I picked the chair up, trying to gain control of my emotions. I heard heels clinging on the tile and looked up to see Francesca back in the room. “Is everything ok?” I questioned, worried after our recent exchange of words.
“Daphne dropped me off. I don’t have a vehicle.”
“My mom dropped me off, I don’t either,” I said, chuckling at our situation.
“It’s not funny. I’m gonna have to call her to come get me…” she looked at me a long moment, “us.”
She stepped aside, talking softly on her phone. I studied her, noticing she’d lost some weight since I last saw her. She was always beautiful to me, but I knew some of the kids in high school had made fun of her. I wanted to strangle them all the day I found her crying in the library.
9 years prior-December
I walked in the library cause I saw Francesca make a mad dash for the room not five minutes before. I could sense something was off with her. I didn’t know what was wrong…but something definitely was. I trailed along the edges of the aisles, searching for her. Sniffling caught my attention and I hurried back to the sound. She was leaned against the bookcase, knees drawn up, head buried in her arms.
“Francesca,” I said, laying a hand on her back.
Her head snapped up as she wiped snot and tears from her face. Even when she was bawling her eyes out, she was the most gorgeous girl I’d ever laid eyes on.
“Cade.”
“Are you ok?” I inquired, rubbing small circles on her shoulder.
She shook her head, a small sob escaping her throat. “Some of the girls…in the bathroom…I’m so ugly, Cade. Why do you even bother?”
I stopped moving. I couldn’t believe what she was saying. “Francesca, look at me,” I demanded, pulling her chin so her face was closer to mine. “You are beautiful…no, gorgeous. Girls are bitches and they get jealous. Now, I don’t know what all they said, and I don’t care. Don’t let them do this to you. I ‘bother’ because you are amazing, smart, and funny. You brighten my day. It’s killing me seeing you so torn up.” I pulled her into me, running my fingers over her hair, and grasping her close.
Her sobs finally lessened. She leaned her head back, peering up at me with her doe eyes. “Cade…thank you.” Her hand reached up, ever so lightly touching my cheek.
The lightning that shot through my body changed my life forever. That was the day I fell in love with Francesca Taymon.
Present Day
“Well, looks like Daphne is one step ahead of me. She left her car and had a coworker meet her here. Let’s go,” she said, granting me a genuine smile.
My heart sped up. I followed her out, giving her directions to my apartment as we walked. She punched them into her mobile gps, not paying attention to what she was doing, and almost fell off the edge of the sidewalk. I reached out to steady her, her face inches from mine. I could smell the lavender perfume on her. I was actually a little surprised she still used the same scent after all these years.
“You ok?”
She nodded, her gaze not leaving mine. I removed my hand, afraid of what my lips would do to hers if I didn’t remove myself from her vicinity.
We walked across the parking lot. I drifted behind, watching her hips move against the forming material of her skirt. The things that woman did to me…it was scary at times. We reached what I was assuming was Daphne’s vehicle and she reached above the tire for the key. We got in and she drove off after demanding I wear my seat belt. Leave it to Francesca to still be bossy and worry about my safety.
The ride was silent. I didn’t know what to say. I could tell she was torn about something, but I wasn’t entirely sure what. We pulled into my apartment complex when I heard her gasp. I looked over, frantically trying to see what was wrong.
“Oh, my, gosh,” she mumbled, slamming the car in park and dashing out the door.
I quickly followed, hot on her heels. She bent beside the bush by my building, tipping to the side in her heels. In a swift movement, the shoes were off and she was on her hands and knees, searching for something.
“Francesca, what are you doing?” I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.
She said a reply, but her voice was muffled from her head sticking in the small foliage. Sighing, I dropped down to join her. My eyes surveyed the ground, stopping on a set of glowing eyes. A medium size kitten was crouched, looking at us with wide eyes. Francesca continued to talk to it in a baby voice, coaxing it out into the open. To my surprise, it actually came after a good five minutes, gingerly stepping out. It sniffed in my direction, then ignored me and headed straight to her open arms. She picked it up, cuddling and snuggling it.
Gasping, she looked down in horror, “Cade…it’s hurt,” she cried out.
I moved closer, seeing a small puncture on its side. Francesca looked like she was about to burst into tears, so I decided to act fast. “Here, let me have him,” I said, reaching for the ball of fur.
“How do you know it’s a him?” she asked, caressing its back.
“I don’t,” I admitted. “But you need to go to work, and the kitty needs to go to the vet, so let me take it. You can come get it after work…assuming you want to keep it?” I questioned, a small grin playing at my lips.
Her mouth fell open in shock, “Of course I want to keep it, Cade. Look at the poor little orphan! It’ll die if I take it to a shelter.”
“What if it has an owner?” I said, suddenly wondering if a neighbor of mine had lost it.
“Then it needs a better one. It’s hurt, so obviously they didn’t love it like I will,” she stated. Looking down at it lovingly, she whispered, “Like I do.”
I looked at her, remembering just how much I’d always adored her huge heart and loving ways. She continued to pet and whisper to the kitten as I watched. I stood, reaching down to take it from her. She reluctantly released it, but not before giving me stern instructions to not hurt, drop, or mentally damage the creature in any way.
Chuckling, I reached my free hand down to assist her in standing. “Let me help, Francesca.”
More bouts of electrical currents moved through my body when our skin came in contact. She stood, her eyes in a deep connection with mine. The kitten meowed, breaking our trance.
“Let me get you some money,” she said, rushing back to the car before I could tell her it wasn’t necessary. She bent over in the car, distracting my thoughts from the vet to her body in an instant. I missed her touch, her kiss, her laugh. Everything.
She bound up to me, bending down to rescue her shoes and thrust $200 in my face. “Take this. Get kitty all the help it needs. And find out if it’s a boy or girl, it needs a name,” she said, a huge smile crossing her face. She bent her face, snuggling its head and kissing it gently. Looking into my eyes, she said, “Thank you, Cade. I’ll be back later.”
“How? You don’t have your car. Let me pick you up from work,” I suggested, desperate for more time with her.
She bit her lip as she contemplated my offer. “Ok…don’t forget kitty.” She walked off, turning one last time and giving me a small wave.
My heart almost flew out of my chest. I’d managed to get her back in my life. Now I had to figure out a way to make sure I didn’t lose her again.