Build Me Up (NaNoWriMo)

Day 27 (461 words)

Kristen stood outside Ford’s door, her bags in a pile behind her. It was cold, and she knew she either had to actually knock on the door or get back in her rental car and check back into the b n’ b she’d vacated less than an hour ago. Her breath was making clouds in the air around her and her nose was probably turning read from the blistering cold. She’d gotten this far, it was too late to back out now. One deep, painful breath and her knuckles met the wooden door.

She resisted the urge to do a little dance to warm herself up while she waited for Ford to answer the door, feeling ridiculous enough already.

When he finally opened the door and warm inside air rushed towards her, she was prepared to fall at his feet and beg to be let in to sit by the fire. There was no need for measures that extreme, though, as Ford quickly pulled her – and her luggage – inside, shutting the harsh winter out.

“Well, this is a surprise,” he said, stepping back to look her over.

“I’m sorry. I should have called. I was just… I guess I was hoping the invitation was still open.”

“It is. Are you hungry?”

“That’s it? You’re not gonna ask me what made me change my mind, or what this means?”

Ford shrugged. “I figure you’ll tell me when you’re ready. Coffee?”

“Thanks.”

“You want me to put your bags in your room?” Ford gestured to her suitcases and Kristen felt a twinge of disappointment. He was assuming she wanted to move back in for practical reasons. Well, maybe that was just as well.

“Thanks, that’d be great,” she smiled while she unwound her scarf and unbuttoned her jacket. Ford didn’t linger to ask any more questions, he simply picked up her bags and headed for the upstairs.

Ford glanced over at Kristen, who was eating a sandwich next to him on the couch, a fire roaring in the background and a movie playing on the television set. He didn’t know why she’d decided to move back in, or what she wanted in terms of their relationship. He was sick and tired of wondering about it, too.

Over the past week, they’d worked without much interaction, and then, all of a sudden, she was on his doorstep, her suitcases packed. He didn’t understand it, but he wasn’t going to push, either. If he’d learned anything from dealing with Annabelle, it was that letting people have their space would turn out a whole lot better than trying to make their decisions for them.

That didn’t mean it was easy, sitting next to Kristen on his couch and not making a move to test the waters.