ever.

  “Have a good day, and I’ll see you back in three weeks.” He gave one final nod before disappearing out into the hallway. I sat there on the exam table completely stunned. This was what I’d been waiting for, but I hadn’t expected to hear it today.

  When the doctor looked at the x-ray and said the bone was healed, I all but chastised him for teasing me. He assured me that he wasn’t teasing, and he placed the film on the light box and showed me where the break had healed. He said the rest I’d given myself, along with following his orders, had helped me heal faster than expected. I could begin light exercises and stretching today and begin dancing next week. I’d be back to my former self in just a few weeks. Getting back in shape was key. I was really going to have to clamp down on my calorie intake and slack off time.

  I’d find out tonight how Ty really felt when he found out that he was going to have to share me with the studio again. We used to argue about this all the time when we first moved here. Today would be a real test to how far he’d actually come.

  AS THE HOURS ticked by, I tried to go about my day normally. I went home after leaving the doctor’s office and called Joe. As much as I wanted Tyler to be the first one to hear my news, I knew I needed to tell Joe as soon as possible. I needed him to know that I was going to be able to start working as soon as the next day and would be back and ready sooner than expected. I wanted the part of the White Swan, and as a principal dancer with the company, I had a right to it.

  After convincing him that I was ready, I spent the afternoon stretching in my apartment. I had a ballet barre in my living space, and when my fingers first touched the cool wood, it sent a tremor through me. It felt like it had been years when in reality, it had only been weeks since I touched the thing. When I pushed up on my toes into a relevé, I cringed as I remembered the last time I did this. The muscles pulled in protest as I lifted my newly healed foot into the air behind me and leaned forward, creating a perfect arabesque. My hand loosened its tight grip on the barre, and I used only my fingertips to steady myself. My good leg trembled as I sucked in my stomach and closed my rib cage. I was out of shape. Just taking those few weeks off had put me so far behind. When I lowered my foot and dipped down into a plié, I released a breath and held the position. It didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would when I rolled up onto my toes. I smiled in satisfaction as I went through the motions once again, this time moving a little faster.

  I worked well into the evening, and when my stomach growled alerting me it was near dinnertime, I finally stopped. Tyler should be showing up soon, and I needed a shower. I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, pushing stray hairs out of my face. I was dripping with sweat, but it felt good. It meant I was dancing again, and even though I had a slight ache in my foot, it wasn’t painful.

  I popped a few aspirin in my mouth as I took a gulp of water on my way to the bathroom, stripping off my clothes on the way. When the cool water of the shower began to pelt my aching body, I sighed in contentment. It sounds funny, being happy about being tried and sore, but this was what I was used to. This feeling made me feel normal. I finally saw things getting back to the way they were before, and it made me giddy with excitement.

  After washing up, I turned off the shower. As I stepped out to wrap a towel around myself, I heard someone knocking on the door. I’d put my phone on the counter in case Ty texted when I was in the shower. I wasn’t sure when he’d be heading over, but apparently he didn’t think to call first. “Just a minute!” I yelled as I twisted my hair up into a towel as I grumbled to myself. “Can’t pick up a phone? You just thought I’d wait around for you?” I grabbed a second towel and wrapped it around my body as I began rushing to the door.

  Glancing through the peephole and seeing it was indeed Ty, I yanked open the door. “Don’t you know how to call first?” I snapped as my eyes were met with a bouquet of red roses.

  “Welcome back,” he grinned from around them. “I wanted to surprise you,” he continued as he appraised me. “Surprise?” he pushed on weakly.

  I stepped back and motioned for him to enter before closing and locking the door behind him. He stood there awkwardly in my living room looking around. He’d never been to my place before, and if I hadn’t given him the address the other day he never would have found the place. He was still wearing his suit and a brown paper bag was hanging from the fingers of his left hand, the roses in his right.

  “Make yourself comfortable, I’ll be right back.” I flipped one hand
in the air as the other clutched my towel where it was cinched together at my breasts.

  As soon as I reached the confines of my room, I closed and locked my door. No telling what I’d do if Ty decided to come in while I was standing in just a towel. I’m sure it would make our little session in front of the campfire look like a G-rated movie. I shook my head trying to clear the thoughts as I rushed to put on a pair of panties and a bra. I grabbed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt before yanking off the towel wrapped around my hair.

