Weightless

by Gia Riley

  Breakfast continues as if it never happened. Mom joins us at the table, and before long, they’re all busy talking about girlie decorating shit for the apartment.

  I zone out again. This time, I don’t like where my mind goes. Visions of Sophie having meals with other people, including other guys, doesn’t sit well with me.

  “Kipton.”

  I look up, realizing Sophie was trying to get my attention.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Then why are you strangling your napkin, and ripping it to shreds?”

  I look at my hand, unaware I was even doing it. “Are you taking pink towels again?” It’s a stupid question, and I regret saying it after the words leave my mouth.

  Before she can respond, Cara doubles over with laughter practically choking on her breakfast.

  Sophie looks back and forth between the two of us. “What did I miss?”

  “Nothing. Nevermind.” I get up and rinse my plate off in the sink.

  Sophie gets up from the table and stands next to me in front of the sink. “I have pink and purple towels. Why?” She asks innocently.

  I feel like an even bigger asshole for asking after her response. “No reason. I was just asking.”

  “The hell you are,” Cara chimes in.

  Mom is equally confused by the entire exchange. “Do I even want to know?” she asks Cara.

  “You do! Kipton’s worried someone will steal Sophie because he has a fetish for girls in pink towels.”

  I throw the dish towel at Cara’s head. She doesn’t see it coming, and jumps when it hits her in the side of the head. “Asshole! You could have poked my eye out.”

  “It was a towel, Cara. Not a damn fork.”

  “Leave your brother alone, Cara. And Kipton, don’t hit your sister.” Mom rolls her eyes and clears her spot at the table. “I swear you two get worse with age.”

  The fun we have over breakfast is short lived. An hour later, it’s déjà vu with the pile of junk Cara has in the garage for me to load into her car. After last year, I swore I wasn’t doing this again. That was until I met Sophie, and she came to stay with us. “Who the hell bought all this shit? And where do you plan on putting it?” I toss aside some pillows and hunt for the big stuff first.

  “Kippy, stop complaining. You act like this is a shock after moving me in the dorms for the past two years.”

  “You never had this much junk, Cara,” I groan from the weight of the boxes in my arms. Did she pack bricks?

  “It’s not junk! They’re all necessities. We have an entire apartment to furnish. Not just one room.”

  “Doesn’t mean you have to fill it all at once. With your shopping addiction you’ll look like a bunch of hoarders by winter break.”

  “Fine by me. I’ve always wanted my own reality show. Perfect opportunity.”

  “Of course you would,” I grumble. My back is fucking killing me after loading up Sophie’s car and now Cara’s SUV.

  Without a care in the world, Cara dances by me, singing the lyrics to some shit song with only a throw pillow in her hand—one frilly ass pillow that doesn’t weigh more than a few feathers. “Don’t strain yourself,” I grumble. I love my sister, but sometimes I wish I had a brother.

  “Don’t be an ass, Kippy.”

  Sophie chuckles from behind me, and wraps her arms around me. “You’re being a good sport. I know you want to kill her right now.”

  “Please tell me this is the end of it.” I drop the last box in the corner of Cara’s trunk, and she’s lucky there’s just enough room to get the hatch closed without breaking the back window. “Done.”

  Cara stands next to my car with the trunk already open. “But we didn’t even get to your car yet. I have plenty more!”

  She’s gotta be fucking kidding me. But, when she pushes me back inside, I spot more boxes in the opposite corner of the garage. “You’re buying me dinner tonight.”

  “I HOPE I HAVE EVERYTHING.”

  “I don’t think you could fit another thing in the car even if you tried, beautiful.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  Kipton comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around me before he kisses my neck. “And if you forget anything, I’ll bring it to you in a week when I visit.”

  “A week,” I say with a sigh.

  “Sophie, can I talk to you for a minute before you go,” Lynn asks from the edge of the driveway where she stands.

  I glance at Kipton, and he nods his head to go with her. “Sure.”

