Kelly Hill (4 page)

“I think it was a little rude.” Kelly said, not letting the subject go, “I mean, we didn’t even call.”

Rachel felt her molars grind together in frustration but she didn’t say anything, she forced a larger smile and met his green eyes head on with her own blue ones, “Nope.” She solidified. “I didn’t mind at all.”

Kelly grinned but didn’t say anything. They held one another’s gaze for a few seconds more before Rachel looked away.

When the fruit was done, Kelly got down two glasses and filled them with orange juice.

“Grab two more.” Rachel instructed, preparing the quiche to serve four people.

“
Oh no, they’re not going to be up for a while.” Kelly explained away. “I think it’s just you and me.”

“
Oh.” Rachel looked down at her quiche, disappointed that Ethan wasn’t going to get to try it.

She hadn’t seen her brother in three years, there was so much that she felt like they were missing out in each other's lives. The least she could do was make him a decent breakfast.

And with Kelly up and about, Rachel had just assumed that Logan and Ethan would be making their presence known soon, it had never dawned on her that Kelly was acting on his own. Of course, it had never dawned on her that he would be
here
either.

As if he noticed her sour tone, Kelly cleared his throat, “I just heard you up here earlier and I didn’t want you to eat alone.”

Rachel looked at Kelly again; a lot of things had been said that last night they were together. Was he just looking for some sort of validation? Was he looking for some kind of apology?

“
I mean, you went to all this trouble, I just figured you’d like the company.” He looked away, as if he was looking for something, as if he had run out of things to say.

“
I’m used to eating alone.” Rachel stated, unable to stop her lips from forming the words. She didn’t know how else to respond, Kelly Hill was standing here, in her kitchen, cutting up her fruit and talking about simple things like breakfast. It was too much for her to process.

“
Well, we’re gonna have to change that, aren’t we?” Kelly flashed a different sort of smile and Rachel raised an eyebrow. What did that mean?

“
It’s okay.” She pushed away, “If you want to get some more rest, you can.”

She didn’t want him to leave, not in so many words, but she also didn’t want to have the conversation that she knew was coming.

Rachel had always been on her own doing things. It was what she was used to. It was exactly where she wanted to be. That way no one could see the cracks.  The small bits of her that were wearing just a little bit thin.

“
But I don’t want more rest.” Kelly handed her a glass of orange juice, “I wanna have breakfast with you.”

Kelly picked up both plates with little to no more words on the matter. He looked to Rachel to lead the way and instead of trying to over analyze the situation she just nodded and walked towards the patio door. She unlatched it and opened the door for him but he just stood there and waited for her to exit first.

Rachel wanted to sigh in exasperation, she really did, but she knew she couldn’t. She knew that he was watching with those too green eyes and he would notice everything; he always did.

“
We can sit over there.” Rachel nodded towards the patio furniture, covered with a large umbrella.

Silently Kelly walked over. He set the plates of food down and jogged past Rachel back into the house, a moment later, he had reemerged with their orange juice, “Can’t forget this.” He was smiling at her still. Always smiling.

“I could have grabbed those.” Rachel offered, trying to remain polite and helpful, but he was effectively removing all the duties of hostess in one bright shining morning. Taking away all of the things she could use to get away from the topic that was coming.

“
Nope, it’s okay.” He set the glasses down and then waited for Rachel to slowly walk over, dreading this breakfast.

When she reached the table he pulled out her chair for her and seated her as if they were on a date. He had always been a little too familiar. More feelings of guilt washed over Rachel and she tried not to think about it.

When he was sitting next to her, and they were both overlooking Rachel’s backyard, he sighed contentedly. “This smells really good.”

Of course it did. Three years of culinary art paid off well in the eating department.

“So Rachel,” Kelly began as if he was starting a strange debate, “How’s it been?”

Rachel cleared her throat and swallowed the food that she was working on. “Well, I’ve lived here, with my dad for the past two years, but you knew that.”

Kelly laughed, “Yeah, I think I remember you telling me that this was where you were headed.”

Rachel took the chance to sneak a peek at him, but he wasn’t looking at her, he was staring off into the backyard, thoughtfully chewing. He swallowed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

As if he could sense her looking at him, he tilted his head at her, “Took me awhile to find you.”

The way he said it sent a chill up Rachel’s back and she shivered. His voice held an air of familiarity that she wished it didn’t. Why couldn’t he just have stayed away?

Again, her mind took her back to her days at Phillips and she wondered if he had said anything to Ethan about it.

Three kids creating a system to buy and sell answers to tests wasn’t all too much to talk about, but the rest of it was. The part that Rachel had too much to do with.

“I’m sorry if I kept you up.” Rachel decided to keep the conversation moving. She didn’t particularly like uncomfortable silences and this breakfast was full of opportunity for just that.

“
Don’t be.” Kelly shook his head, finishing off his quiche, “I would have been awake, anyways.”

“
Oh? Do you have trouble sleeping?” Rachel was continuing to try and be accommodating, to regain her position as perfect hostess. Maybe there was something she could do.

“
Sometimes.” Kelly nodded thoughtfully, he was frowning slightly and his green eyes had darkened, but in a moment the look was pushed away and he was smiling again. “But it’s okay.”

“
Kelly.” Rachel’s voice was lower than before, like she was revealing a secret. But wasn’t she? She looked down at the table and her arm that was resting in her lap. Her gold watch read 8:46, “I’m sorry.”

