Part 13 (2/2)

Unshed tears still stung my eyes, but I managed to look him in the face. I could see the sincerity there. But I could also see a spark of humor. My lips twitched in response and then I started to laugh. I could just imagine what I looked like bobbing up and down in the air, like a buoy in the water. I laughed so hard that the tears finally streamed down my cheeks.

I laughed and laughed and laughed until I was empty. Then I became hyper aware that I was still in Trevor's arms. The heat from his body warmed me. This was no small feat, considering I was standing there in a t-s.h.i.+rt that just covered my b.u.t.t and a pair of shocking red panties.

For a second, we locked gazes, and I could feel the hitch in his breathing. Was he going to kiss me? Startled by the thought, I pushed out of his arms. But ended up floating toward the ceiling again. This time, he grabbed my hands in time. But instead of pulling me down to the ground, he rose into the air with me.

In awe, I watched as he effortlessly went from vertical to horizontal while still holding my hands. He smiled at me as we floated all the way up the ceiling, touching the tiles ever so gently with the backs of our feet.

My stomach rolled over as I looked down. Panic swept over me and I struggled to stay afloat. Trevor gripped my hands tight, forcing my attention onto him.

”Look at me. Don't look at the ground.”

Taking in some deep breaths, I concentrated on his face, instead of the urge to glance down at the ground nine feet below. Once I felt more stable, I smiled, letting him know I was better.

”How do you control it?” I managed to ask between deep intakes of air.

”I don't think about it. I just do it.”

”Okay, that doesn't help me. I'm a girl. I'm thinking twenty four seven.”

”Right. Good point.” He adjusted his grip on my hands. Were my palms sweaty? Was he getting grossed out by holding them? I couldn't tell by the stoic look on his face. ”Okay, then you have to learn to control your emotions.”

I arched one eyebrow. ”Easier said than done. I mean this is all a bit messed up, don't you think?”

”True, but you have to deal, you know. It's done. This is your life. There's nothing you can do about it, except use it to your advantage.”

I thought about that. He was right. I needed to suck it up and deal with it all if I was going to survive all of this.

”You're right. Tell me what I need to do.”

”Suck in a deep breath and then let it go. Let it all go.”

I did as he instructed, but when I let my breath out, I dropped to the floor. Like a lead weight.

And landed like one as well.

I did have the presence of mind to turn my face to the side so I didn't smash my nose up into my brain. But the rest of my body wasn't as lucky. My knees were still healing from the last time I took a crawl across the stucco ceiling of my bedroom.

”Holy c.r.a.p. You dropped like a rock.”

I could hear the humor in his voice.

Groaning, I pushed to my knees, wincing from the pain that shot through me. ”I'm happy to amuse you.”

He hooked his hands under my arms and helped me to my feet. ”I haven't laughed this much in years.”

Once up, I glanced down and took stock of my newly acquired injuries. My knees were red and banged up again, as were my elbows. It was then, as I surveyed the damage on my form, that I noticed that my t-s.h.i.+rt had ridden up and Trevor was staring directly at the rhinestone star embroidered on the edge of my panties.

I shrugged off his hands and took a step back, trying at the same time to yank down the hem of the t-s.h.i.+rt. ”Jesus, Trevor. Rude much?”

He swung around, and shoved his hands into his jeans pocket. But before he turned I could see the blush on his cheeks. ”It's not like I haven't seen that before.” He wandered back to the sofa, sat, and picked up the game controller to fiddle with it.

I gasped. ”Well, you haven't seen mine. And you never will.”

”Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart. I ain't that interested.”

”Good.” I stomped back into the bedroom and slammed the door behind me. I sat on the bed with a huff. I couldn't get over how incredibly rude Trevor was. He had no manners whatsoever.

And like h.e.l.l he wasn't interested. I'd seen the way he was staring at me. It made me blush just thinking about it.

Huffing again, I settled onto the bed and crossed my legs. I could get a handle on this floating thing without him. I didn't need him to hold my hand.

Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath and then let it out. I did that several times trying to calm my mind and concentrate on the task at hand. Trevor had his way of doing it; I would develop my own way, on my own.

I took in another breath, and when I let it out tingles radiated up and down my legs. It was the same sensation when my feet fell asleep-the same pins and needles. Something was happening. I risked a look and cracked open one eye. I was hovering, cross-legged, about five inches above the mattress. I grinned in triumph. Take that Mr. Man!

Now if I could just get higher and turn over onto my stomach...

Two minutes later, I was dog paddling in the air again, scrambling like mad to find some sort of stability. Up and down I bobbed, like a fis.h.i.+ng lure in the water. Except I wasn't trying to catch anything, except maybe some dignity. I could just imagine how foolish I looked clambering for some sort of hold in the thin air. Yet there was no hold to have. No ceiling light, no bookcase in the corner, no curtains on the window. Nothing.

Once more, I was stuck like glue to the ceiling without any way to get down.

Well, there was one way, but I really didn't want to take it. I'd been embarra.s.sed enough for one night.

Gritting my teeth, I closed my eyes and tried to calm my mind, tried to visualize my intention-which was to get off the stupid ceiling and back onto the bed. I even imagined falling. I didn't really want to drop like a rock to the mattress, I wasn't sure if my body to take anymore jarring, but if all else failed I'd rather be banged up and bruised than humiliated beyond all reason.

But my visualizations didn't work. Nothing seemed to.

I tried pus.h.i.+ng off with my feet and hands, but ended up just hanging in midair and then floating back up. Isaac Newton be d.a.m.ned. In my new reality, what went up didn't necessarily come back down.

I did everything I could think of, pus.h.i.+ng, sliding, cursing, grunting, but I couldn't get down. That left one thing to do.

Taking a greedy gulp of air, I did one last thing...

I screamed. ”Trevor!”

I didn't have to wait long before the door swung open and he rushed through. He took one long look at me, glued to the ceiling like stucco, and then shook his head.

”Tomorrow's going to be one long day.”

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