Until Next Time (The Shooting Stars Series) (10 page)

“You aren’t missing much,” Katherine assured him. “At least we have our own bathroom this year,” Katherine hopped off the side of her bed and smoothed the blankets before she started emptying a box onto her desk.

“Four women sharing one bath? Are you sure?” Adam teased as he seated himself in her desk chair.

“Much better than last year,” Katherine and Amy answered in unison.

“What are you majoring in, Adam?” Amy asked as she started unpacking her clothes in her closet.

“I haven’t decided on a major yet, just getting my basics and trying to decide exactly what I would like to study,” he admitted.

“At least you’re here,” Katherine smiled at him.

“That’s right; I’m here,” he nodded.

Katherine leaned over to kiss him and found herself tugged into his lap.

“You two behave,” Amy sounded amused.

Katherine ignored her as she curled herself up into Adam’s lap and laid her head on his shoulder.

“I missed you so much,” she whispered.

“I missed you too,” he returned as he rubbed her back lightly.

“Ahhh, you two are going to make me cry,” Amy teased.

Adam lingered and helped them get situated until it was finally time for them to leave and meet the others.

Five

Adam watched Kaitlyn as she laughed and talked with her friends. She kept turning to draw him into the conversation but he was more than content to watch her and observe her with her friends. They were an eclectic group and seemed willing to accept a new comer. They had all immediately known who he was upon introduction which he found quite flattering. It still smarted that Kaitlyn had dated another man the previous year.

“So you two dated in high school right?” Sean asked from across the table.

“We did,” Katherine confirmed.

“You going to date again?” he asked them.

Adam watched Kaitlyn turn to him.

“I certainly didn’t move all this way to watch her from a distance,” Adam smiled at her; she smiled back.

“I wish a guy would move hundreds of miles to be with me,” Kim sighed.

“Hi, Kattie; I was hoping I would find you here.”

Adam turned to find a man, his gaze possessive, staring at Kaitlyn. The man wore the look of a jock; Adam felt his jealousy stir. This was the man she had dated, he realized.

“Hi, Kevin,” Katherine nodded.

“Can I sit down?” Kevin requested.

“Sure,” Katherine scooted further into the booth.

Adam laid his arm behind her.

“You know what surprised me about Kattie?” Amy was saying when Adam returned his attention back to the conversation.

“What’s that?” Pat asked.

“She has quite the temper to be so sweet,” Amy was laughing.

“I can’t even imagine Kattie angry,” Kevin smiled and shook his head.

“You don’t know Kaitlyn very well do you?” Adam asked the man and watched him frown.

“It’s Kattie and I know her well enough; we dated last year. She’s as sweet as they come,” Kevin countered.

“Kaitlyn is sweet until you make her angry; then her green eyes shoot sparks,” Adam’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“Do they?” Katherine demanded.

“They do and your cheeks flush too; you’re quite beautiful when you’re angry,” he turned his full attention to her.

“Your eyes get so dark your pupils disappear,” she informed him.

“Wait a minute; how do you know Kattie?” Kevin demanded.

“Kevin, this is Adam,” Katherine supplied, “he transferred to UT this year.”

Kevin’s eyes swung to Adam.

“So you’re Adam,” Kevin’s gaze sized him up. “I thought you had all but stopped writing; Kattie was rather hurt.”

“I was trying to juggle a full time job and school so I could transfer here. I didn’t tell her in case it fell through,” Adam admitted.

Katherine was smiling at him now and he kissed her lightly on the lips.

“Good luck. I’ll see you all later,” Kevin stood and hurried away.

“He has a lot of nerve coming around here after the way he dropped you like a hot potato when his fiancée showed back up,” Amy frowned.

“She’d give him what he wanted and I wouldn’t,” Katherine shrugged.

“Which dorm are you in, Adam?” Sean asked Adam.

“I’m living in an off campus apartment,” Adam shared. “Just around the corner from here, actually.”

“You two are an odd pair,” Sean was staring at Adam and Katherine.

“I don’t know; I think we’re good together,” Katherine argued.

“I think he’s referring to the fact that you are too good for me,” Adam teased her.

“If you don’t quit making comments like that I am going to slap you,” she warned.

“I take it this is an old argument,” Pat smiled at them.

“Yes, and it drives me crazy,” Katherine glowered at Adam; he smiled unrepentantly.

“Actually, I was referring to how different you two are. Kattie, you are beautiful but you are sweet and innocent and Adam hardly seems that,” Sean grinned at her.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Katherine demanded.

“Adam is more like me. We usually admire girls like you but know better,” Sean offered an explanation.

“He’s just sore because he admired you all year last year and figured you wouldn’t give him the time of day,” Adam informed Kaitlyn.

Sean smiled and nodded, “See, he knows what I mean. How did you two end up together anyway?”

“He transferred to my school senior year and we hit it off,” Katherine shrugged. She didn’t understand the strong chemistry between them; she just knew it was there and she liked it. “You said you live nearby?” she turned to Adam. She was glad to catch up with her friends but she was ready to be with Adam without a crowd around.

“Very,” ne nodded.

“You’ve seen my place; I want to see yours,” she told him.

“Sure,” he nodded.

“I’ll see you all later,” Katherine nodded as she scooted from the booth. She found Amy watching with a speculative smile.

Katherine smiled when Adam took her hand as they stepped into the waning sunlight and took to the sidewalk. She was so happy she felt like she could float right off.

Adam led her to a small door beside a business and up the stairs to a small two room apartment.

“It isn’t much,” Adam shrugged as she looked around.

