Page 75 of Timeless
Lily: Just walking to the car now, can’t wait to see you!
Jaxon: Same. Drive safe. Love you.
I clicked the key fob to unlock my car and slid into the driver’s seat, dropping my bag on the passenger side and my thermos in the cup holder.
Lily: Love you too.
I put my phone in the other cup holder after quickly syncing it to Bluetooth so I could listen to my favorite playlist on the way home.
Nine songs later, I pulled into the driveway at the lake house, glad not to see Jaxon’s car or motorcycle yet, since I wanted to shower and freshen up before he got there.
I huffed out a breath of irritation when I spotted a black business card tucked on the other side of the driver’s window that I hadn’t noticed when I left work. I hated when salespeople targeted the parking lot with their flyers.
“Know your audience,” I said out loud to myself, removing it from between the rubber window trim and glass. People parking at a hospital weren’t exactly thinking about getting their home windows cleaned. “Like, honestly.”
Once inside the house, I dropped my bag in the mudroom, threw the business card in the trash, and washed my hands in the laundry sink. I’d never had a designated mudroom and or a space like this before, and I loved it, that and the fact that the rest of the house was almost finished.
Just thinking about it made me giddy as I texted Jaxon again.
Lily: Just going to jump in the shower before you get here.
All I needed to make the place livable was running water, electricity, and a bed. All of which we had, so I could easily ignore the rest. Being at the lake gave me a sense of peace and clarity. It grounded me in the best way possible. The memories, our firsts, and the promise of what was ahead, made it my happy place.
Jaxon: I like that plan. Please don’t rush. I’ll be there in 20.
I turned on the main level lights.
Lily: You going to reach all the spots I can’t or get me dirtier?
Jaxon: Both!
Lily: Can’t wait
On that note, I sprinted up the stairs, driven by the kind of urgency that matched how desperately I wanted him there already. But as I approached the upper landing, I tripped over the last step and went flying forward, landing hard on my hands and knees with a loud thud that echoed down the hallway.
“Jesus, Lily, get it together,” I scolded myself.
I gave myself a minute to get my bearings and catch my breath, but when I opened my eyes, I was shocked to see that my two hands had somehow multiplied. Confusion swirled as my hands shook, their edges wavy and warped, like a prism pulsating with color.
I blinked my eyes several times, thankful for each one that sharpened my vision back into focus. Blowing out an exasperated breath, I climbed to my feet and winced from the pain in my knees that vibrated down my shins.
I then gingerly padded along the hardwood floor, six, seven steps to where my cell phone had slid when it went flying from my hand. I bent to pick it up without any trouble, but a heavy blanket of exhaustion wrapped itself around my limbs as I undressed in the closet. I peeled off my scrubs and droppedthem, along with every other piece of clothing I had on, into the linen basket.
With a clean pair of underwear from the dresser and my robe off the back of the door, I bumped my shoulder on the doorframe as I entered, arguably, my most favorite room in the whole house, the primary bathroom. Every time I stepped into the magnificent oasis, I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, which, to be honest, I kind of felt like I was at that moment.
While the shower warmed up, I stepped over to the sink to brush my teeth, since my mouth had gone dry and pasty. It felt like I was trying to swallow cotton balls. It didn’t take long for me to realize my efforts weren’t improving matters, so I spat out the toothpaste and dropped my head toward the faucet, angling it just right so the water rushed into my mouth.
But I couldn’t drink it fast enough.
Why was I so damn thirsty?
I tapped my finger on the screen of my cell phone, lying on the counter, waking it up to see both the time and Jaxon’s latest text.
Jaxon:
Seeing the cheeky devil emoji he’d sent had guilt seeping into what was left of my semi-conscious state, knowing I’d let him down on what was supposed to be our first official Valentine’s Day since getting back together. Finding me asleep wasn’t exactly the type of foreplay I’m sure Jaxon had in mind when he got to the house.
My eyelids sagged when I stepped beneath the stream of hot water, realizing what I really needed was cold water to help wakeme up. But the change in temperature didn’t help. I tried to reach for the soap, but my arms hung like limp noodles at my sides.