  “Need any help?” His voice was muffled from the other side of the door. I shook my head as I thought about exactly what kinda help he was offering.

  “I’m fine,” I shouted as I pulled a comb through my wet strands. After getting all the knots out, I twisted it into a messy bun at the base of my neck before opening the door to an empty hallway. When I rounded the corner into the living area, Tyler was rummaging through my kitchen cabinets. “Can I help you?” It came out sounding annoyed, and he jumped.

  “Just looking for plates.” He held his hands up and stepped back appraising me.

  “You go through all the cabinets of the girls you spend time with?” I teased but kept my scowl in place.

  “Just you,” he shrugged as he moved out of my way.

  “Plates are in here.” I opened one of the cabinets, grabbed what we needed, and set them on the counter. After getting some glasses, I opened the silverware drawer, handed Ty two forks, and smiled. “Need anything else,” I nibbled my lip as I placed one hand on my hip and the other on the counter.

  “Yeah,” he chuckled as he reached for me. He wrapped an arm around my waist as he pulled me closer. “You.”

  He placed a deep kiss on my lips, and when he pulled back, I narrowed my eyes on him. “You seem pretty sure of yourself for someone who flaked out on me last night.”

  Ty sighed as he started leading me into the living room. “I’m sorry about that; I really am. I knew I’d be making up for it tonight.” He motioned me to sit down on the couch. Once I did, he grinned. “I hope you’ll forgive me.” He reached into the paper bag that was sitting on the table and lifted out a red and white container. At that moment, I knew exactly what we were eating for dinner.

  “Beef and broccoli?” I grinned up at him as he handed it to me. “That’s my favorite.” I clapped happily before taking the container from him.

  “I know,” he smirked before pulling the rest of the containers out. “I didn’t forget my girl’s favorite Chinese place. Got something else for you too.” He gave me a knowing smile as he moved over to my DVD player. He brought it to life and popped a disk in before coming back to settle next to me. After clicking play, he removed his suit jacket and tossed it along with his tie on the chair next to us. He kicked his shoes off, and as the opening credits of my favorite movie popped up on the screen, he leaned back, placing his feet on the coffee table in front of us.

  “I haven’t watched this in years,” I murmured as Paul Walker’s face drifted across the screen.

  “It was always a favorite of yours,” Ty shrugged as he popped a piece of meat in his mouth.

  “Thank you.” I looked over at him and smiled.

  “You’re welcome.” He studied my face before continuing, and I was surprised that he hadn’t noticed my foot yet. “So am I forgiven for yesterday?”

  I nodded as my eyes welled. He was being so sweet, and I’d been so mad at him last night. “Got some good news,” I grinned at him as I watched him try and figure it out. “Check me out.”—I held up my bootless foot— “All better,” I smiled as I rotated my ankle showing him.

  “That’s great,” he exclaimed as he watched me.

  “Sure is. I already did a little dancing today. I’ve got to take it easy, but I’m on my way back.” I bounced in my seat as I stared at him. He had a look on his face that I couldn’t quite place, but I wasn’t going to push him right now. No, I was happy, and I wanted to enjoy this night for what it was… a new beginning.

  BY THE TIME the movie finished, our dinner containers were empty and scattered across the coffee table in front of us. It was late, and I’d been yawning for the last half hour. Tyler was half asleep with his arm wrapped around my shoulders as his head tipped back on the back of the sofa.

  We’d spent most of the evening enjoying each other’s company in silence. It was nice. I’d snuggled into his side, and had been waiting for him to make his move but he hadn’t. “I better go.” He stretched and yawned as he started to rock forward and stand up.

  “Wait!” I pressed on his chest and his eyes flashed in confusion. I swallowed as my eyes darted back and forth across his face. “Thank you for tonight. I had a nice evening despite it being late.”

  “You’re welcome.” He smiled softly as one hand slowly lifted to cup my jaw. His thumb began caressing the apple of my cheek as his eyes softened. “I like spending time with you. I don’t want to cancel dates with you, Mia, but sometimes work just happens. It’s not always something I can control,” he smiled softly before leaning in. “I would much rather be with you.” His breath wafted over my lips as he moved incredibly closer before he connected those lips with mine.

