Second Heartbeat

We lay on the couch well into the night whispering to each other about random things that popped into our heads. I didn’t want to ruin the night by bringing up the subject that had kept us apart, but eventually we would have to talk about it. I know Stormy; she would push this into the back of her mind and then break down when she couldn’t hold it in anymore. I’d seen it so many times after her first week here.

When I opened my eyes this morning, she was still sound asleep on my chest. I knew I was going to have to leave in a few hours to go back to Vegas and I really didn’t want to.
So, I decided to wake her up, I wanted to be able to spend all the time I could with her.

“Angel” I whispered against the top of her head. She simply groaned lightly, but didn’t open her eyes.

“Wake up” I rubbed her side softly, but what I could feel through the t-shirt she was wearing set off a red flag.

I lifted the shirt and she turned and opened her eyes. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“I can see your ribs” I whispered “Are you eating?”

“It’s nothing; it’s just from exercising a lot.”

“Well maybe you should give yourself a break; you’re thin to begin with”

She didn’t say anything and I wasn’t comfortable with her answer, but I wasn’t going to argue.

“Come back to Vegas with me?” I asked

“I don’t know” she put her head back down on my chest and sighed.

“What can I do to make you say yes?”

“Brian I have been lying to you” she started to sit up and I sat with her putting my arms around her waist.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been dancing” she frowned.

“I know”

“No, Brian I don’t think you…” she started, but I didn’t let her finish.

“I saw you Angel”

“What?”

“Jimmy and I saw you pull out of the driveway and we followed you. I saw you dancing”

“Oh” she lowered her gaze to her lap.

“You took my breath away” I squeezed her softly and she looked at me like she wanted to smile but was too afraid.

“Really?”

“I swear, I never saw anything more beautiful”

“There is something else I have to tell you” she said. They shyness brought me back two years when she would hardly tell me anything at all.

“I’m listening” I rested my head on her chin like I’d done so many times before.

“My lessons are ending next week and Harper offered me a job teaching”

She waited for me to respond and honestly, I hadn’t expected her to say that. I told her so many times over and over that I refused to have her work when I could give her everything she ever needs or wants. After what I did with Sydney, Stormy could get anything out of me right now.

“Have you given her an answer yet?” I asked

“Not yet, I don’t know what to do” when she looked at me, I knew what she meant. She didn’t want to say yes because of me even though it’s something she really wanted.

“Personally, I think you should do it if it’s going to make you happy” I sacrificed my own selfishness and this was a real first for me. She turned around in my lap and looked at me in disbelief.

“Who are you and what have you done with Brian?” she asked

“It’s me, silly. I just want you to be happy. I love you” I waited for her to say it back and she didn’t, but I suppose that is my own fault for making her insecure by sleeping with another woman, but she did kiss me and when she pulled back she smiled.

“How much time before we leave for Vegas?” She asked with her arms around my neck.

“We? I take it that is a yes and you want to come with me?” she nodded and I pulled her closer and kissed her. An hour later, Jimmy knocked on the door to let me know that we should get going in about another hour. Stormy was already getting her stuff together. Jimmy seemed a little depressed about something, but I know him and he isn’t one to volunteer info, he will talk when he is ready. When the hour came, we all got into the rental and headed back to Vegas.