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What’s the worst that could happen? He tells me no. Yeah actually that is the worst thing. I don’t know if I am ready to take the hurt that would come along with that.
But if I don’t take a chance I will never know.
Chapter 30
Chris
Thisdaycouldn’thavegone any slower. Sometimes working twelves is a great thing. Other times, it’s not. I can’t take my phone down with me, so I just leave it in my truck. Sarah never called or texted after she got home. I know her flight was supposed to be getting in late, so maybe she was tired and forgot.
I power my phone on as soon as I get in my truck. It comes to life, and the only text I have is from my mom asking about dinner this weekend. I send her a quick text back letting her know I will be there.
I debate calling her. I know she also has to work, and she is two hours ahead of me and it’s already six here. She could be in bed. I decide on a text instead.
Me: Hi Sarah. Wanted to make sure you made it home ok and see how your first day back went.
I hit send and wait. I wait ten minutes, scroll through her social media to see if maybe she posted about getting home. Great, now I’m stalking her. I push the button to bring my truck to life and decide that if she wants to talk to me, she will. I can be patient.
But what if she doesn’t want to talk to me? Did I screw up by not telling her how I feel? Should I have asked her to stay? Do I think she would have stayed? That’s not reasonable. I can’t ask someone to uproot their life for me. Would I uproot my life for her? I honestly don’t know. And long distance, that never works. From stories I’ve been told, anyway.
As I am driving down my driveway, I notice my porch light is on. I rarely turn it on before I leave, but I could have this morning. As I get closer though, I see my living room light is on as well. I know I didn’t leave that light on. I also don’t lock my doors, and Curtis likes to come over when he needs a place to hide. I’m sure that’s what it is.
Once I get to the carport and out of my truck, I slide my boots, overalls, and t-shirt off. I hate wearing these greasy clothes in my house. Thankfully, my washer is right inside the door here, so I leave my clothes outside and head in, in my boxers. Curtis gets it though. He works at the mine too, so this is nothing new to him.
I go in the house, and the first thing that hits me is the amazing smell of sausage and onion. Curtis cooked?
I round the corner, but it’s not Curtis looking back at me. It’s a girl with blue eyes, a freckled face, and auburn hair. Her eyes find mine, and I am suddenly very aware that I am only in my boxers. Her cheeks get red, and the tips of her finger touch her lips, holding back a laugh.
“You. Um stay. I am. Um. Going to get dressed. Don’t move,” I say scattering, not knowing if I should go to my room or into the kitchen. I decide clothes would be helpful, if nothing else, to hide the erection I am already getting just seeing her for a few seconds.
I throw on the first thing I see, black sweatpants and a faded blue t-shirt. Then rush back out to see her.
“Hi,” I say to her, once she is in my line of sight again.
“Hi.” She says it so sweetly.
A timer beeps. She grabs the mitts, pulls the food from the oven, and sets in on top. Then she takes the oven mitts off and walks towards me. That’s when it really clicks that she’s here. She’s at my house. Right in front of me. I take a couple of steps, helping close the space between us and my hand finds the side of her face. She leans into it and takes a deep breath. Her hand comes up and covers mine.
“What are you doing here?” I ask her, hoping I know the answer.
“I had to see you again. When I got on the bus, I felt like I left a piece of myself behind.”
“And I felt like I let a piece of myself get on that bus.”
“I never do stuff like this. I didn’t even make it out of town.”
“You didn’t? Where? How? I don’t understand?”
“I stayed the night in the hotel next to the gas station. I ran in Troy there and he gave me his number. I almost went to the airport, but every time I would pack my stuff up again, I felt sick. This morning, I called Troy and asked him if he could bring me here. I knew you would be at work, but he told me you always leave your door unlocked, not very safe by the way, and so here I am.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. I dropped my hand from her face, bent down, and lifted her to me. Her legs wrapped around me immediately, and her hands hooked around the back of my neck.
“I love you,” I say without a beat. Her eyes go between mine, and her mouth gaps open slightly.
“I love you, too.”
That was all I needed to hear before our lips met. Our kiss was nothing short of astounding. Kissing the woman I love, in my state, in my town, in my house, was something I never thought would happen. I back her up to the counter and set her down on it. Her hands go down to my waist and mine go to either side of her face, my fingers slightly lacing through her soft hair.
“What does this mean?” I ask her.
