Page 27 of Where We Found Our Home
“Right. So we’re all on the same page then. I’m gonna bide my time until she’s ready, and if she never gets there, that’s fine too. Okay? Okay. Let’s move the fuck on. What’s going on at work, Shane? You still fighting with that woman in the office? What’s her name?”
A growl escapes his throat. “Lauren. We’re not talking about that Devil woman. Yes, I’m still fighting with her. No, I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Sounds like you two just need to fuck and get it out of your systems,” Kai pipes in with a shrug.
Shane startles. “Bro, didn’t you hear me? I said she’s the Devil. I’m not going there.”
“We’ll see.”
“No the fuck we won’t see.”
I tune the guys out when I see her message come through.
Ciara: Hey, I just wanted to apologize for last night. You’re Sasha’s brother so I don’t want things to be awkward.
Me: Hmm is that the reason you said no to my question?
The dots appear and disappear a few times, and I begin to think I made a mistake asking.
Ciara: No, believe me I’m doing you a favor by saying no
Me: I highly doubt that but don’t worry you don’t owe me any explanations. My fragile heart can take any beatings you throw at me
Ciara: Well that’s comforting
Ciara: *inserts a gif of Fox from Fox and the Hound with the words ‘we’re…we’re still friends, aren’t we?’*
Me: *inserts a gif of Hound from Fox and the Hound with the words ‘best friends’*
Over the next week, Ciara and I take the term best friends to a whole new level. We’re in constant contact. I sit with her at Sasha’s while she writes. We sometimes meet up for lunch, which feels like a date but I don’t want to spook her so I don’t say that. We text and FaceTime all the time. I can feel her opening up to me, and I love every minute of it. She still holds a lot of things close to her chest. Most of her recent history leading up to her move she skips right over, but I’m like a dog looking for table scraps, so I’ll take whatever I can get.
We’re on yet another lunch “not” date today, talking about everything and nothing. “I gotta say when I asked what your stress reliever was, I wasn’t expecting you to say rock climbing.”
She smirks. “And what were you expecting?”
“I don’t know. Yoga, shopping, listening to music, baking, sex. Anything that’s not actually a strenuous activity. How is that a stress reliever?” The server arrives at that moment to drop off our food.
“Leave your toxic masculinity at the door, Linc. Damn, I expect better.”
I throw a fry at her, and the little minx catches it in her mouth.
“That was pretty sexist, huh? I didn’t mean it to be. I just meant rock climbing is really strenuous. I’ve seen people take forty minutes plus to climb a wall, and the frustration on their faces screams anything but relaxed.”
“No, you’re right. I think that’s what I love about it, though. I have to be so focused on what I’m doing I don’t have room for all the other bullshit in my head. Plus, I’m up there and I’m in complete control of my safety. Well, myself and my belayer. It’s a feeling of complete contentment. Whatever I’m feeling, I leave it on the ropes. Simple as that.”
I zero in on the part where she said she’s in complete control of her safety. Something tells me that’s her main draw to rock climbing.What have you been through, Ciara? Let me protect you.
“Well, that’s pretty badass.”
“Thank you. And by the way, sex is a strenuous activity, is it not?”
Calm down, Big Guy.
“Ci, sex can be a religious experience when done right.”
She clenches her thighs ever so slightly, but I catch it. She clears her throat and reaches her dainty hands over to steal a fry off my plate, and I grab her little finger.
“Ciara,” I warn. “I told you the garlic fries here were not to be missed, and you insisted on getting sweet potato fries, and now look at you, over here in my space.”
