Love & Other Possibilities

Chapter 7 - Ross

 Hello everyone! I just want to take a moment and thank any of you who are reading - it means a lot to have readers for an original story of mine. I hope you don't mind that this is a rather long chapter, but I didn't want to cut it in half! Thanks again and please keep reading! Comment/Vote if you like!

-KickStart

....

   I had hoped seeing her today would get her out of my system - that I would be fine seeing her normal, seeing that she was still just Winter. However, it was like our interaction throughout the day seemed to do just the opposite. Every time I saw her my stomach fluttered - and the fact she knew 50% of my bands didn't make it any easier. 

    Around one in the afternoon I got the call every employer hates - Simone was sick, and couldn't come in for her shift tonight. Which meant I had to find someone to cover her shift. Like a message from heaven, Winter walked into the back room, a box of tissue paper Back stock in her hands as I hung up the phone. 

    "Hey, Win!" I exclaimed at her, surprising both myself and her with my use of the nickname her friend used the other night. I furrowed my brows at her as she turned to look at me, her eyes wide. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I just called you that. Is it okay if I call you that?" I asked her, my words rushed and awkward. She smiled, a pink hue highlighting her cheeks, making me swallow hard. 

    "Ross, we've known each other for over a year. I think we're at that point where you can call me by an abbreviated version of my name." She smiled, her eyes narrowing at me in time with her sarcastic, playful tone. I laughed, casting my eyes down to the ground, shuffling my feet against the concrete floor. What was wrong with me?

   "Well you know, some people are particular about those things..." I said with a shrug, before waving my hands dismissively. "Anyways - No chance you could stay till seven or seven thirty tonight, huh? Simone just called in sick." Her face fell. 

    "Oh man, I totally would, the extra hours would be great -" She started. She turned towards me, repositioning the box to rest on her hip. "But the last bus is at six." She frowned, apologizing with her eyes. 

    "Of course, you're on the bus, I'm sorry, I knew that." I said, closing my eyes for a second. 

    "I'm sorry..." She apologized.

    "No, no, you're fine, don't worry about it." I smiled at her. "You're good. Thanks anyways." 

    It was then that I saw them. The box held against her hip had pulled at the bottom of her dark green shirt, rolling it up slightly to expose a sliver of her creamy skin. As she turned around I saw the small, circular scars right at the middle of her back - from the small space between her clothing I saw maybe three of them. My brows furrowed as I watched her walk away, my eyes zoned in on the small section of her back as she turned. 

    "Hey, Kelly might stay, she was saying how she needed to earn some more money for her trip next month." She offered, my eyes lifting to her face. Oh, crap, had she just caught me staring at her as she walked away? From the way her eyes blinked and the turned away, I could tell that yes, indeed she had. I swallowed hard, putting my hands in my pockets. I broke eye contact with her and took a few steps back towards the door. 

    "Oh-ahem-Yeah, thanks." I said, clearing my throat. Jeez, could you be any more awkward, you perv? I asked myself. "Yeah, I'll go ask her now." I smiled at her before turning on my heel and nearly power walking out of the backroom. 

     I stopped just as I reached the sales floor, instantly feeling like an idiot. Now,  because I'm the most awkward man on the planet,she was going to think I was staring at her butt. Which, I mean, I have looked at before - she has a nice behind, and I'm only human, but I always was at least inconspicuous about it. Now she basically caught me rubbernecking, but I wasn't looking at that, I was looking at the scars. How had she gotten them?