Unexpected

[7] Distraction

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted in about two weeks, but I hope you enjoy! :) Votes and comments make my day! ;D

Clara.

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My hopes of spending my days with Katie were dashed when I found out that she would be gone for two weeks at volleyball camp. By Wednesday I was going crazy being alone in the huge house, but there wasn’t really much for me to do. Dean gave me permission to drive any of the cars, but to be honest I was afraid I might break them if I touched one. And besides that, I had no idea where I was going and didn’t want to get lost in the Los Angeles traffic. The first two days I managed to entertain myself by swimming in the pool, playing games on Dean’s Xbox, and watching TV and movies. But by Wednesday, I knew I couldn’t take another day of idleness. With a resigned sigh I grabbed the keys for the black Camaro and braved a venture outside. It was only a trip to the local grocery store to buy supplies for a batch of raspberry buttercream mille feuille, but still.

    While I was waiting for my puff pastry to bake, I went back to my bedroom to check my email for a reply from Jake. He hadn’t sent one yet, but my eye caught something else just as I was turning away. It was a scrap of paper with a phone number jotted down in my own handwriting. Under that was a single name: Ryan. Suddenly I remembered writing it down after I’d run into him on the beach, promising to call and find a time to give him his sweater back. It’d been three weeks since then; did he think I had completely blown him off? After a brief internal battle I decided to call the number and see what happened. Heading back downstairs, I held the paper in one hand and dialed with the other. I blew a breath of air through my lips and considered just forgetting the whole thing. I mean, he probably didn’t even care about the sweater. He was just using it as an excuse to try and hook up with me.

    But the lonely part of me didn’t care. If he wanted to hang out, that was better than sitting here by myself for the next week and a half. I hit the green button and put the phone hesitantly to my ear. On the fourth ring he picked up, but for a moment all I could hear were background noises and what sounded like cheering.

   “Hello?”

   “Hi. Uh…Ryan?”

   “That’s me,” he confirmed, and by his amused tone I could just imagine his cocky grin. He probably thought I was some girl calling to hook up with him later. The thought was almost enough to make me hang up on him, but something stopped me.

    “This is…” Pausing, I cleared my throat. I wasn’t sure why I felt so unsure of myself, but it was more than a little awkward calling someone I barely knew to beg them to hang out with me. “This is Kodi Palmer. You know, Dean’s sister?”

    “Kodi! How’s it going? Still holding my sweater captive?”

    “Actually that’s why I’m calling. I was wondering if you would be free to come pick it up? I feel bad about keeping it so long.” Now that the conversation had started it wasn’t quite so awkward and I felt my shoulders relax a little.

    Taking out a bowl, I started to make the buttercream frosting for the top of my dessert as we talked.

    “How does tomorrow sound?”

    “I’m not doing anything. I’m not really doing anything all week, actually.” I winced, half hoping he wouldn’t catch onto the hint and ignore my insanity.

    “That seems hard to believe,” he laughed. “You’re such a charming young lady.”

    His teasing remark actually got a laugh out of me. I’d barely even smiled in the past two weeks. So how was it that this guy I hardly knew could make me laugh with a single sarcastic comment? Not only was my old life gone, but so was all my rationality. I might not have heard very much about Ryan Holloway, but none of the remarks were good. Shouldn’t I be running in the opposite direction? But there was just something in his warm voice and cute laugh that drew me into him. And it had nothing to do with that dang sweater in my closet upstairs and how it seemed to calm me, either.