Blurred Lines by KD Williamson (20 page)

“Just bracing myself for your usual interrogation,” Kelli answered.

He chuckled. “All I was going to ask is how you’re doing.”

“Bullshit.” Kelli smirked and glared.

“Seriously, I’m not pushing. Your choice. Give me the short version—say you’re fine and tell me to fuck off—or give me the long version.” He grinned. “So, how are you doing?”

She continued to stare. Some people got on the elevator and some got off.

He leaned against the railing and waited.

Williams offered her a special kind of absolution. He always had been able to pull things out of her with a few well-placed questions, but his methods sometimes felt like a full-scale assault. A perfect example was him getting her to admit to the nightmares. She took a minute. She’d known Williams forever, but it was still hard as hell to talk with him about the real shit in her life, but Nora—a woman she just met—the whole talking thing wasn’t hard with her at all. The words just flowed. But comparing Williams to Nora was like comparing apples to planets. Even though he would understand where she was coming from, Kelli needed
something
to be simple and uncomplicated. There was only one place she could find that, and it wasn’t here. Kelli glanced at Williams. “Short version.”

He met her gaze and studied her. Kelli wasn’t sure what he saw, but he smiled like he knew some secret.

* * *

Kelli scooted back on the exam room table. Nothing would make these damn things comfortable. The white paper liner crunched in protest. She was in a strange mood. It was a combination of weariness and a heightened state of readiness for just about anything, even this dickhead.

Rader opened the door and walked in. At least he didn’t try to give her one of those car salesmen smiles. She probably would have punched him, but he didn’t even bother to look at her. His face was planted in a chart.

Kelli snorted.

A nurse came in right behind him, and she had a big old goofy grin. Apparently, she hadn’t talked with the other nurses recently.

“Is that your protection?” Kelli pointed at the nurse.

“She’s here to protect us both…considering,” Rader answered.

“Mmm hmm.”

He stood on the same side as her injured leg. Rader reached out but stopped abruptly. His hand shook.

Kelli took advantage. She remembered something on her way to the hospital, and she was damn well going to use it. “You really aren’t too spry without your girlfriend. I guess it’s a good thing that I’m a light sleeper. Good for Nora, I mean, and here I thought you two were talking about some kind of weird sex stuff. Turns out, it was something a whole lot more interesting.” She was pushing him, but what the hell. She didn’t do things halfway. His boat needed to be rocked. Kelli leaned forward. “You’re gonna crack, and when you do, everything is gonna fall apart around you.”

The nurse gasped.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Can you expose the wound please?” Rader asked. His voice was monotone, and still, he refused to meet her gaze.

“Sure.” Kelli moved the gown out of the way. “Nora must really be something to reduce you to this. You know this isn’t the kind of lie you walk away from?”

“This…conversation is being wit—”

“She’s a witness. I get it.” Kelli smiled at the nurse and flexed the large muscle groups in her leg as Rader poked at her. “I am so okay with that. Are you?”

Rader cleared his throat. “I’m going to need you to disrobe so I can—”

Before he could finish, Kelli had her tits to the wind.

“Um, shortness of breath?” He pressed around the wound.

“No,” Kelli answered.

“Any aberrant pain?” Rader continued. “Take a deep breath, please.”

“Nope, not really.” Kelli inhaled and reminded herself that, no matter how much he made her skin crawl, she couldn’t get all violent when he touched her.

“Good.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Your, uh, blood work was clean as well. You can follow up with your regular doctor from this point on. Maybe we won’t have to see each other again.”

Kelli chuckled darkly. “I’m sure you’d like that, but I’ll be seeing you soon.”

Rader looked at her then. His gaze was hard, cold. He stood tall, seemingly confident. The prick actually thought he had a chance to win. “I guess so. Goodbye for now, Ms. McCabe.”

* * *

Kelli left the hospital feeling more out of sorts than ever, and she didn’t want the day to go on with Rader on the brain. Nora came to mind. Automatically, she reached for her cell phone again. She pulled up Nora’s number for the umpteenth time in the past few days and looked at the digits. Her belly fluttered as she replayed their last meeting. There was a connection between them. Kelli knew that already, but now there was an ache too. Kelli liked who she was around Nora. She was sharper in some places and softer in others. The parking garage was a perfect example.

