Still Breathing

Chapter 12: I'm not the only one

Marley Pov present day 2022

I check the time for the 10th time. Stephen will be home in 20 minutes. I go through my checklist to make sure everything is perfect. He has been in a horrible mood since the Gala. I tick them off on my fingers, Soup is still cooking but should be ready by serving time. the salad is complete and chilling in the fridge. Steaks are ready. wine is on ice and table is set. I walk over to the dining table and straighten the silverware.

I check the time again as I run to the bathroom to make sure it's clean and everything is in its place. bedroom clean, check. Sitting room clean, check. Just as I'm about to race back to the bedroom to change, there is a knock on the door. confused, I back up and look at the door. I don't move. I don't breathe. Then I hear it again. I tip toe towards the door. and the person knocks harder. Really hard. I yank the door open, ready to give this person a piece of my mind. Because obviously this person has to be at the wrong door. my anger fades to shock when I see its none other than Bucky.

I stand in the doorway shocked while he just stands there ginning at me. I can see all of his teeth; he's grinning so hard. I stick my head in the hall and look up and down the hall. when I see its just him, I whisper even though no one else is around, "what are you doing here?"

He ignores my question and pushes past me as he says, "May I come in?"

He stands in the entryway and looks around taking in the sitting room. He nods and says, "Hmm I got to say, I hate what you've done with the place. it's so clean, so bland, so...." He rubs his fingers together as he takes his jacket off and hands it to me. then he snaps his fingers when he finds the word he was looking for, "So sterile."

I try to hand him back his jacket, but he walks away from me and walks over to the bar and pours himself a drink. I check the time and I follow him around my sitting room trying to hand him back his jacket. I swear we did an entire lap around the bar. I'm practically chasing him as he take in the room. I huff and ask him, "How did you find out where I live?"

He ignores that question too and stops in front of a painting of a woman with one breast hanging out of her dress. he tilts his head to the side studying it. it's one of those painting where you don't realize what you're looking at unless you look at it for a really long time. I've spent a lot of time watching her.

I stand next to him and look at the painting when all of a sudden he turns and stars yelling, "Stephen! Stephen!!"

I run behind him shushing him. I look at him like he has lost his mind. But all he says to me is, "Where is the good doctor?" he turns and starts walking towards the kitchen and I step in front of him.

Eyes wide I say, "He isn't here." the look he gives me knowing we are here alone makes me immediately take step back. he bites his bottom lip as he take in my shorts and my bare legs. He takes a sip of his drink and says, "So were alone?" the smile that spread across his face as he eyes me makes me blush.

He takes another step towards me, and I take another one back and say, "He doesn't like uninvited visitors."

Bucky continues to walk towards me until I eventually end up backing into the piano. My ass ends up on the keys and the sound makes me jump. Bucky laughs and holds up an envelope. When I steady myself, he says, "I'm invited. I was sent here by my father. He needs to sign off on a few more things for his practice."

I slide past him and try to put some space between us, but he is making it very hard. Every step I take away from him, he takes two towards me. I say, "Oh."

After a few minutes, he reluctantly tears his eyes from me and walks towards the kitchen and says, "What's for dinner?"

"shit" I say under my breath as I run into the kitchen. I had completely forgotten about the soup. I turn the stove off then I check the time. Stephen will be walking in through that door any minute. I turn to Bucky and hold out my hand, " I can give it to him." I need him to take the hint and leave, but with my luck and the look in his eye, he is enjoying this. so he doesn't plan to make this easy.