Cries from the monitor had me jerking straight up. Curls fell every which way blocking my view. Parting the strands in front of my nose, I pulled them back like curtains while spitting out the stragglers that got stuck in my mouth. Standing up, I went to take a step, tripped over a sandal and fell.
Not having the strength to get up, I crawled toward the door like a wounded animal. Finding the knob, I was able to brace myself enough to stand before pouring like putty into the hall. Numbly slogging toward the living room, my shoulders bumped back and forth between the walls as if I were a pinball made of rubber.
Good lord, this was the fifth time since midnight Chloe howled. I was beginning to wonder if there was a full moon out tonight. But that wasn't until next Saturday. Thank gah haw hawd this would all be over by then.
If anyone ever second guessed why practicing safe sex was important, all they needed to do was spend a night with CC.
That's her new nickname. Colicky Chloe.
My bare feet plopped on the tile one after the other as I moved through the kitchen for the umpteenth time, my arms swinging from side to side like an orangutan. Moving into the living room, I noticed a small light coming from one of the side tables.
If Kyle was already awake, then why the heck hadn't Chloe shut... up?
Wailing continued as I moved toward the couch against the far wall. Looking down, I noticed Kyle had his arm over his eyes, unresponsive to Chloe who was lying on his bare chest.
Blinking one very slow blink, the sudden pounding in my ears overwhelmingly drowned out the cries as my eyes took a trip down his torso toward his narrow hips, pausing to stare at every ripple on the way. On the trip back, I noticed how perfect those ripples calmed into a smooth chiseled chest banked by broad shoulders. So broad in fact that he used his other arm to act like a kickstand for his body with his palm pressed against the floor.
How the heck was he able to sleep on the couch with his body hanging off it like that?
As if hearing my thoughts, Kyle started to shift. Hastily, I reached for Chloe, the backs of my fingers grazing across his hard pectorals as I scooped her up.
He continued turning over on his side until he was facing the back of the couch. Ogling at his oblique muscles, I could tell they were that of a well-trained athlete. Shaking my head, I meant to look away but my eyes continued to explore until settling on two divots that crowned just above his hipline on either side of his spine.
Something in my knees vibrated.
The sudden appearance of his hand moving to scratch his thigh had me jerking my eyes to the edge of his grey sweatpants, which had been pulled down dangerously low over his hips exposing what looked to be a distinct tan line left from the summer sun.
My stomach tightened as if someone had just punched me in the gut. I literally couldn't breathe.
Frozen, I watched helplessly as he turned back over to face me. His chiseled abdominal muscles contracting with every move his body made as he adjusted his position.
Swallowing, it felt like a bag of cotton balls had been jabbed down my throat as I tried to clear it. My wide eyes locked on to his sleepy ones refusing to blink.
"Have you changed her yet?" he asked, his voice gruff with sleep.
Gulp after gulp, I tried desperately to get in a breath that never quite seemed to fill my lungs all the way.
"Melody? What the..."
Kyle jumped up and grabbed my shoulders, guiding me to sit in the warm spot where his body was a second before, the warm musky scent of him bombarding my nostrils. My heart started pounding in my chest and I couldn't hear anything. Feeling like someone was shaking me I looked up into Kyle's eyes that were wide with, what... fear?
It was like watching something in a silent film. Movement of characters, but no sounds. I could see his lips moving but I wasn't able to comprehend one thing. I tried blinking at least a half dozen times while at the same time trying to focus on anything on his face. But my lids grew heavier and heavier until finally I felt myself drifting sideways as everything went dark.
"Melody. Melody." The sound of a woman's voice pushed through the fog of my subconscious.
"Mom?" I asked, my throat feeling like sandpaper.
"Melody. Wake up."
Squinting my eyes, I peeked through my lashes and noticed two big hazel eyes looking down at me with worry.
"Mom? What are you doing in my room? Is everything okay?"
Letting out a huge sigh of relief, my mom turned to look at someone else in the room.
"Jake?" I called out.
I blinked a few times allowing the contacts to settle properly across my corneas so I could focus. But when they did, it wasn't Jake standing in my room.
"Kyle?"
His face danced with so many emotions, the most prominent one being that of concern. I could hear the clicking sound coming from his teeth as he pulled his thumbnail out before returning it to bite, repeating it over and over.
"Would you stop doing that?"
His eyes widened as if to say, "What?"
"That clicking sound with your teeth and thumbnail. You'll get worms. Mom, tell him how he'll get worms," I demanded as I looked up into her smiling face.
"She'll be fine. I'm guessing exhaustion is just getting to her. You too," she said as she turned to eye him up and down.
"Yes ma'am," he responded with a hushed tone while shaking his head in agreement. Then, his eyes were back on me.
"What happened?" I asked looking at him first before looking back at my mother.
"What do you remember happening?" she asked as she pushed hair out of my face.
My eyebrows drew together as I tried to pull images to the forefront of my mind's eye. "I heard CC crying, fell on my way out the door, hit a few walls before finally making it to the living room. The light was on and I saw Chloe, but then..." My eyes widened and my cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire.
"What? What?" I heard Kyle ask, his voice tainted with worry.
"I... I think I passed out," I said swallowing hard not looking at him.
Mom's eyes widened and a brow lifted like a question mark.
Patting my hand, she turned away to look at Kyle. "How many siblings do you have?"
"Oh... um... two sisters and a younger brother."
"Two?" I protested. "I thought you said you had three sisters."
Kyle kept his eyes on my mother.
"What would you do if you caught a guy sleeping in your sister's room?" she asked calmly.
"I'd kill him," he replied without flinching. However, it was cute seeing him actually blush after answering.
"I see. Alright." Standing up, she moved over to Kyle. "Make a pallet on the floor and bring Chloe in here. The two of you can share the room." She lifted an eyebrow as a warning. "But the bedroom door stays open, got it? If I catch the door closed," she did the whole knife to the neck thing. "Chleeeh. Capisce?"
"Yes ma'am," he said nodding in obedience. Turning, Kyle left the room along with my mother. A few seconds later, she came back with a couple comforters to lay on top of one another in order to make a makeshift bed for Kyle.
When Kyle walked in, he stopped in his tracks as he watched my mother arrange the blankets. Something in his eyes softened.
After putting Chloe down, he reached for the material. "Here, let me get that. You've had a long weekend. I'm sorry I had to wake you."
She looked at him with approval. "I appreciate that you even thought about it. Alright," she said as she stood letting Kyle take over the task. "I'm heading back to bed. One more long day for me and then I'm off for a few days." She leaned over me and kissed me on the forehead before rubbing it in with her thumb for good measure.
I wrinkled my nose up at her.
"Hopefully, Chloe..."
"CC," I corrected her.
She snickered. "Hopefully CC will be done for the night and you guys can get some rest. I brought home some eggs, cheese and fresh veggies. So make some omelets for this guy when you wake up. He deserves it." With that, she knifed the outsides of my thighs with her hands tucking me in. It felt good.
She kissed me one more time before heading for the door pushing it wide open upon exiting.
The corner of my lip twitched with amusement.
My lids opened and closed a few times as the tiredness of my body started to take effect on them. Turning my head, I tried to focus on what Kyle was doing but his body quickly became blurred outlines as my lids closed.