Page 13 of Falling Together

Chapter 13

Blair

Blair grew impatient as she stared at the clock, waiting for Erin to get home from work. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spend time with Nolan, but she missed Erin. It had been a little after a week since the Fourth of July party, and even though she saw Erin almost every day, it was mostly in passing. She had been so spoiled having her for the whole day on the Fourth of July that she could hardly stand the little bit of interaction she’d had with her since.

Even Erin joining her and Nolan for lunch the past Friday hadn’t been enough to scratch the itch she had for more time together.

“Bear! Your phone is singing.”

Blair looked down at the phone she held in her hand, but somehow hadn’t heard, and quickly picked up when she saw it was Erin calling. “Hey! What’s up?” she asked smoothly, to keep from making it obvious she was literally just thinking about her.

“Hey! I really hate to do this, but a big project came up, and I’m stuck at work. Is there any chance you could stay late? It shouldn't be more than an hour. This usually only happens once or twice a year, so it really shouldn’t happen again anytime soon.” Even though it was clear Erin was stressed, Blair couldn’t help but smile just from hearing her voice.

“Hey, take a breath. It’s fine. I don’t mind at all. I’m yours for as long as you need me.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m going to pick up food on the way home. Can I get you something?”

“Food sounds great.” It was only partially a lie on Blair’s part. Even though she was always down to eat, the real reason she said yes was because that meant more time with Erin. There was no way she was going to turn that down.

“Perfect! I’ll text you once I know what I’m getting. Any preference?”

“Nope. Whatever you pick will be great.”

“Awesome. See you in a bit. Thanks again.”

“Was that my Mommy?” Nolan asked as soon as Blair hung up the phone.

“It was.”

“What she say?”

Blair knelt down in front of him. Even though she was currently brimming with excitement, she figured he probably wouldn’t feel the same way. “She’s going to be a little late, so you’re stuck with me longer.”

Nolan’s eyes went wide. For a moment, Blair thought he might cry, but instead, he threw his hands in the air and started to dance. “Yay! More time with Bear! More time with Bear!”

Blair’s heart felt like it might explode as she watched her favorite little boy dance around because he got to spend more time with

her

. Blair played tennis when she was in high school, but no victory was as sweet as this moment right here.

Blair danced with him and chanted, “More time with Nolan! More time with Nolan!” As the two of them laughed together, Blair couldn’t remember the last time she felt so happy.

About an hour later, Erin texted to ask if pizza would be okay, and both Blair and Nolan agreed it sounded amazing. Not too long after, Erin texted again to tell Blair she had picked up the pizza and would be home in about ten minutes.

Blair helped Nolan get his shoes on, and the two of them waited on the front porch for Erin. As soon as Erin’s car pulled into the neighborhood, Nolan began to jump up and down. “I see Mommy’s car! I see Mommy’s car!” he shouted as she drove down the street and pulled into the driveway.

As soon as she opened her car door, Nolan ran to her and wrapped her in a tight hug. “Mommy! Did you get us pizza?”

Erin laughed as he pulled away from her and started looking around as if he was searching for the food. “I get it. I’m not actually important when there’s pizza.”

“I

love

pizza.” Nolan rubbed his stomach dramatically. “Bear’s having pizza too.”

Blair stood from the porch and walked toward them. “That’s right, buddy. But why don’t you let your Mommy go get changed into something more comfortable.” She let her eyes drift to Erin and tried not to do a double take at the pantsuit she was wearing.

I’ll never get enough of this look.

“I can grab the pizza and get everything set up. Just go take care of yourself.”

“Are you sure? You’ve already done so much.”

“Of course. I’d be happy to.”

The tired, but sincere, smile on Erin’s face was all Blair needed to see. She would do absolutely anything to make this woman smile like that.

After a few minutes, the kitchen table was set with a slice of pizza on each person’s plate, Nolan’s cut into small triangles at his request, so each bite could look like a “mini pizza.”

As much as Blair loved Erin’s work outfits, when she came back downstairs in sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt, Blair couldn’t keep her jaw from going slack.

It’s unfair for any woman to look that good in sweats that don’t show off any of her curves.

“Like what you see?” Erin asked, sending Blair’s mind into a tailspin.

She noticed? Is she flirting? She didn’t sound mad, so she must be, right?

“Wh-what?”

Erin pointed to the table. “The pizza. You said you’ve never had it from this restaurant before. It looks amazing, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, yeah. The pizza. Of course.” Blair accidentally ran her eyes back across Erin’s body. “It looks good enough to eat.”

Shit. Please let her think I’m talking about the pizza.

Erin laughed. “I’d sure hope so. I don’t know about you, but I definitely plan on eating it.” She licked her lips and smacked them together.

If this were any other woman, Blair would assume she was being a tease, but she could tell Erin had absolutely no idea what the hell she was doing to her.

