Between Two Worlds - Book 1

Chapter 10

When I got home, soaked to the skin, dad and Ellen had just left. I had passed them on the road. He was going to a physiotherapist, the fifth since my father had started his rehabilitation.

Maisie and Blaine were still sleeping, at least it was what the empty kitchen suggested.

I made myself a hot chocolate in hopes of warming myself up.

It had started raining almost immediately after I left. I had hoped for the rain to subside, which a patch of blue sky beyond seemed to promise, but it had only intensified.

"You look like a wet dog."

I was so scared that I spilled half of my hot chocolate on the floor. As I turned around, I saw Blaine laughing between his teeth.

"Don't tell me you went out running in this weather ?" he asked, running his hand through his messy curls.

"It wasn't raining when I went out." I replied, grabbing a roll of paper towels.

I could feel his gaze burning my neck as I mopped the floor. When I got up, he quickly looked away, pretending to choose the cereal he was going to eat.

"You are cute when you sleep."

I dropped the cup I had just taken back into my hands. It crashed onto the counter without breaking but spreading the rest of the hot chocolate all around itself. Exasperated, I turned to Blaine who wore a big mocking smile.

"You make bubbles with your mouth." he continued trying to catch my hand which wanted to hit his arm. And you snore a little too.

I nudged him in the stomach which made him laugh harder.

"I don't snore !"

"Yes, like The King when he dreams that he is chasing the neighbor's cat."

"And I'm not blowing bubbles !" I added, ignoring him.

He was laughing so hard now that I wanted to scratch his eyes out. I was about to leave the room when he grabbed me by the arm.

"Wait, don't go."

"Get off of me jerk !"

"Catherine... What a lack of humour. That's really Irish."

"Oh yes, it's true that Scottish humor is legendary."

"You're so first degree. Come on, stay with me. I don't work today. If you're okay with it  I'd like to take you somewhere special to me. And you have nothing better to do, he said with a wink.

I watched him suspiciously. A mistrust that only increased when he strongly advised me to wear a raincoat and walking shoes that didn't take on water. No matter how much I asked him questions, he didn't want to say anything. If I wanted to know this secret place, I had to follow him. I didn't really want to get wet again but on the other hand, I wanted to spend time with Blaine. Better still, I wanted him to continue to entrust only me with all those things that were so important to him. Because then, I felt important to him.

"Do I have time to take a shower ?"

He nodded. An hour later, I regretted it. I was soaked again and mud had stained my jogging pants up to my knees.

"I didn't know you were so athletic." I said breathlessly.

We were walking down a hiking trail so muddy that if Blaine hadn't had superhero reflexes, I would have found myself in the floor more than once.

"And I thought you were more athletic." he replied, holding me by the elbow to help me to climb a slippery slope.

The scenery must have been beautiful on a clear day. On one side you could see the Loch Ness and on the other the moorland as far as the eye could see.