"No. I don't want to take it."
He suddenly stops what he's doing, and looks at me with pouty eyes. "Please? For me?"
"No, no, no. You don't get to do that."
He smiles widely but bites his lip to conceal it. "Too bad. I'm doing it anyway. Please?"
I sigh, knowing I'm completely defenseless when it comes to that face. I push myself up to a seated position and slowly remove my hand from my mouth. He brings the cup closer and up to my lips, but at the last second I panic. I sink down and my hand moves to cover my mouth but in turn hits the cup and sends the medicine flying all over Holden's chin and white t-shirt. At first, I'm shocked, but after a couple seconds I break out into uncontrollable laughter.
"Oh, you think that's funny?" He questions.
He grips my sides and starts tickling me, only making me laugh harder. I squirm around, begging for him to stop, but he doesn't listen. He lightly digs his fingertips into my sides, and I don't stand a chance at fighting him off. When he finally stops, he hovers over me as both of us stare at each other – our breathing labored. It's as if we're both screaming for the other to do something, but neither one of us dares to move.
"You smell like medicine." I cringe.
He laughs, pulling off his shirt and using the dry part of it to wipe the gross liquid off his chin. When he's done, he tosses it to the floor. I can't help but gawk at his defined torso. It’s been too long.
"Better?"
Just as I'm about to answer, the door opens and Bree walks in. She stops dead in her tracks as she takes in the sight in front of her. Holden's shirtless and my clothes are all out of sorts from his tickling assault. I can only imagine what's going through her mind.
"Well damn Kay, I thought you were sick."
"Nope. She was faking this whole time." Holden lies. "She even asked me for a strip tease! The nerve!"
My jaw drops in disbelief as I place my hand on his chest and push him backwards, effectively causing him to tumble off the bed. Bree and I chuckle as he hits the floor and groans.
"Ignore him."
She waves dismissively. "I always do."
"The amount of love I feel right now is overwhelming, let me tell you." He groans, still lying on the floor.
I lean over the edge of the bed and look down at him, feigning innocence. "What're you doing down there?"
He smirks as he reaches up and pulls me down onto the floor as well. With barely any time to catch myself, I end up falling directly on top of him. Holden whines and laughs at the same time.
"I really should have thought that one through."
"You think?" Bree and I say in unison.
I push myself up, making sure to put as much pressure on him as possible for pulling me off the bed – though he doesn't seem to mind much. Once we're both sitting up, he sighs and looks at me.
"I have to go. Hockey practice is in two hours, and I have a feeling if I stay here any longer, I'm going to end up injured."
"You're probably right." I reply while giggling.
Holden stands and offers me his hand. Once I take it, he pulls me up off the floor with ease. He slips his shoes on before putting on his coat, still lacking a shirt due to it being covered in medicine. Once he's done he turns to me.
"You're not going to take the medicine, are you?"
I shake my head while giving him a knowing look. "Never in a million years."
He rolls his eyes jokingly. "Stubborn woman."
He takes one step toward me and pulls me into a tight hug. It takes everything in me not to turn into a puddle of mush. When he releases me, he places one hand on my cheek and leans forward. At first I think he's going to kiss me, but instead he places his lips on my forehead.
"Text me, okay?" I nod as he walks backwards toward the door. "Feel better, babe. Bye Bree."
The term of endearment catches both Bree and I off guard and as soon as the door closes, she turns her attention to me.
"Babe?!" She questions excitedly. "What exactly happened today?"
I shake my head, still trying to figure that out for myself. "I don't even know."
Chapter 10
Itake the coffee from Dawson and slide it across the counter to the customer. As soon as she walks away, he returns to grilling me about mine and Holden's current situation.
"I just don't get it." He says, dumbfounded.
I pull myself up to sit on the counter and start kicking my legs. "What is there not to get?"
"Uh, the huge unanswered question of are you or aren't you!"
