The Deep Spark, KttySaysRawr [ebook reader with built in dictionary .TXT] 📗

was telling me how you two plan on moving into a real home soon." Justin started.
Althea nodded. "It'd be good to get out of the apartment, as nice as it is." Her voice was small and she pushed the food around on her plate.
"Where is the house at?" Janise looked to Kurt. Althea gave her an appreciative glance, happy to not have to talk.
Kurt explained. "A little bit away from Althea's mom's house. It's beautiful too. We will bring you two to see it once we've moved it."
Bile rose in Althea's throat at the thought of living in the same house as Kurt as a married couple. "Althea? Are you alright?" She turned to see a worried Kurt staring at her.
Althea shook her head and gave a smile. "I'm fine. I'm just a bit nervous, I guess." It wasn't a complete lie; she was nervous, but only about James.
Kurt smiled. "Don't be nervous, babe. I'm sure the wedding will be perfect."
He kissed the temple of her forehead and Althea made the mistake of gasping. Kurt gave another worried look and she came up with a lie quickly. "Sorry, I'm just a bit jumpy. Nerves." She forced a slight laugh and took a bite of her food.
They all ate and Althea helped Janise clear the table. A knock on the door caught their attention and Janise dried off her hands from washing the dishes. "I bet that's Mel. The girl can smell food from a mile away." She joked.
Althea giggled as Janise went and answered the door. "Hello Me- James?" Althea froze.
"Hey, Janise. It's been a while hasn't it?" A man stepped into the house and Althea took in the sight before her. James was taller and had gotten more built. He sported a white V-neck, blue jeans, and black Vans.
"Indeed, it has. You've grown so much." Janise stood on the tips of her toes to hug him as Justin and Kurt came to the door. The two shook James' hand as they exchanged greetings.
"Hey, Althea, don't be shy." Althea felt like gauging Justin's eyes out.
She slowly walked towards the door as James turned his eyes to her. She covered her fear with a determined face and a cheery smile. "Hello, James." She held out a hand. James seemed unsure of what to do before taking her hand and promptly shaking it.
"Hello, Althea." James said quietly. Althea let out a shaky breath and gave another smile, dropping James' hand.
"How about we move this into the living room?" Kurt suggested. He stepped closer to Althea and put a hand on her waist. Althea looked to James, hoping for a reaction, but he showed nothing. The group moved to the living room and sat down with Justin and Janise on the couch, Kurt and Althea on the love seat, and James in the rocker.
"So James how was California?" Justin asked.
James shrugged. "It was really nice. Hot," he laughed. "But it's cool. I have a condo in Los Angeles and my job is amazing."
Justin nodded. "Well, don't forget about us here, lad."
The group laughed, though Althea hated how forced her own sounded. James looked at her a moment, then away. Did he catch it? Justin soon stood and stretched. Janise tilted her head and asked where he was going.
"Mel asked me and Kurt to come and fix her car today. If we keep the lass waiting, none of us will hear the end of it."
"That sounds like Mel." James laughed.
Justin chuckled and shook his head. "Well, come on Kurt, we better get a move. We'll see you later." The two left, leaving Janise and Althea with James.
"James, my apologies, you must be hungry. I will get you something." Janise smiled and left the room, but not before giving Althea a look.
Althea leaned back into the love seat and twiddled her fingers, trying to look busy and uninterested in the love of her life sitting across the room. "I hear you're marrying Kurt," James broke the silence.
Althea nodded. "In June."
James nodded and sighed. "You didn't tell me."
Althea scoffed. "Why should I? We haven't talked since you left." James shifted in his seat. Althea held back a smirk. He's nervous.
"You never tried to contact me, so I thought you didn't want to talk." James said softly.
Althea bit her lip. "I thought that about you, but then, you barely talked to anyone around here." She countered.
James sighed. "Well, we're talking now," he tried, "But I guess that doesn't really matter to you."
Althea raised her head, staring at the indifferent male. "What?" Her voice was harsh but James barely moved.

