3.0 The Chronicles of Us - Choas & Clarity

Chapter thirty-two

*♡ Ellie ♡*

Tex grins and gestures his hand. "Ladies first."

I roll my eyes and walk up the stairs with Tex in my trail. We both know there's nothing gallant about him walking behind me. Not that I mind his hands on my butt whatsoever. "Oh! You fixed the squeaky step."

"Yep ... well, my dad did, but I was around and made jokes."

Of course.

Once upstairs, he takes my hand and leads me to the room opposite of my office space. What is he going to show me there? A sex-swing? I wouldn't be surprised.

When his fingers touch the door handle, he seems a little nervous. "If you don't like it, I can change it. Okay?"

Not sure what to expect, I nod. The door swings open and I gasp again. Big tears roll down my cheeks while I take in the room that used to hold our clutter. Apart from a vintage-looking rocking chair, it's empty. Soft gray carpet covers the floor and the walls are painted in a familiar shade of green. The whole room beams with love and effort. It's clean, light and new.

Perfect.

With his hand on my lower back, he guides me to the center. "I meant to create a blank canvas for you, but I saw this paint stencil at the hardware store. I thought you would like that."

I run my finger over the pattern of little music notes on the wall and sniffle. "I love it. It's so sweet and pretty."

He points at the ceiling. "Stacy came up with the idea for that lamp. I thought it was a bit too much at first, but I kinda like it now."

Wide-eyed, I stare at the intricate piece. It's an old birdcage with small, colorful feathered creatures attached to it. All the while, he was busy creating a peaceful place for our baby. I wrap my arms around his waist and kiss his chest. "It's lovely and so much better than what I came up with."

Reassured by my praise, he turns me to the window. "And then I saw that chair on display at some thrift shop. I kinda imagined you sitting in it."

My lip quivers. "You imagined me feeding the baby?"

"Yes." His soft smile stretches into a dirty grin. "And I also wondered how it would be to fuck you in it. I mean, I think that might be fun."

It does sound like fun.

My heart fills with butterflies when I look into his eyes. This man is so precious, and he doesn't even know it. "You never fail to amaze me, Tex."

He smiles cluelessly. "With what? Being a filthy fucker?"

"That too." I chuckle and give him a kiss. "But also with what a great person you are. You did all this when you thought the baby wasn't yours. Why?"

He cups my jaw, rubbing his thumb across my cheek. Deep affection is clear in his eyes. "Because I love you. All I want is for you to be happy and have everything you need. Even if it's at my expense."

This moment overshadows all his mean words. This is who he is, and I should've known that. Being the object of his love is the greatest gift. "I'm so sorry, Tex. I knew your outburst at the baby story was driven by fear. I should've reached out to explain it and take your worries away. Maybe if I—"

He presses his finger on my lips. "No more apologizing. All that pain must've been worth something; a push in the right direction; an addition to our life. We came out twice as strong. Don't you feel that?"

I do.

Always and evermore.

As to answer his question, I pull his face down and kiss him hard. He responds with the same intensity. Our arms hold each other tightly while our tongues tangle desperately. A physical union is still the most powerful way to express our love. The beating of our hearts still the grandest serenade. A melody so sweet and pure, it makes me tremble from head to toe.

He groans and chuckles painfully when I slide my fingers under his shirt, running them over his taut muscles. "I can't believe I'm about to turn down a fuck because of a headache. Christ! What terrible timing."

I retreat reluctantly. It's been an eventful day. We shouldn't think too lightly of his concussion. "It's okay, we have our whole lives to make love. Your health is more important right now."

"Yeah, maybe it's best to give my head some rest." His eyebrows waggle. "Both of them."

"Good idea. Gives me a chance to practice my mommy skills."

Apprehension touches his features. "What does that mean?"

I beam a bright smile and grab his hand. "I'm going to tuck you in."

His eyes do a roll and he grumbles a bit when I tow him toward the bedroom. I do my very best to not stare and drip saliva all over myself when he dresses down to his boxers. It's such a gorgeous sight.

He gets under the blue comforter and lies down on his back, hands behind his head. "Well, do your thing, then."

I ignore his intense gaze on my chest when I lean over and guide his arms under the cover. With a stifled laugh, I tuck him in as tightly as possible. "Snug as a bug in a rug."

"Christ! You're choking me." He struggles himself free from the restraining fabric, fake-scowling while doing so.

"You're a crybaby." I smile and kiss his forehead before dimming the light on the nightstand.

He grabs my wrist when I turn to leave. "Wait! Don't go yet. Come lie next to me."

Gladly.

"Scoot over." I position myself next to him and run my fingers over his back as he rests his face on my chest. Being this close is very soothing. I missed lying with him like this. Usually, I'm the one in his arms, but this is nice as well.

His fingers slip under my shirt and tenderly caress my belly. "Don't complain when I drool all over your tits, though. They're the best pillows."

I poke him playfully. "Don't be gross."

While he lies peacefully with his eyes closed, I keep mine busy by watching him attentively. His tattooed arm rests protectively across my baby bump, and his fingers are spread out against the side. It's heartwarming, to say the least.

"Can you talk to me for a while?" he asks, sounding doozy and very cute.

"Sure, I'll tell you a story."

He moans with deep satisfaction when I massage his scalp to ease his ache. "Once upon a time, there was a small-town girl who met an extremely moody prince—"

"A prince, huh? What about his crown jewels, how big—"

"Tex! Don't interrupt my epic love story."

"Okay, okay. Just don't leave out the dirty stuff."

I ruffle my fingers through his thick hair and enjoy the weight of his body against mine. "As I was saying, they met and fell madly in love. But little did they know that during their journey they had to face dragon-sized difficulties ... "

My heart aches a little when I speak about our struggles and battles, but memories of love made and whispered vows comfort me wholly. Our life may have been a wild roller coaster, but we've always conquered the big falls. There's no doubt in my mind that we will overcome the little thrills that lie ahead as well. We transcend the common laws of love.

" ... and they lived happily ever after. The—"

"Don't you fucking dare say 'the end'." His stern-sulky voice makes me chuckle.

"Okay." I kiss the top of his head and close my eyes, smiling the most satisfied smile I've smiled in months. "To be continued ... "

♡♡♡♡

A/N

Wise words from Ellie ... to be continued 😇

X Dionne