  I follow her into the office where she closes the door behind us. It’s eerily similar to the conversation we had almost a year ago when she asked me to be a part of her family. But I don’t know what to make of the expression on Lynn’s face. She’s always so strong, so in control of her world. Not an ounce of uncertainty ever wavers in her body language or her voice. She exudes confidence in a way I admire.

  “Sophie, before I let you walk out of our home today, I need you to know how much I’ve enjoyed having you this summer. You accepted my proposal last year, and you have no idea how much joy that filled me with—to give you a place where you could be loved unconditionally.”

  I sigh in relief once I know this is a positive conversation. She had me worried. “Staying here has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I’ll never be able to repay you.”

  “You don’t have to. From the moment I met you, I knew we were alike in so many ways. I could see it in your eyes, and I could feel it in my soul. I may look like I have all my ducks in a row, but it wasn’t always that way. I lived with men like Dean in foster care.”

  “Really?” I question. I never would have guessed.

  “Yes, I carried my skeletons around with me, too. But if I’ve learned anything in this life, it’s that forgiveness is the hardest lesson to learn. It’s also the most rewarding.” Lynn gives me the most genuine smile, and I know she’s right. It’s the only way to truly heal.

  “I’m trying.”

  “You’ll get there, sweet girl. Just don’t stop fighting for the life you want.”

  I nod my head. “I won’t ever stop.”

  “This will always be your home, Sophie. Don’t forget that either.”

  I lean over and wrap my arms around Lynn’s shoulders. She deserves so much more than a measly hug, but it’s all I can offer her. A simple thank you will never be enough for all she’s given me. “I’ll make you proud. I promise.”

  “You already have—do the rest for you.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Now get back outside before Cara gets too antsy. She’s not going to be happy until she sees Drew.”

  I open the office door to find Kipton standing in the hallway with his head leaning against the wall. “You good?” he asks.

  I glance at Lynn before I answer him. “We’re great.”

  “Come here.” After he kisses my cheek, he pulls me by the arm to my car. Though I wish we had a couple more days of summer to enjoy, it’s time to get this show on the road.

  “I’ll follow you. Stay behind Cara if you can.”

  “Okay,” He tucks me safely in my car. I reach for my seat belt, but Kipton already has it in his hand. He reaches across my body, buckling me into my seat. “I could have.” I pause, swallowing hard when he runs his hand up my thigh. “Done that.”

  “I’ve got you,” He whispers.

  I nod my head, and stare as his fingers ever so lightly stroke the inside of my thigh. His touch is soft, yet meaningful. Cara ruins the moment when she beeps her horn so unexpectedly, we both jump in surprise, banging our heads together. “I’m going to kill your sister.”

  Reluctantly, Kipton removes his hand from my leg. I can tell he’s battling with himself to walk away. “You okay, Sophie?”

  What I want to do is run back into the house and lock myself in my room. But I’m done running, and as much as I’ll miss Kipton, I’m more determined than ever to make the most of these new changes. I’m
ready to practice everything I’ve learned in therapy—to show everyone how Sophie Evans can overcome any obstacle when she puts her mind to it. I can keep the closet door closed, and I can survive on my own even when the odds have always been stacked against me.

  Kipton’s always been my rock, and I never imagined I’d be going through this entire school year without him, but it’s time to stand on my own two feet.

  Times change.

  People change.

  Paths change.

  But change doesn’t have to have negative consequences. So when I answer him with a simple, “I’m good.” I mean every single word. I’ve got this.

  “I’m proud of you, Sophie.” He places a chaste kiss on my cheek, and I smile as he closes my car door for me.

  I mouth the words thank you and watch him walk away. I must spend a little too long staring at his ass because Cara beeps her horn again while hanging her head out the window. “Drive now, hump later. I have a man to get to!”

  I laugh when Kipton flips her the bird, but start my car in a hurry anyway. She’s a woman on a mission, and I’m not about to get in her way.