All that seemed to make noise in her backyard were the birds and her own nervous heartbeat, thumping away. Waiting for him to say something.

Kelly looked down at his lap and licked his lips, “You don’t have to be, Rachel, it’s okay.”

If it was okay, why didn’t it feel that way? Why was she still terrified of the fact that he was sitting here with her?

Rachel stood up to take her plate to the kitchen, “Are you finished?” She was trying to change the subject in the only way she saw possible and Kelly had cleaned his plate in the first five minutes of them being outside.

“
Uh, yeah.” Kelly stood with her and tried to take her plate from her, “I can do this.”

“
Oh no, really, it’s okay.” Rachel held onto her plate tightly, “You’re my guest, I can do the dishes.”

“
Don’t be ridiculous.” Kelly didn’t let go, “I’m Ethan’s guest. You don’t have to take care of me.”

Rachel felt her fingers relinquish the plate into his hands and stood there. That last sentence he spoke carried more weight than it should have and Rachel knew why.

“I can at least carry the glasses.” She offered up a terse smile and he returned the same.

“
That seems fair.” He winked and walked on ahead of her.

But Kelly had said it right; he was Ethan’s guest, not hers. So why was she trying so hard? Because if she didn’t, she’d have nothing to distract from the real reason Kelly was here. Rachel cringed at the honest thought.

Rachel followed Kelly back into the kitchen and he rinsed the dishes in the sink while she put away the leftovers.

She left a note for Ethan on the refrigerator and waited for Kelly to be done with whatever it was he was doing.

Finally, Kelly dried his hands on a towel and looked at her, “Got any plans for today?”

Rachel stared at him.

Of course she had plans.

She had loads of things that she could be doing. Errands that she had meticulously planned out and written down on several different lists.

“Let’s catch up, Rachel Gunn.” He crossed the kitchen around the island and stood close to her, his eyes sincere and his face holding an odd expression. His body was much too close to her own and he leaned in even closer just to get out the next sentence, “I want to get to know you better.”

Rachel took a step back but tried to make it look like the close proximity hadn’t made her uncomfortable. She didn’t like physical contact, or really, even the thought of it.

She very much preferred being in her own comfort zone, and someone stepping into that zone was taking a step too far.

“
You already know me, Kelly.” She was shaking her head now, “What’s left to say?”

“
I don’t know, maybe, hey Kelly, it’s nice seeing you.” Kelly shrugged.

Rachel felt herself frown a little, it wasn't nice seeing Kelly. It was the last thing she had ever wanted to happen again. “But Kelly, that wasn't a part of the deal.”

Kelly shrugged, “Jefferson's not here. I say we take advantage of that.”

Rachel let herself sigh, “Alright. Let me get my shoes.” He wasn't going to stop in his persistence and she knew it.

Rachel moved passed him and made her way up the stairs to gather her things, hoping that he wasn’t planning on following her. But as Rachel was crossing the threshold of her bedroom to get to her desk she heard Kelly’s voice behind her, “So that’s what you were working on all night?”

She looked in the direction he was facing and saw the skirt on the sewing table.

“Yeah.” She felt her cheeks flush a little. “I guess.”

When she looked back at Kelly she was surprised to see that he was staring straight at her, his face holding an expression of pure curiosity.

He tilted his head to the side and opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but in an instant he had changed his mind and moved farther into the room, inspecting everything with a silence that made Rachel nervous.

“
I never knew you could sew,” He mused, walking closer to the sewing machine, his long fingers lightly touching the skirt sitting there.

“
I don’t really make it a talking point.” Rachel responded laughing, pretending his entire presence in her room wasn’t throwing her completely off. Her room had been her private space, even back at Phillips, she was the only person she really allowed entrance.

Until, of course, Melody Jeffords.

Now, Rachel was watching Kelly Hill move all around, picking things up, putting them back down, filling his mind with any sorts of thoughts about what she kept there.

There was no control now for Rachel.

She felt the frustration grow in her chest, a tightening restriction that made her take a deep breath and then exhale slowly.

Why was he here? Why did he insist on inserting himself into her life so suddenly? She had made it perfectly clear last time they spoke that she never wanted to see him again.

With a smile as tight lipped as she knew she could get, added in with a small curl of a snarl, she responded to him, “Are you ready to go?”

Rachel had decided in that instant she was going to bypass the entire conversation if she had to. She walked into her bathroom, grabbed her shoes and hat and walked out of the bedroom, past Kelly who just watched her go.

She slipped her tiny feet into her heels and lightly set the hat on her hair, waiting for Kelly to show himself.

Sure enough, he bounded down both flights of stairs with the exuberance of a young man.

Unfazed and unamused, Rachel reached up and grabbed her keys from their hook by the front door and secured her clutch with the other. “Shall we?”

She was looking at Kelly, but not really looking at the same time. He made her uncomfortable and uneasy, two things Rachel had worked very hard at not being.

He was smiling at her, almost laughing and her eyes narrowed as she wondered why. “What?”

His grin softened and his warm green eyes sparkled in the faint light of the entry way. “You’re different than I expected.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow, “And what did you expect?”

Kelly shook his head and reached around her, his hand covering hers on the doorknob, his body hovering near hers, his lips brushing the tips of her ears.

She felt him softly exhale and a shiver ran down her arms from the sensation.

Rachel heard him laugh to himself, but he didn’t respond. His hand turned hers with the door knob, gently and he pulled it open, stepping around her frozen body, into the sun of the morning.