When Rader approached them, something awakened in Kelli. Something raw, and she loved every second of it. The situation, the way Nora looked, and the way Nora felt all left her weirdly turned on. And then Nora ran. Kelli’s gut screamed for her to follow, but her head encouraged her to wait. She was still waiting and didn’t know how much longer she was going to last. The phone screen went dark. She put her cell away again with a sigh, and slid the key into the ignition.

* * *

Nora brought the grocery cart to a standstill and perused the aisle for her usual brand of granola. Having the other patrons around her, even if they were strangers, made her feel a little less isolated. At home, she had nowhere to go except inside her head, and that wasn’t a pleasant place to be. Her thoughts were churning, twisted, and confused. It was a complex equation where new information was inadvertently added constantly. This current turn of events with Kelli represented yet another part pushing her closer to the brink of overload.

She grabbed an organic brand of granola and read the list of ingredients on the back. Grocery shopping was not something she engaged in on a regular basis. The concept was very low on the list compared to work and the hospital, but today it was a small indulgence, a distraction from everything.

A loud peel of laughter caught her attention simply because it was too close to ignore. Nora turned to see a young couple chatting near the cereal. They stood extremely close to each other. Even though she couldn’t hear what they were saying, the look in the man’s eyes captured her attention. His expression was a combination of softness and—

Before she could figure out more, they kissed. Nora looked away hurriedly and threw the unknown brand of granola into her cart. She felt uncomfortable, but her response was so much more. Her chest tightened, and Nora couldn’t deny the loneliness that had taken root inside her. She thought of Kelli, and Nora’s body filled with a familiar heat. Her insides curled pleasantly. She was far from inexperienced and knew the signs of attraction. In the past, the awareness had always been fleeting, and the connection usually ended as soon as she was satiated. This time, Nora felt a more visceral pull that left her smoldering. Trying to outrun her feelings, Nora moved quickly. She abandoned the aisle and anything else she might want there.

Three days had passed since they last spoke. Nora hadn’t called Kelli, and Kelli hadn’t called her either. This newfound attraction was a frightening concept, but combined with the friendship between them, Nora was hungrier than ever for the smallest interaction. Nora knew how to fix it—a phone call or a text. But after their last encounter, Nora had no idea if Kelli would even respond.

As she turned the corner, Nora went from anxiety to anger, and there was helplessness as well. She was tired of the inactivity that paved the way for this constant deluge of emotions. Even if the change was only temporary, Nora wished to be carefree, and maybe, in spite of all the turmoil around her, to find some peace.

* * *

It was just past midday when Nora arrived home. She uncorked a bottle of Roar 2010 Sierra Mar chardonnay and set it on the kitchen counter to let it breathe while she put the groceries away. By the time she was done, the wine bottle still held a pleasant chill. Eager to relax and unwind, she filled her glass, releasing the crisp tang of fruit into the air. She took a tentative sip, and the flavors burst on her tongue. Nora closed her eyes to savor it and found a moment of solace in the simple pleasure.

She heard her phone ring from the coffee table where she’d left it earlier. Nora walked toward it, leaving the kitchen for the living area. Nora picked up her cell, and Kelli’s name flashed across the screen. Anticipation raced through her, and she shivered. She didn’t give herself enough time to overthink before she accepted the call.

“Hello?”

“Hey.”

The familiar husk of Kelli’s voice increased the wave of awareness to a searing flash of lightning. Nora swallowed and brought the wine glass to her lips.

“You answered your phone.”

“Yes.” Nora cleared her throat.

“I suppose I didn’t expect you to. I wasn’t sure—”

“Kelli?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“I apologize for ignoring you last week.” Nora wasn’t sure if this was what she wanted to say, but there was no taking it back now.

“I’m sorry for steamrolling over you.”

For some reason, the statement made Nora smile. “No, you’re not.”

Kelli chuckled. “You’re right, I’m not, but it sounded good, didn’t it?”

“I’m going to consider that rhetorical.”

“You do that then.”