  THE FIRST HOUR OF THE drive, I follow Cara’s lead. I make the mistake of glancing at Kipton in my rear view mirror. With his sunglasses on, he looks like one of the models you’d find plastered on the cover of GQ. I don’t know what it is about a hot guy in a sexy car, but even his Camaro does things to me I don’t understand.

  Through the next series of lights, I stare off and on, caught up in a forbidden fantasy in the backseat of Kipton’s car. The rest of the world drives by, in a hurry to get wherever they’re going, but we have all the time in the world tucked away in our own little paradise.

  My fantasy is interrupted at the next red light, when my phone chimes with an incoming text. I’m careful not to text and drive, but when I see it’s from Kipton and we aren’t moving, I pick it up.

  Kipton: I’ve been picturing all the ways I could have you in this car.

  My cheeks heat when I realize he’s been having similar thoughts the entire drive. I debate what to type back, but I want the same thing he does, so I keep it simple.

  Sophie: Yes.

  Kipton: Details later. Light’s green, beautiful.

  I toss my phone back in the cup holder, and continue my drive. Cara’s bopping around ahead of me, no doubt happy as a cucumber now that she’s even closer to seeing Drew. I try to think about our new place, and my schedule. I even have Fridays off this semester. But no matter what I think about, it all brings me back to Kipton.

  Damn him and that car.

  Hoping music will be the distraction I need, I turn the radio up, doing what any other girl hopelessly in love would do. I belt out the lyrics to the sappiest love song I can find. After that, I follow it up with another equally emotional ballad, one after the next until I pull into the parking space in front of my new apartment. Only then do I lower the volume, and give my throat a rest from my lack luster singing. Not everyone was born with a voice the world needs to hear.

  Kipton knocks on my window, startling me. Pressing the button to lower the glass, I know I blush when he smiles at me. There have been very few PG thoughts since we left.

  He leans down, removing his glasses so I can see his crystal blue eyes. His smile disappears, and in its place is concern. “Beautiful, why are you torturing yourself listening to this sappy shit?”

  I shrug my shoulders. “Because I can?”

  “Then I’m going to have to work harder at distracting you.”

  “You have been for the past two hours.”

  “Then why stop now?” He leans into my car, his lips finding mine with enough force to make me gasp. He pins me in my seat with my head pressed tight against the headrest. I reach out, but before I can grasp the back of his head to anchor him even tighter against me, he pulls away, leaving me stunned.

  “How was that?” He asks casually like he didn’t blow my mind with his mouth.

  “Distracting. Really Distracting.”

  Tapping the tip of my nose, he nonchalantly says, “I’ll unload my car first. If we get done fast enough, I’ll find another way to distract you.”

  “Okay,” is all I manage to get out before he’s jogging back to his car. Jesus.

  “Yo, Earth to Sophie.” Opening my door for me, Cara yanks me out of the car. “Come on, chick! Let’s go pick bedrooms.”

  “Okay, okay. Let me grab my purse first.” I let Cara run ahead, watching as she unlocks the door to our new place. Allowing myself a moment, I look around at the beautiful flowers lining the walkways. For being a college town, and only a couple blocks from campus, this complex looks like it was plucked out of an expensive neighborhood and not at all like frat row a couple streets over. Over there, the houses all need work—it’s straight out of Animal House.

  By the time I get to the door, she’s doing cartwheels in the middle of the half empty living room.

  “Nice form, Cara.”

  “Can you believe this is all ours!” She spins around in a circle with her head tipped back like she’s dancing in the rain. “No more waiting in line to take a shower. No more of Drew’s boring RA meetings. I mean, I love him, but the boy’s long winded.”

  She’s right about that. I won’t miss any of those things either.

  “We are completely and totally free, Sophie! Free!”

