Clementine (10 page)

“Ah, I think I found it
. Jon said it’d be drifting but this definitely looks like the brightest star out there,” he declared, looking through the eyepiece for a few more seconds before pulling his head back and standing to switch spots with her.

“Your
turn.”

“Alright, but if I break anything, I’m definitely pinning it on you
.” They had to awkwardly shuffle around each other and a small, nervous giggle escaped her. She sidled by him and took the seat, placing her eyes where Holden’s had just been. She began searching the expanse of blackness through the eyepiece before she heard him speak close to her ear. She jumped slightly, not realizing how close he had stepped. At least he had the decency not to laugh as she kept her focus on the stars trying to ignore his intoxicating scent so close to her...

“I had to turn these quite a bit,” he said, gently placing her hand over the first of the two  black knobs, “Our eyesight shouldn’t be that far off thou
gh, unless you wear contacts,” he said as he helped her turn the knob a bit to the left.
Is his instructing touch supposed to feel quite so exhilarating?

She saw the star come into focus on her field of vision but decided to hold off on telling Holden for fear that he’d remove his hand from hers
. She enjoyed this new closeness. If she turned her head to the right, their lips would almost touch and she couldn’t help but smile at the thought.
Just one more... second...

“I found it Holden,” s
he confessed, her conscience finally winning out, “I can’t believe how bright it is compared to the others.”

Looking through the telescope was like looking up at the night sky when she’d gone camping, only sharpe
r. The telescope brought each star into absolute focus and Addison found herself completely entranced. She scanned as much of the sky as she could, pushing the eyepiece to the left and right. She let herself marvel at her view of the universe, knowing this was the chance of a lifetime. The sky danced above her and the view was so engulfing she felt like she could reach out and touch each individual stars.

Oh, I should probably let him have another turn.
She reluctantly pulled her face away and began to turn before realizing what was happening. All at once, she felt Holden’s hands on her shoulders, gently twisting the stool around so that she faced him. She looked up into his warm eyes just as he bent down over her. His intoxicating scent enveloped her senses. He set his hands down on either side of the eyepiece station, pinning Addison between him and the desk. He searched her eyes with an intensity she hadn’t seen before.
What is he looking for?
As if hearing her thought, he glanced down at her lips and she concentrated on each inhale and exhale they made in unison.

She
scoured his lips wondering what they’d taste like. They were so close, she could’ve reached out and licked them if she had more courage, or insanity. She knew they were about to cross from friends into something more, and she laughed internally at the idea that the two of them could have ever been
just
friends. He wasn’t asking for her permission, he was going to take what he wanted. He lowered his head down excruciating slow, making Addison want to scream in need. His eyes flickered up to hers as a sultry, tantalizing smirk spread across his face.
He knows what he’s doing to me... he’s trying to drive me crazy.

Addison chose, in that moment, to play Holden’s game. She licked her lips gently, enjoying his sharp intake of breath as she closed her eyes. She looked as if she were
surrendering to him, waiting for him to seal his lips to hers. Instead, she surprised him by ducking under his arms and walking to the door of the dome. 

She turned back with an innocent look on her face, her lips curling into a little smirk of her own. Her blonde hair had fallen slightly in front of her fa
ce and she knew she looked like the tease she was being, but it just felt
so
good. Holden was the kind of guy who didn’t pursue women; they pursued him – but not this time. She looked back at him still hunched over the table, visibly flustered. He cocked an eyebrow and shot her his trademark grin. 

“Let’s go check out more of the skyline
, Casanova.” She smiled before turning around.

She walked back over to the chain-link fence, thinking how that had been the best almost-first-kiss she’d ever had. Her entire body responded to Holden and she couldn’t imagine what it would be like when they did finally touch.

Holden followed her out of the dome a few moments later. His eyes narrowed playfully at her with a newfound respect as he took her hand and led her over back to their things.

