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"I see." She came around the counter and crossed her arms.
"Aside from the job, it's just so lonely, Mom."
"This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with Drew would it?" she whispered.
I let out a nervous laugh. "No, why would you think that?"
She looked at me as if she knew what I was hiding. "I've seen the way you look at him, Alexa, and I know my daughter."
"Well, you are wrong, Mom," I said, busying myself with the dishes. She didn't say anything, but I could still feel her standing there looking at me. I turned around to face her.
"It's okay, Lexi," she said, pulling me in for a hug. "Things will come together, don't you worry. Are you sure you wouldn't rather come to church with us?"
I looked around the kitchen at the mess before me and thought of Drew upstairs. "Yeah, it’s okay."
I took the message my mother had written down and hung it on the fridge to deal with after they left. I watched as she made her way to the front door where everyone was waiting for her.
"Have fun!" I shouted.
* * *
The house was finally quiet.Mom and Dad had retired to their room with two hot mugs of tea the minute they had gotten home from church. Zach and Ann Marie had sat in the living room for a while before doing the same, leaving me alone upstairs. I had made a cup of peppermint tea and curled up in front of the Christmas tree, a warm fire burning.
I turned on the radio, Christmas music filled the room, and I watched the soft glow of lights dancing on the tree. I had so much to try and figure out in such a short time. It felt like time was really against me this year. I fiddled with the piece of paper that Mom had given me earlier, trying to figure out what to tell my landlord.
I jumped when I heard someone clear their throat. Drew stood against the bottom of the stairs in nothing but a pair of house pants, watching me intently. I hadn't heard or seen him come down the stairs and had no idea how long he had been standing there watching me. I softly smiled at him as he walked over and sat down next to me. I could already feel the heat radiating off him.
"Hey." I swallowed hard, taking in his muscular chest.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked, putting his arm around me and pulling me into him.
"Not too much," I said, letting my body adjust against his and closing my eyes as I rested my head against his shoulder and breathed in his scent. I had hoped that staying home tonight, Drew and I would have spent some time together, but he had stayed up in his bedroom until now. This was the first time in a week that we had been this close, and my body was already humming with excitement.
"You know what, I think you are lying." he said, bopping me on the tip of my nose with his forefinger. He had always had a way of reading me like no one other than my mother could.
I smiled. "No, not lying. Just trying to figure some things out is all. Did you want a tea?" I asked.
"That sounds good."
When I returned to the living room, Drew had placed a large blanket down on the carpet in front of the fireplace. He had pulled the pillows from the couch and scattered them around as well. He was sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them, staring into the fire.
"Here you go," I said, handing him the mug and sitting down cross-legged beside him.
We both sat in silence for a while, watching the flames of the fire dance, until I finally broke the silence. "So what are you still doing up? I figured you went to bed ages ago," I murmured, looking at the dancing orange and red flames of the fire.
"Like you, I too have things on my mind." He sighed, taking a sip of his tea now that it had cooled down.
We were both quiet again. I wanted to tell him how I felt—I so did—but I was so afraid that he would run again that I couldn't. However, the longer we sat in silence, the stronger that feeling stirred in my gut.
"Anything you care to talk about?"
He shook his head. I flopped back onto the floor, stretched my arms over my head, and let out a yawn. I stared up at the ceiling for a while, and when I finally decided to look over at Drew, I was surprised to find that he was watching me, his eyes dancing over my body.
Without saying a word, he rolled onto his side and, keeping eye contact with me, lifted my shirt, exposing my stomach, and then he bent ever so slowly and pressed his lips to my bare belly.
I closed my eyes at the feel of his lips on me, finally opening them again when he pulled his lips away and found him once again staring into my eyes. I softly smiled and ran my fingers through his hair, while he continued placing tiny kisses along my tummy. He went inch by inch, lifting my shirt as he went. I felt that familiar ache stir at my center, and when he kissed the underside of my bare breasts, I squeezed my thighs tight together. He made his way to my neck, and then he finally met my mouth, his tongue sweeping across mine. His kiss was so deep, I could feel the want behind it as he wrapped me tightly in his arms, his strong, warm hand squeezing my waist.
"Take me upstairs," I murmured as he pulled away and studied my eyes.