  It started out soft and sweet, but when I licked at his bottom lip, it lit the fuse. He growled softly as he opened his mouth and ran his tongue along mine. I moaned at the contact as I lifted my arms to wrap them around his neck. He shifted on the couch and began pulling me into his lap so I was straddling his thighs. I gasped and giggled as my fingers weaved in the hair on the back of his head. His hands gripped my hips, pulling me impossibly closer, and when my mouth closed over his once again, I took a tiny nip of the soft flesh of his lower lip.

  “Shit!” he hissed as he plunged his tongue deeper. “You’re a naughty girl,” he gasped as his arms banded around me. I giggled as I ground my hips down on him. I’d been thinking about the last time we’d made out like kids, and all the promises he’d made about ‘next time’. The idea that he wanted to pleasure me endlessly had caused me to ache for him since he’d left Cherryville. Having him right here in my living room was such a tease, and the fact that he’d been good all night made it so much harder to be around him. “Ask me to stay,” he panted as he broke the kiss. “Tell me you want me to stay.” He cupped my face. His eyes were dark with passion and wild with desire. I could see that my words were going to send him over the edge, and if I didn’t know him like I did, I might have been scared.

  “Stay,” I whispered. His lips twitched up into a smirk as his eyes twinkled.

  “That is the best fucking word you’ve said all night.” He gave me a quick kiss before rocking forward to stand with me still in his arms. I squealed as I wrapped my legs around his waist and tightened my grip around his neck. As I buried my face in the soft flesh of his neck, he began striding toward the bedroom. “You don’t know what you just agreed to,” he warned as he stepped into my room and kicked the door shut behind us.

  “Well, I can’t wait to find out,” I flirted before pressing my mouth back to his. By this point we were frantic. Teeth were clashing together as we wrestled with each other’s clothes. When Ty’s belt buckle clanked, signaling that it had hit the floor, I paused. We were breathing heavy, both standing there in only our underwear. It had been two years since we’d done this.

  My right hand lifted to run across his pecs, and the muscle flinched under my touch. The air around us thickened as we slowed down to enjoy one another. My left hand moved to his shoulder and followed his collar bone as he waited patiently for me to get my fill. “You’ve changed,” I murmured. The slender frame he’s had before had bulked up considerably. The lean muscles now bulged under the soft skin. My hands traveled down to where the band of his boxer briefs taunted me, and I swallowed.

  My hands ghosted across the v of muscle that pointed to the area I really wanted to see. When I glanced up at him, he’d closed his eyes. “You’re killing me, Mia,” his strained voice caused me to bite my lip in determination. I stepped closer so
I could wrap my arms around his waist, and when I reached the middle of his back, I grabbed the elastic and slowly began to tug on it. The soft cotton slid down easily exposing his firm backside, and when my hands drifted around to the front they brushed against his throbbing erection. “Fuck,” he panted, but refused to move. I was amazed at his restraint. I wasn’t sure how to put him into action, and I wasn’t really the girl to take the lead; I wondered what his angle was here. I’d never been the one to initiate sex between us in the past. Tyler had always taken the reins.

  I glanced down at where his cock was standing proudly as it pointed at me and took a deep breath before wrapping my fingers around it. His hips jerked as he grunted in surprise. I let my fingers slide to the base before giving it a light squeeze and moving to cup his balls. “Ty,” I rose up on my tiptoes and leaned in next to his ear. “Don’t you want to touch me?”

  His eyes flashed as his head dipped down, and his mouth clamed mine. My hands flew to his shoulders as he walked us backward. When my legs hit the bed, he began peeling my bra straps down and working the clasp on the back free. I lowered my arms, and as soon as he removed the garment, he flung it over his shoulder. I giggled but was soon silenced as he lifted me in his arms and laid me in the center of the bed. His warm, hard body loomed over me before he lowered his head to my breast.

  I’d always had a small chest, and back in high school, it was something I was very self-conscious about, but Tyler never seemed to care. As a dancer, it worked to my advantage, but I always had a nagging feeling that I wasn’t what he really wanted.

  My back arched as his lips pulled at the nipple causing it to harden to a stiff peak. His other hand was supporting his weight as he feasted on my breasts. “Ty?” I panted as I squirmed against him. He was always good at the foreplay, and my throbbing center was proof. “Please,” I begged as his head lifted and his eyes connected with mine.