Otters

Chapter 8

My eyelids fluttered open at around three o'clock in the morning. The room was pitch black except for the little sliver of moonlight shining through the curtains.

Jo had situated herself in the middle of the night, her head on my chest with her arm draped across my torso.

I thought about how this shouldn't be happening. I can't get close to her. It would only cause problems. I don't want to see Jo get hurt. But it's so hard to stay away from her. She makes it so difficult.

I deftly turned over on my side while she, a sound sleeper, moved herself off of me, but was still close enough that I could feel her breath on my neck. I pushed her long blonde hair out of her face. She still had her bright red lipstick on. I lightly brushed my thumb against her plump lips, yearning to kiss her.

I pursed my lips as I began to sit up, but stopped as she gripped my hand. "Please don't leave me," she mumbled under her breath, still half asleep.

My heart skipped a beat at her touch. "Of course I won't leave you, princess." I laid back down on my side and she snuggled herself up next to me. She buried her head into my chest and wrapped her arms around me. I gently placed my arm around her and pulled her as close to me as possible.

I might as well embrace the moment before I have to end it.

******

My phone vibrated in my back pocket, causing me to wake up. It was a text from my mom telling me I'd better be behaving myself. I rolled my eyes and turned to lay on my back.

It was then that I noticed Jo was gone. Her blankets she had used were sprawled out across the bed next to me and her glasses were missing from her nightstand. Her pajamas were draped over a chair and hangers were laying across her dresser.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as I stood up. I checked my reflection in the mirror. My dark hair was a lot messier and waiver than usual, but I guessed I'd have to deal.

I stumbled down the stairs and tiptoed into the kitchen. Jo stood at the stove with a spatula as she danced to the music on the radio. It was a slow song by John Legend and Jo swayed her hips from side to side as she flipped a pancake.

To save her from feeling humiliated, I walked back out of the kitchen, smiling, and shouted her name from the bottom of the stairs. "Jo? Are you up?"

"In the kitchen!" she yelled. I walked back in. The radio was off and she was leaning against the counter, waiting to flip the pancakes. "I hope you like pancakes," she said.

I grinned and rubbed my hands together. "Yes, I do." I sat down in a chair. "Where's your mom?" I asked.

Jo opened a cabinet and pulled out two plates then set them down on the table. "She's at work."

I raised my eyebrows. "She's due in two weeks and she's still going to work?"

Jo nodded as she pulled a drawer out for silverware. "Yeah, she's a manager of an ice cream shop. It used to be my Uncle Jensen's before he was shot. They founded it together so my mom was given the shop." She grabbed cups and put them at each place. "And since it's in the city, she has to get up super early to get there."

I nodded my head as I listened. "So how did your parents meet?"

Jo smirked before answering. "Actually, they met in that shop. My dad makes the story a lot more pretentious, but how they met was a lot like a romance novel." She divvied out the pancakes and took out butter and syrup. "My dad said that he fell in love with her the day he met her. He has a bit of a stutter and some guys started teasing him for it and stuff then my mom, who was working with Uncle Jensen at the counter, stood up for him. He says that as soon as he saw her he felt a connection."