“C’mon miss, I have to get these keys back to m
y friend before you do me in,” he teased, grabbing his bag and leading them down the ladder.

That night Addison got home and checked her emails
. A couple of them were updates from the UT Alumni Association, one was from her dad – he loved sending her emails with simple messages that never failed to make her day. The last email, however, was from a small University in North Carolina she had applied to months ago. She had been accepted into their PA program.

She read through the email a few times before sitting back in her desk chair, a mix of emotions coursing through her. She couldn’t believe she’d been accepted, she couldn’t believe she’d be going to North Carolina. In that moment Holden’s face flashed
through her head and her stomach dropped. She’d leave for North Carolina in a little over two months. The program started at the beginning of the year. That meant she’d only have a short time left with Holden. She cursed herself for not being happier about the acceptance. She’d worked so hard for her dreams, she knew how proud everyone would be of her, but she couldn’t shake the dreadful feeling of leaving Holden behind. She picked up her phone to text him, but decided she’d wait to give him the news. He knew she was applying, so he had to know she’d be leaving soon anyway.

Chapter
8

From that night on,
Holden and Addison were inseparable. When they both weren’t working they were getting to know each other, texting and teasing until they both felt completely comfortable with one another. He would pick her up on Saturday mornings and they would go to the downtown Austin Farmer’s Market. They would sift through the freshly grown produce and hand-crafted items, always ending up with coffee and croissants from a French pastry chef that set up shop at the market.

They took the kayak out a few more times, although never early enough to jump off the bridge again. But they’d pass under it and give each other knowing glances at the memories of that first morning. They always met on neutral territory, neither of them inviting the other into their homes.
They rode bikes down to Barton Springs, one of the biggest spring-fed pools in Texas. They’d go at night, when the pool had “Free Swim” starting at 9:00pm. They’d have to bike and get as warm as possible in the Texas heat because the freezing temperature of the pool was almost unbearable, even in summer. Addison would watch Holden show off on the diving board, knowing how much he secretly loved it. That was thing about Holden, no matter what they did, he seemed to have already mastered it, biking, kayaking, and flipping off diving boards. Addison laughed as she sat across the pool with her toes dipped into the icy water.
That boy must have had a competitive childhood.
She thought as she watched him surface and swim over to her.

They always had something to chat about and if they didn’t they’d play the Favorite game, trying to find out small details about one another. Addison had learned that his favorite sport was
basketball; his favorite candy was Reese’s pieces,
not
Reese’s cups. His favorite color was green; he had smiled looking into her eyes for that answer. Addison learned that his family was wealthy from old money and lived in the nicest part of Houston. She wasn’t all that surprised when he finally owned up to that fact, he somehow had the confidence and ease that come along with wealth. She smiled, though, at the thought that that was where his upbringing ended. He didn’t seem to live a glamorous life here in Austin, other than his car… and house, but she still hadn’t met anyone as down to earth as Holden was. Now... being humble was definitely something the boy could work on. But she didn’t want him to, his personality intrigued her and she enjoyed being with every part of him.

Addison told him about her normal upbringing in a suburb of Houston, how close she was with her mom,
and the interesting stories about growing up with two older brothers. Addison felt like she knew more about Holden after being friends with him for a few weeks than she did about some of her friends she’d known for years.

Neither one of them made another move since she ducked under his arm at the telescope. At first Addison hadn’t worried, knowing he would try again soon, but as the weeks passed she began to wonder
if she had wounded his pride a little too much that night.

Addison kept waiting for the right time to tell Holden about leaving for North Carolina. The idea would always pop into her head when they were out having fun, and she’d never want to ruin the moment. That’s what she told herself on the surface, not wanting to comprehend the real fear that he might not be as sad about it as she was. It was a couple weeks before she had to be in North Carolina for orientation and she was leaving tomorrow to go back to Houston to see her family during the holidays.
She’d leave for North Carolina from there. That meant she only had a few precious hours left with Holden. She hadn’t meant to keep it all a secret from him. The days just passed so quickly and the moment never presented itself.
Mmmhmm, sure.