It wasn’t. A bed sat in the corner cattycorner to the door and faced a TV. A small kitchenette lined the wall beside the door and almost in the doorway was a table with two chairs. There wasn’t even a couch. Katherine could see what looked to be a miniscule bathroom through a doorway.

“It’ll keep the rain off,” she shrugged.

“I hope. I don’t see any water standing anywhere so I guess we’re good,” he joked. “I do, however, have a balcony,” he led her through the bathroom and onto a small balcony that over looked the city.

“Through the bathroom,” she chuckled. “Hey, you have outdoor space; that is more than I can claim. The view is nice and it’s close enough to campus that you are almost living on campus.”

“Yeah, the price was right,” Adam seemed almost at a lost as they moved back into the living area.

Katherine slid her arms around him and burrowed into his chest. “I am so glad to see you,” she closed her eyes and drank in the smell and feel of him.

“I’m glad to see you too,” he kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back. “I was miserable in Detroit for missing you and hating my job.”

“Where are you working?” she asked him.

“At a comedy club across the river; I get good tips on the weekends.”

“I imagine the female customers like you,” she teased.

“Jealous?” he smiled as she wrapped her arms around him.

“Should I be?” she asked him.

“No, I moved here to be close to you,” he reminded her. “I love you, Kaitlyn,” he cupped her jaw, his thumb caressing her.

“I love you too,” she answered.

Pulling her close, Adam kissed her and Katherine wrapped her arms around him. She made no protest when he eased her onto the bed, his kisses deepening while his hand played with the skin of her waist.

“I’ve missed kissing you,” Katherine admitted when he broke the kiss to stare down at her. She watched him smile at her confession.

“Have you? I’ve missed kissing you too.”

“I have,” she reached up and laid her hand on his cheek. “I’ve missed talking with you daily, being with you; I’ve missed you. This feels surreal, being here with you like this.”

“It’s real,” he assured her; she smiled.

“I know we are both going to be busy but I hope to see you every chance I get.”

“We’ll find time to see each other. I could probably use help with my homework.”

“We are good homework buddies,” she laughed. “And you even have a quiet place to study. I can tell you that there is nothing quiet about the dorms.”

“So we’ll study here.”

They talked, laughed, and made out for much of the evening. Katherine was almost reluctant to leave when Adam noted it was getting late. After being away from Adam for so long, she didn’t want to be away from him now.

“I guess I should get home,” she acknowledged and tugged on the shoes she had kicked off earlier.

“I’ll walk you,” Adam volunteered.

“It isn’t far,” she assured him.

“Kaitlyn, I am not letting you walk home alone. I know Knoxville isn’t a big city but it’s still a city,” he reminded her.

“Thank you,” she smiled and gave him a kiss.

He held her hand in his as they walked back to the dorms together and kissed her deeply before they parted ways. Katherine was practically floating as she entered her dorm.

“Well look what the cat dragged in. What exactly have you been doing all this time, Kattie?” Amy studied her.

“Talking, catching up and a whole lot of kissing. Sorry to disappoint you but that is where it stopped.”

“I’m not disappointed, I’m just nosey. You were gone a long time.”

“I know,” Katherine stripped and dressed for bed. “After being separated for so long, it was hard to leave him.”

“I understand that,” Amy assured her. “He’s nice.”

“He is,” Katherine grinned widely. She went to the bathroom to ready for bed and then climbed into her bunk and flopped onto her belly to talk with Amy.

“You’re glowing.”

“I love him.”

“Yeah, I can kind of tell by watching you with him,” Amy was grinning. “I’d say he loves you too.”

“He said as much tonight. Do you think we’re too young to know that?” she asked and then laughed. “Never mind. I forgot who I was asking for a moment.”

“You aren’t too young,” Amy assured her. “Oh, your parents called.”

“They did?”

“Just to let you know they had made it safely. I told them you were with Adam. Your mom sounded confused.”

“I can imagine,” Katherine laughed. “They may think I took off to go see him. I’ll call and explain tomorrow.”

“Do your parents like Adam? My parents weren’t sure about Clark at first because of the age difference.

“They do,” Katherine noted. “His home life was really rocky, his mom is a drunk, and he spent a lot of time at our house; he even spent the night on occasion.”

“Your parents let your boyfriend stay the night?” Amy looked shocked.

“They were always there with us,” Katherine laughed. “They’d have taken my hide off if I had sneaked into his room or him into mine.”

“My parents would never have let my boyfriend stay, not even if my dad had slept outside my door with a shotgun. Mom freaked when I called and told her I wouldn’t be home the night I decided to sleep with Clark. I couldn’t leave her to worry though, so,” Amy shrugged. “I was eighteen.”

“Do your parents like him now?”

“They do,” Amy nodded. “They finally came to terms with our relationship and his age and have realized what a great man he is. My brother had a harder time letting go of it than my dad did,” Amy laughed on the last.

“I’ve always thought it would be fun to have a brother or sister,” Katherine mused aloud.

“Fun but irritating at times too, trust me.”

Katherine yawned and shook her head.

“I guess it is time we got some sleep,” Amy noted.

“I think so,” Katherine agreed and turned off the lamp she had clipped onto her bed.

***

Katherine entered the comedy club where Adam worked and slipped into a seat at an empty table near the back. She had come to invite Adam to the mountains with her tomorrow. The man on stage seemed to amuse himself but in Katherine’s opinion he was crass and not particularly funny. She spotted Adam waiting on a group of girls and recognized them as cheerleaders from the college. At moment, a blonde was giving him her most inviting smile. Whatever she said had Adam shaking his head and answering; the blonde was now pouting. She said something back and he reached for his wallet and pulled a picture out. The blonde’s pout grew bigger.