Leather & Lace

Chapter 3:Ready for a change

It wasn’t until I hung up the phone that I noticed how intensely Dylan was staring at me. He again was not subtle at all when he looked over and said, “who the f**k is Bones and why is he calling you so late?” “Dylan, we aren’t doing this. It is my business who I talk to, how late, and why. Now, maybe it’s time you leave!” Dylan pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He apologized and asked me to forgive him.

“This is your last chance. Screw up again, and you can leave,” I exclaimed. I was sure he got the point by then, but I was not kidding. He sat back into the couch and we started watching tv again.

Bo laid on the floor right in front of the couch so he could spread out. I laid back down and covered up with my Georgia Bulldogs blanket and Dylan propped my legs up on his lap. I glared at him, but he just smiled and said, “it’s okay, I just want you to be comfortable.”

It wasn’t long before I was asleep again. I guess funerals and crying can make you pretty tired. I woke up to Bo snoring and something rubbing my leg. I tried to wake up fully, but it took a minute or two. The clock then said 2:30, and I knew it was AM by the darkness outside. I looked to where I could feel my legs being rubbed and I saw Dylan and remembered he had come over. Then realized it must be him rubbing my legs. I asked him what he was doing and he told me he couldn’t resist my legs, which is what he always said when we were together. I swatted at his hand and sat up. I wanted to change into some pajamas, I asked if he was sober now, and he said, “I don’t think so, can I stay here?” Of course this irked me. He wasn’t too drunk to drive over, but now he’s too drunk to leave? But I couldn’t, not with my conscious anyway, let him drive off and possibly kill someone or himself. “Ugh, fine. You can stay, but you leave in the morning,” I said while staring him directly in the eye. “I am headed to bed, you can sleep on the couch or in one of the rooms, I don’t care.” He stood up when I did, and Bo was right between us instantly. I made sure all the doors were locked and then I started up the old staircase and he followed.

As I went towards my room, he started to step in too. “What do you think you’re doing,” I asked. “Well, you said I could sleep in one of the rooms or on the couch. This is one of the rooms right,” he asked with that charming half smirk that he always did. “Yes, it’s one of the rooms, but let’s get one thing straight, you’re on the floor or the chaise. Don’t try anything dumb either,” after I made myself clear, his smirk dropped and he defeated my said okay.

All the rooms in the house were large compared to any style house. But these were particularly large since we were in an old plantation style home. The South did not skip on grandness when it came to these types of houses.

There’s a bathroom attached to my bedroom, as of many of the bedrooms in this house. I went in and changed, washed my face, and brush my teeth. Of course I had to do all my nighttime routines to be able to fall asleep. As I walked out of the bathroom door to and into my bedroom, Dylan was once again standing directly in front of me. Or should I say towering over me. I asked him what it was that he was doing, and he said “just checking on you.“ I stepped aside and gestured for him to use the restroom before bed. I went over to my side of the bed, pulled the covers back and got comfortable as patted it on the opposite side of the bed for Bo to come and lay. When Dylan was finished in the bathroom, he opened the door and turned off the light. He walked over to my side of the bed and kissed the top of my head as he told me, “good night, I love you. I just responded with a quick “good night.“

The next morning, when I woke up, I remembered immediately that Dylan had stayed. I looked over towards the chaise and he was not there. Bo was still laying beside me, and I could smell the mouth watering scent of bacon.

At that point, I decided it was time to get up. Bo probably needed to go outside anyways and I knew he’d be hungry as well. I walked down the stairs, somewhat still asleep, and that’s when I began to smell, coffee and cinnamon. I knew that Dylan was trying very hard, but I just wished he would have tried this hard when we were together. It didn’t mean as much now.

“Morning, baby,“ Dylan said. Even though it annoyed me, and almost made my skin crawl to be called that, especially by him, I didn’t have the energy to correct him. I simply said, “good morning.“ When the coffee was done brewing, he put a small amount of oat milk, brown sugar, and cinnamon powder in the cup, and sat it in front of me. He passed a spoon across the bar, and I stirred everything together before taking my first sip of my liquid wake up call. “Mmmm,” is all I said, but it came out more like a moan. At that point, I saw Dylan tense as he stared at me. He leaned forward onto the bar, put a messy strand behind my ear and reminded me that he wouldn’t be able to control himself if I made noises like that. I just glared at him, He knew not to mess with me when I wasn’t fully awake. He pulled his hand back and said, “I’m sorry. But no matter how you look at it, I just can’t resist you.” Again, I just glared at him.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, he asked what my plans were today. I told him how I had to go see the lawyer to finish out everything with the will, but then I also had to go see a realtor to put the house on the market. There was a small amount of shock in his face, even though he heard my conversation last night. I guess he thought I wasn’t really going to go through with my plan. He looked down at me with an unreadable expression and asked, “why are you leaving?“ I said the first thing that came to my mind, “I don’t know Dylan. Maybe because I’ve lost my entire family and this place reminds me of sadness. Or maybe it’s because this house is huge for just one person. Or maybe because the echoes of my voice remind me just how alone I am. Sure I have Bo, but I don’t have the same want to be here any longer.“ I guess at that point, he finally understood. Or maybe he just didn’t want to pressure me because I looked so sad. Either way, I was just thankful that he didn’t continue to ask questions.