Suzie’s House 39 : Good Intentions

  Remember how Miranda went stomping upstairs after Vin fell asleep on the couch while she poured out her heart to him?  That was the same night Ben walked home from his father’s house.  We now return to Miranda shortly after she went upstairs.  Yes, it was a busy night.

Miranda pulled a nightgown over her head, then adjusted the layers of filmy fabric and demure lace to hang straight from low cut bodice to her bare toes.  She opened her closet door and checked in the mirror hanging there to make sure the gown wasn’t too revealing, in case she had to run to the potty in the middle of the night.  It was a little risqué, but nothing Suzie would holler and scream about.

Then Miranda headed for her bed, where she flopped face down.

“Oh suck it up,” she told herself.  “He can’t break your heart if you don’t give it to him.” 

But what if she had already given it to him? 

She flopped onto her back, arms spread.  A lock of hair drifted over her nose.  She pushed it around with puffs of air until she was irritated enough with it to lift a hand.

She wasn’t in love, so everything would be fine.  Like she told him, she liked him a lot, and if she wasn’t careful she could easily fall in love with him, but she was going to be careful so everything would be fine.  Cause if she wasn’t careful the whole house would implode.  She knew for sure it would, because it had happened before.

Of course before she had stolen Suzie’s boyfriend, which only made it worse.  Well, no.  Suzie kind of handed him off to Miranda.  It wasn’t like Suzie should have gotten her feelings hurt so badly over Jeff.  He had moved into Suzie’s room originally, then Suzie didn’t know how to get rid of him when things went sour so Miranda took him off her hands.  It was all pretty straightforward.  Really.

So Jeff moved from Suzie’s room into Miranda’s room and they’d managed to live together just fine that way for six months.  The magic number.  Miranda never went more than six months with a man before she went psycho because that was how long it typically took her to fall in love.

How much faster would it happen with Vin?  She was already more than half way there.

Miranda flopped over.  She played with the tassels on the sham of her top pillows.  If she lost this household she might as well put herself out of her misery.  She was getting too old to start a family.  Look at her, her best friend was the mother of an almost teenager and Miranda had never had a serious relationship in her life.  Single men interested in her were getting harder and harder to come by.  Time was ticking way too fast and soon she’d be an old lady sitting in a dumpy apartment with a dozen cats because no one else would put up with her.  No matter what, Miranda had to keep it together here.  She had to see that this ad-hock family of hers stayed intact.  It was her last chance.

She turned on her side, braced her head up and picked at the oriental-patterned, jacquard bedspread.

Maybe she shouldn’t have left Vin on the couch.  He hadn’t been out of the hospital long.  What if his wound opened up again?  What if he caught pneumonia?  What if something had gone wrong and he was already laying there dead?

She went a little crazy in the hospital when she thought he was going to die of the bullet wound.  How much worse would it be if his death was her fault?  All right.  Fine.  It wasn’t like she was going to sleep anyway.  She got up and went to into the hall, hardly aware of having opened her bedroom door.

Voices down the hall toward Ben’s room caught her attention.  Drew and Suzie stood in the hall, facing into the boy’s room.  He must have come home early.  Well good for him.  His father was every bit as bad as Miranda’s father had been.  He shouldn’t stay with him if he didn’t have to.  Miranda considered joining them, but couldn’t let go of the mental image of Vin laying helpless on the couch.

Unnoticed by any of them, she slipped down the staircase.

Vin sprawled on the couch petty much the way she’d left him.  She hurried to his side, afraid of what she’d find when she checked him for a pulse.  Her hand hovered in the air above his neck when he emitted a loud, rather self-satisfied sounding snore.

“Oh!”  Miranda settled her rear onto her heels and laughed.  She had been so worried about him and here he was, same old Vin.  Warmth and relief flooded her heart in equal measure.  He was fine.  Everything was fine.

Though she didn’t think she was that loud, she mush have woken him because he opened one eye a crack.  Looking sexy as all hell with that half smile and sleepy eyes he shifted, moving around so he could reach out to her.  “Miranda,” he said lazily, like a lover well sated but not satisfied.

The next thing she knew he dragged her in for a kiss.  It was a terrifying kiss.  His lips worked over hers, making her light headed and needy.  She felt as though he were making all kinds of promises having to do with fidelity and belonging.  He gave her a glimpse of a life filled with love, a life built together.  She wanted that life so bad she could taste it.

The previous was Suzie’s House 38 : the Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth

This is Suzie’s House 39 : Good Intentions

Next is Suzie’s House 40: Cat Scratch Fever