Chapter 04: Short Breaths

 I breathed deeply as I recollected my senses after I hang up my short conversation with Anna but mostly needed some air from the free falling into Cole's arms. Hell that was embarrassing and intimately disturbing. I let out a handful of air, turned around my feet, and walked through the path that leads to my foster house.

I usually stayed at my dorm room but I was spending the night at the house today like every Monday of every week.  About five minutes of walking, I arrived in front of the big brown wooden door of my foster house.

 The Pittersons

The golden letters ornate the door, above the number one-hundred-seventy-eight 178. The matching golden hand doorbell stood right on the center of the wooden door under the name; and the bell was to the right of the entrance. Not the fancy house though ;It has only three bedrooms,  one bathroom,  a living room  and a dining room opened to a small kitchen and  a tiny entrance hall.  

Since I was orphan, the Pittersons adopted me and gave me my family name.  My name  however I've been told  was embroidered on the baby's bra I was  wearing. They told me I was found at the steps of a church and no one had enough information about either my mother or my father. I searched for their whereabouts; for someone that might know them or their name; when I turned eighteen but that led me nowhere. Even my foster parents helped me but they could not find more than that. I was brought to the orphanage without personal documents, and I learned that the priest who found me took me there.

I took the keys in my pocket and unlocked the door, I entered the warm house; crossed the hall greeting my adoptive mother who was in the kitchen and turned left towards the  room I shared with Audrey and Cassie. They were in high school at such hour; while Jake and Andrew were probably playing football out with their friends. This meant that I had some quiet time for myself.

 I put my bag and phone on the bed then went straight to the bathroom. Soon I stripped from my clothes and stepped under the warm water. Although I wished, it was cold to cool off a little, the hot mess I was after Cole's hands touched me. I closed my eyes at the feeling again stirring strange emotions inside of me. I spent about half an hour under the calming jet of water before wrapping a clean towel around me and falling on the bed. Feeling all relaxed after my bath.

My phone buzzed, I grabbed the device to find it was a text message

From: Anna

MON 03:45 pm

Did you get home yet? Call me then

Xo

A

I called her right away.

"Hi there "

"Finally! You got me worried here Ivy, how are you? You seemed off earlier"  she said as soon as she picked up, I bet she didn’t even hear me say hi

"Hi Ann, I'm fine don’t worry okay,  I was just...distracted" I said

“Distracted? Distracted by what or should I say by who?"

“It's a who" I chuckled

"Hum, do tell!"

“It's nothing important anyway, tell me how about you?"

"Oh okay, well I'm doing my best to avoid getting into a fight with my little brother; the usual; anyway Brad asked me out so we could meet up for ice cream"

"Did he really ask you out?"

"No. Hell no!  He said we could go as a group. He seemed off though"

"Yeah I know, he just broke up with his girlfriend"

"Again? Seriously?"

“Yeah again; seriously; I know!"

"Well I guess she wasn't his type as you said"

"Yeah definitely not"

"So, meet us up around half past four at Jackson's okay? I'll call Emily"

"Okay, that would be great I'll be there in time"

"Okay, see you then, bye!"

"See you, bye!" I said before I hung up.

I looked up the clock hanged on the wall, it was ten minutes left to four already, that only gave me enough time to change my clothes, dry my hair and go out again. I put on a pair of blue denim and a loose white Tee Shirt and matching white sneakers as I had a couple of outfits here too; I blow dried my hair and held it in a high ponytail. And put on some mascara and  a nude lipstick then grabbed a little bag and went out.

Kissing mom goodbye I hurried to Jackson's coffee shop. I had to turn around the block in order to take a shortcut to arrive on time. Alas, that meant stairs; A lot of them.

  It was fine by the way

 I climbed the long trail of stairs two at the time, which was not hard considering I was lightweight and I wore snickers, but again I did not want to be late either.

Few more steps and I would arrive at the top.  Almost out of breath my phone rang, I lowered my head fetching the device inside my purse when I recognized the ringtone.  After I grabbed it and reached, the last step but I stumbled against someone. I cringed as I hit my nose and forehead and lost my balance

Uh oh

 My weight swayed backwards and I almost fell off the stairs when I felt two powerful hands gripping me from my middle. I cursed under my breath, my heart jumped up towards the sun and back

My eyes widened when I saw who it was, before me, Cole.

Again? Is it becoming a trend or something? What is happening to me today? Why am I being clumsy as fuck?   I whined mentally

I closed my eyes; wanting it so badly to be just my imagination and that it was because I just hit my head

Please be a dream or a hallucination, please!  I begged silently.

"Ivy?" His vivid deep voice was proof that I wasn’t dreaming and my hormones were all over the place , the stairs.

"Yep" I said my voice squeaky despite my attempt to get out even, my eyes still closed in embarrassment and I already felt my cheeks burning  

"That’s clumsy day for you I guess" Cole chuckled all the more amused

Was this funny to him?

Yeah tell me about it!  I replied mentally face slapping myself. Why does he have to be the one holding me for the third time today?  First the bus; then on the way home and now?

Out of all the places on earth did he really need to be here right now?  I started to wonder if this was the dose for today or if there was another round

"This is so embarrassing" I let out opening my eyes again looking down and I felt so self-conscious all of a sudden

Cole pulled me up against his solid body as in for a hug, his warm hands around my back made me quiver and I nearly whimpered in pleasure. God ! His hands on me were smoldering as he helped me get on my feet.

 Hopefully for the last time today!

I had to catch up on my breath trying to calm down after he retrieved his hands; leaving tingles where he touched

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to" He said on a low tone and he run a nervous hand over his dark brown messy hair. He kept staring at me intently, waiting for me to say a word; he seemed tense.

"I'm sorry I wasn't looking ahead" I managed to say.   Why the hell do I keep apologizing?

"You should be careful or else you could get hurt" He replied, more concerned than he seemed annoyed.

"I'm sorry again" I whispered absently as I felt him getting uncomfortable or nervous, I wasn’t sure which one it was..

 He stepped forward almost closing the space between us, his expression softened and his eyes grew a shade bluer

"Don't be, that was my mistake He said wryly.

 My phone rang again, the same familiar ringtone from earlier. Enough for me to snap out of the trance I almost find myself caught up in, staring at his blue eyes

"I should take this" I mentioned hesitantly,  still looking at his piercing blue eyes for – God only knows –what reason I did that.

He nodded so I raised the device to my ear weakly trying to detach my gaze from him

"Where are you?" Anna's voice snapped at me she had her furious voice mode on

“I ... I'm around the corner" I stuttered

"Get your ass in here sweetie, we're waiting!"  She said before hanging up.

I smiled nervously looking away before I found the courage to look up, and when I finally did and but before I could excuse myself it was turn for his phone to ring this time.  I nodded for him to take it.  

But I could not be more surprised when he switched it to silent then told me with a small smile

"It's okay, I'll call them back"