Chapter 14 | Cecilia

Chapter 14

Cecilia

T he clock ticks another minute past eight. Tension settles in my back. Relax , I chide myself, forcing my shoulders away from my ears. This is fine. More than fine. It’s only a quarter after eight. I don’t have to be at the airport for another hour. The car service isn’t even here yet. I tell myself these truths as I read the same line in the newspaper over again. It’s no use. I hate being late for anything. And even if I’m not technically late for anything at the moment, my schedule is off. My Uber is supposed to be here in ten minutes, and my girlfriend is still blow-drying her hair, which takes her fucking forever. Not that I can’t technically leave without saying goodbye, but that’s too dickish, even for me.

I top off my coffee from the french press and flip to the next page of the morning paper that I still have delivered. There’s something calming about reading actual newsprint. Maybe it’s the lack of backlighting and white space that fill the rest of my day. I read one article then another. I flip another page. Finally, the bathroom door screeches open. I will get around to fixing that. Steam billows into the kitchen, carrying Evie with it.

Auburn hair falls in loose curls around her face. A few strands stick to her cheek. She toys with the buttons of her blouse, exposing the lacy bra underneath that should be covered by a camisole. Evie never worries about such things. A fact that makes her damn sexy. I’ll be daydreaming of the supple curves of my girlfriend’s breasts the entire flight now. My shoulders relax a fraction of an inch. Desire rumbles low in my belly and fissures out through my fingertips. I pull her in for a kiss, letting it linger and play and grow. My fingers trace the swell of her breasts. Evie sighs against my lips, and any frustrations about the late start to my morning vanish.

“I’m so sorry,” Evie says, her hands still resting above the waist of my pants. Her fingers trail circles along my skin, sending sparks through my entire body. “But someone kept me up late.”

I smirk. It’s too hard to stay angry at someone who counsels young children. It’s even harder when their beauty bowls you over, and their touch sets you on fire. Which is exactly how I feel all the time—lost in a stormy sea with Evie as my beacon in the mist. When this happened and how I let it happen, I have no idea. It’s my life’s mission to not let anyone get this close, and yet Evie has burrowed deep. No matter how hard I push her away, she is there, and she asks for so little in return. My mind knows it’s time to extract myself from this situation or risk losing a piece of myself. But I have no idea how to do that. None of my normal tactics are working, and I’m not masochistic enough to force my hand. “I needed last night to last me my whole trip.”

“I could come with you, you know.”

I step away from her. She offered before, but I can’t. Evie hasn’t even met my family. I’m actually pretty sure they think we broke up since I rarely talk about her. So to bring her to comfort my sister in her time of need? Though I suppose meeting my girlfriend of a year would help raise Liz’s spirits.

“You have work, and I don’t know how long I’ll be there.”

“I have vacation time.”

True.

My phone buzzes with a notification that my Uber is here. And dammit if I don’t want her to climb into that car with me. “It’s a little late to get a ticket.”

I hurriedly pour the rest of the coffee into a to-go cup, add sugar and a splash of milk, and hand it to Evie. She takes it with a sly smile and a warmness to her eyes. “Let me worry about that,” she says.

“Evie...” My phone buzzes again. Apparently, I have an impatient driver who will absolutely charge me a waiting fee.

"You go, Cee. I’ll clean up and then lock the door behind me.”

“Thank you.” I kiss her lightly and then shoulder my purse and grab for the handle of my suitcase. I stop at the door and turn back to my girlfriend, ignoring the buzzing of my phone. “I guess I’ll see you in New York?”

She grins at me over her shoulder. “Yes, you will.”