Rachel POV
He had walked back in and asked me if I needed help with the bedsheet. Honestly, I did. I was struggling really bad with it. He looked at me and I couldn't tell what he was thinking. He shook his head and went over to the opposite side of the bed and helped me get the sheet on the bed in a flash.
I turned back to the box and pulled out the pillows and comforter. He helps me lay them on the bed and make the bed. I really enjoyed having him help me. We didn't have to talk it was just so comfortable being around him. Even if I didn't know him, I felt like I had this connection to him.
"What else can I help you with?" He asks me from across the bed. Honestly, I want to ask him to just lay in bed with me and watch TV, but I wasn't going to say that out loud.
"I have some stuff in the kitchen to unbox and I could use your height to put some things away. I was going to make stir fry for dinner if you wanted any." I tell him. He has the biggest smile on his face and he nods and holds a hand out for me to lead the way.
We quickly open boxes and I tell him where I was wanting to put things. He helps me without complaint. "So, why did you move here?" He asks me curiously as I hand him glasses to put on the top shelf.
"Well, I got the Social Studies position and the girls varsity basketball coach position. So I moved here from St. Louis." I tell him. He looks down at me and smiles.
"So, you're the young coaching prodigy the school is boasting about snagging." He says amused. I roll my eyes at the allegation. Sure I was a great coach but prodigy come on.
"Whatever, they are just happy to have a teacher." I say as I laugh. "I am a skills-based coach. There is no special trick. I simply develop their skills and make sure they are conditioned better than any team in the state." I say simply and his blue eyes pierce me with a strong stare.
"That's not what I hear." I raise an eyebrow at his claim. "I hear that you have turned around several programs and have been coaching longer than anyone would assume looking at you." He finishes and he is not wrong.
"You're not wrong but it's not as impressive as you think it is." I say to him.
He laughs and shakes his head at me. "I bet you're a pretty impressive coach." He says and I swoon at his words. My ex never liked that I coached. It took up too much of my time and energy according to him.
"You think so?" I ask intrigued that another guy might actually not look at it as a bad thing.
"Of course. Sports are huge here. I go to all of the sporting events even the girls ones. I think it's awesome that you're a coach. I can't wait to see you coach in the fall." He says smiling at me. He finishes putting the last glass on the shelf for me and we have one box left with utensils and cutting boards.
It takes us two minutes to put up the last box. He turns to me with a satisfied look on his face. "Well, that was the last one. What else can I help you with?" His blue eyes are full of amusement and I just want to reach up and kiss his lips for some reason. My body keeps trying to get me to touch him, but I can't.
"Hmmm, I think I can make us some dinner if you want to stick around?" I ask him. He smiles at me and I pull out the stir fry ingredients. He pulls out the cutting board and some bowls and utensils for me.
"How do you want me to cut the veggies?" He asks me as I continue to wash them.
"However you think. I'm not picky." I tell him. As I wrinkle my nose at him. He laughs and pulls out his phone.
"How bout some music while we work." He suggests to me. I nod and keep washing the veggies. He puts on One Man Band by Old Dominion and I start singing along quietly. I hear him start chopping the veggies up.
Quickly I finish and walk next to him on the counter and pull out the chicken to wash and cut up. As the second verse starts, he starts singing along and his voice was amazing. So rich and deep and soothing. I realize I was just standing there watching when he turned around and saw me and smiled as he continued to sing and walks up to me.
My heart starts beating out of my chest and I know I'm as red as a tomato blushing at him for staring. He puts the chicken down on the counter and holds a hand out to me. I tilt my head a little confused but quickly realize he is asking me to dance. The first song ends and Speechless by Dan and Shay comes on and I smile.
I take his hand and sparks go up my arm and travel up my entire body. I shiver at it and look up at him to see if he felt it and I was amazed. He had the most perfect victorious smile on his face and I felt myself melt at it. He pulled me close and starts to slow dance with me. I place my head on his chest and listen to him sing along, enjoying the rumble in his chest under my cheek. His thumb on my lower back absentmindedly rubs back and forth in a comforting pattern.
He lays his head on top of mine and I can't believe I'm doing this. I was never this comfortable with someone and let them touch me this much after just meeting them. I pull my head back to look up at him and our eyes meet. I see him drop his gaze to my lips and I blush more. He slowly starts to lean in and I tilt my head back ready for our lips to touch but then his phone rings.
He groans and pulls back looking at the caller ID on the screen. He groans again and gives me an apologetic look. "I have to take this. I'll be right back in." He tells me and I nod.
That was close, too close. I shouldn't be doing this. I think as I wash the chicken and begin cooking it in the pan. It cooks quickly and I add the veggies he cut up. By the time I was plating the food he walked back in the front door.
"I'm sorry about that." He says as he makes his way to the kitchen. He sees the food is done and says, "It smells amazing." I smile at him and pull out two forks for us.
I hand him a plate and grab mine. "Mind watching TV while we eat?" I ask and he shakes his head no. I go to the living room and pull out the remote.
"What do you like to watch?" I ask him as he sits next to me.
"I can watch anything. You pick baby." He says as he begins eating and savoring the food in his mouth.
He called me baby. I smile at the term of endearment and put on Disney Plus. I put on Guardians of the Galaxy and start eating my food. It tastes absolutely amazing. I relax next to him and in several minutes we had both eaten our food and placed our plates on the coffee table.
He put an arm over the back of the couch and it almost reached my back. There was still a cushions distance between us. I peek over at him from the corner of my eyes and I see him doing the same. I giggle and look back at the TV.
I realize I'm a little cold and get up to go grab my throw blanket from my bed. I take our plates and put them in the sink on my way to my room. I come back and he looks over the couch to see me.
