“I’m sorry to hear you didn’t sleep well,” Nick said after a few minutes. “I hope it’s nothing I did.”
I looked up, my mouth still chewing. I didn’t know what to say. Should I consider his behavior during my dreams in answering that question? Probably not. He’s not responsible for what I dream.
I swallowed and twirled the fork in my hand. “No, you didn’t do anything.” I chuckled as I remembered how he pulled me close for our kiss. “I just had a really weird dream last night. I guess I’m still wigged out by it.”
“I hope it wasn’t a nightmare.”
“No. It definitely wasn’t a nightmare.” I studied his eyes while his studied mine. “It just,” I let out a breath, “it just felt so real, like it was really happening. I would have sworn I was awake. And then suddenly I woke up in bed, and it… it was just a dream.”
“It sounds like it was really intense.”
“Hmm… yeah, it was.” I bit my lower lip and gently rubbed my fingertips along his hand. “I guess the intensity threw me off. Then I couldn’t sleep.”
“Well, try to nap on the way home. I need my Pride and Prejudice partner fresh for tomorrow.” He nudged me with his shoulder.
“A nap sounds like a good idea.” I scooped more eggs onto my fork. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
“Yes, I guess you distracted me.” He used the edge of his fork to cut some French toast. “This is delicious. My dad never cooks like this.”
As he chewed, I watched him. He had excellent manners and seemed to do everything with grace and panache. He never talked about his mother, so I credited his father for teaching him these good manners.
Some of the others left the table to get showers and start organizing the house. There was a lot that needed to be done before the Wagers could leave, and we all wanted to help as much as we could.
Nick and I had a little more privacy as we finished up breakfast. I took another bite and looked at him again. Lost in my thoughts, I continued to stare at him.
“Kate, is there a reason you’re staring at me?”
I giggled, embarrassed that I’d been so obvious. “Well, I was just thinking that I… like you.”
“So we’re back to that, are we?” He smiled. “I thought that was obvious last night. You know, when we kissed?”
My breath caught as the smile vanished from my face. “What do you mean when we kissed?” I asked confused.
“Well,” he chuckled, “I guess there was a lot more than one kiss. We did a lot of kissing on the blanket in front of the fire.” He looked at me puzzled, his eyes narrowed. “I’m surprised you forgot.” Then the puzzlement disappeared as a smile spread across his face. “Oh, you did have a good dream. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” he whispered. “It’ll be our little secret.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I huffed, stood up, and walked over to the sink to rinse my plate.
“Hey,” Nick walked up behind me, wrapped his arm around my waist and gently turned me around. His touch and movement reminded me of last night. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a jerk. I guess I was flattered to think that you dreamed about us kissing. I’m sorry that I embarrassed you.” His fingers stroked my cheek while his other hand cradled my back. All of this felt so familiar.
Looking into his eyes I was confused and enraptured. I didn’t know how to respond. Should I admit that I dreamed about kissing him or pretend it was something else?
“I don’t want anything to jeopardize our relationship. You are very precious to me.” He stroked my cheek with his thumb.
My heart skipped a beat as that last sentence repeated in my head. Did he notice me catch my breath? I could see the sincerity in his eyes as he said those words. The exact words he said last night before he kissed me in the kitchen while standing in this exact spot. Was this a coincidence or a partial reenactment?
“Well, I hate to break up the love-fest,” Reese said as he poked his head into the kitchen, “but you should probably get showered. We need to help straighten up and then leave.”
This was the first time all weekend I was actually grateful for Reese’s interference. I didn’t know what to think or say to Nick and taking a shower was a great excuse to leave without hurting his feelings.
“He’s right. We should help, and it’s a long drive back.” Nick grabbed a wet cloth and walked back to the kitchen table. “I’ll finish cleaning up in here.”
“Thanks, I’ll see you in a few.” I turned and walked down the hall. Goose bumps covered my body as I contemplated the probability of him repeating the same words in the same spot by coincidence.
“Hey there,” Rylee said as I entered our room. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”
“Hi.” I closed the door behind me. My nerves in my stomach churned.
“I’m done in the bathroom.” Rylee shoved her clothes into her bag. “You can go in.”
I grabbed my clothes and walked into the bathroom. I looked into the mirror at my tired face and decided that exhaustion was messing with my ability to think logically. What was wrong with me? How could I contemplate the impossible to be possible. So far this weekend I’d seen my attacker in the mirror, my hand had been swallowed by a mirror, a dark shadow had pinned me to the sled so I couldn’t jump off of it, and now I wondered if Nick had entered my dream in order to kiss me. If I continued this paranoid train of thought, I would ruin the possibility of a great relationship with Nick and end up in a home for the mentally unstable.
I turned on the shower and stepped in. Warm water streamed over my body and washed away all doubt and paranoia concerning the weekend. Perhaps it was breathing a poisonous spore or my fear of a serious relationship that was fueling these delusions. I just needed to get control of the situation before it ruined my relationship with Nick. He genuinely cared about me, and I should be excited about that. He seemed to be exactly what I was looking for.