Shrugging slightly, I bite my lip to conceal my smile. "I'm just glad we're talking."
Dawson waves dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Kumbaya. Everyone loves each other. Blah dee blah blah. I want to know if you're back together or not!"
I chuckle, finding it amusing that this is bothering everyone else more than it bothers me. Don't get me wrong, I'm just as confused as he is when it comes to the status of mine and Holden's relationship, but I'm trying not to dwell on it.
The bell dings, and Jason's voice echoes through the room. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Contagious Kayleigh."
I look at him as if he's gone crazy, before turning my attention to Caleb. "What the hell is he talking about?"
Caleb rolls his eyes and nudges Jason with his elbow as they approach the counter. "Holden's sick. He has whatever you had."
"Serves him right. He should know not to have sexy time with a sick person, even if he is in love with her." Jason quips.
"You two had sex?!" Dawson exclaims.
I shush them both immediately, not needing all of Dolce to hear about sex life, or lack thereof.
"There was no sexy time, not that it's any of your business." They snicker and make faces as I focus on Caleb. "He didn't mention being sick."
"He probably doesn't want you to feel bad. He's been quarantined in his room all day."
I sigh, knowing it's just like Holden to insist on taking care of me, but not even tell me that he's not feeling well. Looking around the empty coffee house, I turn to Dawson.
"Mind if I ditch for a bit?" He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively until I lightly smack him in the stomach.
"Ouch, okay fine." He takes his keys out of his pocket and hands them to me. "If anyone asks, you're at a doctor's appointment."
"Thank you." I walk over to the coat hanger and grab my jacket.
"Oh, and tell your boyfriend he better be good for the game on Wednesday!" Jason exclaims as I push open the door.
"Not my boyfriend!"
"Yeah, okay!" The three of them yell back in unison.
I lightheartedly roll my eyes, not bothering to argue with them. I walk a few stores down to the pharmacy to grab some medicine and Gatorade. Once I'm done, I climb into Dawson's car and head over to Holden’s. It only takes a couple minutes to get there, but in that short time, I manage to question my actions at least five times over. However, once I arrive, I put my game face on and get out of the car.
I walk up the front steps and into the house. I make my way up the stairs and down the hall to his bedroom. After knocking softly on the door, I hear a congested Holden telling me to come in. I push open the door and his eyes soften as soon as he sees me.
"Constant text messages between today and yesterday, and you just forgot to mention you're sick?" I place the bag down on his dresser and pull out the contents.
His eyebrows furrow. "Who told you?"
"Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum came into Dolce, and one of them may or may not have blamed me for getting you sick."
Holden whines. "You did not."
Putting a hand on my hip, I look at him knowingly. "No? So, you just coincidentally got exactly what I had after spending more than half the day taking care of me?"
"Yup." He replies, popping the p. "Just bad luck and a bit of irony."
"I'm sure that's exactly what happened."
After taking two pills from the package, I walk over to Holden and hand them to him along with a bottle of G
atorade, remembering how much he hates swallowing pills with water.
"Take these."
He grabs the two capsules from my hand and eyes them carefully. "Do I get to be a baby and refuse like you did?"
"No. That was liquid medicine. It’s different. You don't taste the pills."
"Eh, debatable."
I roll my eyes but smile. "Take the pills before I make you."
He smirks. "I don't know whether to be scared or turned on."
A laugh of both humor and shock comes out of my mouth. While his sudden forwardness catches me a little off guard, I should have expected it.
"You lack a filter when you're sick. Did you know that?"
Holden hums as he swallows down the medication. "I think it's just you."
"Me?!"
"Mhm. You bring out the best in me." He flirts.
I try to contain my smile. "Alright Casanova. I think the congestion is messing with your head."
Kicking off my shoes, I put my jacket on the back of his chair and walk to the other side of his bed. As soon as I get close, he lifts the blanket for me to slide into bed with him.
