The Stake of Us

Ch 10: Can't

Knocks at his front door, Jay gets up from his kitchen chair to open it by this time he has a pretty good idea who it would be.

The door slides open "Hi Mr. Kult" Tristan greets.

Jay opens the door wider; he doesn't bother to correct Tristan anymore, he kept telling the boy to call him Jay instead of Mr. Kult, it makes him feel damn old, but the kid doesn't listen.

"Hey Tristan, come on in." He invites, Tristan steps through his door with a polite smile.

"Suzy is in her room doing some school work. Leave the bedroom door open, kid." Jay instructs as Tristan makes his way down the hall and up the stairs to Suzy's room.

He looks after Tristan and wonders how in the world the kid grew so much, it was just yesterday that both Suzy and Tristan ran around in his kitchen and hid in the cabinet playing hide and seek, now his body filling up their narrow hallway. With a shake of his head, Jay goes back to his business.

Tristan walks up the steps before turning to his right, he halts. Looks down at his large hand on the stair rail. He closes his eyes, composing himself.

He takes the short steps toward her bedroom.

He stops at the doorway.

Laying on her stomach, Suzy writes in her notebook.

His eyes roam the curvature of her small back down to her toes.

He clenches his right fist.

Her left foot rubs against her right ankle.

Shit, maybe it's a mistake coming here. He should go-

His eyes travel back to the curvature of her slender neck, pulsing under his gaze.

He steps foot into the room, and the sweet aroma hits his nose clouding his thoughts.

He should stop, but his feet don't listen. They carry him until he stands above her bed, his large shadow overcasting her form.

She finally turns "Jesus! You scared the jib out of me!" Suzy exclaims with her back hitting the bedroom wall.

"How in the world do you keep sneaking on people?! You almost gave me a heart attack."

"You're too easy to sneak up on," Tristan responds.

"No, you're just too good at being creepily quiet." She narrows her eyes at him before looking down at his feet. "Seriously, do your feet levitate off the ground or something?"

That gets a light chuckle from him.

"Something like that."

"That explains it." Suzy teases

An awkward silence falls into the room.

Suzy fidgets with her pen before clearing her throat.

"I didn't think you would come today after our Aiden talked..." Suzy said.

Tristan stands above her, watching.

His tall frame blocks her overhead bedroom's light, she can't see his expression, so she squint.

She almost tells him to move, but she freezes when she finally makes out his eyes.

His eyes were the lightest shade of gold she had ever seen, so light they look as though they glow.

The intensity in them as he looked down at her.

Suzy draws in a shaky breath.

She blinks and look away at his shoulder to compose herself.