Chapter 5
The holidays went by rather quickly for Kait. The whole time she was dreading the end of
December, but she knew that it was for the best, it was the only way she would
salvage any of her heart before this was all over. It was too easy for her to just forget that
her and Jonathan’s “relationship” wasn’t real, and it would be equally easy for
her to just fall for him. That was
something she couldn’t do, he saw her as his friend and some times as his
sister, nothing more, they would never be anything more. No matter what Kait had to do, Jonathan was
always there. His way of making it up to
her; is what she thought.
They decided to spend Christmas Eve with his
family. His family really didn’t
celebrate anything; she just went over for dinner.
“Calista, dinner was wonderful.” Kait complemented and then gave a heartfelt
sigh. Having dinner with Jonathan’s
family was relaxing at it was hectic, his two younger brothers were always
going on way or another and his mother was trying to keep up with them.
“Thank you Kait.
D you and Jonathan have any special plans for tonight?” Calista asked clearing away some of the
dishes.
“Here let me help you,” Kait gathered the remaining
plaits and followed Calista into the large kitchen. “I’m making him go to the candle-light servos
with me at my church.”
“Oh?” Calista arched one of her eyebrows and looked
sideways at Kait while they washed the dishes.
“How did you pull that off?”
“Simple, I told him he had to.”
“Whatever works huh?”
“Defiantly.”
*******
Jonathan sat silently through the whole service. He wasn’t really sure what to think. It was a beautiful service, and the preacher
did have some good things to say, but he felt out of place, there were some
things that were said that he didn’t really understand (but there was no way he
was going to let Kait know that), everyone around him seemed to know the words
to the songs, there were only a few that he knew and all he knew were the
chorus.
Kait thought the servos was wonderful but she thought
it would be best to just let Jonathan come to his own conclusions about it, so
she kept herself from talking about it too much.
“So what do you want to do now?” Jonathan asked as they slid into his
car. “Go to a movie?”
Kait slid further down into he seat and yawned, the
looked over at Jonathan with low lidded eyes.
“How about we just go back you your place and watch a movie, that way if
I fall asleep I won’t feel bad.”
“Sounds good to me.”
*******
Kait was just getting ready to make herself
comfortable on the couch when Jonathan came out of his room hiding something
behind his back. “What do you
have?” Kait asked in a playful tone,
sitting up.
“It’s you Christmas gift. But since it isn’t Christmas yet, I don’t
know if I should give it to you.”
Jonathan teased.
“It is tradition to open one gift on Christmas Eve,”
Kait said with a playful smile.
“Well, okay.”
Jonathan handed her a little box that was neatly and beautifully rapped
in silver with a red ribbon and bow.
Idly Kait wondered if Jonathan had someone else rap it for him. She waited until he sat down next to her
before she started to open it. The
silver rapping fell away to reveal a square jewelry box, her eyes shot up to
look Jonathan in the eyes. Very
hesitantly and slowly she opened the box, never looking away from
Jonathan. Not until the box was fully
open did she look down, and let out a gasp at what she saw. Nestled inside the box was a sparkling silver
bracelet with little roses etched on it.
“Oh Jonathan,” Kait threw her arms around his neck and
gave him a tight hug, as she pulled away she also gave him a soft kiss on the
cheek. “It’s beautiful,” she sighed
looking at it again.
“I had our manes engraved on the inside, kind of like
that necklace you and Lara have.”
Kait reverently picked up the bracelet and read the
inscription: Kait and Jonathan-First and
always…best friends. Kait attempted
to conceal the tears that were forming; she never had been a big tear/crying
person. But the irony of the inscription and her growing feelings for Jonathan,
were a little too much for her.
Jonathan watched as Kait struggled to contain her
tears. He wasn’t sure what to do
next. Were her tears a good thing or
were they bad? “Do you not like it?”
Jonathan asked worried.
Kait looked up shocked, how could someone not love such a gift. “No, I love it. I don’t know what to say.” She looked down at it again, ever so slowly
her eyes traveled up until she was looking into Jonathan’s eyes. With tears now traveling down her cheeks he
gave him a heart warming smile that assured him he had picked the right gift
for her. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Jonathan reached up and wiped away her tears, “Your
welcome.”
*******
Kait and Jonathan wound their way through the New
Year’s Eve party. By then Kait had spent
enough time with Jonathan and his friends to begin to comfortable with them and
get to know a few of them. “Hey there,
you two. Joined at the hip again?” Luke joked coming up along side of them.
“Hey man,” Jonathan said in greeting.
“Hi Luke. How
are you doing, I haven’t seen you around in a while.” Kait smiled.
Luke was one of Jonathan’s friends that she liked, he was nice and he
was one of the few that didn’t give then a hard time, and when he did it was
all in jest.
“I’m doing good.
What do you want to drink; I’ll get it for you?”
“No thanks Luke, I don’t drink. Do you have any pop or something like that?”
“Oh, we have that but I’m sure I can come up with
something you would like; Champaign, wine, mixed drinks, beer…anything you can
think of, I can get for you.”