"Are you cold?" He asks me.
"Yeah" I say and giggle. I don't know why I am giggling but I am.
"Well come sit closer and I can warm you up." He says with a smile. I roll my eyes at his smooth move.
I sit next to him but still not touching him as I lay the blanket over my legs. He puts his arm around me and pulls me close. Sparks fly up my body and I shiver again at the sensation.
"You really are cold." He says and brings his other arm around to try and warm me up by running his hand up and down my arm.
"I guess I am." I say because I can't say, no its from when you touch me. It makes my body feel all tingly.
After a few minutes he asks me, "Is that better?" His lips are close to my ear and I can feel his warm breath running across my skin soaking in and heating me up.
"Yes thank you. Thank you for helping me today, I really appreciate it." I tell him. And turn my head and smile at him.
"Of course, anything you need you call me, ok? I'll be here in a flash." He says to me earnestly and I feel like there was more to his words than just helping out someone.
"I will. I really appreciate you helping me. I never would have been able to move everything in and get it unboxed without you." I say my voice full of warmth.
"Anything for you baby." He says and pulls me closer. There that word was again. Baby. He was calling me baby and I loved it but I shouldn't. I snuggle into him and my phone rings from its place on the couch and it feels like ice runs through my veins. I know who is calling.
I pull away and quickly try to ignore the call but the phone slips and falls. Somehow, by shear bad luck, the call is not only answered but put on speaker phone.
His voice comes through, "Sugar, come on and come home. Where are you. I'm starting to get mad that you won't come back." I freeze and feel my panic in my chest rising. I hated when he got mad. He had never hit me but he would say hurtful things to me and it always made me question if I was good enough.
"Answer me now Rachel. I'm not playing. This game is over. Come home or I'll find you and bring you home myself." I could do nothing but sit there frozen. Julian looks at me wide eyed at my response and is probably trying to piece together what is going on.
"I told you I was sorry, it was one stupid slut and that was it. Get over it." He snarls through the phone and I see Julian's eyes flare with anger as my tears start to fall and that painful burning rises in my throat.
Julian picks up the phone and says, "I'm sorry. She is busy right now and you need to stop calling her. She is moving on and is happy without you." When he finishes he hangs up and blocks him on my phone. I still can't move. I can't believe he just said that.
He would be furious. Julian looks up at me after setting the phone back down and his eyes are full of understanding and sympathy. He reaches up and brushes away my tears on my cheeks.
"It's ok. You can cry. I'm sorry that happened to you. I blocked him so he shouldn't be able to bother you again. If he does I can handle it. He does not get to harass you after hurting you. I won't let that happen." He tells me as I feel my body shake from the sobs I'm holding in.
"Come here baby. I'll hold you and you can cry." He says and pulls me into his lap. One arm is across my body holding my hip and the other is behind my back as he tucks my head under his chin. He rubs my back and side soothingly as I cry. I can't help it. I cry and cry.
We stay like that and he gently rubs and rocks me until I settle down. Now I'm embarrassed that this gorgeous man just dealt with my horrible situation and I'm crying like a baby in his lap.
As if sensing my creeping embarrassment, he says, "Don't be embarrassed everyone has a past baby. I won't let that happen to you again. You're safe now and he can't get you." His words soothing me and I nuzzle into his neck. My arms wrap around him and I let the warmth of his body soothe my tired soul.
Before I know it the movie ends and I look up at the screen and then at him. He looks down and smiles at me. "What's your favorite Disney movie?" He asks me and I can't help the giggle that escapes my lips at the question that seems out of left field.
"Beauty and the Beast." I say and he leans forward while holding me and grabs the remote and puts it on. I'm still in his lap but he turns slightly so both of us can watch the TV. He also grabs the blanket from the floor and pulls it over us.
"Just relax back." He tells me as his hands continue to rub my body in soothing circles.
I relax into his chest and watch the movie. I can't help it and I start to sing along with the movie. I loved this movie. Belle was so independent and fierce. The music and lyrics were absolutely amazing.
"You really do like this movie don't you?" Julian teases as Belle's song ends.
"Yes, I wrote my senior thesis on this movie. It was a fifty page explanation how the writers created Belle to be the first feminist princess and how that correlated with the feminist culture that was rising in America." I tell him. He lets out a whistle and a laugh.
"That's amazing. You'll have to explain it to me sometime." He says and I look up at him amazed. There was no way this guy wanted to hear about it and how it related to history. "I'm serious." He says seeing the disbelief on my face. I smile at him and nod.
I settle back against his chest and watch the rest of the movie. He kisses the top of my head when I yawn. I feel the warmth from his lips linger on my skin and want it to happen again.
"Let's get you to bed." He says as he turns the TV off.
I stand up and he follows me to my bedroom. Wait was he going to spend the night? Do I want him to spend the night? Yes but I don't know what to do.
We make our way in and I grab my pjs from the dresser and head to the bathroom to change. I come back out and he has pulled back the covers for me. I climb in and he tucks me in. I see he brought my phone and plugged it in.
He leans down and kisses my forehead. "Sweet dreams baby. I'll see you tomorrow." He whispers to me.
"You're not staying?" I feel myself whimper at him. He chuckles and runs a hand over my hair.
"Not tonight. I have to go back to work, but I will see you first thing tomorrow is that ok?" He asks me. I smile and nod at him. He gives me another kiss on the forehead and turns and walks towards the door. "I'll lock the front door on my way out. Sweet dreams." He says as he turns off the light.
"Thank you." I whisper and feel my body fall asleep from the exhaustion of the day.