On Ice

OI Chapter 17

It was about six thirty by the time Russ returned with dinner and we’d all eaten. I was hiding in the kitchen, cleaning up the takeaway mess and dirty dishes, hoping that by the time I finished Kale would be distracted and I could do my homework. It was cowardly of me, but I just didn’t know if I had the nerve to go and face down my fear. My stomach trembled at the mere suggestion and I felt my anxiety ratchet up a few more notches. He’d already seen me at my absolute worst. I didn’t want to cry and freak out in front of him again, three times a week was my limit.

When the last dish was put away, I glanced around the kitchen, looking for chores to prolong my absence from the living room. I scrubbed the granite countertops, wiped out the inside of the microwave and the range top. When that was done, I grabbed a piece of paper and started a grocery list. The list was a bit lengthy when I finished, but when I glanced at the clock, I was disappointed that I’d only managed to eat up ten minutes. My eyes dropped to the garbage bin, it was really the only thing left that needed to be done. Plucking the used bag up and tying a knot in the mouth of it, I slipped out the back door and quickly made my way along the pavers to the big garbage bins just beside the garage. Hurrying back into the house, I quickly washed my hands and was reaching for a towel to dry them on when Kale’s arms wrapped around my waist from behind. I felt his chin rest on my shoulder and his damp breath in my ear made a shiver go down my spine.

“So, are you ready to go give it a try,” he murmured, his voice low and deep in my ear.

The dish towel went limp in my hands and I momentarily forgot what I’d been doing as I felt the lovely vibrations along my back as he spoke. I squeaked as he pressed a hot open mouthed kiss along the nape of my neck. Dish towel forgotten, my hands clutched the counter in a death grip to keep me steady. My knees felt shaky and my heart started to race as his hands began to wander a deliciously naughty pattern north. I know he’d said something to me, but as his hands came to a rest at the top of my rib cage, I’ll be damned if I could remember what it was.

Placing kisses as he went, Kale slowly rotated me to face him before pressing me back against the counter. With one last lingering kiss, he eased away and smiled at me. I was already having trouble catching my breath and when he smiled at me like that, it was like a punch in the stomach. It’s just not fair that he can reduce me to mindless jelly like this, especially when he seems completely unaffected! I pouted as he pulled away further.

“Come on, go get your shoes and a sweatshirt,” Kale urged, “We’ve got a date in the garage.”

I did as he asked. I wasn’t happy about it, but I did it anyway. I stuffed my feet into a pair of sneakers and pulled on a zip up hoodie. Reluctantly I let him take my hand and lead me from the house and to the garage. He leaned against Russ’s car and crossed one ankle over the other as he studied me. I was standing as near to the door as possible and as far from the car as I could. My pulse was steadily beginning to race and the panic I always felt was beginning to creep into my head. I shifted uneasily from foot to foot and jammed my hands into the pocket of my sweatshirt so that Kale wouldn’t see that they were trembling.

“I know what happened,” Kale admitted quietly. My eyes rolled to meet his, but only for a moment before they skittered away. It wasn’t because I was embarrassed, no this felt more like shame. I could feel the colour climbing into my cheeks. And I wished that some snappy quip would come to mind or some clever turn of phrase to change the topic. I didn’t want to talk to him about this. I relived it every night in my dreams, I really didn’t want Kale to know how useless I’d been to my parents when they’d really needed me.

He pushed away from Russ’s car, a shiny red new model Camaro, and stalked closer. I think he sensed how unnerved I was about this whole situation and he stopped an arms length away. His arm lifted and cupped in his palm were the keys to the car. I stared at them suspiciously for a moment, before my gaze rose to his and he told me, “You’re in control Calla, you take them.”