Ecstasy

Chapter 29

Calla:

  Walking into the kitchen with him trailing behind me felt surreal. Overwhelming embarrassment for my little trip up before and his discovery about my dyslexia had me avoiding his eyes. I busied myself by getting out bowls and spoons for breakfast. It was only when I called Sylvie away from the TV did I actually look up to meet his eyes. Suddenly I wished I hadn't.

I caught him staring at me, leaning casually against the island bench. He looked effortlessly attractive, and it annoyed me. He should've be hung over, or sick this morning. Was there no consequences for taking drugs?

I was caught in his stare and I studied his face. He had the most perfect lips. Their fullness and shape made it seem a sin for them to be wasted on a boy, and curled so appealingly into that arrogant smirk that was just as cocky as it was attractive. He had that square jaw and high cheekbones indicative of a model. He could have been one–but then he couldn't. He seemed too masculine for that, with stubble lining his jaw and the bump along his nose evidence it had been broken before. He wasn't a boy; he was a man, and I suddenly felt so inadequate standing beside him. Looking up to meet his gaze, I noticed he was staring at my lips, and he smiled. He met my gaze, and I caught a glimmer of something in those blue depths, something that had me leaning forward, dampening my lips with a sweep of my tongue. I could almost feel his breath on my cheek.

And then, a voice. "Who are you?"

I turned to look at Sylvie perched on a bench stool. I became overly aware of how close Tyson was so I reached my palm to his chest and pushed him back a couple of steps. The room suddenly felt very hot, and I knew my face was that ugly shade of red again.

"Uh." I turned to Sylvie who was peering over the bench at Tyson. She looked at me and then Tyson, and then back again.

"Are you Calla's boyfriend?"

I felt my eyes widen. She studied Tyson for a minute before looking at me for confirmation.

"Sylvie this is Tyson. Tyson this is Sylvie; my six year old sister." I tried to emphasize that she was young and that he should ignore her last question like I had, but he just smiled at me.

"Six and a half actually," Sylvie retorted, raising her chin.

Tyson chuckled. "Yes, I can tell you're related." He winked at me. I just frowned in response.

"Well nice to meet you Sylvie." He reached out a hand to shake hers.

Sylvie took his hand. "Nice to meet you," she said sweetly.

I turned away and poured a small bowl of cereal and splashed some milk in it. I swallowed a spoonful to erase the lump in my throat and placed it in front of Sylvie on the island bench.

She took the spoon and took a mouthful before looking up and asking, "Well are you?"

"What?" Tyson asked. He leaned his forearms on the bench, and I slapped his shoulder for encouraging her. He smiled without looking back at me.

"Calla's boyfriend?"

I scratched my forehead. "Sylvie–"

Her eyes widened. "What?" she protested in a high voice, recognizing the warning tone in mine.

Tyson laughed and leaned forward. "Well do you think I am?"

"Eat your breakfast," I warned, but unknowingly I leaned in for her answer.

Sylvie sat swinging her legs off the bar stool. It made the curls in her pigtails bounce. She blinked and stirred her cereal with her spoon. "No." She answered and stared at Tyson.

I didn't know why I was disappointed.

"No?" Tyson's eyebrows rose as he repeated her answer.

She shook her head and continued to say, "But I think you will be." She took another mouthful of her cereal and looked up at me innocently.

Tyson nodded as if he was agreeing, "Hmm, cryptic answer–definitely Calla's sister." He stood up to his full height and shot me a smile. I rolled my eyes.

Sylvie pushed her bowl away and made a start to jump of her chair. "No," I held my hand up. "You eat your breakfast. You've only had two mouthfuls!"

She slumped and turned back to the bench. "But I'm not hungry!" she whined.

"Just eat it Sylvie." I knew the routine off by heart.

Tyson leaned over and looked in the bowl. "If you're not hungry I'll eat it." He picked up a spoon that I laid out on the counter earlier and scooped a serving from her bowl.

Sylvie's mouth dropped open, as she watched him crunch on her cereal. "Mm, that's good," he said with a mouthful. He went in for a second spoonful. "Maybe you should just give me the whole bowl."

I was smiling now at Sylvie's outraged expression. She sat up straighter and blocked his incoming spoon with her hand. "No, it's mine!" She curled an arm around the bowl protectively and shovelled a big mouthful between her lips. I had to smother a laugh. I looked at Tyson and we grinned at each other.