I didn't become invested in men. Not emotionally. Not financially. Rarely Physically.
But I had become invested in Ean Hunter.
The part that scared me?
It had taken me less than forty-eight hours to get there.
I walked forward and the more I looked, the more evidence I saw of her and the baby. It was all towards the back of the room. He'd been slowly piling, random items and using the room as storage.
I reached out and touched the pink frill of a dress as it lied crammed in a box. I ran my fingertips over it and then I pulled back, taking in more and more items as my eyes came across them.
My step paused, I didn't remembered a baby in the photos...
There hadn't been a baby in the photos. There should have been!
I rushed out of the room, needing evidence of the child. I moved quickly, running down the dark hall and into the living room.
My hands were frantic as I came back to the nightstand and I ripped it open. I pulled out the photos and sat to the bed and then I started to flip through them.
There wasn't a baby.
People took photos of their babies, or at least I thought they did!
I got through all forty or so images and dropped them to the bed in defeat. Sighing, I looked around the room, starting to noticed things I hadn't before.
The things on his dresser, nicknacks. They weren't the most manly of items. The bedspreads. A soft pattern of cream inlaid flowers.
“Shit.” I couldn't believe I'd been so blind!
He hadn't hid her at all. She was everywhere in the house, I just hadn't been looking.
I stacked up his photos neatly and put them back, noticing a vanilla envelope. My fingers paused and I pulled it out. Flimsy. Nothing.
I peeked inside and then my heart stopped.
I couldn't do this, I put it all back and slammed the door of the nightstand. To say I was stunned would be putting it lightly. I was far more than stunned, I was in shock.
Put me back in my beamer and let merot in shock!
I dropped my forehead to my palms and took a few moments to process. I needed something to do. I couldn't just sit in silence while he was gone out into a snow storm... all because of me.
Why had he left!
I wish I had my blackberry but that likely wouldn't have had reception or a computer... How I would have loved to been able to just look at my email! Then all I really wanted was Elizabeth. God, I wanted to hear my best friend's voice. She was always so reasonable.
My feet dragged as I walked back into the living room. Looking around the neat house, I moved around it. I needed to look at everything to see how much I had missed.
And I had missed a lot.
Just like the bedroom, she was there.
I stopped at the bookshelf near the kitchen and studied the items it housed.
Novels.
Romances...
I pulled one out and looked it over. I was confused on why she read them, she had obviously lived the tales. I slipped it back on the shelf and continued to look them over. Till I came to a bottom shelf full of records.
I skimmed them, it was then my eyes caught something I thought I would never see again in my life. I ripped it off the shelf and stared down at the vintage christmas record.
My mouth went dry as I tried to swallow.
I pulled the record from the cardboard cover and looked it over. It was the exact same one my mother used to play every year at christmas. My throat swelled and I tried to keep the emotion at bay, after all... I chose to be alone.
Curiosity peaked in me and I wanted to hear it, even if it was one last time.
I looked around me and across the room, on the far side in the dinning area was the player. I was quick to it and hoped I could figure it out, it had been far too long.
It crackled to life and I adjusted the volume, a small smile on my lips from the familiar music. I closed my eyes and listed a moment but it was interrupted as the silence outside the house was broken by the sound of a loud saw like sound.
I walked to the back windows and looked out, squinting through the falling snow. My eyes fell on a large shop out the back that I hadn't noticed before. There was smoke billowing the top and that's where he was.
The saw went off again.
“What the...” I pressed her nose against it, trying to get a better look at the building. Once I realized he wouldn't be coming back in the house for an extended period of time I turned the music up and walked to the kitchen with quick steps.
What did one do when they were snowed in?
Well, I was hungry for one, and two, what was worse... I was sorry.
“Strudel.”
I grabbed a handful of flour and sprinkled it across the granite.
This was the fourth batch.
Fourth.
I was hoping Ean liked strudel cause that's all I could cook. It's the only thing my mother had ever really taught me or maybe it was the only thing I'd ever taken the time to learn from her. Either way, I was hoping he would at least enjoy it cause I didn't want to have to eat it all myself. That really would mess with my gym membership for the past year. I had spent way too much on it too.
