Effortless (Thoughtless #2)(40)
Author: S.C. Stephens

Dad sighed heavily, like he was conceding a great defeat. He couldn’t really argue with me on that point. My parents had acted hastily last year, in their attempt to lure me to their place when they thought I’d decided to go to Australia with Denny. Things hadn’t worked out that way, but still, the offer had been made. They should honor it, no matter who I was with.

Shaking his head, Dad muttered, "That was different. We knew Denny…and he was a good man. Made some bad decisions, left you alone when he shouldn’t have, but…a good man, I think."

I sighed as Mom silently filled my plate. "Yes, Denny’s a good man…and so is Kellan." Looking at the both of them, I shrugged. "You just have to give him a chance." Dad sighed again and I added, "Please…I really love him."

Mom paused, placing a hand on my shoulder and peeking at my dad. He looked up at her, sighed again, then muttered, "Fine, he can stay in the house…" he pointed at me, "but he doesn’t go up to your room…ever, and he sleeps on the couch!"

I rolled my eyes but didn’t press my luck. Just Dad agreeing to him staying in the building was a huge victory. Anna smiled at me as she popped a forkful of stuffing in her mouth. She raised her eyebrows suggestively and I knew exactly what she was thinking-Don’t worry, I’ll cover for you.

After a leisurely dinner and a good helping of pecan pie, it was finally time to meet up with Kellan at my favorite park. I was giddy, thinking over how romantic the moment was going to be. After I quickly threw on some warm clothes for my date, Dad sullenly gave me his car keys, complaining the whole while that Kellan should meet me here if he were truly a gentleman. Sighing for the hundredth time, I explained that it was my idea to meet in the park, that I’d wanted to show him a small bit of Ohio University.

Being a proud Alma Mater, that perked Dad up a bit. He watched me carefully as I took the keys though, and it was quite clear that he’d be listening for my return all night long. I sighed, the private part of our reunion was going to be a brief one. Getting into my dad’s Volvo, I started my drive.

The roads were kept pretty clear, so I didn’t have too much difficulty traversing through the falling snow. Within minutes I was at our meeting place. The parking area was empty as I looked around, but that wasn’t too surprising. It was late on Christmas Eve. Most people were snug in their beds, waiting for the big morning, not having a romantic rendezvous in a public place. Feeling an excitement starting to course through me, I started to make my way through the park.

The freshly falling snow was adding a soft layer to the few inches already covering the ground. I wanted to run to the spot where I knew Kellan would be, but I resisted. Looking around the park, I hoped the directions that I’d texted to him about an hour ago, were good enough for him to find this specific spot. Walking across the snowy lawn, my boots crunching a path through the pure white, I came up to a bench in front of a small duck pond. Even though I’d spent countless hours at this park while I’d been attending school here, this place oddly reminded me of Kellan’s and my park back home. Funny, I already considered Seattle my "home." This place, my birthplace, was now the spot I visited.

Brushing snow off the wrought iron bench, I looked out over the pale, moonlit night as I sat down. There were no fresh tracks in the snow. The ground was pristine…beautiful and perfect. Grabbing my cell phone out of the purse slung over my side, I glanced at the time. Nine-thirty. The local airport wasn’t that far away. Assuming his flight was on schedule, it was more than enough time for him to get from the airport to here. Glancing around the sloping white hills, I only saw where my tracks led down here though. Kellan wasn’t around yet.

I tried to wait patiently, but I hadn’t seen him in so long that I was edgy. Nervous energy shot through me as my feet bounced up and down on the insulated-with-snow concrete path. Light flakes were still falling, collecting in my hair and eyelashes, melting together then beading and rolling off my thick jacket. The longer I sat, the more I felt the cold. Sniffling a little, I suddenly cursed my romantic location. I should have just had him drive to my parents’ place. Less chance he’d get lost that way. Plus, parks weren’t exactly the best place to be waiting around in the middle of the night…even on Christmas Eve night.

That thought made me wonder what or who could possibly be in this park besides me. I startled when my phone vibrated in my hands. The tiny chime accompanying it seemed horribly loud in the still night and I cursed under my breath. Looking down, a puff of warm air from my mouth hazed the screen. Frowning, I wiped the condensation off…then I smiled.

New text message from Kellan Kyle.

Those words from my phone were some of my favorite. Right after, Incoming call from Kellan Kyle, actually. Pressing the view now icon, I waited to see what my man had to say for himself; he was nearly forty-five minutes late now. My heart dropped immediately.

‘I’m sorry…I can’t make it.’

Biting my lip, I willed the disappointment to stop. It was hard though. It was crashing through me like the storms currently hitting the east coast. Idly, I wondered if that’s why he couldn’t make it. Maybe he’d gotten snowed in.

With heavy fingers, I typed back, ‘Really? But it’s Christmas…’

I hoped he didn’t think I was whining. I knew his schedule was hard. I knew he was trying to see me. Wiping a stubborn tear from my eye, I sniffed again for a different reason. I’d so wanted to introduce him to my family, to spend the holiday with him, to just…see him.