By the time I finished my shower, my perspective had changed. I no longer questioned the “kiss” I had with Nick in the kitchen. It was ridiculous to think that we kissed when I clearly woke up in bed. It was obviously a dream — a very, very good dream — which would one day be reality when he kissed me for real. For now, I would have to look forward to that kiss.
When I stepped into the bedroom, it was a mess. Sheets and blankets were strewn on the floor, and the pillows were piled on the sitting bench.
“I’m changing the sheets.” Rylee walked past me into the bathroom to get fresh sheets from the closet.
“Good idea. Let’s get these old ones out of the way first.” I picked up the disheveled sheets and blankets and moved them to a corner of the room.
“Nick is really crushin on you,” she said. She handed me a pile of fresh sheets for my bed.
“Yeah, I think he really likes me.” I found the fitted sheet and stretched the corners over the edge of the bed.
“No joke, Captain Obvious,” she guffawed. “He seems to have a one-track mind.”
I laughed. “I guess you’re right. He is pretty intense, but I like it. He makes me feel good.” I tossed the top sheet over the bed.
“I think it would be impossible to not feel good the way he looks at you. I wish Reese looked at me that way.” She tucked the top sheet under the mattress on her bed.
“I don’t know if my stomach could handle it if Reese looked at you that way,” I teased. “Well, like you said earlier, we’ll see how long he stays this attentive. Isn’t this the ‘chase’ part?” I pulled the blankets onto the bed.
“I don’t know? We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.” She smirked as we adjusted the comforters and piled the pillows onto the beds. Then I finished packing my belongings into my bags. I hurried because I was anxious to find Nick. Rylee left to see if she could help elsewhere in the house while I went into the bathroom to clean out the sink and wipe down the countertop.
This time I smiled when I looked into the mirror. So much happened this weekend,
and I was so thankful that my parents had made me come. Of course, I could never let them know that, or anything that had happened between Nick and me. This would be a case of the less said, the better. I only needed to worry about what Reese would say to them — the big snitch.
I picked up the dirty sheets and carried them down to the laundry room. Mrs. Wager was in there. “Thanks, Kate. You can put those in that bag.” She pointed to an oversized laundry bag. “I’m going to take those sheets home and wash them.” She took a set of sheets from the washer and loaded them into the dryer.
I kneeled down and started shoving our used sheets into the bag. “Thanks for having us this weekend,” I said. “I had an awesome time.”
“Well, y’all were wonderful guests.” She smiled. “Nick sure seems to like you.”
“Yeah, I think he does, and I like him.”
“I can tell.”
“What else can I do to help?” I asked.
“Everyone has done so much to help that I think we’re just about done here. We’ll have to wait for these sheets to dry, but you kids can go if you want.”
I walked out of the laundry room and into the family room. The others were there with their bags and were saying their goodbyes.
Sunlight bathed through the picture windows and brightened every nook of the room. The events now were in stark contrast with the phenomenon from last night. It was so easy to see clearly, everything now illuminated.
“Hey.” I took Nick’s hand and pulled him over to the window. “I’m really glad you came this weekend.”
“I had a great time. I can’t wait to see where this takes us,” Nick said.
“Well, first it’s going to take us back to Cary, and then we’ll have to see from there,” I said and gave his hand a playfully squeeze.
“Very funny.” As he tilted his head, the sunlight shimmered off the amber highlights in his blond hair. “Just so you know, I’ve figured out that you deflect when you get uncomfortable or things get too serious.”
“Hmm.” I smiled and bit my lower lip. “I guess you’re right. You’ll just have to be patient.”
The warmth of his hand landed gently on my cheek and quickened my pulse ever so slightly. “I have all the time in the world. I can be patient.”
Reese called from across the room. “Hey, Kate! I’m going to start loading up the SUV. Get your stuff together. And don’t forget to go to the bathroom,” he yelled as he walked out the front door.
“Pfft,” I shook my head, “he has such tact.”
Nick ran his hands down my arms. “He’s not used to seeing you with a guy.”
“Well, I don’t think that’s an excuse for being rude. I don’t have a problem with him having a girlfriend.”
“Yeah, but you’re not trying to protect him. Believe it or not, Reese probably feels protective of you.”
“That’s funny.”
“Let me finish. If I had a sister, I would scrutinize her boyfriends. This is probably the first time he’s seen you be physical with someone.”
“Um…” I took a deep breath and looked out the window, unsure of how to reply. Nick seemed to say whatever came to his mind. He didn’t seem to have any type of filter on his mouth. He just said whatever popped into his head.
“You see, you’re looking out the window because I made you uncomfortable. You’re avoiding me.” He gently gripped my chin and pulled my face towards his. “How are we supposed to be intimate if we can’t be honest with each other?”
“Ahh,” I stammered, surprised he’d asked that question. “If we’re being honest, it’s just that this seems to be moving a little fast for me. You say stuff that… maybe I’m not ready to hear.”
“I see.” Nick took a deep breath in and slowly released it. “You’re right. I tried too much this weekend. I’m sorry for overwhelming you.”
He took my hands in his and I felt the tension lessen, as if it escaped through tiny holes in my fingertips. I smiled in return and explained, “I appreciate you listening to me and not getting upset. I want to be honest with you. I want to see where this takes us.”
