The Cat's Out of the Bag

Chapter 28

"That's it!" The more he considered, the more he realized he had an excuse to put off music with Mix – at least for the next five weeks. Maybe things would be less jumbled then.

Mix seemed to enjoy working with him, and if he were truthful, it was a rush to be on stage with him. Yes, he would just put it off and make an official decision about singing again, later.

Satisfied with his plan, he tuned the world out and started on the fourth paragraph.

"That'll work." Three more chapters were solidly sketched out and saved. Earth sighed in relief and glanced at the clock at the bottom of the screen.

"That can't be right...." Was it four in the morning?

The numbers seemed to grow and morph. The zeroes suddenly had fanged teeth and were laughing at him.

He told Mix eight p.m. Did he call or text? He tried to think...no. No, he hadn't.

Why?

Why did he set a time yesterday?

He should have known better. Time constrictions, writing, and he did not get along well.

He learned that lesson a long time ago. What would Mix think?

As he jumped up, the chair squeaked loudly in protest. He grabbed his phone and headed out the front door checking it as he went. He expected a message, maybe a series of messages considering who he was thinking about. He grinned slightly at their first contact a few months ago. Who texted someone in the middle of the night and expected a response? Mix, that's who.

There were no notifications. Wait. Why not? It was so unlike him. Was he okay?

"He's okay. Of course, he's okay. He probably just got distracted and forgot, too. Maybe he doesn't think this is a big deal." That would be good. Maybe it was him who blew things out of proportion.

Why did it feel so different now that Earth knew it was only a matter of finding the right moment to tell Mix that he was ready to take the next step in their relationship?

It wasn't until he was standing in front of Mix's house that he paused to consider the time. It was FOUR A.M. and there were no lights on. Mix was asleep.

Randomly, and without permission, the cringe-worthy video of the song they sang popped into his mind along with the blissful look on Mix's face while singing it.

He would have to tell Mix first thing. He didn't want to wait and have him get his hopes up.

Mind made up, he quietly entered Mix's key code. The lock clicked and he opened the door.

"Screak." Earth paused, waiting for sounds from upstairs. Nothing.

"Prrritt!" Som wound her way between his legs.

"Sshh."

"Prrii?"

He picked her warm, fluffy, heavy, purring body up and snuggled her under his neck.

She head-butted him.

He sniffed the fur on top of her head and kissed her. Then he gently put her down and headed for the stairs. Exhaustion from the almost twenty-four hours he'd been awake was catching up with him.

Mix's tousled hair and one ear were the only things peeking out from under the covers. Otherwise, a solid white lump of blanket breathed on the left side of the bed.

Earth melted. How many times had they shared a bed now? It seemed as though Mix already developed the habit of leaving him space. He quietly changed into a pair of Mix's pajamas. He was pretty sure they were primarily there for him because he rarely saw Mix sleep in much, and he thought the only reason Mix put anything on was for his sake. He kind of hoped Mix was dressed in his birthday suit.