A hot woman who doesn’t even realize she’s hot… This scene alone is going to keep my fingers busy for hours tonight.

Blair clapped her hands together loudly in an effort to break her own trance. “Yes. Me too. Let’s eat.”

Once they sat down at the table, Erin asked about their day and Blair’s body chemistry returned to normal (at least as normal as it could be around Erin).

Nolan’s eyes lit up at the question, and Blair had a feeling she knew the first thing he would tell his mom. “Bear took me on her bike today!”

“On her bike? What do you mean, sweetie?”

“She has a bike with a big seat on the back.” Nolan spread his arms apart as if he was demonstrating how big the seat was. “I sat in it, and she rode me all around.”

“He was wearing a helmet,” Blair added.

Erin gave Blair a look that could only be described as amused. “You have a bike with a child’s seat on it?”

“She does!” Nolan said before Blair could get a word out. “It’s a special seat for me.”

“I found it sitting around in my parents’ garage, so I tossed it on real quick,” Blair said with a shake of her hand.

She didn’t make lying a habit, but she didn’t want to tell Erin she went out and bought it just so she could take him for a ride. If Erin knew the truth, she would think Blair was completely pathetic or she’d offer to pay her back for it. Blair did not want either of those things.

“That’s amazing. I’ve been meaning to get one of those for so long, but I never did.”

Blair pointed in the direction of the garage. “I put my bike in the garage when we got back, because I didn’t want to deal with squeezing it back into my car while I was also watching Nolan. If you’re okay with it taking up extra space, I can just leave it here. That way we can both use it with him.”

Erin immediately shook her head at Blair’s offer. “It’s your bike. What if you decide you want to ride it and it’s over here so you can’t? I can get my own. Seriously.”

Blair knew for a fact the best bike seats weren’t cheap, and it wasn’t that she didn’t think Erin could afford it, but Erin had better things to spend her hard-earned money on. There was no reason for her to get another one when Blair had no use for that one, except with Nolan. Plus, Blair wasn’t exactly a cycling enthusiast.

She laughed as she thought about how long it had been since she last rode her bike before today. “Erin, I had to clean cobwebs off of my bike to bring it here today. Trust me when I tell you that it won’t be missed.”

Erin laughed along with her. “So, what you’re saying is that between the two of us it will get ridden about three more times this summer?”

“If we’re lucky.”

“Okay, but only if you’re sure.”

Blair was sure of anything that made Erin smile at her the way she was smiling in that moment. “I’m positive.”

“Yay! More bike rides!” Nolan shouted, which was probably for the best since Blair could feel herself slipping away into Erin’s vortex.

The rest of the dinner conversation was mostly led by Nolan. As he told his mom (for the fifth time) about what animals they saw on their bike ride, Blair cleared the dishes from the table and put the leftover pizza in the refrigerator.

“Okay, little man, it’s time to say goodbye to Blair so you can go to bed.” Erin picked Nolan up and rested him against her hip, a long yawn escaping his mouth as he leaned against her.

“But I don’t want Bear to go.”

The feeling is mutual,

Blair thought to herself.

“I know, sweetie, but Bear has been here with you all day, and she’ll be back tomorrow. You have to let her go home and be with her own family.”

Nolan didn’t seem satisfied with his mom’s answer, and when he looked at Blair with wide eyes and lips dipped down into a frown, it was clear he wasn’t. “But I just want Bear to put me to bed.”

Had Blair’s heart just been cracked open and filled with rainbows and butterflies? That’s exactly what it felt like. She never knew such a tiny little human could make her world so much brighter, but Nolan did it every single day. Blair didn’t know who had her in knots more—Nolan or his mom.

“I would love to.” Blair looked over at Erin for permission. “That is, if it’s okay with your mom. I’m sure you guys have a routine, and I don’t want to mess with that.”

That beautiful blossoming smile was back on Erin’s face once again.

Are you sure?

she mouthed at Blair. When Blair nodded, she addressed Nolan. “That’s fine with me.”

After they both helped Nolan get into his pajamas, he insisted that Erin leave so Blair could tuck him in and read a book to him. Once he was all tucked in and had picked out a book, he patted the spot next to him on the small bed. “Snuggle me.”

Blair did as he asked and snuggled up close to him as she read him a book about a giraffe that couldn’t dance.

When the book ended, Nolan pushed his body even tighter up against Blair’s, clearly not ready for her to leave yet.

Fine by me.

Blair was learning she loved the feeling of being needed like this.

“I love giraffes,” Nolan said after letting out a long yawn.

“Me too.” It wasn’t a lie. They were actually one of Blair’s favorite animals. She found them to be gorgeous creatures. “I’ve always wanted to meet one in person.”

“You never meet a giraffe?” Nolan asked, sounding genuinely shocked. “Not even at the zoo?”

