Chapter 20: Caught in the Middle

“Shit.” Justin slammed the apartment door behind him. He knew his eyes were not deceiving him this time when he saw Kyle leaving his apartment, but when he called him he didn’t turn around to acknowledge him. Maybe because he didn’t answer to shit head as his name.

“But I’m positive that it was him. Well he better not let me catch him tomorrow.” Every since Justin had saw that note last week he had been paying careful attention to Celeste’s expressions, noting whenever she was happy, even when she was a little too happy.

“Celeste?” Justin called out to her, but he didn’t receive an answer. “Celeste! You sleep?” He walked into his bedroom to see both her and Tati snuggled up on his side of the bed.

Damnit. He had really wanted to ask her why Kyle was here now that he had sufficient proof. All last week he had only caught a glimpse of Kyle leaving his apartment late at night, but tonight he was sure. “I’m gonna have to get my key back from that bastard.” Justin couldn’t have him walking up in his place unannounced anytime he pleased especially when Celeste was alone.

Justin walked over to his side of the bed and shoved Celeste across the king-sized bed onto her own side, careful not to push the toddler on the floor. Celeste groaned a little, but she didn’t wake up.

“This is not going to work.” He was referring to his current sleeping arrangements for the last few weeks. He and Celeste in one bed with or without half-pint wasn’t something he could handle anymore. First of all, Celeste and the toddler were both wild sleepers, so on many occasions he would wake up with an arm or foot in his face. Lastly, if Celeste was gonna continue to sleep in just a t-shirt and some “itty-bitty” shorts she was gonna have to do more than put her little sister in between them because it was becoming more difficult every day to keep his hands off her. Likewise he didn’t want to slip up like he had last week.

“Come on Celeste, Ms. Lou said we need to come and get half-pint she’s been crying for you.” Justin just wanted to hurry up and get the toddler so he could go back to sleep and continue his dream.

“Hasn’t your mother ever told you that patience is a virtue?” Celeste hopped on one foot as she attempted to put on her shoes, the same shoes that she could barely walk in.

“You can’t even walk in those damn things. Just come on we’re only going across the hall, leave the shoes.” He didn’t understand why she had felt the need to dress up just to go across the hall.

When she finally got her shoes on, she smoothed her hands over her jeans “If you think I’m going to walk on that dirty floor without shoes then you have definitely lost your mind.” She walked slowly out the door.

Celeste turned around her to see Justin leaning against his door, “You not coming?”

“If you think I’m going to walk on that dirty floor without shoes then you have definitely lost your mind.” He repeated her words, wiggling his bare feet at her.

Celeste rolled her eyes, “Forget it.” She turned back to Ms. Lou’s door and proceeded to knock.

“Hey…why you dress up all the time now?”

“What-”Her sentence was cut off and she felt herself begin to tumble off balance when the door opened behind her.

Justin rushed over to her and quickly halted her fall. Before she knew it she was lifted up and into his arms.

“Celeste dear…are you okay?” Ms. Lou asked adjusting a sleeping Tati on her hip.

“Yeah I’m fine.” She pushed her hair away from her face. “I shouldn’t have been leaning on the door anyway.”

“Yeah you’re right.” Ms. Lou eyed Justin with a smile. “Thank God Justin was there to catch your fall."

“Yeah sure.” Celeste said nonchalantly then broke out into a fit of laughter.

“I just saved your ass from falling.” He tightened his grip, looking down at the pointed to shoes that hung dangerously on her feet.

Ms. Lou reached out to hit Justin, “Watch your mouth.”

“Look lady…I mean Ms. Lou, just take the kid inside for us please. I need to have a word with Celeste.”

Ms. Lou narrowed her eyes then walked into Justin’s apartment.

“What are you doing? Put me down Justin.” She demanded, no longer amused when he stepped into Ms. Lou’s apartment and closed the door.

He tossed her onto the plush couch.

“What was that for?” She wasn’t going to let him continue tossing her around like a sack of potatoes.

“Just be glad that wasn’t the ground you were hitting.” Justin smirked, sitting beside her.

“You and Kyle got something going on? What don’t look at me like that I told you I was gonna ask you in the morning?” He glanced at his watch. “…and it’s now morning so spill the beans.”

“I dress up all the time cause I like the way I look-”

He glared at her. “Not that question. Besides can’t you go back to looking frumpy? You know dressing in my boxers and what not.” Although he didn’t mind her new look, he would rather her dress like that solely for his admiration, while dressing “frumpy” outside of the apartment.

“You don’t like the way I dress? Bridget thought that if you liked it maybe I could get another man to look my way.” She looked down at her tangled hands.

