If At First

Part 11 - Chapter 10

I was doing my best to mollify the immediate situation without throwing Andy into a fit. He was the type who would get wound up about something for a little while, and forget about it after a few weeks. But in the meantime, I wouldn't put it past him to do something spontaneous and stupid. If I could distract him long enough, maybe he would realize that while Thumper can be sweet, he didn't have to proclaim his love and run off with her. She obviously had some issues to work through before she was in any shape to date, and neither one of them was thinking clearly.

I fell back on my bed, exhausted. Beverly arrived what felt like two and a half minutes later, to wake me.

#

That evening I was getting ready for a run when I could hear someone at the front door. Beverly came up a few minutes later to tell me I had a visitor. She raised her eyebrows and let out a low whistle to denote her approval of my guest.

"But I'm not expecting anyone. Do you know wh-?" I began, but she already walked away. It couldn't be Andy, could it? I was half-dressed, so I threw on the jeans and tank-top that were within reach, and ran down to see who it was.

When I entered the Morning room, the view of Haven resting his elbows on his knees in a fretwork chair by the front window halted me. He was dressed more casually than I'd ever seen him, but still looked as though he were waiting for J. Crew photographers to show up. He didn't see me at first, something outside had his attention. I was inexplicably irked by the uninvited intrusion, though I knew I should still feel obligated to him for last night.

"I wasn't aware we had an appointment," I said quietly, crossing my arms. I couldn't bring myself to enter the room completely, so I stayed in the doorway.

Haven's head snapped up. "Tabby. Hi." He stood reflexively, taking a step toward me, but stopped before he took the second step. "I didn't mean to just drop by. I called earlier."

There he goes again, saying Tabby like that. My palms felt sweaty and I put them behind me. "I must have missed that message." It was taking great effort to remind myself of the irritating influx of phone calls and false friends that were plaguing me because of him, and not the fact that he saved my face last night and that the sight of him made my stomach do somersaults.

He smiled. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to linger in doorways?"

"Is there something I can do for you?"

"Will you go somewhere with me tonight?"

"What? -No." He had a way of saying things that incessantly caught me off guard.

"No?" he repeated in a surprised laugh. "Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to ask you that?"

"No, sorry, I mean, um, I'm busy." I really didn't intend to sound so rude, but it seemed the only way to make myself clear around here. I couldn't help it if he wasn't used to being refused.

"Sunday?"

My hands started to fidget so I shoved them into my back pockets. I really wasn't a mendacious person, but nothing good would come of my spending time with him. "Um, no." I answered, looking at the floor.

He took an audible breath. "Why?"

Why?! Because my heart is too inexperienced to fend off someone like you. Because you're from a world where I don't know any of the rules. Because you smell really good and I do stupid things around you.

I looked up again and he had taken a handful of steps closer. "Why, what?"

"Why are you pushing me away?" His eyes narrowed as he ambled slowly in my direction.