Blair shook her head. “I’ve actually never been to the zoo.” She felt pathetic saying it out loud, so she was thankful Erin wasn’t in the room with them.

“Never?”

“Nope.” Blair’s parents were always so busy with work when she was growing up that they didn’t have time for

mundane

things such as the zoo. They saved their time off for her and Blake’s activities and to go on long, elaborate vacations every summer. It wasn’t that she wasn’t thankful for those things, but it felt like she had missed out on normal childhood experiences, such as the zoo.

“Don’t worry, Bear, I take you there sometime.” Nolan grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles as if he understood exactly what she needed at that moment.

Sometimes, this kid couldn’t figure out how to step into a pair of pants, but he could read her like a book. As pathetic as it might be, she had to force herself to hold back tears, because it was so fucking sweet that she could hardly handle it.

As if he hadn’t just restored Blair’s entire faith in humanity with one sentence, he rolled onto his side and immediately began to snore.

Blair slowly and carefully extracted herself from the bed. Her body jolted in surprise when she pushed open the door and found someone standing on the other side. She put her hand on her chest to try to calm her beating heart. “Shit, Erin. I didn’t know you were standing there.”

Even though the hallway was dark, Blair could see the slightest hint of red on Erin’s cheeks. “Sorry. It was so adorable, I couldn’t get myself to walk away.”

“Did you, um, hear everything?”

“I did.” Erin looked toward the ground. “You’ve really never been to the zoo?”

Blair shrugged. She was pretty sure her own face was turning red now. “Pretty pathetic, right? I’ve been to the top of the Eiffel Tower, but never to the zoo.”

“As someone who will most likely never even

see

the Eiffel Tower, I don’t find it pathetic at all. Who needs a zoo when you have Paris, right?”

“Honestly?” Blair pointed a finger at her own chest. “I wasn’t lying when I told Nolan I’ve always wanted to go. There was one about an hour from where I went to college, and last year I asked my friends if they wanted to go. They must have thought I was joking, because they laughed hysterically. I guess a newly twenty-one-year-old being excited about going to see animals isn’t exactly

cool.

”

“Well, this might not mean much to you coming from me, but I think you’re super cool.”

Blair let her eyes meet Erin’s for the first time since coming out of Nolan’s room, and the intensity in them nearly knocked her over. She wasn’t imagining it. There was something between them, and the walls surrounding the two of them were slowly closing in on her.

Blair’s heartbeat picked up again as she let her eyes drift to Erin’s lips. They were full and wet as if she had just licked them, and all Blair could think about was what they would taste like on hers. When she caught Erin’s eyes quickly sneaking a peek at her lips as well, she couldn’t take it anymore. She let her body have control and didn’t stop herself as she moved into Erin’s space. The closer she got, the heavier Erin’s breathing became and the more erratic Blair’s heart beat.

This is happening. This is actually happening. It’s not just my imagination. We’re going to kiss.

“Mommy!” Nolan’s voice caused the two of them to jump apart. “Don’t stand outside my room.”

“Sorry, bud,” Erin said, the crack to her voice telling Blair that the last few seconds weren’t just some elaborate dream. “Sleep tight.”

Erin nodded toward the steps and Blair felt as if she was in a daze as she walked down and over to the front door. “So,” she said as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.

“So.” Erin cleared her throat. “Thank you so much for doing that for him. I’m sure he’ll talk about it for days.”

“Yeah.” The moment from earlier was gone. If something was actually going to happen between them, that wasn’t the case anymore. Blair awkwardly pointed at the door. “I guess I better go.”

She grabbed her shoes and walked out before Erin could say anything else. She tossed and turned throughout the night, wondering if the next day would be awkward, given what almost happened between them. Blair thought about calling Erin and saying she was sick, but she didn’t want to lie. Plus, she knew calling out would put Erin in a horrible position for work, and Blair couldn’t do that to her.

Blair wanted a moment to gather her thoughts before she knocked on the door the next day, but that wasn’t going to happen. As soon as she parked out front and got out of her car, Nolan ran out of the house. He was holding something in his hands that he was clearly excited about, because he was waving it around.

“Bear! Bear! We going to the zoo!”

The zoo

? What was he talking about? When he got close, she saw it was tickets that he had in his hands. She grabbed them from him and found that they were, indeed, two tickets to the local zoo.

“Surprise!” Erin said as she walked out of the house. “I thought you two could use a break from the pool today.”

Blair couldn’t believe it. She had spent the whole night worried about this very moment, and now, she could barely even remember why she had been worried. All she could focus on was the zoo. If she had any reason to believe Erin actually wanted that kiss to happen last night and it wasn’t a fleeting hormone-filled moment, she would’ve kissed her right there in the front yard. The joy she felt over her childhood dream being fulfilled was a pretty good consolation prize, though.