Kidnapped Love

Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

After I composed myself and changed out of my dress that I'd slept in, I went back downstairs to see Lori cleaning up the table from all the food she had prepared. Lori looked at her watch and quickened her pace.

"I'm going to be late for work." She said.

"Ron and I can clean the kitchen." I offered. From the corner of my eye, I could see Ron's head tilt back and hear a low groan from under his breath.

"That would be great! Thank you both so much." She said as she slid a shoe on her foot.

Ron unwillingly brought the rest of the dirty dishes to the sink for me and we went work. The clink and clatter of porcelain against stainless steel filled the kitchen as I scrubbed at a stubborn casserole dish. Ron stood beside me, drying the plates with a faded towel that had seen better days. His brow was furrowed in concentration, a trait he inherited from our mom, who was at that moment frantically searching for her keys.

"Did you check your coat pocket?" Ron asked without looking up, his voice steady despite the chaos of Lori's rush.

"Ah," she breathed out, relief washing over her face as her hand emerged victorious with the jingle of keys. "Thank you."

Lori was a whirlwind of perpetual motion, her energy almost palpable as it buzzed around the room. I admired her resilience; working two jobs wasn't for the faint of heart. She glanced at the kitchen clock, bit her lip, and slung her purse over her shoulder. "I'm late, kids. There's lasagna in the fridge for dinner."

"Drive safe, Mom," I called after her, catching her eye for a brief second as she paused to give us a wave darting out the door.

Ron and I exchanged a look—a silent agreement that we were in this together, keeping the fort down. As I rinsed the last of the soap suds from my hands, the warm water cascading over my skin was a small comfort.

"So how was your night?" Ron said, breaking the silence. I was surprised that he would ask at all.

"Good," I replied, feeling my cheeks heat up at the memory. "Really good." I handed him the final dish, an unintentional smile playing on my lips. He looked down at me and playfully pushed my arm with his. We both laughed.

"How was your night with Trish?" The only reason I asked was because I wanted to know that he treated me friend well, not because I was interested in hearing about his hook up, which I hoped that Trish would find a different friend to talk to about that as well.

"It was...really good." He mocked me and we laughed but I knew his answer was genuine.

"Alright, Romeo. I will finish these dishes myself. You can go play your video games now." I teased.

He chucked the towel at me lightly, but there was a warmth in his eyes that told me he was genuinely happy for me and I gave him a look that said I was happy for him too.

Once the dishes were finished and put in their place in the cabinets, I decided to wash the night off me. Although I didn't really want to wash Derek's scent off me just yet, I also smelled of sweat from dancing in heels all night.

The hot water was a balm to my tired muscles, steam enveloping the room as I let the events of the previous night replay in my mind. Derek's smile, the way his laughter seemed to fill spaces I didn't know were empty. The water sluiced over me, but it couldn't wash away the budding anticipation of what might come next.

Wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, I dried off and moved to my bedroom, the softness of the bed calling to me. My thoughts continued to drift toward Derek as sleep crept in, and I let myself sink into dreams where reality blurred into wishes and maybes.