I've Found You

Chapter 11

I rolled over in bed and stretched my arms above my head, feeling the tension of a good night’s sleep leave my muscles. Yawning, I sat upright and rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the morning grogginess. Wait a minute, hadn’t I fallen asleep on the couch last night with Jai? And speaking of Jai, where was he? And how did I end up in my bed? I pondered over the possible answers to the questions that now circled around my head while I walked over to the bathroom to splash a bit of cold water on my face and brush my teeth. Upon entering the en suite, a little note taped to the mirror above the sink caught my attention. I pulled it down and studied it, smiling as I read further in.

Good morning, Val

If you’re reading this you’re probably wondering where I am and why I’ve decided to leave you a note. If you want the answer to either of these questions just follow the rose petals.

-Jai

If I say I’d I had any clue what he meant by “follow the rose petals” I would be lying. Regardless, I finished my duties in the bathroom and headed out into the hallway. What I saw there stopped me in my tracks and brought butterflies to the pit of my stomach. I practically had to pick my jaw up off the floor as I stood, unmoving, in the doorway of my bedroom; trying to decide if what I was seeing was actually there.

Lying on the floor in a straight, linear line was a trail of bright, fresh, red rose petals. Each was spaced about five feet apart from the next. Giggling like a little school girl, I did as Jai had instructed in his note and followed them, picking each one up as I went. They led to the end of the hallway and down the stairs, where they curved to the right and finally ended in the kitchen.

There, by the stove, stood Jai (who, might I remind you, was still in all of his topless glory). By the looks and smell of it, I was quite sure he was flipping pancakes for breakfast on the stove top. As quietly as I could, I approached him from behind and wrapped my arms around his waist, planting a small kiss on the toned curve of his back before raising his left arm and sliding underneath it. I placed the handful of rose petals I had acquired on the counter next to us.

“Looks like someone decided to get creative this morning,” I teased him.

“Was it too much?”

“No, it was perfect. I’ve never had someone go to so much trouble for me before.”

“Well I’m glad you liked it, I had to wake up early to go out and buy the roses!”

As he said this he spun me around so I was facing the kitchen table. A vase full of at least a dozen red roses that I had failed to notice when I’d entered the kitchen was stood upon it. I noticed that one of them was missing its petals. Smiling, I turned back around to face Jai, who was looking at me with a wary expression on his face, trying to judge my reaction to his gift. I placed my hands around his neck and brought his head down to mine, leaning my forehead against his.

“Thank you, Jai. This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

His response was wordless. He crashed his lips down onto mine with a passion that I felt down in the bottom of my heart, his arms wrapping around my waist to pull me closer to him. I returned his kiss with a passion of my own. Our embrace was short-lived, however, by the sound of Jai’s cellphone ringing in his pocket.

“Fuck!” he swore as he pulled it out and slid the answer button across the screen. “Hello?”

The voice on the other end of the line was barely distinguishable, from my perspective, but I could tell that whoever it was sounded angry.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Beau? Again?” There was another silence while he listened to his brother before he responded, “Yeah, fine. I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” and hung up.

“What was that all about?” I asked.

“Beau’s crashed his car into Skip’s front lawn. He needs my help getting it started again. He’s literally such a fucking idiot. This is the second time this has happened just in this month alone. I’m sorry Val, but I have to go help him.”

“Don’t worry about it, babe. But here,” I said as I pulled his shirt up and over my head, handing it to him. “You’ll probably need this.”

This left me in nothing but my bra and panties, something I obviously intended for him to notice, which he just as obviously did. He gave my body a noticeable once over and smirked in approval before he put the shirt back on. I followed him as he walked over to the door and pulled his shoes on to his feet. When he’d stood upright again, he pulled me in for a hug, inhaling the scent of my hair (which I assumed wasn’t too great considering I hadn’t showered yet).

“So when will I see you again?”

“Why don’t you come round for dinner tomorrow night? You can meet my mum if you’d like?”

“I’d love that, Jai. I’ll see you tomorrow then!”

“Bye, Val,” he said, leaning in to give me a quick goodbye kiss. “Text me tonight!”

“I’ll do that, good luck with Beau’s car!”

With that, he left, shutting the door behind him. I headed back into the kitchen to finish the pancakes he’d begun preparing, deciding that I would put the leftovers in the fridge and have them for supper tonight. I wasn’t quite sure what I’d done to deserve such good fortune. Having a person like Jai just walk into my life was beyond any expectation I’d had for my trip. He was thoughtful, and kind, and funny, and above all he understood me like no human ever had before. I felt comfortable around him despite the fact that we’d only known each other for such a small space of time.

I felt as though up until now my life was an incomplete puzzle; one so close to being finished, yet so far away, because someone had lost the last piece. You could tell who I was and what my picture was supposed to be, but there was always that little gap, that missing space, that prevented me from being whole.  Jai, I realized, was that lost piece. Because I had finally found him, I felt like the ever absent hole in my puzzle had at last been filled. I finally had a place in the world, I finally belonged.

The vibration of my phone pulled me out of my reverie. Blinking to clear the dream-like haze from my eyes, I grabbed it from where it sat on the table, next to the flowers, and checked to see who had texted me.

Jai Brooks:

I miss you already xx

Valerie Andrews:

I miss you too, tmrw needs to hurry up