Try-State Area

Break Time

As much as she disliked the barren white bedroom, Emily decided to sit in the claustrophobic space to complete her paper.

Because as much as I like The Strokes, there's no possible way I can focus outside while Evan blasts the entire "Is This It" album and hurtles balls into the fence next door...

She was nearly done with what would probably be the worst paper she had ever written when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in."

John opened it and poked his head in. "Are you busy? Can we talk?"

"I can take a break." Emily closed her laptop.

Her brother leaned against the dresser. "So Kelly told me he's going to take you out tonight..."

Emily interrupted, "Actually I was right about to text him and cancel. He's your best friend and it's not fair for me to come here for one weekend and interfere with your life. It's not like I'm going to really come back again anyway so what would the point be, right?"

John looked at the ceiling and cleared his throat. "Listen, I came to apologize for our fight on Friday and because I haven't spent any time with you this weekend."

Then he joked, "But from what Samantha tells me, Evan has kept you company pretty well."

Emily frowned at him and he shrugged. He picked up her copy of Confessions from the dresser and flipped through the pages.

"As far as the stuff with Kelly. We both know it will be a little weird for me if you two get involved. But it would be hypocritical of me to come in here to tell you what to do since that's partly why I left Brooklyn. You both can make your own decisions."

Emily stood up to hug John. She felt her eyes welling up from relief and her voice hitched when she said, "Thanks."

"Aw Jesus, don't cry Em." He accepted her embrace.

"I want to add that Kelly has a reputation of being a dick with girls, but he's really good guy. His Dad took off when he was a baby so it's just him and his Mom. And he works really hard to help her out. The girls around here expect you to spend a fortune on them to date them. He can't really afford to take out a lot of girls. So he must really like you to ask you on an actual date and to tell me about it."

She took her book from his hands and went back to sit on the bed with her laptop again.

"All the more reason I should cancel. I don't want to lead him on. I have my life to get back to and I shouldn't screw with your guys' lives."

He nodded his head and then looked around the room. "God, it's really depressing in here."

Emily wiped her eyes. "Isn't it?! Dad and Suzanne could have at least painted."

John left her room and she picked up her phone to text Kelly. It was almost six o'clock.

I feel badly about canceling so late but there's no way to avoid it...

She stared at the phone and tried to decide what to type.

Sorry for such late notice but I'm going to have to cancel.

If I'm lucky he won't ask for a reason...

But of course his text came through a few minutes later.

Why? 

Emily sighed as she typed back.

It's complicated.

Kelly's response was immediate and brief as usual.

Explain.

She rubbed her temples.

It's too much to type.

And then she didn't get a response.

That went better than I thought it would...

She put on her eighties love songs mix and opened her laptop to finally finish her paper.

When Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" began to play there was a knock on her door. Emily looked at the time on the bottom right corner of the screen. It was nearly dinnertime.

Probably Suzanne telling me the food is ready...

Emily called out, "Come in." But she kept her eyes on the lines on the screen.

"Explain," the male voice behind her insisted.

She turned toward the door to see a very sweaty and slightly sunburned Kelly standing in her room. He wore a pair of ripped jeans and a ratty, old shirt, both of which were covered in grime.

Clearly he's been doing some kind of manual labor outside all day long to earn his calluses...

"You look exhausted." Emily gestured to her bed. "Why don't you sit down?"

Kelly shook his head no. "I'm filthy."

Emily stood up, went over and took his hand to pull him toward the bed so he would sit.

"I don't care about that."

"In that case..."

Kelly pulled her into his arms and kissed her instead.

His hair was gritty with dust and his lips tasted salty from sweat. He absolutely reeked but Emily discovered she didn't care about that either. Emily felt as though Kelly's body pulsated with heat from the amount of sun he had gotten and from desire.

Maybe that's just the way he makes me feel though...

Kelly walked forward while he kissed her and guided Emily's body with his, almost as though they were dancing. They stopped when he pushed her against the dresser.

"I thought about that all day long," he confessed when he finally took a breath.

"I've been thinking too," she gasped out.

Kelly braced his hands on either side of her against the wood. Then he kissed down her neck and spoke into the hollow of her throat.

"That's the problem here."

Emily arched her back against the dresser.

I can't decide if I should push him away or pull him forward...

She clenched his shirt in her fists instead.

Kelly kissed her again. "Screw thinking. How do you feel, Emily?" 

Emily pushed him back and looked at the window.

"Wonderful... and miserable... mostly confused," she admitted.

Kelly let go of the dresser and gripped her hips. He boosted her up to sit her on the dresser. "You're still thinking too much." He pushed the stray curls back from her face.

She shrugged. "Old habit." 

Kelly laughed. Emily bit her top lip and blew a breath from her nose.

"I just don't know what the hell I'm doing here. I don't know if I'm ever going to come back. You're John's best friend and I don't want to screw anything up."

She closed her eyes and felt Kelly rest his hands on her thighs. He squeezed them gently. She opened her eyes and looked down at his hands.

"You can screw me up anytime you want. I will gladly volunteer for that," Kelly teased.

Then he added seriously, "John's a big boy and I'm a big boy and we'll handle our friendship whatever you decide. And I told you last night that I can wait until you want more." 

Emily lifted her eyebrows at him. "I'm surprised you remember that." 

He smirked at her as he squeezed her thighs again. "I wasn't that drunk."

Then he reverted to that strange commanding tone he had perfected with her. "Kiss me."

Kelly lifted her from the dresser and crushed her against him for the fulfillment.

"Walk me to the door," he advised.

When they got to the door he bid, "Text me tomorrow."

He left as Suzanne called, "Dinner's ready."