Addison walked up to Alicia’s desk
and waited for her friend to finish talking to a patient.

“You have a good day too
, Mrs. Jones,” Alicia spoke, smiling as the woman opened the door to leave their office.

“Need something Addison?” Alicia asked, as she saw her approach.

“Alicia, withholding information is different than lying right?” Addison asked, fiddling with a chart to avoid eye contact.

“What are you talking about?
And why do you sound like a 90s sitcom? Is this about work?” Alicia asked with a bemused smile.

“Not exactly,
it’s about me leaving for North Carolina...”

“Oh, well you’ve put in your two weeks here
and everyone knows today’s your last day, which I can’t think about or I’ll get way too sad for the middle of a work day,” Alicia continued, checking her work emails, “so what’s the problem?”

“I have, maybe
... not told Holden that I’m leaving yet.” Addison murmured, unable to meet her friend’s eyes.

“What? You guys have been together almost every day the past
two months and you haven’t told him?” She accused, keeping her voice down.

“Alicia,
I know! Crap, I just don’t want this, whatever it is, to end. The first guy who has completely knocked me on my ass I’m so in love with him and I’m moving! I’m leaving, and he’s staying here, and he’s never even kissed me and probably thinks I’m like his kid sister.” Addison knew she was rambling but she needed to vent to someone other than her mom. Alicia knew how much time Addison had spent with Holden and how attached she’d become.

“You.
Are. Gorgeous my friend. If he’s too dumb to realize that then you’ll meet someone in North Carolina, I promise.”

“So I don’t have to tell him right?”

“No, you crazy person, you still have to tell him. Imagine if he were leaving in two weeks and hadn’t told you yet?”

Addison just nodded, dreading the
task before her.

“You’re right… We’re going to do yoga tonight, I’ll tell him then.”

“Do you think you really love him?” Alicia asked softly.

Addison met her friend’s gaze, feeling tears fighting their way to the surface.

“Hopelessly…”

After weeks of asking him to try a yoga class
with her, Addison had finally worn down Holden’s resistance. He’d picked her up at her apartment after work, and they were driving over to the studio as Addison looked out the window unable to focus on Holden’s stories about his day.
I leave in 24 hours, and I’m going to a freaking yoga class with the guy. He doesn’t even know. I can’t believe I’ve let it go this long.
She was so lost in her own thought she’d apparently missed a question Holden had asked.

“You there
, Clementine?” He offered a concerned glance, his kind brown eyes scanning her for a moment before looking back at the road.

“Yeah, Holden
... actually there’s something we have to talk about...” She began, not realizing they had just pulled into a parking spot in front of the studio. She had decided to take him to a candlelight class. The instructors heated the room to allow their muscles to relax and stretch out, and they turned the lights off allowing candlelight to guide them in their yoga practice. She just hoped he would like it.
Not like it matters, I leave tomorrow…

“Sure,”
he said, turning the car off and checking his watch, “but could it wait until after? I think the class starts in a few minutes and I still have to change,” he reached back to grab his black bag from the backseat.

See, this is why I’ve never told him. It’s like the universe is plotting against me
. Addison blinked up at him and took a deep, cleansing breath. “Oh, yeah, definitely. We have to get in there and make sure we get spots next to each other,” she remarked willing herself to snap out of her gloomy mood and enjoy the night with Holden
...I’ll just tell him after.

Addison walked into the studio
and peeled off her t-shirt. She’d learned after a few sweaty classes that she could only bear being in a sports bra and leggings, anything else made her body heat up too much for her to handle. She straightened her black sports bra so that delicate crissed-crossed straps lay centered on the back. She’d paired the bra with her favorite black yoga leggings.

