Read Online While You Were Gone: A Thought I Knew You Novella by Kate Moretti - Free Book Online
Authors: Kate Moretti
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wonder if I can put Hobnobs on there like I’m some kind of senior citizen. I skip the fizzy raspberry club soda and just put plain club soda because isn’t that more sophisticated? Then again, he might drop everything off, and then we’ll shake hands and go our separate ways, and I’ll be stuck with terrible plain club soda for the next six weeks. Six weeks! What am I going to do for six weeks? In this apartment.
“Ahem.” Greg, hovering over me, clears his throat, and when I look up, he’s holding a mug of tea and three cookies. Three cookies!
“Where did you find those?” The level of relief I feel is unwarranted.
“In the cabinet. As far as I could tell, not eaten by mice.”
I take the tea from his hands. “By any chance, would you want to get me the—”
“Honey?” He smiles again. “I added it. You had no sugar, but you had honey. I took a chance. You don’t seem to… have things you don’t use.”
We stay this way for a full-on minute, him standing above me, me staring up at him, my rescue hero with tea and cookies and a grocery list. I look away, embarrassed by the tears stinging my eyes. It’s pathetic that this simple act of caring could possibly make me cry, even a little. This is what people do for each other. This is humanity. Kindness.
He leaves then, with the list and a little salute. I must doze, because the next thing I know, he’s back, banging through the front door, his arms filled with bags, more than I’ve asked him to buy. I hear him in the kitchen, putting everything away, and he brings me a sandwich, setting it down carefully on the arm of the chair.
“So there’re these great things called coffee tables. You can put stuff on them? Some people even put books there.”
I laugh and gesture at the floor, where I’ve set my mug. He perches on the edge of the sofa, and I hike up sideways between him and the back cushions, propped up on my sore ankle. It throbs, but I don’t care. He’s kept me at arm’s length all day, and it’s driving me crazy.
“Will you be okay here? Who will you call?” He asks this like he’s not coming back, and my stomach bottoms out.
“My brother is around. My mom is… around. I’ll be fine.” I force a smile. I reach out with my good arm and cover his hand. His head jerks up like I’ve burned him, and he clears his throat.
“Thank you. Really. I don’t know what I would have done today.” I say this sincerely. His wrists are thick, with the lightest of downy hair covering his arms and the tops of his hands. He has large, wide fingers and neatly trimmed nails. He’s too broad for the space he’s trying to occupy, and he shifts uncomfortably. The heat from his back travels through my walking cast, and my skin buzzes.
I sit up to hug him, a thank-you for all he’s done. He holds me back. He smells like clean air and pine and shower soap. I know so little about him. He’s barely said a word about himself. I don’t know when he has to leave or if he’ll be back. Will he go back to New Jersey? Will he be transferred?
“Will you come back?” I ask, a needy high school kind of girl.
“I’ll check in on you,” he whispers. He pulls away and clears his throat and gives my good shoulder a soft, playful punch. “What would happen to you if I didn’t?”
I kiss his cheek, and he turns his head, just for a second. The kiss lands shy of his mouth, and I feel his breath against my cheek. Neither of us moves. We breathe. I could lean over and just kiss his mouth, blame it on the Percocet, the way I blamed the first kiss on the alcohol. Under my hand, his bicep flexes twice.
Then he’s up and across the room. He stands at the door, his back to me, and doesn’t turn around. “I got your number from your phone. I’ll call you, okay?”
I nod. The door clicks shut before I can respond.
Chapter 5
A week passes. Amy texts me half-heartedly with a glad you’re ok. I’ll come visit! But no follow-up as to when. Nikolai sends a
“Ahem.” Greg, hovering over me, clears his throat, and when I look up, he’s holding a mug of tea and three cookies. Three cookies!
“Where did you find those?” The level of relief I feel is unwarranted.
“In the cabinet. As far as I could tell, not eaten by mice.”
I take the tea from his hands. “By any chance, would you want to get me the—”
“Honey?” He smiles again. “I added it. You had no sugar, but you had honey. I took a chance. You don’t seem to… have things you don’t use.”
We stay this way for a full-on minute, him standing above me, me staring up at him, my rescue hero with tea and cookies and a grocery list. I look away, embarrassed by the tears stinging my eyes. It’s pathetic that this simple act of caring could possibly make me cry, even a little. This is what people do for each other. This is humanity. Kindness.
He leaves then, with the list and a little salute. I must doze, because the next thing I know, he’s back, banging through the front door, his arms filled with bags, more than I’ve asked him to buy. I hear him in the kitchen, putting everything away, and he brings me a sandwich, setting it down carefully on the arm of the chair.
“So there’re these great things called coffee tables. You can put stuff on them? Some people even put books there.”
I laugh and gesture at the floor, where I’ve set my mug. He perches on the edge of the sofa, and I hike up sideways between him and the back cushions, propped up on my sore ankle. It throbs, but I don’t care. He’s kept me at arm’s length all day, and it’s driving me crazy.
“Will you be okay here? Who will you call?” He asks this like he’s not coming back, and my stomach bottoms out.
“My brother is around. My mom is… around. I’ll be fine.” I force a smile. I reach out with my good arm and cover his hand. His head jerks up like I’ve burned him, and he clears his throat.
“Thank you. Really. I don’t know what I would have done today.” I say this sincerely. His wrists are thick, with the lightest of downy hair covering his arms and the tops of his hands. He has large, wide fingers and neatly trimmed nails. He’s too broad for the space he’s trying to occupy, and he shifts uncomfortably. The heat from his back travels through my walking cast, and my skin buzzes.
I sit up to hug him, a thank-you for all he’s done. He holds me back. He smells like clean air and pine and shower soap. I know so little about him. He’s barely said a word about himself. I don’t know when he has to leave or if he’ll be back. Will he go back to New Jersey? Will he be transferred?
“Will you come back?” I ask, a needy high school kind of girl.
“I’ll check in on you,” he whispers. He pulls away and clears his throat and gives my good shoulder a soft, playful punch. “What would happen to you if I didn’t?”
I kiss his cheek, and he turns his head, just for a second. The kiss lands shy of his mouth, and I feel his breath against my cheek. Neither of us moves. We breathe. I could lean over and just kiss his mouth, blame it on the Percocet, the way I blamed the first kiss on the alcohol. Under my hand, his bicep flexes twice.
Then he’s up and across the room. He stands at the door, his back to me, and doesn’t turn around. “I got your number from your phone. I’ll call you, okay?”
I nod. The door clicks shut before I can respond.
Chapter 5
A week passes. Amy texts me half-heartedly with a glad you’re ok. I’ll come visit! But no follow-up as to when. Nikolai sends a
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