She rises on her toes and wraps her arms around my neck as she whispers. “Because you see me, Nate. You see all of me, andyou haven’t run away, and somehow, I know that you never will. I choose you, Nate, I will always choose you.”
I bend my knees and wrap my arms around the backs of her thighs as I lift her in one swoop. Her back hits the wall again as I push into her, trying to get as close as I possibly can. My lips crash against hers, she opens for me immediately, our tongues tangling together, and for some reason, this isn’t enough.
I need more. More of her, more of her moans,more of her everything.
Spinning us around, I head for the direction of my room before kicking the door open. Hayleigh breaks the kiss and looks at me with her brows raised and a wry smile on her lips. “Nate Peterson, please tell me you didn’t damage your handcrafted wooden doors?”
I let out a chuckle. “Worth it.” I walk us into my bedroom, kicking the door closed behind me.
Hayleigh rolls her eyes, but she soon gasps when my mouth is on her neck, gently biting down on where it meets her shoulder. She moans out my name, and all sense disappears out of the window.
Setting her down on the bed, I kneel before her and hold her hands in mine. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? If you’re not, Hayleigh, then I promise you that’s okay. We can cuddle all night or talk or…”
She leans forward and captures my lips in a searing kiss before breaking it off and looking deep into my eyes. “Nate, I have never been more sure of anything in my life. Pete and my familytook up too much space inside my head, and I let everything that happened fester until I couldn’t breathe anymore. Yet through all of that, you, Emmy, Lacey and the rest of your family were the ones who stayed. You saved me from myself, Nate.”
My heart beats too fast inside my chest as I tell her. “That doesn’t mean you owe any of us anything.” Her breath hitches astears track down her cheeks. My hand moves to cup the side of her face, my thumb wiping those tears away, and I whisper. “It’s okay, let it all out.”
“Can you hold me?” Her voice is barely a whisper.
I nod and climb onto the bed, pulling her into me before covering us over with the blanket. She cries softly into my chest as I hold her tight. I want her to know that I’m here and I’m not going anywhere for as long as she will have me.
**********
My eyes fly open when someone starts knocking on my bedroom door as they open it, and I breathe a sigh of relief when I notice it’s Archie. Hayleigh is still burrowed into my chest, hidden by the blanket.
Archie strides in as loud as ever. “Good morning, brother. Hey, who are those bags outside?” He throws his thumb behind him towards where Hayleigh’s bags sit from the night before.
I widen my eyes at him. “Keep your voice down, Archie.”
He plops down on the edge of my bed, burping loudly as he does, his brows creasing. “Why are you so grumpy this morning?”
I nod my head down towards my chest as I say pointedly. “Those are Hayleigh’s bags, she’s come back home.”
He lifts his arm up, bringing his fist down. “Yes! I knew she would. Is she awake? Can I go see her? Should I make her breakfast?” He fires the questions out rapidly.
I lift my arm from around the back of Hayleigh and pull back the blanket ever so slightly. “She’s still asleep; it was a rough night for her. So, keep quiet.”
Archie’s eyes soften. “Shit, sorry. I’ll go make breakfast and leave you both alone.” He gets up, and as he reaches the door, turns around. “I’m glad she has you, Nate.
His words hit me in the centre of my chest, a lump forms in my throat, and I struggle to swallow it down. “Thanks, Arch.”
I must have drifted back off to sleep because the next time I open my eyes, I’m alone, and Hayleigh’s laugh sounds through the house. I lay here for a moment longer listening to her; it’s the kind of laugh that’s infectious. The laugh that has you slapping your knee in silence because you can’t breathe properly. I find myself laughing along with her even though I know she can’t hear me.
I think about what it took for her to come back last night and what must have happened for her to do that. I hope she doesn’t regret her decision. My phone vibrates on the bedside cabinet, and when I scoop it up, Ethan’s name flashes across the screen.
Ethan
How’s Hayleigh this morning?
Cas
Why?! What happened to Hayleigh? What do you mean????
Ethan
Calm your tits, Cas. She’s fine. I dropped her off at Nate’s last night.
Cas
