The Existence of Reconcilable Differences

Chapter Eight

1 Month Later

The rain pounded on Dani's window letting off a non-stop sound of bullets. She woke earlier than she intended – she hated it when that happened. Her nose flared, filled with mucus, and her throat was itchy. Her allergies had stricken her but that didn't stop her.

Down the dim-lit hall, Dani swayed towards the bathroom, and out of the room came Gunner. She had been avoiding any form of contact with him every day for a month. Not communicating with him began to fall into normality.

Both felt a sudden brush of skin as they walked past each other as if they were magnets who were unaware of their native attraction to one another. Eyes touched each other as they both looked back at the same time.

While showering, Dani couldn't stop thinking of that touch that set her mind on fire.

While Gunner stared out the foyer window, he couldn't quit thinking of how he wanted to hear her unexpected gasp slip out of her mouth once more before he dealt with his day.

"Gunner..." Mary stood in the archway and her folded arms spoke of concern.

"Mm?" He gently said.

Mary slipped up to her son. "Are you okay, honey?"

"I'm fine..." His voice held small-like; Mary figured it was just one of those days.

She slightly shrugged and turned to exit, but he stopped her when he said, "Mom, thanks for asking... "

She finally felt her thirst quenched; he had shown her some kind of affection - appreciation.

"You're welcome, honey." She smiled and continued on her way.

With a few cups of orange juice, Dani found herself pushing through the day regardless of her allergies. The pounding from the bass blared through the speakers and it was as if she was revived. After class, Dani invited Yandy and Anna over. In a month, they accumulated a friendship. And to Dani's surprise, she actually got along with them. But, she knew there's always a catch in life.

"Your house is gorgeous!" Yandy complimented while they climbed up the stairs to Dani's room.

"The credit goes to Mary. She's an incredible designer." Dani smiled.

They entered her spacious room and gasped at how pretty Dani decorated the room. Throughout the month, Mary had occasionally taken her to get a few things to spice up her room. In the far right of the room, a white vanity sat covered in womanly products. A space rested between the vanity and the wall where Dani had put a desk. A few paintings hung from the wall and to Dani, it truly was her personal space.

"And your room is even gorgeous," Anna added with mesmerizing eyes.

"Thank you."

After an hour of procrastinating, they decided to rehearse for the upcoming recital. Stephanie had been bitching over the importance of posture and foot placement, amongst many other things.

The music was pumping in the room and each step was up to par until Anna messed up. She wasn't the strongest of the group and that's why Dani would give her advice and patience. In every session, Anna would get yelled at by Stephanie. Dani hated seeing her get chewed out and longed to give Anna the much-needed encouragement that Stephanie lacked.

As Dani showed Anna the steps slowly, Mary knocked on the door.

"Hey, would you girls like something to drink? Water? Soda? Wine?" Mary winked at the end and Yandy & Anna agreed to wine, of course!

Because Mary left the door cracked, Gunner walked past and glanced into the room to see the three women talking amongst each other. He sped up to his room until he heard, "Hey!"

He slowly turned to find Yandy standing outside the door with her hands on her hips.

"And who might you be?"

"I'm the guy who lives here," Gunner said, dryly.

"The proper response would be your name," Yandy replied. She didn't let up with her flirtatious eyes.

Gunner frowned deeper.

Suddenly, Dani came out of the room and the very sight of her startled him but he did well with not showing it. She pulled Yandy back into the room and glared at Gunner before slamming the heavy door.

Later that night, Dani saw the girls off and entered the house to hear Mary calling her from the kitchen.

"Yeah, mom?" Dani entered the kitchen.

"Okay, here's the thing: I have a convention to go to soon. I'll be gone for a week." Mary had her motherly concern thrown on her face, and Gunner looked like he wasn't part of the conversation.

"I need you guys to not kill each other while I'm gone."

"We get it. We'll be fine." Gunner left the kitchen and left Mary peeved.

"Just letting you know!" She yelled with irritation.

"I'll take care of everything." Dani gave her a reassuring face.

"I know I can trust you." She sighed with knitted eyebrows.

Later that night, Dani stared into the abyss of her ceiling. She tried to distract herself from their random yet intense encounters – it obsessively replayed in her mind daily. It was hard to concentrate on her life outside of the house. She thought she'd hit a mental wall. Dani couldn't afford that – her life required her to always be present. She wondered if he felt the same. She wondered if he thought about her as much as she thought about him. He showed no signs of caring about her. Gunner's poker face was impeccable and nothing could penetrate it. Nothing made sense to her regarding her relationship with him.

Was it destiny? Was it fate?

The nature of their relationship made her question what road she was on. But overall, she needed to realign her focus. Her dance team needed her – Hunter needed her. She slid out of bed, put on her beige drop-shoulder cardigan, and left her room. Her satin nightgown that reached down to her ankles swayed with her as she walked down the hallway. With every step she took, she hoped that the sound of the squeaky staircase didn't twitch someone out of their sleep.

Upon entering the foyer that led to the backyard, the midnight air crept up her nose as she stood with crossed arms staring up at the dazzling full moon. The moon was pregnant with love and peace that twirled in her mind – it wiped out the stress in the halls of her mind. Dani's heart settled as she closed her eyes and basked in the illumination of the light. She could always count on the celestial to pour in her cup.

With hands in his pockets, Gunner watched her. There was a part of him that felt irritated that she took his spot. But there was a bigger part of him that liked watching her stand in his spot and appreciate the night. She needed the moon just as much as he did. The turn of her head made him jump a bit.

"Oh." That's all she could mutter before he stepped out in the backyard.

The glow in their eyes spoke to each other as if to say, "Don't leave. Stay."

They nervously glanced around. Gunner rubbed his clammy hands on his sweatpants and Dani ruffled her hair behind her back. The significant gap was filled with everything they wanted and couldn't say to each other. When one of them thought to open their mouth and say something, they immediately pulled back into their shell. This was hard.

Dani turned to him and opened her mouth halfway. His thick brows lifted in worry and anticipation. But she said nothing. Instead, she sped off into the house leaving him in a moment of disappointment that would dance around his mind in the coming days.