Forever and Always

Chapter 41

We ran out of the house. Her grandmother followed but stopped at the front door as we ran to the car.

"Don't come crawling back here when you realize I actually did good in raising you." She growled.

I opened Y/n's door for her and helped her in before heading over to my side and doing the same. I started the car and drove off.

About a minute into the ride, Y/n let out a quiet sob. I looked over to her. She had opened the box she grabbed out of the closet back at the house and was holding a picture of a man and a little girl. I assumed it was her and her dad. I pulled the car into an empty parking lot and parked, turning the car off.

I leaned over to her and pulled her into a warm, loving embrace. She wrapped her arms around me and cried into my shirt.

"Shhhh. It's okay." I rubbed my hand up and down her back to comfort her as best I could.

"It's my fault, Peter." She choked out.

"No it isn't. Don't listen to her."

She sniffed and loosened her grip on me, pulling back enough to look in my eyes.

"Why do you love me?" She asked, pure sadness showing in her eyes.

I let out a sad sigh before moving my hands up and cupping her cheeks. I wiped her tears away with my thumb before looking into her eyes. She looked away from me and wouldn't meet my gaze. I turned her head slightly for her to look at me.

"Hey, look at me." I started. "You are the most caring, artistic, and strong woman I have ever met. Even though you don't believe it, you are amazing and beautiful. How can I not love you?"

I smiled at her and wiped her tears from her face again.

"You deserved to be loved, Y/n Y/l/n. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You are loved, Y/n. May loves you. Ned loves you. MJ loves you. I love you. Most importantly, your mom and dad love you. They may not be here right now to see you and I've never met them, but I know damn well they would sure as hell be proud of you. You have been through so much shit which you have overcame over the past few months. I need you to keep fighting. Don't let that woman break you again, Y/n. I love you."

She looked up at me with a sad smile before wrapping her arms back around my torso and buried her face into my shirt. I kissed the top of her head and tightly hugged back, stroking her hair as well.

We stayed like that for a few minutes before she pulled away. I wiped her tears away and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"We're only about a minute away from being home, you wanna continue to head back?" I asked, looking into her eyes and stroking her cheek with my thumb.

She nodded in response.

I started the car again and pulled out of the parking lot, continuing our journey back to our apartment. We arrived about a minute later. I unlocked the apartment door and we walked in. May was still at work so we wouldn't have to explain today's events to her just yet.

I dropped my keys on the kitchen counter before walking into the living room and flopping down on the couch. Y/n came over shortly after, wearing sweatpants, fuzzy socks, and my sweatshirt that she stole. Not that I'm complaining. She looks adorable in it.

She sat down on the couch next to me and laid her head in my lap. I gently placed my hand on her head and stroked her hair.

"You okay?" I asked.

She turned her head and looked up at me with tired eyes.

"Yeah, just tired and done with today." She spoke.

"Get some sleep. We did wake up pretty early." I told her.

She just sleepily nodded and sat up. I slid down the couch to where I was laying down with my head resting on the armrest. Y/n laid down between my side and the back of the couch, laying her head down on my shoulder with her right hand looped up behind my head, playing with my hair and her left resting on my chest. Her back was pressed against the back of the couch as she nestled her face into my shirt.

I wrapped my left arm around her shoulders, my hand resting on her upper arm, my thumb stroking it. My right hand was gently resting on her lower back and waist.

Not too long after first laying down, Y/n fell asleep in my arms, her tense body finally relaxing for the first time since this morning. It wasn't too long before I did the same. My breathing slowed as I fell asleep with my head resting on top of Y/n's.

Unknown to us, when May got home from work, she found us still alseep on the couch, holding onto one another tightly. She smiled to herself and sat her purse down on the kitchen counter before walking over to where Y/n and I were laying on the couch.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and snapped a quick picture of the two of us. She grabbed a blanket from the closet and draped it over us both before placing a kiss on both of our foreheads and heading into the bathroom to take a shower.