Nick leaned forward and his arm gently embraced me. His lips landed lightly on my cheek. This kiss did not feel seductive, but rather tender and compassionate. Then he stepped away, and his face looked serious.
“Are you okay?” I asked, concerned about his serious manner.
“Yes, I’m better than okay,” he responded. The corners of his lips turned up slightly. “Come on, we should help load up the SUV.”
We walked across the family room and down the hallway into my bedroom to retrieve my bags. He stopped when he saw my bags. “I like a girl who packs light,” he joked.
“Ha, ha, that’s very funny. Now I’m really in trouble if you’re going to start sounding like Reese.”
“I’m just giving you a hard time.” He picked up the bags and stopped at the doorway. “You know, you are always beautiful, but when you laugh, your eyes illuminate your face.”
“Pfft, you’re either going to make my head explode or make me paranoid with all of these compliments.”
“You just don’t see what I see.”
“Come on… enough of this.” I smiled and led the way to the SUV.
Reese was loading his and Rylee’s bags into the back of the SUV.
“Here you go, Reese.” Nick placed my bags on the cleared driveway beside the other bags. “What can I help you with?”
“Nothing, I’ve got it under control. Thanks,” Reese replied, not even looking up at Nick. Reese organized our belongings in the SUV while Nick and I talked in hushed voices on the sidewalk.
“So, I guess I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” I said.
“Yes, I’ll be looking for you.” We wrapped our arms around each other, and I nestled my cheek against his broad chest. A car door slammed, and interrupted our solitude. Nick kissed the top of my head and said, “I’ll miss you.”
“Hey! We should probably hit the road,” Reese barked, his head craned out the window.
“I think your brother is anxious to get you home. He’s afraid I’m going in for another kiss.”
“He’ll survive if he has to wait another few moments. I’m enjoying our goodbye,” I said. We walked hand-in-hand towards the car. The snow scintillated as if diamonds were scattered throughout the billowy surface. Birds sang; their melody matched the music that beat through my heart.
“Kate, come on!” Reese snarled.
“You better get in the car before your ‘dad’ really gets mad,” Nick whispered in my ear, his voice light with joy. He opened the car door for me.
“I know, I might end up grounded,” I whispered back, thrilled that this weekend had gone so well between us. I quickly pulled Nick to me and pecked him on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said and ducked into the car.
“Goodbye, Kate.” Nick smiled and shut the car door.
As we drove off, I looked over my shoulder and waved. Nick stood there, watching. He waved back. My heart flipped a few times as I realized that he felt so strongly towards me. How was it possible that someone who resembled perfection in every way was so incredibly infatuated with me? I guess I had two options: I could question it, or I could enjoy it. For now, I’m going to enjoy it.
Lecture
“So, what do you have to say for yourself?” Reese’s hands gripped the steering wheel as he glared at me in the rearview mirror.
“Huh? What do you mean?” I asked as Rylee and I stared at him, our foreheads furrowed, letting him know that he better have a good excuse for this verbal attack.
“You’re kidding, right?” he retorted. “You practically threw yourself at Nick this weekend.”
“Yeah! I like him. And he likes me.”
“No joke, Sherlock,” Reese seethed. “He couldn’t keep his hands off of you.” Reese looked over his shoulder at me.
“Uh, nothing happened. Thanks to you,” I scoffed. “However, you could have been a little more polite.”
>
“Oh! Oh! That’s rich. I could have been a little more polite to the guy trying to hook up with my little sister. That will be the day!” He white knuckled the steering wheel as the car accelerated.
“Reese, calm down,” Rylee said.
“You just don’t want me to be happy. You think I should join a convent or something like that.” I could feel the anger rise within me.
“Kate, you don’t even know this guy,” he said. He took a slow breath in. “We don’t know anything about him, and suddenly he’s cuddling up to you. It’s just weird. There’s something off about him.”
“So it’s weird that he likes me?” I asked offended. “If he liked some other girl, that would be understandable, but me, that’s just too weird.” Who did Reese think he was? I didn’t need his permission to see Nick. I hadn’t asked for his opinion either!
“You’re not helping yourself,” Rylee said. She shot him a cautioning glance.
Reese rolled his eyes and tried to explain. “Look, it’s not weird that he likes you. Actually a lot of guys like you. They’re just too intimidated to ask you out. What’s weird is how quickly he made his move.” Reese glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “He even got himself invited to go away with you for the weekend to Asheville. How many guys could do that? Or would even try?”
“So you don’t like him because he’s more confident than you and your friends?” I retorted and glared back at him through the rearview mirror. My eyes narrowed more as anger and frustration filled my core. This weekend with Nick had been magical, and now Reese was doing his best to shred those precious moments.
“No.” Reese shook his head defiantly. “I’m not jealous of his confidence. If you want to think that, go ahead. It’s not that I don’t like him. I just don’t trust him.” Reese took a deep breath and slowly released it. “He seems like a nice guy, but he’s a little too perfect, don’t you think? Plus, it’s just weird to watch some guy put his hands all over your sister.”
Scintillate (Scintillate Series Book 1) Page 13