Page 41 of Inside the Penalty Box

Aurora turned away from me, walked over to the window, and looked out over the city. She was quiet, and I was worried as she stood there thinking. The last thing I wanted was for her to leave. I wanted her to stay and be with me tonight. I hadn’t planned for the night to go this way, and I’d be back on the road soon enough. Trying to navigate through this problem without being near her would be next to impossible. We were too new to one another to even try.

With my head down, I walked over to her. This time when I reached out, she stood there as I placed my hands on her arms. She looked up at me, her eyes unsure.

“I swear to you, if you are lying to me…”

“I’m not. I wouldn’t do that.”

She studied me, not breaking eye contact for a second.

“How do I know I’m not just some rebound?”

I pulled her against my chest and wrapped my arms around her. “I couldn’t have done that. I’m not that type. I’m a one-woman guy. As angry as I was over everything that happened, I was also gutted and needed time to make sure that I didn’t hurt someone in the process of healing. During that time, I stayed single for over a year. I couldn’t get involved right away, I was hurting, and I swore to myself I wouldn’t bring that into another relationship.

“I don’t know how much of this to believe. You’re a guy. Guys don’t normally care, and I’m sure you had many opportunities of girls dropping at your feet.”

“That’s fair, and you’re right, there were plenty of opportunities, but I’m not that type. You can ask Knox.”

She looked up at me. I could see she was searching my eyes for answers, to see if what I was saying was the truth.

“I don’t know, Dylan.” She averted her eyes from mine again.

“I promise you, I’m telling you the truth,” I said, my voice low.

This time when her eyes met mine, I didn’t hesitate. I placed my hand on her cheek and brought my lips to hers.

“Stop, just stop.” She pushed at my chest and stepping away from me.

“What?” I questioned.

“This is too much, Dylan. I don’t know what the hell to believe.”

“I’m telling you.”

She stepped away from me and started toward the door.

“I know, but…I think I just need some space,” she said, turning back to me.

I looked at her; she glanced at her shoes, then back at me. If she wanted to leave there was nothing I could do. She looked back at me, then at her keys that lay beside her purse, then she sighed.

“Can I at least take a hot bath and just have some time to myself?”

Relief ran over me. She didn’t want to leave. I nodded. You can find towels in the bathroom closet. Take your time. There are Epsom salts under the counter if you want them, and the TV remote is on the wall just beside the lightswitch.

* * *

I lay in bed, my arms behind my head, staring up at the ceiling. It was a little after two. Aurora lay beside me, curled up on her side. She’d taken a hot bath while I talked with Knox. When she hadn’t returned to the living room an hour later, I wandered down the hall to find her curled up on my bed, sound asleep. I covered her and eventually came to bed.

I shifted, trying again to get comfortable.

“You awake?” she asked, her voice barely audible.

“Yeah. Is every okay?”

She shifted under the covers and rolled over, facing me. She lay there, studying my face for a bit, and then slid her hand into mine. “Don’t get mad, but I was worried that maybe I was just another proverbial notch on your belt.”

I rolled onto my side; her face bathed with the moonlight that poured through the sheer curtains.

“I’m sorry if I got angry.”

---