He liked the way she dressed; actually he loved it, maybe a little too much now that he thought about it. But if she was dressing up to make a man’s head turn that wasn’t his, then he hated it.

“It’s okay. You could tone it down some, especially the jeans they’re a little on the tight side.” He was extremely uncomfortable sitting beside her right now.

Celeste stared at him wide-eyed. “They’re my size!”

“And what size is that? Skin tight?”

When she stood up abruptly to leave, Justin pulled her back by her hand, causing her to land in his lap.

Since that day he hadn’t had a peaceful night of sleep. Looking down at her shapely bottom, he groaned. He feared getting in the bed because of what he might do. Not trusting himself, Justin pulled the blanket over her to cover her and proceeded to lie atop the blankets.

That was his mistake. Why did I believe that I could do this! He was referring to his difficulty with being able to sleep soundly next to Celeste after she fell in his lap. Delicious feelings swirled in him, just at the thought of moving behind her and-

“Stop!” Someone yelled. It wasn’t Justin, but Celeste.

Not again. He had to wake her up from a dream every night this week, but this was the most worst of them all. “Celeste wakeup.” He shook her roughly from her dream.

Celeste continued to tremble on the bed then she heard Justin’s words. Celeste wake the fuck up!

She shot up so fast, that she knocked Justin on the floor.

Justin pulled himself into a sitting position and stared at Celeste, “Damn Celeste I said wake the fuck up, not knock me the fuck out.”

“I’m sorry.” Her face was contorted with fear.

“Cee Cee.” Suddenly, Tati awakened turning to her sister.

“What’s wrong Tati?” Celeste wiped the sweat from her brow.

“Justin wake me.” She whined, pulling on the strands of her ponytail.

Justin stood up from the floor brushing the dust off his clothes, “I did not wake you up half-pint. That was your sister and see she pushed me on the floor.” He showed her his elbow, slightly injured.

Tati observed Justin’s abrasions with curious eyes then patted her sister’s hand. “Bad Cee.”

“Thanks Tati.” Justin smiled, but his smile dissolved when he noticed Celeste’s distant look. “What is wrong with you?”

“Huh? Oh nothing.”

“Yeah right Celeste. Something was going on in that dream you just had.”

Celeste sighed, he was right. Something had been going in her dream, something very terrible. In her dream she’d run miles, in a murky tunnel with "that" man hot in pursuit. She didn’t know who "that" man was. She could no longer tell if he was closer or farther away, but he was behind her, and he held a sharp object; a knife. It seemed like such an effort to outrun him, to outsmart him in one alley then another. Her body had gotten so much slower since the last time he’d tried to catch her. Curse those damn heels!

In her head Celeste imagined the harsh pitch of his laugh, and it became more hysterical, louder in her ears. She had felt like she was in maze, as she ran the long halls of the apartment building again, heading toward an open door. He hadn’t been close to her yet and she felt that this time maybe she could escape. She was elated. It had gotten easier the closer she got to the door. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest. She had almost made it when a hand touched her shoulder from behind- and that’s when Justin had waked her.

“I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“Damn right.” He joked. “Nah I was still up anyway so it’s fine. What’s causing these dreams because last night you did wake me up?” That was a lie too he was already awake last night trying to sustain his urge to touch her.

Celeste didn’t answer.

“Want to talk about it?” Yes he was prying, but he didn’t care.

“No.” Celeste shook her head sharply. “I’m awake now so I should be fine.”

“Why don’t we do something together?” Justin suggested a little too brightly.

“What do you mean something?” They had never hung out together before, so why now? Actually, before she met Bridget she had never left the house.

“You know like go shopping for a new table since I still didn’t get a new one and maybe we could fix this up this dump. Yeah I admitted it.” He smiled and held his hands up, surrendering.

Celeste smiled crookedly, “That sounds like fun.”

“Now what was the dream about?” If she thought he was gonna let her off the hook, she had mistaken him for someone else. He had only used that shopping line as a gimmick to cheer her up.

“I don’t wanna talk about it Justin. I’m just gonna go back to sleep.” She attempted to lie down, but Justin wouldn’t allow her to.

“Shit Celeste. You need to tell me what your dreams are about because I need to get some sleep. I have five fucking days of bags under my eyes.” Justin pointed to the evidence of lack of sleep showcased on his face, but despite what he had told her those bags were from him trying to sleep with her so close by, not her dreams.

Celeste sighed again; he had left her with no choice. She had to tell him the truth about why she had left home and ended up with him. She just hoped he was gonna be a supportive listener and not judge her or change his opinion of her.