Caressa’s Knees by Annabel Joseph

Author:Annabel Joseph [Knees, Caressa's]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-09-09T16:13:24+00:00

* * * * *

CARESSA LAY IN BED, WANTING TO CRY BUT NOT QUITE ABLE TO. IT WAS LATE, NEARLY TWO IN THE MORNING. KYLE HAD JUST DROPPED HER OFF AT HOME AFTER STAYING WITH HER AT THE PARTY UNTIL THE BITTER END, LONG AFTER DENISE HAD SURRENDERED TO PEACE AND SLEEP. HE’D STOOD BESIDE HER THROUGH THE ENDLESS BLATHERING CONVERSATIONS, THE PRAISE AND INANE QUESTIONS. HOW DID YOU COME TO LOVE THE CELLO? HOW MUCH DO YOU PRACTICE? WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SONGS? SHE’D DESPERATELY WANTED SOME OF THE CHAMPAGNE, ANYTHING TO TAKE THE EDGE OFF, BUT HE’D SAID NO. HE’D STOOD AT HER ELBOW THE WHOLE NIGHT AND HADN’T LET HER TAKE A DRINK. WELL, SHE SUPPOSED IT WAS BECAUSE OF THAT RED WINE INCIDENT…

But there was more to it. What had he told her the night he found her in the bar? Trying not to have a drink… He hadn’t taken one drink, while everyone around them grew progressively drunker. A cola. Some water. Nothing more. Why had he gotten so upset about the dress? It wasn’t the dress, Caressa. You screamed at him.

She’d ordered him around. Again. She liked when he did it in the bedroom, but he didn’t like when she did it back to him. But the bedroom was the bedroom, and outside the bedroom she had shit she had to do. It wasn’t negotiable. He didn’t understand that. The cool, reproachful look he’d given her at the door had taken away any of the pride she’d felt at her concert performance, as well as any pleasure she’d found as the center of attention at a Lincoln Center benefit. She tried to tell herself it didn’t matter, but it did.

She rolled out of bed and picked up her phone. She scrolled to his number, then put it down again. It was late. He was mad at her. She picked it up a moment later and dialed his number anyway. When it went to voicemail she hung up. Then she dialed again.

“HELLO, CARESSA.” ANGRY, GRITTY CARAMEL THIS TIME. NOT SWEET.

“KYLE. ARE YOU SLEEPING?”

“NOT ANYMORE.”

“I’M SORRY.” SHE FELL SILENT. THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF WHAT SHE’D PLANNED TO SAY. SILENCE ON THE OTHER END. “KYLE, ARE YOU THERE?”

A BIG SIGH. “WHAT DO YOU WANT?”

“I’M SORRY,” SHE REPEATED. “I’M SORRY.”

“OKAY, YOU’RE SORRY. THAT REALLY DOESN’T COMFORT ME BECAUSE THIS THING YOU’RE SAYING SORRY FOR—YOU’RE JUST GOING TO DO IT AGAIN.”

“I KNOW. YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND, THOUGH—”

“NEXT TIME YOU TELL ME I DON’T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, I’M QUITTING. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU LITTLE NUTCASE?”

“I’m not a nutcase, I’m just…” She swallowed the impulse to once again say you don’t understand. “I miss you,” she said instead. “I wish you were here. Or that I was over there.” Suddenly she ached to be with him. She wanted to touch him and apologize to him face-to-face, body-to-body. “Can I come over there?” She waited, afraid he would say no, but he said yes and had her write down his address. She took a cab, and was there a half hour later.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.