His reply came while I was wiping my nose with the back of my jacket sleeve. ‘Yeah, I know. I tried…I’m really sorry.’ While I tried to think of something that was encouraging and sympathetic, not snippy and childish, my phone buzzed and chirped again. ‘Are you okay? You’re not crying, are you?’

Sniffling and wiping my nose again, I frowned that he thought I’d turn into a blubbering mess so rapidly. True, my stomach was twisted and tears were freely rolling down my cheeks now, but I didn’t necessarily want him to know that. ‘No…I’m fine. I know you tried. I’m okay…really.’

Thinking that I had no idea when I’d actually see him again, a stubborn sob escaped me. My phone sounded at me right after. I had to swipe my fingers under my eyes to read his message.

‘You’re lying.’

Sniffling as more tears embarrassingly ran down my face, I shook my head at the screen. "Am not…" My voice was a little petulant as I replied to a tiny piece of machinery that couldn’t hear or understand me.

Just as my thumbs came down to type him a message reiterating just how completely fine I was, even though I wasn’t, my phone chirped at me. Blinking, I opened his message.

‘Are too.’

I stared at my phone like it had just grown lips and talked to me. I did say that smartass comment out loud, didn’t I? Did I subconsciously text it too? I was a little worn out from travel, and the holidays…and my parents. Flipping through my outbox, I double-checked all of my messages.

"How did you know that, Kellan?" I muttered as I looked for a message I didn’t remember sending.

My phone buzzed while I was browsing yesterday’s texts. Shaking my head, I shifted back to the inbox. ‘I know that because I know everything.’ My eyes widened even more. Another message had come in while I was reading that one and I immediately opened it next. ‘I also lied…turn around.’

My heart in my throat, I did as my phone commanded me. It was like emerging from a dream, or maybe, falling into one. Stepping away from the shadow of an oak tree at the base of the hill, just a few feet away from me actually, Kellan stepped down into the moonlight. His hand tucked his phone into his leather jacket as he did. I stood from the bench as he came into view.

My God, but he was beautiful.

My mouth dropped open as fresh tears sprang into my eyes; happy tears this time. Snow lightly gathering in his thick, messy hair, his lips curled into a devilish smile as he stared at me.

"Kellan," I breathed.

Then I was gone, rushing towards him before my head even registered the movement. Chuckling, his face breaking into a playful grin, he started walking towards me. Walking wasn’t good enough for me. I flew to him. I hadn’t had his arms around me in weeks. I hadn’t had more than his voice in my ear for weeks. I needed so much more now.

I leapt into his arms when I finally slipped and slid my way over to him. Kellan laughed as my arms cinched around his neck. The warmth of the reunion melted all of the iciness from my body. I’d never felt such complete peace. He lifted me a good foot, swinging me around in a circle. I was laughing when he set me down, my earlier despair gone.

Just as his lips started coming towards mine, I shoved his shoulder back. My despair may be gone, but that was not a nice joke. "You were kidding? You’re such a jerk."

Chuckling, his eyes even more blue in the blue light filtering through the trees, he raised an eyebrow. "I thought I was a prick?"

Shaking my head, I grabbed his cheeks, pulling his face towards mine. We could argue the semantics of his a**holeness later. I needed more than just words right now. Kellan’s arms wrapped around my waist as our lips melded together. Cold and hot at the same time, our mouths softly felt the other’s. Our breath’s vapor between us, he muttered, "I’m sorry I’m late."

My hands drifted up to tighten in his hair, the long strands on the top damp with melted snow. "I’m just glad you’re here."

Our soft but intense kiss broke apart, and Kellan rested his head against mine. His eyes flicked over my face, studying me, maybe seeing how I’d changed in the past few weeks. "I’ve missed you…so much."

Grinning, I pressed my lips back to his. "I’ve missed you, too."

We kissed in the lightly falling snow, a few feet away from the frozen duck pond that students sometimes skated on if it iced over enough. We kissed until my fingers were so numb I could no longer feel the thick strands of his hair wrapped around them. That still didn’t stop me though. I needed his lips on mine. I needed his body pressed into mine. I really didn’t care if I froze solid, and became a living work of art here…as long as he was with me.

He pushed me back though, when I went for his mouth again. "We should go, you’re frozen."

His eyes traveled down my body and I felt anything but cold. "I’m fine," I stuttered, my body actually chillier than my mind believed it was.

He smirked, a cloud of moisture escaping his mouth. "Your teeth are chattering."

I leaned up, trying to will my frostbitten fingertips to pull his head back to me. "I don’t care…"

Chuckling more, his hands grabbed my waist and twisted me around. Pulling my h*ps into his body and wrapping his arms over my chest, warming me, he murmured in my ear, "Well, I care." I closed my eyes and leaned back into his embrace; I’d missed this so much. His breath warm down the side of my neck he added, "Besides, I can’t make love to you out here…"

My eyes sprang open and I took a step forward. Grabbing his hand, I started leading him away from my favorite pond. "You’re right…it is getting pretty cold."

He looked down and shook his head. Small drops of snow that had melted in his hair fell to the ground as his amused smile widened. When he peeked back up at me, a drop landed on his cheek, sliding its way down to his neck…lucky drop.

His grin breaking into a mischievous one as I pulled him along, he told me, "I know my trick was a little mean, but it did prove one very important thing."