Until Next Time (The Shooting Stars Series)

by Michelle Maness

  “No, you two barely qualified as a couple.”

  “How’s Clark?”

  “Good; leaving again was hard. This is what I get for dating an older man I guess.”

  “Kevin wrote me this summer,” Katherine shared.

  “Oh?”

  “He and his fiancée broke up again so he thought perhaps we might date again. I told him no.”

  “He’s a cute guy but a little dense,” Amy rolled her eyes.

  “I know,” Katherine laughed. “I need to run over to the office and check in on a couple of things.” Katherine folded up her last box.

  “If it is still raining like it was earlier, you’ll want to drive,” Amy advised.

  “It’s still raining,” Katherine grabbed her umbrella. “I’ll be back shortly,” she promised as she left the room.

  She took one look at the cars milling around and decided to walk. She feared she would never find a parking space if she gave up the one she had. She hadn’t yet gotten her parking assignment. Resigned, she snapped her umbrella open and started up one of the many hills on campus. It didn’t take her long to figure out that walking had been a mistake; the wind was threatening to rip her umbrella right from her hands.

  “Kaitlyn!”

  Katherine froze; only one person called her that. Her heart was racing as she turned. She saw him coming toward her and gave up her fight to hold on to her umbrella; she only hoped nobody was in its path.

  “Adam,” she blinked at him as he approached.

  Adam stopped in front of her, framed her face with his hands and a moment later was kissing her deeply. Katherine melted against him, wound her arms around him, and felt elation lift her heart.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded as she leaned back in his arms to look at him.

  “Getting an education,” he smiled down at her.

  “Are you serious?” her eyes widened.

  “I’m serious,” he nodded.

  Katherine cupped his head with her hand and pulled him back close for a kiss.

  “I missed you so much,” she admitted after she pulled back.

  “I missed you too. We’re getting soaked you know?” he was smiling now.

  “I don’t care,” she shook her head.

  “Where were you going?” he asked her.

  “To the office to ask about a couple of things,” she admitted.

  “I need to see them a moment too,” he took her hand and they continued on their way together.

  “What did you do to your hair?” she finally asked.

  “I bleached it,” he grinned at her.

  She crinkled her nose and he leaned over to kiss her lightly on the lips.

  “Don’t like it?” he asked.

  “I liked the way your hair and eyes matched,” she admitted. “What made you decide to enroll?” she asked him.

  “It didn’t take me long in the factory to figure out I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life on the assembly line worrying over strikes,” he shared. “I took my first year at the local community college,” he held the building door open for her.

  “That’s why you were so busy,” she stopped and frowned at him. “I thought you were blowing me off; why didn’t you tell me?”

  “In case I was a dismal failure at it,” he shrugged.

  “But you weren’t, were you?” she smiled at him.

  “No, I did alright,” he admitted.

  “I told you’re smart,” she turned and resumed walking.

  “Kattie!” Theo called as he scooped her into a hug. “Girl, you are soaking wet; what happened to you?”

  “Hey, Theo,” she greeted him with a smile. “I ran into Adam and lost my battle with the wind; it stole my umbrella. Theo, this is Adam. Adam, my friend Theo,” she introduced them.

  “Hi, Adam; welcome to UT Knoxville. I hope you like it,” Theo smiled.

  “Thanks, it’s nice to meet you.”

  “Kattie, Theo; we’re all meeting at The Spot at six-thirty. You gonna come?” Faith called from where she was in line.

  “I will be there,” Kattie called back and then turned to Adam. “You should come; you can meet everyone,” she shared.

  “I’d like that,” he smiled at her.

  Katherine and Adam parted ways to see to their errands and then met back out front.

  “Where are you living?” Katherine asked him.

  “Just off campus. I got an apartment.”

  “I figured you’d live on campus,” she noted.

  “I missed the housing deadline. It took me a bit to get everything and my money in order.”

  “Well you’re here and that is what matters,” Katherine smiled at him as they walked together. “You want to meet my roommate?”

