She wasn’t going to wake her host, that much was certain. She paced the long hallway, and curled up on a chair in the living room. Unsettled, she got up and paced some more, and drawn to not be alone, she curled up in a ball in front of his door. Pulling her knees to her chest, she rested her head on the hardwood floor. She could hear him snoring softly from beneath the door. She drifted back into a light sleep.
Opening the door, he almost tripped over the girl in the morning. She woke, startled and embarrassed to have been found.
“What are you doing here?” He was surprised to see her there.
Kendle sat and pressed her back to the wall. Graham slid down the wall and sat beside her. He said nothing for a f ew moments, hoping she’d start, and then finally asked. “What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize, but I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”
“A bad dream. It’s nothing, really. I guess I just didn’t want to be alone.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
She looked away. “I don’t know. I’m not used to leaning on people. I don’t share my feelings well these days.”
“I’ve noticed. I’d like to be your friend, if you’ll let me.” His visions of her modeling and taking him to the top were fading, and images of holding her and keeping her safe were growing. They could do both, but he knew his feelings would get in the way. All he’d ever wanted was to be back at the top…and yet those visions were clouded at the moment, seeing the fragile woman beside him.
Graham cautiously raised his arm and placed it over her shoulder, leaning her toward him. She was stiff under his touch, but let him guide her to his shoulder. Resting her head, she closed her eyes again. His empathy was comforting, his reassurance helped, but Kendle knew she would fight herself tooth and nail before she’d let him in.
She didn’t have the words to tell him what happened. It wouldn’t matter anyway. Words wouldn’t change the past. The only thing she could change was the future. If should could help pull her sister from her misery, maybe she’d redeem herself. Maybe then she could forgive herself for not acting sooner, for not stopping him before he could touch her.
“Do you drink coffee? Why don’t we make some breakfast.” He saw how she relaxed in the kitchen the night before. Maybe she would tell him more about what was going on.
She nodded and followed him.
“Will you let me help you?”
“I don’t know how.” She paused. “You just met me, why do you want to help?”
He shrugged. “Because I can, and I like you.”
She wasn’t sure how to respond. He barely knew her.
“I’d like to get to know you better,” he added.
“Why?”
“We’ll be working together…” He knew it was more than that. He wanted to know her in the biblical sense. He wanted to move with her body, within her, connect to her, and he didn’t have any idea why the urge was so strong. It took him off guard when he realized it. He wasn’t looking for a relationship; he was looking for a stepping stone. Could she be both?
“How did your sister get involved in that lifestyle?”
Kendle froze. She didn’t want to answer, couldn’t. It was too close to her. “I don’t think I can talk about this stuff. Look, it was just a bad dream. I’m okay now.”
“Right… why don’t we finish up here and clean up? I’ve got some things lined up for us today. I have some contacts and want to network a bit. But before I do that, I want a couple more shots to add to your portfolio. An old friend owes me a favor, and I might be able to get you started sooner than you realize.”
“I have to go back to work in a few days,” she reminded him.
“If this catches, you won’t be working there anymore.”
“But Stavros…he took me in.” How could she just abandon him after all the help he’d given her? How could Graham not understand that?
“You’ll have a new
Opening the door, he almost tripped over the girl in the morning. She woke, startled and embarrassed to have been found.
“What are you doing here?” He was surprised to see her there.
Kendle sat and pressed her back to the wall. Graham slid down the wall and sat beside her. He said nothing for a f ew moments, hoping she’d start, and then finally asked. “What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize, but I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”
“A bad dream. It’s nothing, really. I guess I just didn’t want to be alone.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
She looked away. “I don’t know. I’m not used to leaning on people. I don’t share my feelings well these days.”
“I’ve noticed. I’d like to be your friend, if you’ll let me.” His visions of her modeling and taking him to the top were fading, and images of holding her and keeping her safe were growing. They could do both, but he knew his feelings would get in the way. All he’d ever wanted was to be back at the top…and yet those visions were clouded at the moment, seeing the fragile woman beside him.
Graham cautiously raised his arm and placed it over her shoulder, leaning her toward him. She was stiff under his touch, but let him guide her to his shoulder. Resting her head, she closed her eyes again. His empathy was comforting, his reassurance helped, but Kendle knew she would fight herself tooth and nail before she’d let him in.
She didn’t have the words to tell him what happened. It wouldn’t matter anyway. Words wouldn’t change the past. The only thing she could change was the future. If should could help pull her sister from her misery, maybe she’d redeem herself. Maybe then she could forgive herself for not acting sooner, for not stopping him before he could touch her.
“Do you drink coffee? Why don’t we make some breakfast.” He saw how she relaxed in the kitchen the night before. Maybe she would tell him more about what was going on.
She nodded and followed him.
“Will you let me help you?”
“I don’t know how.” She paused. “You just met me, why do you want to help?”
He shrugged. “Because I can, and I like you.”
She wasn’t sure how to respond. He barely knew her.
“I’d like to get to know you better,” he added.
“Why?”
“We’ll be working together…” He knew it was more than that. He wanted to know her in the biblical sense. He wanted to move with her body, within her, connect to her, and he didn’t have any idea why the urge was so strong. It took him off guard when he realized it. He wasn’t looking for a relationship; he was looking for a stepping stone. Could she be both?
“How did your sister get involved in that lifestyle?”
Kendle froze. She didn’t want to answer, couldn’t. It was too close to her. “I don’t think I can talk about this stuff. Look, it was just a bad dream. I’m okay now.”
“Right… why don’t we finish up here and clean up? I’ve got some things lined up for us today. I have some contacts and want to network a bit. But before I do that, I want a couple more shots to add to your portfolio. An old friend owes me a favor, and I might be able to get you started sooner than you realize.”
“I have to go back to work in a few days,” she reminded him.
“If this catches, you won’t be working there anymore.”
“But Stavros…he took me in.” How could she just abandon him after all the help he’d given her? How could Graham not understand that?
“You’ll have a new
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