She unrolled both her mat and the extra one she’d borrowed for Holden before standing up and looking toward the floor-to-ceiling mirrors in front of her. Her blonde hair was pulled back into her signature stylish ponytail, but the contrast between her bright hair and eyes and her black outfit was still noticeable. She felt strange as she looked at the girl in the mirror.
The girl dressed in all black; the girl who was leaving a boy she was crazy about tomorrow and couldn’t do anything about it.
Other than showing him how I feel,
she thought to herself as she adjusted her leggings to sit low on her hip bones,
yeah right.

There were a couple dozen students in the
class, all squeezed together, which only added to the heat generated from the thermostat. They were talking and stretching out around her but she spotted Holden immediately when he walked in the studio. He had his backpack in one hand and a water bottle in the other. He’d changed out of scrubs into a pair of black workout shorts that fell right above his knee.
Holy shit.

The fact that he wasn’t wearing a shirt was apparent to every girl in that studio. Addison noticed the way they
paused their conversations momentarily to watch him walk by. His elegantly muscled chest and abs looked like something straight out of GQ.
He has to know everyone is watching him. This is ridiculous.
He tossed his backpack up onto the designated shelves and made his way toward her, every eye watching where he was headed. She rolled her eyes before lying back on her mat and closing them.

“You’re too pretty for your own good,”
he commented as she heard him sit down on the mat next to her.

“What?” She
stammered, opening her eyes and tilting her head toward him.

“Every guy is watching you right now, you realize that don’t you?” He
inquired, his voice low enough so that only she’d hear.

She laughed. Sh
e couldn’t help it. The guy whose tanned perfection-of-a-body belonged on the pages of magazines was trying to tell her she was the one causing looks.

“Yeah, I bet
, Casanova,” she joked quietly, sitting up on her knees and stretching out her wrists on the mat in front of her.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in black before
...” He remarked, his voice dropping off. She watched their reflections in the mirror as his eyes traveled from her criss-crossed sports bra slowly down her exposed back.
His eyes followed the curve of her spine, drinking her in and burning brighter along their descent. She swallowed and watched anxiously.
Oh my god…

The instructor walked in before Addison had time to
process his fervid demeanor.

“Good evening class! I want to start us off with introductions, you’ll want to get to know your neighbor because
there are a lot of us in here tonight and we’re all pretty close together so you’ll probably find yourself in some pretty interesting positions.”

The class laughed at her innuendo and began turning to their left and right to meet
the people around them. Addison and Holden jokingly shook hands and he gave her a slow wink that sent shivers down her spine.
This is going to be a looong class.
A soft melody fell over the room as the instructor told the class to begin standing at the top of their mats with their hands placed in front of their hearts and their eyes closed. The entire class fell silent.

The first half hour of the class
wasn’t so bad. Addison was able to focus on her own movements and block out thoughts of Holden next to her. His heady scent of deodorant and cologne wafted around her though, keeping her painfully aware of his company. Every now and then she’d look at his reflection in the mirror, surprised by the ease with which he moved through the poses. She was better than him, having done yoga and dance most of her life, but he held his own more than she had expected him to.

They were
lying on their backs on their yoga mats having completed all of the strengthening poses when she felt his hand brush hers. She expected him to move it away, but he didn’t. It was touching hers so lightly, but the fact that they were lying there covered in sweat; their breaths quick and uneven, almost sent Addison over the edge. The instructor told them to wrap their knees over one another and let their legs fall to the left, while their heads looked to the right. The pose offered them a simple spinal twist, and Addison allowed herself to relax into the position.

(♫
3)She let her legs drop and she turned her head to the right, feeling her heart rate accelerate as she took in Holden’s body. His head was facing away from her, but his legs and chest were twisted alluringly in her direction. She watched a drop of sweat run from his neck down over his hard chest and onto his defined abs. His chest rose and fell softly, and Addison found her own body mimicking his breathing. The stereo switched to a new folksy song, the opening strings of which she knew they both recognized immediately and Holden ran his finger back and forth along hers in response.