Page 56 of Passing the Red Line
Eliana
Last night wasan emotional roller coaster.
First with Kalen’s phone call and his stupid threat, then walking in on Christian’s brother and thinking it was Christian himself, followed by the trauma dump in the kitchen.
I don’t think I’ve cried that much since my mom passed away. I needed it though, I needed to air out my grievances, and Christian was the right person to do it with. I may not have told him everything, like the fact that I was already an emotional wreck all thanks to Kalen’s call or even what he did before he got drafted, but I still told him enough to let the emotional weight, that I didn’t know I was holding, lift.
It felt good to cry and to have someone hold me.
And he held me all night.
After all the tears stopped, Christian got me some whatever and after a quick shower, one that was not as eventful as the one we had the morning before, we got into bed, and I fell asleep with my head resting against his chest and his arms around me.
As we were laying there waiting for sleep to take over, it felt like we were doing something that we have never done before. Something a lot more intimate than what we are used to. Yes, we’ve had sex and have moved our insult filled relationship to something that feels like a relationship of the real kind with labels and small romantic moments. It felt so good and every single part of me wanted to stay in that small bubble forever.
Eventually sleep did take over, and now I’m waking up and rolling over, feeling for Christian but he’s not there.
For a second, I start to panic, thinking that the bubble we were in had popped, but then I hear the shower running and relax into the bed and cuddle deeper into the mattress and the covers.
When Christian comes out of the attached bathroom, wrapped in only a towel and glistening wet, my brain and body start thinking of ways he can wake my body up.
“You could have woken me up and I would have joined you in the shower,” I say as soon as he sees that I’m awake.
“I wanted to let you sleep for a little longer, since you have plans today,” he says, giving me a smirk and coming to sit next to me and placing a kiss against my lips.
The first time that I saw him in a towel he was shooting daggers at me through his eyes, and now he’s kissing me like he can’t get enough of me. It’s strange how a few weeks with a person can change so much.
“What kind of plans do I have today?” I ask curiously when he pulls away.
“Not telling you. It’s a surprise,” he answers, getting up from the bed and walking over to his closet to grab some clothes.
I guess said plans don’t involve him staying naked. Bummer.
“I don’t do surprises, Rodriguez,” I tell him, sitting up and leaning against the headboard.
“You’ll do this one,” he states, his tone telling me that there’s no wiggle room. I think I like firm Christian better than grumpy Christian; I haven’t made up my mind yet.
“Fine but does this surprise include a bed? Because yesterday was a little long and draining.”
“At some point in the day, yes. But right now, no.” He comes back into the room fully dressed, affirmatively putting any type of sexual activity on hold.
Even though he’s fully clothed I still take a second to admire this man’s body.
There is something effortless about him. Right now, he’s in jeans and a white shirt and is pulling some Vans that you would never expect from a guy like him. But he pulls it off and it makes him all that much better.
“Does these said plans include me looking for a place to live in Chicago? Because I’m supposed to report in a few weeks, and I still don’t have a permanent address and I very much would rather not stay at a hotel or at my dad’s.”
Christian turns to look at me. “You still don’t have a place to live?” He asks like it’s the wildest thing in the world.
I shake my head. “Not yet. In my head I thought I had more time.”
He gives me a head shake and goes back to putting on his shoes. “Just move in with me.”
I think if I wasn’t in bed currently, I would have fallen back and hit my head at what he just told me.
He can’t be serious.
But he doesn’t take the comment back. He just sits there as if he didn’t just suggest we move in together after only knowing each other for two months. We’re not even in a full-blown relationship!