"I'm sorry I got you sick." I tell him as soon as I get comfortable.
He smiles softly. "Don't be. I knew the risks."
"And to think I once hated you."
"You mean you don't anymore?"
I pretend to think about the question. "Meh. You're alright."
A bark of laughter leaves his mouth. "Good to know."
The two of us spend the afternoon joking around and talking about things like hockey and Holden's plans after graduation. The thought of being at school without him makes me sick to my stomach, but I don't dare to admit it. Throughout all our conversations, however, we both dance around the topic of our current relationship status – avoiding it at all costs.
After a few hours, I look over to find him fast asleep. There's something beautiful about how innocent he looks, the light hitting his face just right. He's gorgeous. For a short moment, I wonder what he could be dreaming about, but my hopes are way too high to think like that right now.
Feeling daring, I lean over and press a light kiss to his forehead – careful not to wake him. I pull away slowly and turn to get out of the bed. Just before I stand, I feel a hand wrap around my wrist.
"Where are you going?" Holden asks with a groggy voice.
I smile sadly, wishing I could just spend the rest of the night here with him. "I have to get back to work."
"No, stay. Please?" He pouts in the adorable way that gets me every time. Mix that with the fact that he's sick – I don't stand a chance.
Glancing at the clock, I notice there are only a few hours left before we're supposed to close. Still, I can't find it in me to deny him – so instead of leaving, I nod and lay down, turning on my side so we're facing each other. Neither one of us say a word, but his hand slides down from my wrist to interlace our fingers. It feels like home.
"What are you thinking about?" I ask after a few minutes of silence.
He arches himself up on one arm, and I adjust my body to the angle. He looks as if he's having some deep internal debate. Then suddenly, his expression changes to determination.
"Screw it." He murmurs, and the next thing I know his mouth is on mine.
I gasp, not expecting the abrupt movement, but Holden doesn't miss a beat. He releases my hand and moves his grip to my waist – his touch slipping under my shirt and burning my skin. I lace my fingers into his hair and pull lightly, causing a low moan to emit from the back of his throat.
There may be a lot that I'm not sure of, but right here in this moment, I know that I want him.
BY THE TIME I make it back to Dolce, Dawson is getting ready to close. Upon walking in, I notice Bree and Skylar are already here.
"You have sex hair." Skylar remarks as soon as she sees me.
I laugh. "No I don't, because we didn't have sex."
Bree studies me carefully. "Then how'd you get a hickey on your neck?"
My eyes widen as I rush over to the mirror. Thankfully, I relax when I see that there isn't one. "Liar. I don't have a hickey."
"No, but the fact that you had to check means something happened." Bree responds, causing me to internally face palm and the rest of them to laugh.
"Well played." Dawson commends her.
The four of us go over to the couches and sit down. Lately we've been hanging out here past closing. The owner doesn't mind and it's nice to relax together for a bit after work.
"Please tell me you two are back together." Sky begs.
I shrug, causing Dawson to groan. "How do you still not know?!"
"We just haven't talked about it, yet."
"Well, maybe you should remove your tongues from each other's throats long enough to do that. I need answers, damn it!"
I give Skylar a look. "You are aware you're marrying a girl, right?"
She grins broadly. "Yeah, he's cute though."
Dawson hums contently and kisses her cheek. Their level of affection is obnoxiously adorable – or as Bree calls it, vomit inducing. I find myself hoping that one day I can have a relationship like they do.
"I have to hand it to you." Bree starts. "You've handled everything with him surprisingly well so far."
I smile at the compliment. "It hasn't been easy, trust me. I want to know what's in the cards for us just as much as everyone else, but I don't think I'll be the one to bring it up. If he wants to get back together, he knows where to find me. Until then, I'm just going to embrace... whatever it is we're doing."
"Aw. Look at you being all mature and what not." Dawson mocks playfully.