  Her excitement is contagious and before long, we’re discussing how we want to arrange everything we brought with us. Luckily, the landlord opened the door for the furniture delivery truck yesterday. Thanks to that, we have a semi-furnished place already. For the first time, I’m actually excited about being here. That is until I watch Kipton unload a box. He already has a few stacked up in the foyer, ready for us to put away. It makes me sad knowing none of them are filled with his things.

  “Honey, I’m home!”

  “Ohmigod! He’s here!” Cara bolts from the kitchen where she’s checking out the appliances she sucks at using. Over the summer, she burned more grilled cheese sandwiches than I can even count. As long as she sticks to macaroni and cheese, we shouldn’t have to call the fire department this semester.

  I watch as she jumps into Drew’s waiting arms, almost knocking him over. “Baby, I missed you so much.” She knocks his baseball hat off his head as she claws at his body like a starved woman. He’s equally engrossed in her, kissing her back with as much excitement. They dance around the living room until he finds his way to the kitchen counter where he sets her down on the edge. Her legs stay wrapped around him, and they don’t waste a single second making up for lost time.

  As hard as it is to see, especially considering I’ll soon be the one without her boyfriend, I’m happy for them. It won’t be easy to see them all over each other every day, but our separation is only temporary. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.

  Kipton joins me in the living room, after rolling his eyes at the two of them. “That didn’t take long.”

  “They have a lot of time to make up for.” I try to keep the sadness out of my voice, but I can’t. Each minute that ticks away brings us one step closer to our good-bye. I want to rewind to the beginning of the summer when we had weeks of being together to look forward to.

  “Don’t,” Kipton warns. He stands in front of me with a knowing look.

  “What?”

  “It’s written all over your face, Sophie. We’ll be fine. I’ll always be here for you. Even when I’m not.”

  It makes no sense, yet it makes complete sense at the same time. I swallow the lump in my throat, praying I can trust his words. I’ve never had anyone promise to love me when I couldn’t give them anything in return. He could get tired of the distance, or end up with a hot little teacher at work. Maybe it’s the home economics teacher who cooks her way from his stomach to his bed. Or maybe she’s an English teacher who loves sports as much as he does. Bottom line—she could be anyone other than me.

  Like always, Kipton reads me, understanding my fears
without ever saying a single word. He tucks my hair behind my ear as he promises me again that nothing will change once he walks out my front door.

  I want to believe him—I have to.

  “We should get your room settled first,” he suggests.

  “Why my room?”

  “I want to hear about your car fetish. I saw the way you were looking at me.” He tucks his hands in my back pockets, teasing me through my shorts.

  “Kipton, we’re not alone,” I remind him. But when I peek my head around his broad shoulders, Cara and Drew are nowhere to be found.

  “All the more reason to go check out your room.”

  I rest my head against his chest. The thumping of his heart is loud and clear. He may not show his emotions as easily as I do, but he’s on the same page as I am. I feel it. Together we stand in the middle of the living room neither in a rush, but both wanting more.

  “Go wait for me in your room, Sophie.”

  “Where are you going?” The only place I want him is with me. The rest can wait.

  He runs his finger over my lips before kissing them softly. “Outside to close the trunk. It’s open.”

  “Leave it. I’m ready to be distracted.”

  “THIS IS A DEFINITE FIRST.”

  Sophie covers her face with her hands and lays on the carpet next to me. “I can’t believe we just did it in the middle of the room—on the floor.”

  When we clumsily flew through her bedroom door, her bed was upright, and resting against the wall. Considering it was still wrapped in plastic from the furniture store, I didn’t have many options. For a few seconds, I debated unwrapping the mattress so we could use it, but that would have taken too long. So I did the only logical thing a guy could do at the time. I undressed my beautiful girl and opted for the floor. “When my girl wants, she gets,” I tease.

  Sophie calls me out, playfully backhanding me across the chest. “This was all you, Kipton.”

  She’s right about that. Leaning over top of her, I kiss her neck lightly. “I don’t have a lot of patience when it comes to getting you naked.”

  “That tickles,” she says as she squirms underneath me.