Against the Law

Chapter 4: Breakfast

Emily's POV:

As the morning sun filtered through the thin curtains, casting a soft glow across the room, I opened my eyes slowly. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, I took in my surroundings. It took a moment for my groggy mind to remember that I am now staying in an unfamiliar place.

I took in my surroundings and noticed the plain white walls with minimal decor. A bookcase lined one wall, filled with various titles and trinkets. The window on the opposite wall was offering a beautiful view of the quiet city outside.

As I was taking in my surroundings, I heard soft snores at the other end of the L shaped couch I woke up on. Turning my gaze to the noise, I noticed James sleeping peacefully. His messy brown hair fell gracefully across his forehead, and his features were relieved from his slumber.

My heart began to race as I watched the man rest. Gosh! He'd think I was such a freak if he caught me staring at him like this...

Quietly, I swung my legs off the couch and stepped onto the cold hardwood floor. I slowly made my way to the restroom and gently shut the door behind me. I look at the mirror and see all the sweat pouring off my body, one of the downs of getting high I suppose. I splashed some cold water on my face in hopes of clearing my mind and bringing me back to the present.

As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I couldn't help but feel disgusted with what was staring back at me. Living with a stranger is going to be a weird experience for me, but there was something about this man that made calmness wash over me. I rethink my decision, wondering if this is even a good idea, but keep reminding myself about the possibility for growth and new beginnings.

Drying my face with a towel, I emerged from the bathroom to find James starting to stir. His eyes fluttered open and stared at me. Confusion was briefly crossed on his face before it turned to recognition.

"Oh, hey... I'm sorry. I must have dozed off here too. I hope I didn't cause any weirdness between us. How... um... how did you sleep?" James asked me, his voice still laced with sleep.

I gave him a reassuring smile. "I slept great actually. No apologies needed. I'm sorry if I interrupted your sleep just now..."

"Nonsense. I have to get up soon anyways." He stood and stretched, making his shirt rise up and I couldn't help looking at the six-pack underneath. Before I could look any further, his shirt was pulled back down and he started to speak again. "I'm sorry again, I guess this new living arrangement will take some getting used to...."

"Yes, I suppose we'll need to adjust." I add with a giggle.

James sent me a secret smile before he spoke again. "Would you like some breakfast?"

I nodded with a small smile. I was actually starved.

James suggested making pancakes, so we were currently making pancakes. I wanted to add my secret twist, cinnamon, but decided against it. As he and I switched out and took turns mixing the batter, our hands touched, sending an electric current through my body.

As we were finishing the pancake batter, I decided to add a fruit salad on the side of our pancakes. James began cutting some strawberries while I sliced up the oranges, pineapple, and kiwis into the bowl of strawberries.

When I turned my head, James was there and flicked some flour at my nose. I gasped out loud before letting out an embarrassing squealy laugh. I looked up at James who had a heart stopping smile on his beautiful face.

When the food was finished and we served ourselves some food, we picked up our forks. The air now filled with a comfortable silence.

Without even realizing it, my eyes set on James' lips as I watched the syrup glisten his full lips. I looked back up into his eyes before I realized that he too was looking at me. As we both got caught staring, he gave me a smile that made crinkles around his eyes.

I stared down at my plate as I felt heat rise to my cheeks, I don't know why. My thoughts were interrupted by James.

"How is the food? Did we do a good job?"

I sent him a a small smile. "We did great, the food tastes amazing, James." he nodded and went back to his breakfast. The rest of breakfast was silent after that.

____

Since James has left for work for the day, I get the house to myself until he gets back. I was currently settled into the comfy couch watching tv, something I haven't done in a long time. Watching tv was like therapy for me. I loved it.

After some time with the tv, I started to crave some physical activity to shake off the numb feelings in my limbs. With no one around to judge or laugh at me, I could dance all I want, so that's what I did. I used to love dancing, I guess I could see if I still got it...

I cleared a space in the floor and turned on a loud music station I found on tv. I spent the rest of the afternoon jumping, twisting, and stretching, feeling the movements course through my body. The freedom to let go and fully embrace my own physicality brought a sense of liberation that I rarely experienced.

After a couple of hours, my bones were pleasantly sore, making me feel somewhat accomplished. I couldn't remember the last time I danced like that. I made my way to the kitchen to prep me some lunch.