I grab the nearest pillow and chuck it at him. Unfortunately, in his attempt to shield himself, he hits it away and into the three mugs on the table, sending coffee and ceramic flying. Bree, Dawson, and I break into hysterics while Skylar rubs her forehead.
"I'm in for such a long and messy life with you." She grumbles playfully, but it's clear she wouldn't have it any other way.
Chapter 11
It's one thing to be at Holden's hockey game, surrounded by the many women who all but beg for his attention. It's another to be at work and constantly wonder what's happening. When the curiosity becomes too much, I end up streaming the game through my phone, ignoring Dawson and his sarcastic commentary.
"Why are you even watching that? I thought you hated going there."
I sigh as I try to spot my ex on the small screen. "I didn't hate it. It was just hard to be around."
"And watching it on there is easier?"
"Yes. Well, no. I don't know. Shut up."
Dawson snickers to himself. "Whatever you say, love."
I watch intently while Holden makes a breakaway. It's just him and the goalie while the last few seconds on the clock count down. He fakes left before going right and takes the shot. The goalie just misses the puck as it flies into the net, Holden's team taking the lead 3-2.
The arena goes crazy as the buzzer sounds, announcing the end of the game. The Black Bears take their second win of the season, maintaining the title of undefeated. I'm able to catch a few seconds of Holden and his team celebrating on the ice before the camera cuts back to the announcers. I close out of the video and open my messages.
Me: Congratulations. Proud of you. :)
I click the screen off and slip my phone into my back pocket. Dawson gives me a look, one that screams everything he's thinking without saying a word. I roll my eyes playfully and shake my head.
"I don't want to hear it."
He snorts. "Didn't say a word."
"Mhm."
The two of us busy ourselves with customer orders and trying to experiment with flavors to make the perfect cup of coffee. It isn't until about 45 minutes later that my phone vibrates. I pull it out and smile when I see a response from Holden.
Holden: Thanks babe.
There's that word again – babe. Such a simple term of endearment that causes goosebumps to rise across my ski
n. If only I knew what he meant by it. Does he even think before he uses it, or is it just out of habit? Ugh, what I would give to know what he's thinking.
I sit on the counter as I scroll through twitter. There are tons of tweets and retweets congratulating the team on their win. It isn't until I see a picture posted by Jason that the smile falls off my face. Many of the players are gathered at what looks like a bar, surrounded by beautiful women. Holden isn't in the picture, but I can only imagine what kind of girls are trying to hang all over him.
"What's wrong?" Dawson asks, concerned. Instead of saying anything, I simply turn my phone towards him. "Oh."
I shrug. "I mean, do I even have a right to be upset? It's not like we're together."
He thinks about it for a second before answering. "Honestly? Not really. That's why you need to talk and figure out what’s going on between you two."
"I know. I'm just scared. What if he doesn't want to get back together? I mean, he said himself it's not the right time for a girlfriend."
"Eh, that was also before you two hooked up again. I wouldn't really take that too seriously."
"Yeah, maybe."
Once looking at the clock, I notice its ten minutes until closing and we still have stuff to do. I hop off the counter and head into the back room to grab the mugs from the dishwasher. While I'm there, I gather all the cleaning supplies and garbage bags. Just as I’m picking it all up, Dawson swings the door open.
"I'll get that." He says.
"Huh? I've already got it."
His grin screams that he knows something I don’t. "You have something else to attend to."
Confused, I walk toward the door he's holding open and peek out of it – seeing Holden standing by the counter. My eyes widen as I turn to Dawson, who wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. I chuckle as I hand him the mugs and slip through the door.
"Hey you." Holden greets me with a wide smile on his face.
"Hey hotshot."
As I go to give him a hug, he lifts me up and spins me around. I squeal in surprise while he giggles into my neck. When he's done, he puts me down and I take a small step back.
"What are you doing here? You should be out celebrating with the team."
Endless December (Sleepless November Saga Book 2) Page 6