“I’m not.”
He slowly releases my head and slides his hands down my neck and shoulders, gliding his fingers along my arms as the goose bumps start to form just from his touch. He reaches my hands and laces our fingers together, pulling me up from the couch and toward the elevator. We don’t say a word as we get in, and then he’s pulling me into his chest, one hand on the small of my back rubbing soothing circles, the other still holding mine.
It’s a silent ride up. The only sounds are coming from the hum of the elevator. Once it stops, he pulls me with him down a long hallway, turning toward the right and walking a few doors down until we reach what I’m assuming is his room. He grabs his key card from his wallet and swipes it on the sensor, the click of the door sounding as he opens it and ushers me inside.
He guides me over to the edge of the bed and sits me down, kneeling in front of me as he pulls off my shoes and places them near his. He’s silent as he moves through his room, grabbing a few items before coming back to me and handing me one of his sweaters, helping me pull it over my dress.
I look down at the material, and I’m instantly enveloped in his scent. I used to always steal his clothes when we were together, wrapping myself in his warmth. I’d put on one of his sweaters or T-shirts and we’d crawl into bed, lying together as he held me. Sometimes, I’d even dress up in just his jersey and wait for him to come home. Those were some of my favorite nights, ones that I’ll never forget.
“Slide under the covers, Kailyn.” I do as he says, theexhaustion taking over my body. I always feel tired after one of my anxiety attacks, and the fact that he remembers warms my heart even more. He’s taking care of me like he used to, and I’m going to embrace this for as long as he gives it to me.
Once I’m under the covers, I snuggle into his sheets and bury my face in the pillow. I watch with heavy-lidded eyes as he walks to the other side of the bed, taking his T-shirt off before he slides in and pulls me against him, my head resting on his bare chest as I listen to his steadying heartbeat.
“What are we doing?” My voice is sleepy, barely above a whisper.
“Shh, just try and sleep for now. We’ll talk later. I promise.”
And as his hands rub soothing circles on my back, enveloped in his warmth that I’ve missed so much, I’m lulled into a peaceful sleep.
Chapter 11
Kailyn
Ten Years Ago
“This movie is so bad. Why did we choose it again?” Laughing, I take a handful of popcorn and throw it across the couch to Bellamy.
She opens her mouth and dives in like she’s going to catch it, but all she manages to get is one piece as the rest fall onto her lap.
“We didn’t technically pick anything since I just put the first thing I saw on.”
“How’s studying going?” I ask.
Bellamy has a big skating competition coming up at the end of this month. She’s been watching tapes of her practices, making sure she knows what she needs to work on. She takes it very seriously since she’s one of the top-ranked skaters in the country. She’s trying to make it to nationals this year and hopefully the Olympics someday soon.
“I feel like I’m ready, but I’m so nervous that I'll mess up,” she answers, a slight hint of nerves in her tone.
I scoot over and wrap her up in my arms as we snuggleon the couch in her room. As she nuzzles her head into my neck, the hairs fall from her messy bun, leaving a faint tickle.
While she’s working on her skating routines, I’m working on my AP classes for college credits. I’m still in my junior year, but I decided to dual enroll in my local community college, so I can get ahead and make sure that when I graduate, I can get into the top sports medicine programs for my degree. Hopefully one day I can work for a professional team, maybe even work alongside my brothers.
“Bells, you are one of the most talented people I know. You don’t have to kill yourself rewatching the same tape over and over again. You know what you gotta do, you’ll get it done. And I’ll be in the stands cheering you on, just like always.”
“Thanks, Kay. You’re my rock, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She smiles, conveying how appreciative she really is.
“You’ll never have to find out.”
We push our books and laptops aside and focus on the trashy movie we picked.
Her parents are never around. They travel a lot or are always working, so she was raised mostly by nannies. They rarely ever show up to her tournaments or competitions, and I know she wishes they would, even if it gets her hopes up time and time again. But she has me, and I always make it a goal to show up to everything I can for her. She’s been my best friend since kindergarten, and I wouldn’t know what to do without her by my side.
We sit in a comfortable silence.
My eyes start drooping shut as I almost let sleep take over. I’m startled by the buzzing of my phone beside me, lighting up with an incoming call. Bellamy lets me go and sits up as I reach over and see it’s Jake calling.
They have an away game tonight, so he must be calling me after he finished up practice.
“Hey, you.”