  “Sure,” he smiled and let her lead him to her dorm. They dodged students and parents who were still unloading and working to get settled as they made their way upstairs.

  “Amy?” Katherine called as she entered their room. The room was empty, laughter coming from the short hallway where the bath was between their room and Kim and Faith’s.

  “Kattie? Who were you lip locked with outside the administrative building?” Amy’s voice demanded from the next room.

  Katherine felt her cheeks heat before her friend emerged from the hallway. She watched Amy’s eyes light when she noted Adam beside her.

  “I still cannot figure out how news travels so fast on a campus this size,” Katherine shook her head.

  “Adam, right? You changed your hair,” Amy, her hand extended, came forward.

  “Right and you must be Amy, you look just the way Kaitlyn described you,” Adam smiled as he shook her hand.

  “So much for introducing you two,” Katherine laughed.

  “I hear a man talking,” Kim stuck her head in the room. “Hello,” Kim smiled as she entered the room.

  “A man?” Faith came in behind Kim.

  “I’m Kim,” she gave him a flirtatious smile.

  “Cool it, Kim, that’s the man Kattie was plastered against just a few minutes ago,” Faith shared.

  “Sorry,” Kim offered.

  “Kim, Faith, this is Adam. Adam, my friends Kim and Faith,” she introduced them.

  “This is Adam?” Faith’s smile widened. “We heard a lot about you last year.”

  “What are you doing here? I thought you were working in Detroit,” Amy asked of him.

  “I was. I went to the local community college and transferred here this year. I’ve been here a few weeks actually but I knew Kaitlyn wouldn’t be arriving until today,” he explained.

  “Kaitlyn?” Kim looked confused.

  “Kattie; he calls her Kaitlyn,” Amy supplied.

  “Why?” Kim asked.

  “He gave me the nick name in high school,” Katherine shrugged. “So you’ve been here a few weeks and you didn’t even let me know?” she propped her hands on her hips.

  “I wanted to surprise you. That’s why I called instead of writing the past couple of weeks.”

  “You certainly did surprise me,” she admitted.

  “It also gave me time to work out housing and a job,” he explained.

  “Oh, we’re meeting at The Spot tonight; did Faith tell you?” Katherine turned to Amy.

  “She did which means we should hurry,” Amy pointed out.

  “We should, it was nice to meet you, Adam,” Kim smiled and then turned to go back to her room, Faith followed.

  Katherine gathered dry clothing and moved into the bathroom to change.

  “Can I do anything to help?” Adam offered when Katherine rejoined them.

  “Help us move these beds around?” Katherine requested. Both her and Amy’s beds were bunks with desks on the bottom and had been placed at opposite ends of the room. She and Amy wanted to turn them so that they sat against the interior wall which would open their floor space. Adam helped them move the beds and then stepped back.

  “How the hell am I supposed to make my bed?” Amy frowned at the b
ed as she held her sheets.

  “Carefully?” Katherine suggested.

  “Helpful, Kattie,” Amy shot her a quelling look.

  They each managed to make their beds in a reasonably neat manner. Katherine knelt on her bed and looked around the room.

  “I’ve never had a bunk bed,” she noted.

  “I am missing out on dorm life,” Adam joked.

  “You aren’t missing much,” Katherine assured him. “At least we have our own bathroom this year,” Katherine hopped off the side of her bed and smoothed the blankets before she started emptying a box onto her desk.

  “Four women sharing one bath? Are you sure?” Adam teased as he seated himself in her desk chair.

  “Much better than last year,” Katherine and Amy answered in unison.

  “What are you majoring in, Adam?” Amy asked as she started unpacking her clothes in her closet.

  “I haven’t decided on a major yet, just getting my basics and trying to decide exactly what I would like to study,” he admitted.

  “At least you’re here,” Katherine smiled at him.

  “That’s right; I’m here,” he nodded.

  Katherine leaned over to kiss him and found herself tugged into his lap.

