Moving Forward (Completed)

Chapter Fifteen

"Seriously, Scott... can you not watch me?" Katherine chuckled as she mix the ingredients for her granny's sugar cookie recipe. "You're going to attract bugs." He grumbled. "I'll clean when I'm through." The cookies were for her classes holiday party. She enjoyed baking but rarely had the time during the school year... even now she really didn't have the time, but she always made cookies for her class and decorated them with royal icing so she could transport them to school easily. It would take the better part of her Sunday, but would be totally worth it in the end. "You just knocked sugar in the floor." Scott huffed. "Seriously... go watch TV or something." Katherine grumbled. She didn't want to fight or argue or stop what she was doing, though she did resign to bake them at her parents house the next year. Scott stood his ground and continued to watch her movements. Katherine worked cautiously, intentionally moving each ingredient to minimize spillage onto the counter. "How many are you going to eat?" Scott teased, but it wasn't really a tease and her body stiffened as she did her best to ignore him. She didn't bake enough to justify a large mixer so she only had a hand held one. Carefully she started it on it's slowest setting, hoping to avoid much of the mixer flinging out of the bowl. Scott made a comment but she was so focused it didn't register. When she shifted the mixer to a higher setting flour spun out. "You're getting it everywhere." Scott barked. "I'll clean the fucking floor!" Katherine snapped, jumping back when Scott jerked toward her. Her heart was thumping in her chest even though he had moved less than a foot forward. It was the look on his face... Contempt mixed with anger and she was pretty sure he had barely stopped himself. "I make cookies for the kids every year." She whispered. "I'm going out. I want everything cleaned up by the time I get back." He hissed, backing away from her and heading toward the garage. Katherine took a breath and finished the cookie dough, letting it set in the fridge as she mixed up the royal icing, placing the three different colors she'd need in piping bags. She gathered everything she'd need to bake and decorate the cookies to take to her parents and cleaned the kitchen, ensuring everything was spotless before leaving herself.

Katherine's heart was still pounding when her eyes popped open. Rafael was sleeping soundly next to her and she relaxed, taking a deep breath. She pulled herself closer to him, while glancing over his chest at the clock... four thirty...

"Go back to sleep." He murmured, barely waking as he pulled his arm around her.

Katherine smiled and rested her head on his chest, his relaxed heart beat, effectively slowing hers even though the dream still lingered. They had been back in New York for two nights and this was the second night Scott had invaded her sleep. Rafael hadn't woken at all the first time and Katherine had spent the next hour trying to calm herself enough to fall asleep again. This time Rafael's embrace lulled her back to sleep with little effort on her part.

Rafael was sitting in the bed next to her reading when she finally woke up. "Morning." He smiled when she looked up at him.

"You didn't have stay in bed with me, I would have found you."

"I like being next to you."

Katherine smiled. "I'll like being next to you too."

Rafael sat his book on the nightstand and scooted back down in the bed to kiss her, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her against him. Katherine smiled into their kiss and pulled herself more on top of him, intensifying the kiss before pulling back to look at him.

"What woke you up last night?"

"A had a bad dream..." It wasn't a dream so much as a memory... and one she didn't really want to talk about.

"What about?"

"Something ridiculous that I barely remember. It just startled me I guess." She was lying. She still remembered the dream vividly. She remember the day vividly... how she felt... her heart pounding in her chest... the look on Scott's face... It was the first time she thought Scott might be capable of hitting her and yet it would be another six months before she actually left him. She was thankful he never had, but still felt pathetic for not leaving sooner and she didn't really want to admit that.