Broken Wings

Part Twenty Seven - a relaxing weekend?

Chapter Twenty Seven

Dinner, theatre, and then a late-night bar, it was all perfect. But now they were returning home, and once again Julia felt the pressure of heading back to the apartment, forced into a small space with Aaron. He'd been true to his word, he'd given her space, time and distance, there had been no more teasing, no more barbs.

They rode a cab back to Brooklyn, the headed up the two iron staircases to the rooftop. As the two girls took the loungers, Aaron got them a beer each from the storage fridge.

"This is an amazing view," Abi couldn't keep her head still, and Julia remembered feeling exactly the same when she'd first been up there. "You are so lucky, living here."

That was no lie.

"I am more than grateful to Aaron, he has helped me, but I also get to live here."

She glanced across at him, and he tilted her bottle towards her in recognition, "worth it for the home cooked meals." Lightening the mood, he turned to Luke, "you know what MY cooking is like."

He guffawed, "Mum always talks about you setting fire to the kitchen!"

Aaron groaned, "I set off the smoke detector, that was all."

Julia giggled at his indignant expression, "the perfect man isn't perfect? Shit, I love that."

With a grunt he threw a pillow at her, and it hit her on the side of the head, she was tempted to jump up and fight back, but suddenly she realised that she didn't want to draw attention to her and Aaron, the last thing she needed was her best friend picking up on the tension. Abi would not let that go unnoticed, or uncommented on.

Instead she gave a childish scowl and tossed it weakly back at him.

Aaron studied Julia as Abi regaled a story about her, and his mother and their wedding. She'd not bitten when he threw the cushion at her, and that surprised him. She was feisty, fun...that was almost a weak response, and it only confirmed what he knew, that she had feelings for him, and this was an active attempt to sit under the radar. He wanted to grin, but he didn't, he just sat back and gazed at her often enough that she'd know, that she'd feel his presence. It was enough.

Around two am, Abi yawned, "I have got to turn in. You guys have planned another full day tomorrow."

Julia nodded, "that's the truth, but then there's so much to see."

The two girls led the way back to the lounge, then hugged before Abi disappeared to the spare room, when Luke shook his hand, hugged Julia, then followed Abi to bed, he turned to Julia, "and then there were two."

She exhaled rather sharply, then stepped back.

He ran a hand over his face, "you're scared of me?"

She shook her head, "no. Not scared. Not really."

There was no conviction in her voice and he smiled gently, "maybe you're scared of yourself then? Scared of how you'd react if I stepped forward and kissed you."

He watched her teeth snag her bottom lip, her nostrils flared, her breath a little more ragged, she wanted it, he KNEW she did, but he wasn't going to give her reason to run, and the next move had to come from her. Instead he moved to lean against the back of the sofa, his eyes on her.

She blushed, moved to the fridge and poured a glass of milk. He took that opportunity to wrong foot her.

"Enjoy my bed, I'm taking the sofa tonight."