  “You two behave,” Amy sounded amused.

  Katherine ignored her as she curled herself up into Adam’s lap and laid her head on his shoulder.

  “I missed you so much,” she whispered.

  “I missed you too,” he returned as he rubbed her back lightly.

  “Ahhh, you two are going to make me cry,” Amy teased.

  Adam lingered and helped them get situated until it was finally time for them to leave and meet the others.

  Five

  Adam watched Kaitlyn as she laughed and talked with her friends. She kept turning to draw him into the conversation but he was more than content to watch her and observe her with her friends. They were an eclectic group and seemed willing to accept a new comer. They had all immediately known who he was upon introduction which he found quite flattering. It still smarted that Kaitlyn had dated another man the previous year.

  “So you two dated in high school right?” Sean asked from across the table.

  “We did,” Katherine confirmed.

  “You going to date again?” he asked them.

  Adam watched Kaitlyn turn to him.

  “I certainly didn’t move all this way to watch her from a distance,” Adam smiled at her; she smiled back.

  “I wish a guy would move hundreds of miles to be with me,” Kim sighed.

  “Hi, Kattie; I was hoping I would find you here.”

  Adam turned to find a man, his gaze possessive, staring at Kaitlyn. The man wore the look of a jock; Adam felt his jealousy stir. This was the man she had dated, he realized.

  “Hi, Kevin,” Katherine nodded.

  “Can I sit down?” Kevin requested.

  “Sure,” Katherine scooted further into the booth.

  Adam laid his arm behind her.

  “You know what surprised me about Kattie?” Amy was saying when Adam returned his attention back to the conversation.

  “What’s that?” Pat asked.

  “She has quite the temper to be so sweet,” Amy was laughing.

  “I can’t even imagine Kattie angry,” Kevin smiled and shook his head.

  “You don’t know Kaitlyn very well do you?” Adam asked the man and watched him frown.

  “It’s Kattie and I know her well enough; we dated last year. She’s as sweet as they come,” Kevin countered.

  “Kaitlyn is sweet until you make her angry; then her green eyes shoot sparks,” Adam’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.

  “Do they?” Katherine demanded.

  “They do and your cheeks flush too; you’re quite beautiful when you’re angry,” he turned his full attention to her.

  “Your eyes get so dark your pupils disappear,” she informed him.

  “Wait a minute; how do you know Kattie?” Kevin demanded.

  “Kevin, this is Adam,” Katherine supplied, “he transferred to UT this year.”

  Kevin’s eyes swung to Adam.

  “So you’re Adam,” Kevin’s gaze sized him up. “I thought you had all but stopped writing; Kattie was rather hurt.”

  “I was trying to juggle a full time job and school so I could transfer here. I didn’t tell her in case it fell through,” Adam admitted.

  Katherine was smiling at him now and he kissed her lightly on the lips.

  “Good luck. I’ll see you all later,” Kevin stood and hurried away.

  “He has a lot of nerve coming around here after the way he dropped you like a hot potato when his fiancée showed back up,” Amy frowned.

  “She’d give him what he wanted and I wouldn’t,” Katherine shrugged.

  “Which dorm are you in, Adam?” Sean asked Adam.

  “I’m living in an off campus apartment,” Adam shared. “Just around the corner from here, actually.”

  “You two are an odd pair,” Sean was staring at Adam and Katherine.

  “I don’t know; I think we’re good together,” Katherine argued.

  “I think he’s referring to the fact that you are too good for me,” Adam teased her.

  “If you don’t quit making comments like that I am going to slap you,” she warned.

  “I take it this is an old argument,” Pat smiled at them.

  “Yes, and it drives me crazy,” Katherine glowered at Adam; he smiled unrepentantly.

  “Actually, I was referring to how different you two are. Kattie, you are beautiful but you are sweet and innocent and Adam hardly seems that,” Sean grinned at her.

  “What does that have to do with anything?” Katherine demanded.

  “Adam is more like me. We usually admire girls like you but know better,” Sean offered an explanation.

