A Second Too Long

A Second Too Long
Diane's POV

At Lance's House

I could not sleep. I had been on the bed since past eleven and it was now almost one thirty in the morning. I turned to my left and also turned to my right continuously. I even placed a pillow between my legs because I read somewhere that it helps pregnant women sleep better. Nothing worked. My eyes were wide open like someone poured cold water on my face.

The funny part was that I had a very long day at work. I attended a board review meeting that lasted hours. I dealt with annoying emails. I had to correct a mistake a new staff made and talk to the marketing team about a new idea. I was tired. My feet were tired. My brain was tired. My whole body was supposed to be tired enough to pass out as soon as I got in bed. But here I was, staring at the ceiling like a fool.

I sat up and breathed out in frustration.

Pregnancy was doing things to my body I did not understand. Sometimes I slept like a rock. Sometimes I could not sleep at all. I told myself to stop being dramatic and just get water. Maybe water would help me relax. Or maybe walking a little would calm my body.

So I stood up and left my room. I did not bother wearing a robe. I just wore a simple short gown I usually slept in. Nothing crazy. Just soft cotton and comfortable. I wrapped my arms around myself anyway because the AC had made the hallway chilly. The house was silent. Huge, quiet, and a little bit scary if I am being honest. The kind of silence that makes you feel like you are the only person alive.

I walked down the stairs slowly, holding the railing even though I knew the stairs by now. I was pregnant and I was not about to fall when no one was around. I made it to the living room and then to the kitchen. The staff were long gone so the kitchen was empty and dark, only the night light shinning near the counter.

I took a glass from the shelf and filled it with water. As I lifted it up to sip, a small yawn came out. I shook my head.

So sleep wanted to come now? After I already got up from bed?

I drank the water and wiped my mouth with my arm.

I was leaving the kitchen when everything suddenly went dark. The fridge light went off. The kitchen night light went off. The entire house went black. The only sound I heard was the hum of the AC shutting down. Power outage.

I still had to deal with this. Wonderful.

My heart jumped. Not because I am scared of the dark. I am not. But everything went dark too fast and the house was very big so it felt like the darkness swallowed me whole.

I turned around fast to walk back into the kitchen in case I needed to hold the counter. Pregnancy balance is not always my friend. Just as I moved, I crashed into a strong body. I did not see anything but I felt arms grab me. Firm. Warm. A quick strong grip around my waist so I did not fall.

I inhaled in shock. The scent told me before anything else. It was Lance. That calm scent he always had. Expensive soap. Clean. A little sweat. His grip tightened for one second then loosened like he was surprised too.

The lights came back on almost immediately. It was so fast it made no sense. Like someone flicked it off and on to play with both of us.

And that was when I saw it.

His hand was on my chest. Not my shoulder. Not my arm. My chest. On my cleavage. Full contact.

For one second, the world stopped. My mouth opened but nothing came out. His eyes were on mine. My hands were on his arms because I had grabbed him by reflex. We looked at each other in silence like two statues caught doing something wrong.

There was heat in the air. Thick enough to feel. His eyes were dark and narrowed but there was something else there too. Something soft. Something confused. Something like he did not expect to be holding me like that.

I did not expect it either.

My heart was beating so loud I could hear it in my ears. I think he could hear it too because his face changed a little, like he realized how close we were. How his hand was still there. How I was still touching him too.

We both snapped out at the same time.

I stepped back quickly. He removed his hand fast like my skin burned him.

It was awkward. It was tense. It was embarrassing too but also something else. Something that made the bottom of my stomach feel warm. Something I did not want to talk about.

We stood there like two idiots who did not know what to say.

“I thought you were about to fall,” he said first, his voice low and stiff. He looked away, his jaw tight. He wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He was shirtless. Sweat on his chest. His body was toned and strong. I forced my eyes away.

“Oh.” I swallowed. “Right.”

Good. I sounded normal. Or at least I hoped I did.

He nodded once. His face returned to that cold expression he always had. But his ears were a little red. I noticed it. He was embarrassed too. That made me feel a little better.

“I came for water,” I said because the silence was choking me.

“I came to the kitchen too,” he replied. He sounded like someone who did not want to explain too much. “I could not sleep.”

“Same.”

We just stared again. 

“You should go back to bed,” he said. It almost sounded like concern but he covered it with his usual tone fast. “It is late.”

I crossed my arms. “And you should go back to whatever you were doing. The gym right?”

He looked surprised I guessed right. “Yes.”

I smiled small. “So you work out when you cannot sleep.”

“You walk around the house when you cannot sleep,” he replied back.

I rolled my eyes a little. “Touché.”

Another small pause.

He cleared his throat. “Be careful with the stairs when you go up.”

There it was again. That gentle human tone he tried to hide under the cold one. I did not want to smile but I did, just a tiny one.

“I will. Thanks.”

He nodded again like he was trying to wipe away the softness. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

He looked at me one last time. I looked at him too. It felt like there was something in the middle of us that neither of us wanted to touch yet. Something invisible but strong.

Then he turned away and walked out of the kitchen to go back to the gym. His back muscles flexed as he moved. I turned so fast so I did not stare too long.

I stood alone in the kitchen for a moment. My hand touched my chest gently, right where his hand had been by accident.

I whispered to myself, “Get a grip, Diane.”

He did not mean anything by it. It was just a mistake. A weird moment. That is all.

But the way he held me…

The way he looked at me…

The way I felt like electricity moved through my body when the lights came back on…

I shook my head fast and walked back upstairs. I was not going to be stupid. I was not going to start thinking crazy. Lance was not my man. We were not some romance story. This was a deal. He was cold. He was distant. And I was not interested in falling for a man who never looked at me like he wanted anything real. Besides, I should focus on the main plan. On my revenge plan and not some pretty boy…