From Bully To Beloved

SERA

SIXTEEN DAYS LEFT

The next morning, I find myself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. I’ve been awake for hours. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure I even fully went to sleep.

It’s supposed to be my day off, but Marie texted me late last night, asking if I could cover half a shift until one of the new girls came in. All too eager to get out of this apartment, I readily agreed.

With that in mind, I force myself out of bed to get ready for work, praying that Coltonis still asleep and will stay asleep until I leave. Standing under the spray of the shower, I enjoy the hot water that’s often missing at my apartment.

Once I’m dressed, I tiptoe into the living room.

Oh, my God, I’m acting like a damn teenager trying to sneak out of her parents’ house.

Despite the internal chastising, I slowly peek around the corner.

The living room is empty, but more importantly, for some reason, I’m disappointed. Coltonis nowhere in sight. He’s rarely awake before I am. He must have left early to avoid me like I’m trying to avoid him. Oh, well. With a sigh of relief, I walk into the kitchen, only to find him standing there, nursing a cup of coffee.

Shit.

He looks as tired as I feel.

Poor guy, I bet he didn’t close an eye on that couch.

A pang of guilt hits me for making him sleep on the couch.

Despite his rough night, he still looks good. His sun-kissed hair is messy, and even though it’s from sleep, I wish it was because I was running my hands through it like I had last night. He’s wonderfully shirtless, wearing only a pair of dark-blue boxer briefs. Of course, they leave zero to the imagination, showing off his deep “V”.

“Good morning,” he says, staring at me with those intense eyes. “Where are you off to so early?”

I don’t trust myself to look at him again. “Morning,” I mumble. I grab my keys from the counter and turn to leave. “Working a half-day. I’ll be home later.”

“But it’s your dayoff.”

“Marie asked if I could cover a few hours.”

I feel a gentle hand on my wrist, stopping me. When I risk a look back, the intensity in his gaze isn’t lessened by the softness there. “Hey, I don’t want to fight with you. Forget about work, we need to talk aboutthis. About us.”

“Not now we don’t. I’m going to be late.”

He’s still holding my hand, and I have yet to pull away. To be honest, I love the contact. The soft way his thumb strokes my skin sends shivers racing down my spine. The heat from last night is still there, brimming beneath the surface.

“Fine,” Coltonsays, staring me down. “We’ll talk later then. I’m not letting youget offthat easy.”

When I get to The Diner, a sense of relief and calm washes over me. I know that whatever happens in my life, The Diner is always there waiting for me. I know who I am here, what I do here. It’s like an old friend, greeting me with a warm hug.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Kelly arrives about twenty minutes later. Before anyone else gets here, I give her a quick rundown of the evening’s events.

“Sera! I can’t believe you and yourhusbandhooked up.” Kelly squeals softly.

“That’s the only thing you’re taking from my story? We didn’t hook up. Wealmosthooked up. We half-hooked up.”

“Well, still. You went from ‘I’m not touching you’ to ‘OMG touch me and kiss my clit’ in a very short period of time,” Kelly says in awe.

“Hey, I’m a woman! I haveneeds.”

I swirl my spoon around my coffee mug, inhaling the wonderful scent of caffeine. I close my eyes, soaking up the atmosphere while I wrap both hands around the mug, letting the heat warm them.

When I open my eyes, Kelly is giving me a soft smile.

“I’m too cautious, Kelly, too serious,” I say. “I think that’s really what this boils down to. Everything was happening so fast and so spontaneously. I got scared. Really scared.”

I pick up the sugar and pour a liberal amount into my coffee.

“It’s okay to be scared,” Kelly says. “Trust me, I get scared like all. The. Time. Everyone gets scared sometimes. Even someone as tough as you.” She nudges me with her elbow playfully.