3

Furious knocking of the door downstairs made me frown as it woke me from my sleep. It was the next day and I was exhausted from having such little sleep. "Becca, get the fucking door." I groaned, wishing my sister would let whoever it was stop bothering me.

The knocking intensified and I had to pick my pillow, place it over my head to shut the disturbance out. "Ugh!"

It was no progress and so I gave up and stood to my feet, ready to tear Becca apart once I found her. Becca and I shared a room. Caramel had moved out when she got in a relationship with Justine and especially since he stayed over a lot, she wanted to be able to have a private time with him.

It didn't help with my wanting to permanently get him off my mind.

I opened the bedroom door and stormed angrily down the stairs. I made my way for the main door and frowned at the innocent  way it stood in its hinges.

I turned the key twice, bringing the door unlocked. Caramel stood in front of me with an angry frown, holding a huge box in her hands. My eyes moved behind her, and watched Justine struggle with the trunk of his car, trying to pull an item out.

"What is wrong with you guys?!" She scoffed, making her way into the house. "I stood there knocking forever and there wasn't even one person to care enough to open the door."

I rolled my eyes and followed her in. "You have to be joking. It is six in the morning, I was loving my beauty sleep, why are you back so early?" I grunted, going to check the content of the box she had placed on the dining table.

"I don't know, maybe to prepare for mom and dad's coming?" She smirked at me, bringing out cooking supplies from the box.

"Where is Becca?" She asked. I turned to look around.

"I really don't know, she wasn't beside me when I woke up." I yawned, stretching and reminding myself it was time to stay awake.

Loud shrieking sounds coming from the backyard distracted us. I shook my head, "well, I guess we have our answers." Becca loved to feed the stray cats and some times they stopped by our house to get the meal she made for them.

"Becca and I will get to cooking a lot of mom and dad's favourite meals." Caramel beamed in excitement. I had to say she was the most excited of us all when it came to preparing for their return.

"What about me? What am I supposed to do?" I frowned at her, hating that she thought I could not really be of help when it involved kitchen items.

"You could help Justine with the decorations." She shrugged, squinting her eyes at a can of peas she secured in her grip. "Is it me or is this thing expired?" She frowned.

"Where are your reading glasses?" I teased, grabbing the can from her to check the date out myself. "Nope they are perfectly great for consumption." I placed the can beside her on the table. I pretended to be interested in the items she displayed, acting like I was not affected by the information she had relayed.

"What kind of decorations by the way?" I pointed out.

"Well, Justine will be doing most of the work anyways so you don't have to worry. I'm only making you a part of it so you dont feel like you aren't contributing. But you 'two'," she stated, adding the words in air quotes, "would hang up a banner that says 'Welcome home'. " She explained.

"Oh." I swallowed a lump in my throat. She was giving me the chance to be alone with him. There was no way I could ease my fantasy if I had to stay beside him alone.

"I'll better get ready then." I turned on my heels to leave her presence, making my way for the stairs so I could go clean up and prepare for the day.

"Yeah, you bet." She smiled and made her way into the kitchen.

*

The front yard was clean by the time I got outside. The house was filled with aroma of great delicacies. Becca and Caramel really knew best when it came to providing stomach satisfying meals.

There was a ladder set up by the wall and Justine was baffling with the huge banner. I could not help the slight chuckle that escaped my mouth when he tried to get the banner to stand all on his own.

"Want some help?" I raised questioning eyebrows in his direction. He noticed my presence just then, throwing a glance at me. He gave me one of his ever cheery grins and finger-brushed strands of his hair out of his face.

"Ally, thank goodness you are here." He welcomed. "I've been trying to get this done all by my self but it seems the wind isn't on my side." He said. His deep, husky voice was all I could hear. It made my body scream in places impossible.

"Oh." I nodded, taking the banner from him. "What do you need help with?" I placed one hand on my waist.

"I don't know, I doubt the ladder is stable enough to accommodate my weight." He said. "It isn't very strong and I am particularly too heavy to get on it without breaking a bone." He joked, placing both his hands on his waist, his eyes moving up and down the ladder length.

"Are you suggesting I climbed up there? " I raised a suspecting brow at him.

"If you can tie the end of this piece on that pin up there, then yes. Then I'll adjust the ladder so you get this side of it tied as well, how is that?" He nodded in my direction, staring at me with pleading and hoping eyes that I would accept to do as he had requested.

"What if I fall?" I gasped, feeling threatened by the ladder instability.

"You won't." He assured, "and if you do, I'll catch you." He laughed it off. "I'll hold it for you, just so you know you are good."

"Okay." I trusted his words for unknown reasons. I stood and proceeded to climb up in doubt. Like promised, he held the ladder in place to keep it from moving.

"Okay I'm here, pass me the banner." I stretched an arm out at him once I got to an height I could tie the ropes, keeping my other hand on a ladder step.

"Got it." He nodded and crouched low to get the banner from off the floor, letting go off his support of the ladder.

I shrieked in fear, tumbling backwards as the ladder lost its balance against the wall.

I closed my eyes in expectancy of a great fall. I waited impatiently for the pain and when none came forth. I slowly reopened my eyes. He had caught me before I reached my fall.

Our faces where nothing but inches away from each other. I blinked a few times. This was finally it. My chance to make at least one aspect of my fantasy into reality. I slowly drew in, closing my eyes and ready to plant a kiss on his lips.