I popped the last in the oven and started to clean.
I never cleaned. I usually had a house keeper come in once a week and when it came to cooking, take out and the deli was my main course of action. But in the moment, with no distractions of work, cell phone or my email going off... cleaning seemed peaceful and calming.
Once I was done, I glanced at the timer, wiping my hand on a near dish towel. Then my eyes fell on the time and noticed it was already two in the afternoon.
I turned slowly to look out at the shop. It'd literally been almost six hours. If he was that mad I was feeling even more guilty.
Deciding to go out there, I borrowed anything necessary to drag myself through feet and feet of fresh snow. I stepped out and started along the side of the house, trying to dodge as much as possible, however that was quickly not an option as I dragged my five foot six frame through the drifts.
I was confused how he'd gotten to the shop in the first place. I tripped three times and was covered in so much snow I could barely move.
Finally, I reached the shop and came to the door. It was closed tight and I hoped it wasn't locked, cause I wasn't sure if he would be opening it for me.
I stepped under the over hang of the roof, out of most of the snow. My feet were numb, my hands, my face... my hair was turning into snow-cles. I pushed into the door, the loud sound of a saw filled my ears, I covered them with my numb palms immediately.
I looked up to the far side of the shop, his back was turned to me and he was covered in dust and it was still flying up from the wood he was cutting.
My eyes followed the path of more wood and projects. This is why Ean Hunter did not have a television.
“Wow...” I breathed. He was good. Really good.
I looked over a near dresser and armoire. What he did with all of it was a mystery to me though...
The saw cut and my eyes snapped up to him.
He turned around, pulling his ear protection to his neck and looking over a tool. He stopped dead as he saw me.
I swallowed and dropped my hands from my ears slowly.
“What are you doing in here?” He walked across the shop and started to fiddle with a tool on the bench. He fluffed his light brown hair out with his hand and pulled at his shirt, releasing dust in all directions.
“Umm...” I tried to get it together, “I didn't know you were here.”
He grumbled, not answering me.
Well, I was doing well, I really was... not.
I wanted to tell him to come have what I'd made but I didn't know how to get it out.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
“Nope.” He answered in a short voice.
“Oh... cause...”
He dropped something and it made a loud slap, “I can't get my radio to work. I tried. Sorry.”
“Oh...” For some reason, knowing I'd have to stay there was relieving, “Ean, look...”
He turned towards me, “Amy, go back to the house. I'm busy.”
I huffed as he walked away from me, not even giving me a chance. Not that I really deserved one but still!
“Ean, I'm sorry. I had no idea.” I wrinkled my nose, well, that was amazing. Of course I had no idea, all I had done was assumed he was cheating, lying asshole.
He grunted and stayed quiet.
“Ean, please.” I begged as I came up beside him.
I looked over what he was carving, I didn't know what it was going to be but it was beautiful, “You're really good...”
He dropped what he had in his hand and turned to me, “Go in the house, Amy.”
I swallowed and stared up at him, “I really am sorry. I feel like royal shit.”
“Amy, just get in the damn house!” His voice got louder.
“Can't we just talk about it?” I tried to reason with him, losing all my vice president suave.
“No, Amy, there's nothing to talk about.”
“But...” I tried.
“Amy!”
“Well, fuck, Ean!” I argued back, “I'm making a huge effort here.”
“What do you want an award?” He shot at me, “For trying to take back being a huge bitch to me!”
My eyes flew open and I hit his chest with all my might.
He stared down at me, his nostrils slightly flared, I watched as the that expression got the best of him. He came at me and crushed me against his work bench, kissing me so hard it hurt.
My body became paralyzed, my heart stopping clear in my chest as his mouth parted from mine.
I stared up at him, swallowing the large lump in my throat.
What...
He stepped away from me and rubbed his face vigorously, “What the hell...”
I took a few staggered breaths as I took in the realization of that possibly being the best kiss of my whole life.
“Ean...” I breathed, my body rigid and nervous of him.
He stared away from me, “Jeez...”
I stepped towards him and he stepped away.
His eyes snapped to mine, “No. I shouldn't like you!”
I stared at him, my heart really did halt it's beating now.
Like me!