The seconds ticked by before Kelli spoke again. “I wanted to call this weekend, but I figured you needed space. I tried to be patient, but I just couldn’t wait anymore.”

Kelli’s tone was apologetic, and it made Nora feel selfish. There was so much more going on in Kelli’s life. Nora needed to at least try to equal Kelli’s efforts toward their friendship. “Your brother?”

Kelli chuckled darkly. “You pay attention, and, yeah, my brother. I pulled some pretty heavy strings to get him detained. He’s going back to rehab. I just hope they can convince him to stay.”

“Are you o—” Nora let the question fall from her lips even though she knew it was trite.

“No, I’m not okay.” Kelli interrupted. “My mother can’t stop crying. Travis is a mess, and to top it off, I had to see Rader today. I really don’t know how I stopped myself from punching him. I 
really
 
wanted to, but I pissed him off instead. I don’t get what you saw in that guy. I mean, he’s pretty, but in that creepy, oily way.”

“I’m not at all sure what that means, but my encounter with him was an error in judgment.” That was the only way to explain the Rader situation, but the most important part was Kelli’s fierce desire to keep her safe. It gave Nora a pleasant tingle low in her belly. Being cared for by Kelli meant she fell under her circle of protection, and that was a heady feeling.

“You have enough going on. I’m not trying to overload you with my shit, but it’s like as soon as I talk to you, it all just comes out.”

“It’s okay. I just don’t know how to respond sometimes.”

“You could…let me in.”

For a brief moment, Nora was confused by Kelli’s request. Then, she understood. Her heart accelerated, and heat enveloped her. She whispered, “You’re outside.”

“Yeah, I didn’t want to show up without calling.”

“But—”

“Semantics, Nora. You gonna let me in?”

“Yes,” she answered breathlessly.

“Okay.”

The line went dead.

Nora returned the phone to the table and picked up her iPad. After inputting her code, she stared at the security feed, considering what Kelli’s arrival at her house meant for their relationship. Seconds later, Kelli came into view. Nora watched in silent contemplation until the doorbell rang and galvanized her into action.

When she opened the door, Kelli smiled crookedly at her while leaning on her cane. Nora was not prepared for her reaction to seeing Kelli in the flesh after a few days absence.

Something inside her stopped, dropped, and roared to life again in the span of seconds. Whatever it was shook her, but the ingrained lessons in etiquette enabled her to seamlessly usher Kelli inside.

Kelli’s brow wrinkled. She moved closer and reached out, but she stopped short of touching Nora. “You okay?”

Evidently, she didn’t hide her emotions as well as she thought. Nora stepped away. The panic that had momentarily flooded her ebbed away, but the warmth remained. “Yes, thank you.”

Nora made her way toward the couch, and the glass of wine beckoned to her with the sweet promise of alcohol-induced serenity. She reached for it and took a huge gulp. She glanced back to find Kelli’s gaze intensely focused on her, which alarmed and comforted her at the same time. “You’re no longer on narcotics?”

Kelli shook her head and walked toward the couch. “As needed, but not since Friday.”

“Would you like a glass of wine?”

Kelli scrunched her nose in distaste. “I’m more of a beer girl. I won’t spit it out, will I?”

“Not if you wish to remain in my home.”

Kelli’s eyes widened, and she burst out laughing. “Noted.”

Nora reentered the kitchen. She needed a minute to regain some equilibrium. She set a new glass on the counter. Her hands trembled slightly so she took another pull from the chardonnay to steady them.

When Nora returned to the living area, Kelli was seated. Nora joined her on the couch, but kept a respectable distance between them.

“Where’s Phineas?”

“Around I suppose.”

“Frolicking?” Kelli asked with a smirk.

“Undoubtedly.”

“I don’t have a saddle, but I swear to God when I’m done with PT, I’m gonna ride him.”

At the imagery alone, Nora felt something light and warm bubble in her chest. She glared at Kelli and got a big smile in return. The feeling in her chest intensified, and she did something she hadn’t done in ages. Nora chuckled. She covered her mouth with her hand.

Kelli’s eyes darkened, and she smiled even wider. “Well I’ll be damned. I should get a plaque or something.” She reached for her wine.

Nora continued to smile and filed the moment away with the plan to never forget it.