“How about a Rootbeer?” Kait asked trying to keep a
smile.
“Aww, come on, Live a little.” Luke pushed.
“Back off man, she doesn’t want any,” Jonathan sad
trying to keep his tone light.
“Okay, okay.”
Luke switched tactics. “The usual
for you?” he asked stepping behind the bar.
Jonathan looked down at Kait standing next to
him. He knew what she thought about
underage drinking. She was purposely not
looking in the direction of the bar, he could see her biting her lip and
absently toying with the bracelet around her wrist, the one he had given her a
few day s ago. All of those were sure
signs that she was uncomfortable and it wouldn’t make her any more comfortable
to have him drinking by her side. “I’ll
just start with a Coke, it’s still pretty early.”
Luke glanced at Kait then back at Jonathan and
shrugged. “I get ya. Just tell me when you want something a little
more fun, k?” Luke handed him his coke
and a rootbeer for Kait.
“Will do.”
Jonathan took the two drinks and walked with Kait over to a group of his
friends that she knew. As they walked by
on of the tables Jonathan picked up two plastic cups. “Here this will keep Luke off you back.” Kait didn’t understand until he took her
rootbeer, poured it into the cup then discarded the pop can. He did the same with his coke. ‘Don’t let Luke get to you, he just wants
everyone to cut loose and have a good time.”
Jonathan said trying to put her at ease.
“I can see that,” Kait looked over to where Luke was
laughing loudly with a group of girls.
The party really got moving around
Jonathan caught Kait biting her lip again. “Bite that anymore and you’ll burse it.”
“Huh?” Kait looked up at him, even with heals on he
was still a good few inches taller then her. And what, do you want to kiss it and make it better? Kait closed her mouth before anything she was
thinking came out.
“You’re biting you lip again.” Jonathan whispered in
her ear. Kait could feel her face
growing warm. She wasn’t sure weather
she was blushing from her earlier thoughts or from Jonathan’s warm breath on
her skin. “It’s getting a little boring
here, come on.” Jonathan pulled her out
onto the dance floor.
“This is a mice change,” Kait laughed.
“What do you mean?”
“You pulling
me out onto the dance floor.”
“So you like it when I take control?” Jonathan teased.
“Well maybe, but only when I give permission.” Kait returned the jest.
“Okay then, try this on for size.” Jonathan took hold of her hand and spun her
expertly into his waiting arms.
“I see you’ve learned a new dance move.”
“That’s not the only one.” Jonathan continued to spin and twirl her
around the dance floor for the remainder of the song and even the next one.
Kait threw her head back and laughed, she was having
the time of her life, just dancing and feeling free. “I swear, they better put on a slow song, or
I’m going to be exhausted before
As if on command the next song on the line up ended up
being a slow dance. Jonathan pulled Kait
in close and was swayed to the music with her.
Kait sighed and rested her head on Jonathan’s chest;
she smiled when she realized that she could hear his heartbeat and it was
almost as fast as hers. When the music
ended she pulled back to say something but lost the words before the reached
her lips. The look in Jonathan’s eyes
was something she had never seen before.
“Thirty seconds everyone!” Someone announced. Neither Kait nor Jonathan head the person
making the announcement when Kait had looked into his eyes everything thing
around them seemed to fade away.
“5…”
Ever so slowly Jonathan drew closer to Kait, at the
same time tightening his arms around her waist.
Jonathan’s embrace felt like heaven, it wasn’t so
tight that she couldn’t pull away, but that didn’t really matter, Kait wasn’t
planning on going anywhere.
“4...”
Instinctively Kait’s fingers made their way into
Jonathan’s short hair and pulled him down to her level as she went up onto her
toes to meet him.
“3...”
For Kait the only things left in the world were her,
Jonathan, and the rapidly diminishing space between them.
“2…”
They were so close that Kait could feel his warm
breath on her skin.
“1…”
Kait closed her eyes the moment before their lips
met. When they did it felt as if
lightning shot through both their bodies, leaving them shaken and wanting more.
“Happy New Year!”
Yes it is. Some where
thought the fog of her brain that thought broke through.
They pulled apart, both with equally shocked looks
when they realized what had just happened.
“Wha...” Kait
wasn’t sure what she was asking, but Jonathan seemed to understand her anyway.
“How about we find somewhere where we can hear out
selves think?” Only then did Kait
register the yelling and cheering that was going on around them.
They walked outside onto the deck. Everyone was still inside celebrating, so
they had the deck to themselves.
“I know the proper thing to do would be to apologize
and say something like that will never happen again, but,” Jonathan stared.
“I don’t want you to.”
Kait broke in before she could stop herself.
“…but I’m not going to.” Jonathan finished. “Wait, what did you say?” He asked, unsure if he had heard her right.
“I don’t want you to apologize.”
A small smile appeared on his lips, as he asked her,
“You don’t?”
“Nope,” Kait’s smile matched Jonathan’s.
His small smile spread into one of his dazzling grins.