CHAPTER 10

"Playing the cold, hard bitch is hardly an invitation for a heart to heart talk." His tone neutral, he stared at her with dull eyes.
Althea simply smirked. "A little hypocritical, aren't we?" She sat up straighter, crossing her legs and staring at her rival dead on.
"Hardly," he drawled. He sat back and relaxed in the rocking chair. "At least you didn't turn into the tease you were starting to become."
Althea's eye twitched. "Excuse me? If I recall, I do believe the only male I kissed was Kurt. Unlike you. You became the definition of a manwhore." Althea played with a strand of her hair and clenched her jaw.
"What I did was none of your business," James ground out through clenched teeth.
"And what I did was never something you needed to know to begin with." Althea growled back.
"Yes, it was," he hissed. "You have never understood how much I-" He snapped shut his mouth. "I was supposed to care of you."
Althea flinched. "You're such a hypocrite." She said under her breath and sighed. "I don't need a babysitter; I'm a big girl."
"I can tell," he murmured. His eyes gazed appreciatively at her figure. He notes the changes that her body had gone through - how her barely there hips had flared out into an inciting flare, how her breasts were now fuller, how her eyes shined with a shy sexual confidence. She was all woman now.
Althea squinted her eyes before snapping her fingers at him. "Hello? My eyes are up here. Don't look at me that way now." She rolled her eyes but knew inside that she secretly loved the way James looked at her now, though she'd never admit to it, nor to the fact that he had turned into a very handsome man.
"Still prickly, aren't we Athena?" His eyes twinkled, an air of fondness surrounding his words.
Althea blinked at the old nickname, letting a smile pull at her lips. "It's been a while since anyone but Mel and Janise called me that..." She pulled her hair of the pony tail and ran a hand through it.
"Good." He smirked at her frown. "I was the one that started it after all." He scratched his head, a nervous habit that he used to always exhibit when they had come back from the candy store and eaten the delicious treats. "How long have you and Kurt been a thing?"
"You never let anyone forget." She chuckled at the habit he showed, remembering where it came from. She clenched her jaw, though, at his question. "Since we..." she breathed, "Since I was a sophomore in high school."
A scowl overtook his face at her whispered response. "I see." He got up and walked over to the collage that Janise and Justin had hanged up of when they had graduated. Not surprisingly, it was close to the loveseat. "Are you," he paused. "Happy?"
She looked down after he responded, but couldn't help but feel his close presence. "Of course I'm happy; I'm marrying him aren't I?" Even to her, the response sounded forced and she was afraid James noticed.
"I know a lot of people who get married and they aren't ever happy." He stuffed his clenched hands into his painter jeans, memories of his own parents flashing through his mind.
Althea looked him. "Happiness has to be worked for, and I believe I've worked pretty damn hard for it."
"I know," he whispered. James turned around and slowly sat down next to her on the loveseat, as if waiting for her to yell at him to get away from her. When she didn't, his posture relaxed minimally and he leaned back against the armrest. "I just don't want you doing something you might end up regretting."
"I've done that before. I'm fine now though." She watched him for a minute, wanting to touch him, but afraid he might move away. For now, she simply appreciated his presence. "You don't have to be so rigid around me," she mumbled.
He shrugged. "If you tell me where we stand, I'll see if I'll change."
"How can I tell you that if I don't know that myself? I just... I just don't want to make it awkward for everyone else." She looked away and folded her hands in her lap.
He moved closer, close enough that their knees touched. His hand came up and loosely grabbed her chin, titling her head up to his sight. "It's our choice, how would it affect everyone else?" His words were whispered and his eyelids drifted closed to a lazy half-mast.
Althea searched for words and held James' gaze. "They would be worried... about us. I don't want to do that." She grabbed his hand from her chin and held it instead, staring their hands now. The feeling the mere touch gave her was greater than anything Kurt had given her.
His thumb stroked hers, the gesture sweet. "You don't have to be so shy around me," he whispered.
"I don't know how to act around you anymore." She flinched when he touched her but didn't move away, just held on tighter.
He lifted their joined hands to his lips, softly brushing a kiss across her knuckles. "Just trust me. Like before."
Althea's breath hitched when James kissed her hands and bit her lip. "The last time I did that, you left me out in the rain. I can't go through that again, James." She tugged at her hands, but couldn't break free.
He gripped her hands, his hold an unconscious reminder of his dominance. "What if I could promise you that it would be different?" His eyes pleading, he said hoarsely, "Give me a chance to prove myself?"
Althea gasped some at his tighter grip but she didn't try to tug away. "I-I'm getting married... How can I give that to you now?" She bit her lip to keep from crying.
He had hated to see her cry, hated it even more when she tried to keep it inside. That hadn't changed.