Page 13 of Until Now

Chapter Nine

My room isopen and airy, it’s one of the larger rooms just behind the master bedroom which encompasses the entire fourth floor. A large picture window overlooks a balcony with views of the surrounding mountains. A warm, earthy pinkish-brown color coats the walls — in-between a dark blush and muted terracotta shade. White sheets and comforter cover the bed, with a cream knitted throw blanket and decorative pillows matching the walls. The TV hangs on the wall above a white double dresser with intricate hand-carved floral motifs. In the corner opposite the balcony door, a solid wood accent chair with white cushions. The closet and bathroom on the left side of the room, and a private laundry room on the right. This room holds a certain level of warmth the rest of the house lacks.

Rays of morning sunlight filter through off-white curtains casting a soft glow on the wall and a gentle breeze carries the scent of morning dew through the open balcony door. With my second cup of coffee, I step around the sleeping landmine on a pallet of blankets and pillows. A sliver of sunlight sneaks through straight on his face, I adjust the curtain if only to give myself a few more minutes alone. A glance at the clock reads 6:55 A.M.

It seems like mere seconds between when I sit down and he emerges from the room. The sound of feet padding across the tile shoots a twinge of familiarity through me. The first time Lee came to Haven as my boyfriend, he had woken up each morning and greeted me with a kiss before starting his day. That didn’t last long. He began staying in bed longer, leaving me alone most of the day. There were plenty of days I wouldn’t see him until dinner.

I don’t dare steal my attention away from my book when I feel him stare. I lazily trace the words in my lap. Finally, I look up to meet his stare and his eyes grow wide realizing he’s been caught. Without a word, he turns away to look at the structure of the balcony — walls mostly made of stucco, but the far left side made entirely of glass, like the living room. It is identical to the balcony of Kai and Eileen’s room on the other side of the house, but their view is blocked by fir trees. Hands run across the metal top of the banister, examining the way everything fits together — how the unnatural meets the natural in the middle of the woods.

I finally join him. “Morning.”

“What no silk set?” He motions towards my choice of pajamas — an oversized RU sweater and shorts. “You strike me as a silk set kind of girl. You know, the ones who like to wake up looking like they just walked off the runway. Can’t have people thinking you don’t look made up all the time or anything.”

“Quite the morning person, aren’t you?”

“Normally, yes. But, normally I’d be waking up in a bed.”

“What do you want? An air mattress? How am I supposed to do that without them hearing it every night?”

“Sounds like a you problem.” Nick retreats inside slamming the bathroom door.

Lifting my mug to my lips, I groan when the cold liquid touches my tongue. Dumping it over the edge of the balcony, I make a mental note not to talk to Nick first thing in the morning. Despite what he says, I disagree that he has ever been a morning person.

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“Those are for later!” Eileen smacks my hand away from the freshly baked blueberry muffins, but I’m able to snag one.

“But they’re fresh, I can’t help myself.” I pick a piece of the muffin and stick it in my mouth with a smirk. “It’s a compliment, Lina. You’re just such a good cook, I don’t want to wait.”

Eileen rolls her eyes and sticks another tray of muffin batter into the oven. “Plans today?”

“I should probably give Nick the fifty-cent tour.”

“Do not take him to Sopris.”

“It’s notthatbad.” Eileen’s glare reminds me of the last time I dragged her to the mountain. While it’s one of my favorite trails, it is not for the weary and has been known to be difficult even for experienced hikers. “Okay, okay. You’re right, it can be a little difficult if you’re not used to it.” I pop another piece of muffin in my mouth. “So, when does…” But, my words falter, the question stuck in my throat when I see Nick step up to the third floor. His hair still damp from the shower, I find myself wondering what it would feel like to run my fingers through the dark brown curls. The sleeves of his black T-shirt showcase the strength of his biceps. Is that from working out or does that come from working on cars? His blue jeans hug the shape of his lower half and —

“Mornin’,” Nick says, joining us in the kitchen. My attention quickly turns to the muffin in my hands.

“Good morning, Nick,” Eileen says with a smirk. “What were you saying, Nin?” She’s not stupid, she knows what caused the sudden halt in my question.

“Hmm?” I look up from my hands. “Oh, I was just wondering if you knew what time the shit show began?”

Nick chuckles from the coffee maker.

“Sometime this afternoon. Wasn’t really listening when your mom told me, I was too focused on your super secret boyfriend.”

“We just wanted to keep things quiet for a bit.” Nick wraps his free arm around my waist. His touch hot as his thumb rubs a bit of exposed skin on my side. We exchange a small smile before he turns back to Eileen, but I’m still staring at him. There’s a small dimple — of course he has a fucking dimple — in his left cheek when he smiles I never noticed and it’s the cutest thing I’ve seen. “We’re still getting to know each other.”

“You know, Kai and I kept it on the DL for about four months before he told the fam.”

“Lina!” I can’t help the outburst. “You never told me that.”

Eileen shrugs, “We all have our secrets.”

“Apparently.” I untangle from Nick to refill my coffee. “I’m going to join Daddy outside.” It wasn’t an invitation and I’m thankful when Nick opts to stay in the kitchen with Eileen.

Every morning Daddy drives into town to get a copy of the newspaper and a cup of coffee from Sal at the gas station. When I was younger, I used to go with him before we’d come home and eat breakfast together on the living room balcony. I'm not sure when, but eventually, I stopped going for those morning rides and started enjoying mornings on my own balcony.

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