Learning How to Bend

December 13

//I did not mean to write 4,000 words, but I wrote 4,000 words...oops?// 

I woke up because a certain someone was shaking my arms. I groaned and rolled over, burying my face in the seat cushion of the lounge. When I felt Thaddeus's hands on my side, though, I jolted awake and sat up with the blanket almost up to my chin.

"Don't even think about it," I warned.

"What's that?" He was feeling mischievous this morning, I could already tell.

"Tickling your girlfriend is not a good way to wake her up." I ran my fingers through my hair and shook my head to will my brain awake.

"Oh, but it's so much fun..."

"Don't you dare." I laughed; my attempt to be serious was evidently a futile one.

"Is there a better way to wake you?"

"I can think of one."

He leaned over and kissed me, his warm hands against my neck with his thumbs near the bottom of my cheeks. "Was that it?"

"Lucky guess." I patted his cheek before wrestling the blanket it from him so I could wander around his penthouse apartment. Not only to search for my dress from the night before but also to accustom myself a bit better to my surroundings. If I ever ended up staying here more often, I did not want to have to echolocate to get around everywhere. As long as Thaddeus's did not throw any curveballs at me like suddenly moving the couch or adding a new chair, I would catch on fairly quickly. I was blessed—or maybe some might say cursed—with a good memory. Learning this would be a figurative walk in the park.

I was about to pull on my dress under the blanket when I heard Thaddeus walking toward his bedroom. Before I could do anything, he wrapped his arms around my abdomen and kissed the side of my neck.

"I'm not ready for you to go just yet."

"Nothing says I have to. It's a Saturday. But...you know, I'd maybe like to put something on?"

He hesitantly released me at that, moving to what I assumed was his closet and reemerging in front of me. When he put his hands over mine to encourage me to drop the blanket, I only gripped it tighter and shook my head.

"No way," I said.

His face neared mine, so close I could feel his breath tickling my ear as his hands went for my waist. Thaddeus's voice rumbled as he spoke in a volume only barely above a whisper. "You don't have to be modest with me. You're beautiful, little love. Every inch of you."

Who on earth was this man, and what did he do with Thaddeus Andino?

His words left me so off-guard that my hands loosened on the blanket. Before I could say anything, the blanket was on the floor and Thaddeus had slipped something over my head and pulled my arms through. When his unique scent traveled up into my nostrils, I knew it was one of his soft v-neck t-shirts. I found I could not move. I was paralyzed by his words, and he knew they would have that effect on me. I was unaccustomed to compliments, especially not from him. My legs felt like they were wobbling like gelatin, and I almost thought I needed to sit down.

Thaddeus thought I was...beautiful?

Not pretty. Not hot.

But beautiful.

"Plus, it's not like I haven't seen it anyway."

I blushed, my face probably reddening to the color of a maraschino cherry (those were red, right?) before I seemed to regain control of my senses. I slapped him across his chest as he chuckled at my reaction before I rolled my eyes and walked through his door after I clicked to visualize its location. After a couple tries, I wandered my way to the kitchen where I opened the fridge.