The Boy Who Brought Me Back (Scömìche)(Completed)

Chapter 8

I sit on the counter next to the coffee pot and stare out the window at the thickly falling snow. Water from the shower thumps lightly against the other side of wall behind me, the sound making me feel content as I sip coffee from the warm mug and swing my legs, crossed at the ankles, back and forth against the cabinet below. The apartment is oddly calm, and even Wyatt is not making a sound. I close my eyes and listen to the new silence; the water just turned off. When I open my eyes again, I jump and see Scott standing in the doorway with a towel wrapped loosely around his hips. He leans on the doorway and I try to tear my eyes away from his bare torso, still shining with water droplets. He comes toward me, smirking, and says, "You're staring, Mitchy."

"Hmm?"

"I said you're staring." I look up to see his smirk and feel my cheeks heat up.

"What if I was?" He steps in front of me so that my knees are just barely touching his hips and my feet are between his knees.

"I just came to tell you that I'm done in the shower and it's open." He puts a hand on my thigh and I force myself to stay focused on his eyes. He holds my gaze with such an intensity that I almost don't notice his other hand snaking up under my shirt. He stops when I put my own hand over it.

"Are we ever gonna go on a date?" I ask. "We act all romantic, but we've never been on an actual date before."

"Tonight?"

"Where?" I retort, surprised that he agreed so quickly.

"It was your idea."

"Yeah, but you drive." He removes his hands from me and relocates them to his barely covered waist.

"What if we watch a movie here and adjust the lighting with candles and stuff so it feels like a date but we're in the comfort of our own home because neither of us can come up with anything else?" I giggle a little.

"Sure, that sounds great."

"Okay. I have to go put on clothes because, believe it or not, I remembered somewhere I have to go, but unfortunately you cannot come." I stick out my lower lip in a mock pout before smiling and saying, "You better go get dressed then. You don't want to leave with just your towel on." He walks away and I return my gaze to the window, sipping my coffee and swinging my legs again.

*****

When Scott left, he didn't tell me where he was going or how long it would be, so after four hours, I start to get worried. I call but get no response and the apartment starts to feel bigger and emptier. I try to call Kirstie, but she doesn't answer and neither does Abigail. I look back outside at the snow storm and start to wonder if the cell service is out because of it, and when I check my phone, I see that I have no bars. Despite it being only four thirty, it is getting darker by the minute and around five, it is pitch black outside. Even though I know it is pointless, I try calling Scott one more time, but the line cuts immediately. I decide to watch TV to calm myself down, but when I turn it on, the screen says , Due to an infraction on your television signal, Directv has stopped. Thank you for your patience. I comb my hair down to calm myself a little, but it doesn't work, so I put a movie in the DVD player and hope it works. I sigh in relief when it does and sit on the couch with Wyatt, a blanket, and cup of tea. Halfway into the movie, an hour later, it is six o'clock and Scott is still not home. I feel so nervous that my stomach starts to hurt; he has been gone for five and a half hours now. I finally settle on trying to fall asleep on the couch with Wyatt, and it works quickly.

*****

I wake up immediately when the front door swings open, but I decide to keep my eyes closed for a few more minutes. I hear Scott going around the room quietly, clearly trying not to wake me up, and when I hear that he stopped, I open my eyes, ready to get upset with him for being out for so long without making any contact. When I focus on the room around me, I see our date: candles everywhere, a bottle of champagne and two glasses sitting on the table in front of a vase full of roses, and Scott standing behind the table in the nicest clothes I have ever seen him wear, staring straight at me. I stand up and run over to him, careful of all the candles that are the source of light for the room.