I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to move from this bed. Maybe a few days from now, which is perfectly fine by me. I hear the toilet flush and he walks back towards the bed. My mind is still filled with sex and even after the mind blowing orgasm he so graciously delivered all I can think of is him inside me. My eyes drift close and I burrow further into the covers, feeling sated and relaxed. I feel the bed dip and his warm body against my own as he pulls me to him.
“Get some sleep, baby.” My body is hauled half on top of his own with my head resting on his chest. I can’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed and safe. Finally, sleep consumes my body and my last thought is his heartbeat against my ear.
The next morning, I wake to the sun streaming through the window directly onto my body, which explains why I’m burning up. I forget that I’m staying at Nan’s and not at my apartment with the blackout curtains. Stretching, my body feels deliciously tight and sore in all the best places, reminding me of last night with Hale. I sigh and glance around the room, noticing no sign of him or Deacon. I throw the covers off my body and get out of bed., Heading towards the dresser to find something to cover my still naked body. I see Hale’s bag on the floor by the door and I pad towards it and search for a t-shirt. Finally, I find an old “US MARINES” shirt towards the bottom and pull it over my head. I pick my panties up from the floor and slip them on. Thankful the shirt falls almost to my knees. I’m thinking of the soreness between my thighs as I walk to the bathroom and grab the toothbrush from the holder. I quickly brush my teeth and run my fingers through my hair, which looks like a rats nest. I guess being in love with the same person for over half your life will still have its insecurities. I toss the toothbrush back into the cup and head to the kitchen, taking the stairs two at a time.
I see Hale at the stove cooking us breakfast for the second time this week. It’s smells amazing and my stomach gurgles with that thought.
“You know a girl might get used to this Mr. Jarreau. Two days in one week?” Walking up behind him I wrap my arms around his waist and drop a kiss between his shoulder blades before taking a seat at the table.
“Well I aim to please Sweet Girl.” He walks up, plate in hand, and gives me the sweetest kiss at the corner of my lips, causing my cheeks to heat. It seems so domesticated and married life like. Not at all how I expected things to go between us.
“Do you always wake up before the sun rises?” I say between bites of scrambled eggs.
“Most days. I only sleep a few hour a night... The nightmares... It’s just hard to get any sleep.”
“We have to meet the lawyer today in town. sSo, I’m going to go home and shower. I have some projects I was working on.” He picks his plate up and brings it to the sink, rinsing and putting it in the dishwasher.
“Sounds good. I’m going to head to my apartment and do some cleaning and I need to catch up on school work. I only have a few more days of fall break.”
He walks over and grabs my face with both hands and steals the breath right from my lungs with a kiss meant to make my knees weak. Pulling back he rests his forehead against mine, his eyes never leaving mine, “We’re in this together Ember. Every day I’ll show you that I’m here to stay. I’ll fight everybody who stands in our way. We’ve been given a second chance and I won’t lose it.”
The tears burn behind my eyes and all I can do is nod. I bury my face in his chest and let the tears flow, silently thanking God for bringing this beautiful man back to my life. I’ll take him in whatever way I can get him. We stay like this for a while before my tears dry and I detach myself from him. I press my lips against his and whisper, “I love you.” Grabbing my hand we ascend the stairs to gather the stuff we have strewn everywhere. “I’ll pick you up at your apartment around four. We should be early just in case.” He tells me as I shove the dress back into my bag and pull out the only pair of jeans I packed. Slipping them on I see Hale’s heated gaze on me. The look on his face shows he’s trying to keep himself composed. I button them up and slide on the sandals I had packed, and we make our way back down the stairs. Hearing Deacon barking, I grab my keys and bag and open the door. Hale goes out before me, pausing to give me one last kiss before I shut the door and lock it behind me. I press the key fob to unlock my car, throw the bag in the trunk and get inside. I’m not looking forward to this meeting, but I know it’s necessary. I’m just hoping I can make it through the entire thing without the tears.
At exactly four I hear Hale knock on the door. I’m running behind because I got caught up in my psychology paper and I didn’t step into the shower until a minute ago. Poking my head out from the curtain I yell, “Come in!” I pop my head back in and I grab the shampoo, lathering my hair. I’m trying to hurry, but I’m also enjoying the quiet time all to myself. I quickly rinse the soap from my hair and grab the pink loofah Nan gave me for Christmas. My heart pains with the thought of her and my eyes well with tears as I grab the body soap.
Trying to rush, I quickly shower and grab the towel from the rack, wrapping it tightly around my body. I step out and I see him laid on my bed with a picture frame in hand.
“Sorry, I’m trying to hurry!” I head to my closet and grab the first thing I see; jeans and a dark brown sweater I swiped from B’s closet. I walk to the dresser and grab panties and a bra and turn towards the bathroom, but Hale’s voice halts me.
“I remember the day this was taken. I remember how happy you were to start our lives and leave everything behind. What happened Ember? What did I ever do to deserve this fucked up shit?” He says, his voice barely above a whisper. Turning to him, I see the pain etched on his face. I walk towards the bed and sit down on the edge, grabbing the picture from his hand. It’s the picture that was taken the day after graduation and I remember it too. Everything was simple back then. I do wish Hale never had to leave, but I know everything happens for a reason.
“All we can do is move on from it Hale, we can’t let the ugly consume us. Like you told me last night, we’ve been given a second chance and all we can do is embrace it. We have to fight back, Hale. We can’t let this rip us apart any further.”
Reaching for me he runs his thumb over my lip in soft swipes, “I’ll fight forever, Ember Ann.” He sits up and pulls me to him, pressing his lips against mine. Within seconds my body comes to life and I press my thighs together to dull the ache that’s forming.
Pulling away he says, “We’re late Em, go put your clothes on so we can leave.” I grab the towel to keep it together and get off the bed. I feel his hand connect with my ass cheek through the towel and I look back to see a boyish grin on his face.
“Watch it Hale Jarreau. I know where you sleep at night.” I laugh and pick my clothes up, walking towards the bathroom.
Sitting in the old musty office of Sherman Dougherty with Hale’s hand clasped tightly in mine, we wait to hear what the will says. Mr. Sherman is a tall man, with kind eyes and a bright smile who doesn’t look a day over 80. His secretary Andrea sat us in his office and offered refreshments for our wait. Not long after, Mr. Sherman walks in, thick envelope in hand and sits down at his desk. He reaches out, shaking both of our hands, and pulls several papers out of his folder.
“I just want to start by saying how very sorry I am for your loss. My job is never easy and the friendships I make along the way are ones that I keep for a lifetime. Your Nan was a very special woman and I appreciate the time that I got to know her. She has asked me to have her will read aloud to you both and then to divvy her assets between you both. Hale, she couldn’t have been happier to have you back in her life. Says it was a blessing from God above.” Pausing, he clears his throat and begins reading