  “He’s just sore because he admired you all year last year and figured you wouldn’t give him the time of day,” Adam informed Kaitlyn.

  Sean smiled and nodded, “See, he knows what I mean. How did you two end up together anyway?”

  “He transferred to my school senior year and we hit it off,” Katherine shrugged. She didn’t understand the strong chemistry between them; she just knew it was there and she liked it. “You said you live nearby?” she turned to Adam. She was glad to catch up with her friends but she was ready to be with Adam without a crowd around.

  “Very,” ne nodded.

  “You’ve seen my place; I want to see yours,” she told him.

  “Sure,” he nodded.

  “I’ll see you all later,” Katherine nodded as she scooted from the booth. She found Amy watching with a speculative smile.

  Katherine smiled when Adam took her hand as they stepped into the waning sunlight and took to the sidewalk. She was so happy she felt like she could float right off.

  Adam led her to a small door beside a business and up the stairs to a small two room apartment.

  “It isn’t much,” Adam shrugged as she looked around.

  It wasn’t. A bed sat in the corner cattycorner to the door and faced a TV. A small kitchenette lined the wall beside the door and almost in the doorway was a table with two chairs. There wasn’t even a couch. Katherine could see what looked to be a miniscule bathroom through a doorway.

  “It’ll keep the rain off,” she shrugged.

  “I hope. I don’t see any water standing anywhere so I guess we’re good,” he joked. “I do, however, have a balcony,” he led her through the bathroom and onto a small balcony that over looked the city.

  “Through the bathroom,” she chuckled. “Hey, you have outdoor space; that is more than I can claim. The view is nice and it’s close enough to campus that you are almost living on campus.”

  “Yeah, the price was right,” Adam seemed almost at a lost as they moved back into the living area.

  Katherine slid her arms around him and burrowed into his chest. “I am so glad to see you,” she closed her eyes and drank
in the smell and feel of him.

  “I’m glad to see you too,” he kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back. “I was miserable in Detroit for missing you and hating my job.”

  “Where are you working?” she asked him.

  “At a comedy club across the river; I get good tips on the weekends.”

  “I imagine the female customers like you,” she teased.

  “Jealous?” he smiled as she wrapped her arms around him.

  “Should I be?” she asked him.

  “No, I moved here to be close to you,” he reminded her. “I love you, Kaitlyn,” he cupped her jaw, his thumb caressing her.

  “I love you too,” she answered.

  Pulling her close, Adam kissed her and Katherine wrapped her arms around him. She made no protest when he eased her onto the bed, his kisses deepening while his hand played with the skin of her waist.

  “I’ve missed kissing you,” Katherine admitted when he broke the kiss to stare down at her. She watched him smile at her confession.

  “Have you? I’ve missed kissing you too.”

  “I have,” she reached up and laid her hand on his cheek. “I’ve missed talking with you daily, being with you; I’ve missed you. This feels surreal, being here with you like this.”

  “It’s real,” he assured her; she smiled.

  “I know we are both going to be busy but I hope to see you every chance I get.”

  “We’ll find time to see each other. I could probably use help with my homework.”

  “We are good homework buddies,” she laughed. “And you even have a quiet place to study. I can tell you that there is nothing quiet about the dorms.”

  “So we’ll study here.”

  They talked, laughed, and made out for much of the evening. Katherine was almost reluctant to leave when Adam noted it was getting late. After being away from Adam for so long, she didn’t want to be away from him now.

  “I guess I should get home,” she acknowledged and tugged on the shoes she had kicked off earlier.

  “I’ll walk you,” Adam volunteered.

  “It isn’t far,” she assured him.

  “Kaitlyn, I am not letting you walk home alone. I know Knoxville isn’t a big city but it’s still a city,” he reminded her.

  “Thank you,” she smiled and gave him a kiss.

  He held her hand in his as they walked back to the dorms together and kissed her deeply before they parted ways. Katherine was practically floating as she entered her dorm.