This series will be a lot longer than I expected!
Enjoy!
"How was your thanksgiving?" Sawyer asked, collapsing onto his couch and spreading his legs wide. Kiana looked into her bowl of homemade chilli with crushed crackers and swallowed.
"It was nice, how about yours?" She returned his question and noted his mild demeanor change. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
"Quiet but nice nonetheless." He had spent his Thanksgiving in his apartment with the NFL and takeout. Declan and Alison had of course invited him over but he declined their offer; he didn't feel comfortable spending too much time with them. Their invites always seemed more like pity acts more than genuine desires.
"I know you didn't spend it alone..." Kiana said, staring him right in the eyes. He glanced over at her and read her disbelief immediately. Her smooth skin scrunched over the eyebrows in a light frown.
"I did." He stated gently. Kiana put her bowl on the coffee table and tucked her bare legs beneath herself.
"Why? You could've spent it with me, there was more than enough food—my dad wouldn't have minded." She said, trying to convince him on something that could no longer be chosen. But Sawyer smirked his classic smirk of opportunity and it made Kiana backtrack everything she said with intentions on finding what she might've slipped up on.
"So you do have family... Tell me more about them." He commanded. He scooted towards her more and laid his head onto her legs. Kiana tensed the slightest bit but then relaxed again. Sawyer would need to find out soon if he would be attending her show in a few days. She placed a hand onto his jagged, masculine jaw and ran it into the nearby hair. She looked down on his resting frame and couldn't recall a time he looked so relaxed. He was a young boy trying to fill the spot of a big man yet needing so much affection.
"My dad," She broke her sentence with a light clearing of her throat. "He was a goofy man." She chuckled a little. "That isn't even the right word—he was crazy as hell. You could
never
predict what he was going to say next. But one thing everyone knew was that he loved me. He loved me more then he loved anything on this Earth."
"However my mom," Kiana smiled. "She hated it, she thought I'd never love her as much as I loved him because he spoiled me so much. My daddy let me do anything I wanted but my mom was the one to say no. She put her pretty ol' foot down when she needed to but I didn't dislike her for that, I couldn't. She was so... sweet. No one could feel anything but love for her." Kiana looked down at Sawyer and saw his eyes still wide open.
"My dad had a stroke a few months ago, he can hardly speak." Sawyer's heart clenched a little in his chest and was almost sure he felt his first signs of compassion. The heart wrenching, warming feeling so high up under his ribs had made him lose his breath for a moment. Even without his own father in his life, Kiana was able to make him sense what it was like to essentially lose someone with so much importance.
"His body is paralyzed on one side, and I haven't seen him smile in months." Kiana didn't even know she was crying, she had no prior feelings of the act except the wetness on her cheek. She took in a sharp gulp of air and began moving below Sawyer.
"Excuse me." She said, hurrying out of her seat and cutting on his bathroom light. Sawyer looked at the door from the couch and tried to figure out what his role was at that moment. He had absolutely no idea what to do but he had an idea this was his turn to do
something.
Kiana came back within two seconds and was back in her spot. Sawyer looked into her eyes and was taken aback to see she looked so normal.
"Come here." She said, patting his spot against her legs again. Sawyer leaned his head back against the balmy skin and laid a supple kiss against her brown upper thigh. She glanced down at him for confirmation he was the one who had done such an intimate, sweet gesture as her insides shifted within her.
"Your turn." Kiana whispered, coaxing him with a caress on his cheek.
"No." Sawyer's voice sliced through the open and air and left a chill on her skin. She swallowed loudly before straightening her back and halting her movements over his face.
"What?" She said through clenched teeth. Sawyer could feel her anger rising in intensity and sat up to meet her eyes. As expected, her features were twisted in a menacing look.
"I'm not ready to talk about it with you, can you respect that?" He pressed just an inch away from her russet, puckered lips. Kiana sighed and turned her head toward the window beside them. Obviously Sawyer was abusing his rights to deny her something but what was she supposed to say?
"When are you going to tell me?" She asked, looking into his eyes and searching for an answer. He kissed her quickly before burying himself into her neck and swaddling her into his arms. Kiana still awaited an answer as he kissed the skin on her neck.
"Sawyer." She warned, staring at a wall behind him.
"Soon." He mumbled incoherently.
"Soon"
She repeated in her head sarcastically, finally settling into his hold.
***
Today was Kiana's Christmas party at work and the women were expected to wear their Santa hats as they waited tables. She put on her hat right before sitting into her seat. She looked at the unfilled spot beside her and heaved a sigh deeply. Every day she seemed to miss Janelle the slightest bit more. This was the time of year they were always in one another's company; sharing the love they had between them. But for the sake of her pride, Kiana would stick out her silent treatment a little longer.
She came in and sat down and Kiana hardly recognized her. She had a short haircut—a little past her ears. Her natural hair was straightened and in loose waves around her face. Kiana didn't want to stare but she looked so beautiful. Her sturdily angled face was toned down by the feminine hair. Kiana cleared her throat and turned back to her mirror.
