Between Devil and Ocean

A Knock On The Door

After unlocking the door and opening it, Kaylee breathed in the scent of her apartment before walking in, shutting the door and relocking it. She dropped her bag on the couch and fell beside it, her eyes closed. A few relaxing moments later, she opened her eyes and kicked off her shoes.

A walk to the kitchen, and Kaylee was gulping a glass of ice cold water, shutting her eyes as the water washed her system and cooled her already steaming organs.

As she leaned on the counter and closed her eyes, an image of Trevis Kitridge appeared in the darkness behind her closed eyes, and she opened them immediately.

What was wrong with her? She wasn't usually like this. She had met a thousand and one handsome guys, some of which she had crushed on, but she had never felt like this. Except, maybe, a few mood swings, a few butterflies in her belly, for some, and a few days of obsessive thoughts.

But Trevis?

Trevis gave her this feeling of security and solace. He made her belly run wild with butterflies, her body was super alert whenever he was near, and she could easily distinguish his scent among others.

She had just met him, but she felt this familiarity, this comfort, she felt at ease whenever he was near.

And, funnily, her imaginations went beyond imaginations, like those things the eccentric male and beautiful female protagonist, who had fallen in love, did, and their happily ever after.

Kaylee shook her head. She was going crazy, and she knew it, because nothing else will make her this preoccupied with someone that she had met... twice?...thrice?

The moment that Kaylee Rothen had been told to leave her father's house had birthed a new Kaylee Rothen, the one standing in the kitchen of her new apartment, a glass of ice cold water in her had, her thoughts heading in the direction of a... stranger though not a total one.

The phone rang, breaking into her thoughts. Lazily, she strolled to the study. When she finally arrived, she walked towards the table that the telephone lay, picked up the receiver and gave a bored' hello '.

"There's my baby. You got me worried, Kay - Kay. Been calling you since past six," her father's voice said from the other end of the line.

Just the person she needed to talk to, and that was sarcasm. "Hey, dad," she said, sinking into the seat by the desk. "How're you?"

"No. How're you?" Billy asked in turn.

Kaylee sighed. "I'm fine. Just hanging on in there."

"Well, I'm hanging in there, too. Trying not to let Jolene drive me crazy," Billy said, a note of sadness in his voice. "Let me not bore you with that. How's my love over there?" he asked, swiftly changing the topic.

"I'm fine, dad. Just work stress," she replied.

"Are they stressing you already?" he asked, and Kaylee appreciated the concern in his voice.

"No, dad. I'm the one stressing myself. Imagine, work closed since five, but I just got back, and it's..." She looked up at the clock in the study. "It's few minutes to nine," she said.

"If you keep this up, I'll come over," Billy threatened teasingly.

"No, no. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I promise, I'll stop. You don't have to come over." Kaylee said and couldn't help the smile that appeared on her lips as her father burst into laughter.

"Good. Have you had dinner? What did you have for lunch?" Billy asked.

"For lunch, nothing. But for dinner... I'm about to have dinner..."

There was a knock on the door.

"Why? Kay, I've told you not to skip any meal of the day. Why did you..."

"Look, dad, I love you, and I would love to continue this conversation, but my food is burning. So, I would talk to you later. Love you. Bye." She said and, before he could say anything, she hung up..

Dropping the receiver back in its cradle, Kaylee wondered who it was by this time of the night. She was new in Nettles so she didn't have anyone to visit her.

She walked cautiously to the door then paused to contemplate if she should carry something, anything, for defence, but another knock had her half - running to the door. She took a deep breath and did the sign of the cross.

She took an the breath and peeped through the peephole...