Coming Home(196)

It had been almost a month since Danny had come home, and yet she still responded that way every time he kissed her. She had no idea if it was a subconscious attempt at making up for lost time, or if it was more about trying to make the most of the time they had now, but either way, her reaction to him was as consistent as it was visceral.

Danny let her get away with it for a minute or two before she felt him ending the kiss, and she made a pouting noise against his lips.

He smiled his dimpled smile as he pulled back from her. “Sorry, sweet girl, but I promised your sister. She’s going out of her way for me tonight.”

“Alright, alright,” she huffed, pushing him back slightly as she hopped down from the sink.

He laughed, kissing her forehead before he walked over to the shower and turned on the water.

“What time is it?” she asked, turning toward the mirror to put the finishing touches on her makeup.

“Almost six. We should leave in like a half hour. What are the chances of that actually happening?”

“Totally doable if you stop distracting me,” she said, looking at him pointedly through the mirror.

He smiled as he held up his hands in surrender, turning away from her before he stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower.

Leah quickly finished her makeup and grabbed the hair dryer, taking it into the next room. The steam from Danny’s shower was clouding up the mirror, not to mention doing a number on her hair.

She took a little extra time, blow-drying it sleek and straight for the occasion. As much as she had protested the whole thing in the beginning, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of excitement over it now.

A few months back, when they had learned that Danny was being released for good time served, Sarah had instantly jumped on the opportunity to throw him a homecoming party. Leah was resistant to the idea at first, telling her they needed to let him get acclimated to normal life again before they bombarded him with parties and people.

Unbeknownst to them, Sarah had apparently declared one month to be the grace period for getting acclimated to normal life, because two weeks after Danny had gotten home, they received the invitation in the mail for his party tonight.

In retrospect, Leah realized that he probably would have been fine having the party that first weekend. She was the one who wasn’t ready. She didn’t want to have to share him so soon.

But even through her juvenile selfishness, she realized Sarah was right; he deserved this party. He deserved to be surrounded by all the people who loved him, celebrating his return, showing him how much they all missed him, how happy they were to have him back.

Leah walked back to her room, unraveling the towel as she went, and she could hear the sounds of Danny getting dressed in her walk-in closet. She had already laid her dress and shoes out by the bed, and she slipped into the dress quickly before stepping into her heels.

A smile curved her lips as she glanced at the clock.

“Five minutes to spare!” she called triumphantly. “And I’m ready before you!”

She heard him laugh as she walked back to the bathroom to get her necklace, the one he had given her the night before he left. She only ever took it off to shower, hanging it on the little hook behind the bathroom door and immediately putting it back on as soon as she was dressed.

Leah swung the door partially closed and froze, looking up at the empty hook.

She dropped her eyes as she moved the door out of the way, searching for it underfoot.

“Shit,” she whispered as she spun quickly, her heart thudding in her chest as she swiped her hand over the vanity of the sink, feeling nothing but the smooth ceramic finish.