Leighton stared at the ceiling fan whirling above her bed. Sleep wouldn’t come. She regretted the cup of coffee she’d had after dinner. Now her brain spun, and she couldn’t stop thinking about Casey. Based on the invitation to lunch and the ensuing conversation, her attraction to Casey was mutual. Until then, she’d worried she was a poor judge when her faculties were so clouded by interest. And desire.
With a sigh, she kicked the light duvet to the side and rolled from her bed. Maybe a glass of water or a spoonful of ice cream would help.
She peeked into Kalyssa’s room. From the doorway, Leighton could tell she slept, her hair sweaty on one side. Other than that, she’d moved little.
As Leighton turned toward the kitchen, she skidded to a bare-footed stop in front of the screen showing the feeds from her security cameras. Movement caught her eye, unusual for this late. A glance at the time told her it was almost one thirty. She sat and clicked camera eight into full-screen mode.
Casey and Mikala faced one another. Mikala leaned closer, and acid rose in Leighton’s throat. Her eyes remained glued to the screen as Mikala pressed her lips to Casey’s. Leighton’s stomach lurched. After what seemed like an eternity, they broke apart. Of course, they’d be near one of the few cameras without audio. Smiles spread across their faces, and Leighton’s heart dove. Then Mikala wrapped her arm around Casey’s shoulders, and they left. Together.
Leighton pinched the bridge of her nose. She shouldn’t feel jealousy or possessiveness, or anything related to those feelings. Casey wasn’t hers and couldn’t be hers. She’d told Casey as much.
She’d always thought she had impeccable timing, but she wished she hadn’t walked by at that moment. For all she knew, it wasn’t their first kiss. Maybe this was what happened at night in her studio.
If this was what occurred, she should monitor the cameras more. She rubbed her forehead and sighed. No, that wasn’t their purpose. Besides, she never wanted to witness anything like that involving Casey again. Her stomach still churned.
Why shouldn’t Casey be interested in Mikala? They were both students, free to date or do whatever. It didn’t thrill Leighton the intimate moment had happened in her studio, but an objective eye would view it as tame. However, she didn’t possess objectivity, not when it concerned Casey. So, it made sense Leighton got what she deserved for pining over a woman she couldn’t have. The episode left her feeling in pieces.
They couldn’t have a relationship, even a fling. Like she’d told Casey, it was unethical and could put the entire future of her atelier at risk. Unbidden images of Maxine’s apoplectic face if she ever found out crossed her mind. Even the imagined depiction was enough to terrify her. Maxine’s anger and disappointment would be monumental, and she might distance herself from Leighton’s mess. Then Leighton would be motherless and without a mother figure. No, she wasn’t about to risk losing the only person besides Kalyssa who felt like family, and she wouldn’t excise another person from Kalyssa’s life.
If falling asleep was difficult before, it’d be near impossible now. Counting sheep would be the smart thing to do. Instead, she wanted to discuss what had happened. If she could share her day with someone and get another perspective, perhaps she could get past it.
She texted Stefan and asked him to call her if he was awake, but she didn’t receive a response. In front of her, the screen showed all the security feeds. She pressed the power button, and the monitor went dark. A creepy sensation tickled her neck. What if something happened? Jeffrey could show up, and she wouldn’t have as much time to react. Door and window sensors would send notifications to her phone, but she never turned off her cameras. It left her feeling too vulnerable.
She turned on the screen. A car whizzed past the front entrance, its headlights a bright glare in the camera’s night vision. All else appeared quiet.
Her phone didn’t ring. She paced up and down the hallway, gritting her teeth as she imagined Stefan hugging his pillow and snoring, until she realized the unfairness in her thinking. Sleep was a luxury she’d like to have. Still, she wished she had someone to talk to who could calm her restless state.