Teach me to trust

19. Bed

Everyone decides it's time for home, after everyone gives JD their words of love and support, which I know he appreciates, judging by the shining smile on his face and the tears that are in his eyes.

I stand in the living room, picking up empty plastic cups and Nate approaches me while the others are getting their things together, gliding his hand over my back and hugging me to him, face to face so he can talk to me.

"What's your plan for the night?" he asks me, rubbing gentle movements on my lower back as he holds me, and I try not to pretend like I haven't been trying to figure that out myself.

"I'm not entirely sure to be honest" I say,

"I think it would depend on what you-" and I don't get to finish my sentence before he interrupts me,

"Stay"

I know he's not asking me, which I'm glad for. I enjoy the fact that he knows what I want, but don't want to ask for and he just makes it as easy as possible for me to say yes.

So I do. Nodding and telling him I'd be more than happy to stay with him, and the smile I get in return assures me I've answered correctly. I open my mouth to ask him where our friends are when they appear behind him, heading to the front door when they spot us in our embrace, and all develop equally excited smiles.

"Oh our bad, are we interrupting" Marc quips, sly look in his eyes as he asks and I laugh, stepping out of Nate's embrace. Judging by the look on his face he is less than pleased.

"No not at all" I say and turn to wink at Nate. His eyes light up at my gesture and I fight the warmth wanting to rise on my face.

The three of them move out of the front door, saying goodbyes as they go when JD stops in front of me, looking down at me and wrapping me in a tight hug again before he leaves.

"Thank you. I'm so glad you're a part of our lives" he says, before he pulls back and says goodbye to us, telling Nate he'll call him in the morning, sending me another grateful smile before closing the door behind him.

I turn to Nate, yawning as I do when a sudden wave of fatigue hits me. He stands watching me as I do so, a small smile on his face and he holds his hand out to me,

"Bed?" he asks and I nod, grabbing his hand while he quickly locks the front door, then tugs on my hand to lead me upstairs to his room.

We pass the bathroom on the way, and I can't help but relive the moment we shared in there a few hours before, and I know he's thinking the same as his head turns to me, a dark look on his face and he sends me a wink.

We reach his bedroom door just at the end of the hallway and he reaches in to turn the light on, illuminating what looks like a very tidy room. Kind sized bed pushed up against the wall to the right of me and built-in wardrobes along the left side wall, a door in between that I assumed leads to an attached bathroom. A large window is opposite the door, looking out over his garden.

It's decorated nicely, simple but it fits well. All walls but one are white, his bed pushed up against a wall painted black, two bedside tables either side and a blanket strewn over the end of the bed, which looks like the comfiest thing I have ever seen. Thick quilt over the top and fluffy pillows laid out at the top of the mattress. My eyes grow heavy with sleep at the sight, and I hear Nate chuckle beside me.

"You want a t-shirt or something to sleep in?" he asks, moving to his wardrobes to grab me one, pulling his own up and over his shoulders as he does, and my eyes catch on his broad shoulders and muscled back.

"Please" I mutter, sitting on the edge of his bed and pulling my shoes off, placing them against the wall.

He passes me a white t-shirt, before he walks around to the side of the bed closest to the door and takes his jeans and socks off before he climbs in, smiling at me as he gets comfortable, hands resting behind his head.

I stand quickly and start towards his bathroom to get changed. Turning to close the door behind me and tying my hair up. I slip out of my skirt and top, folding them and placing them on the side where his sink his, tucking my bra underneath, and putting his t-shirt on.

I glance at myself in the mirror and sigh in relief when I realise it isn't as see through as I was expecting. You can see the shape of my breasts through the fabric, and I fight that self-conscious feeling that makes me want to sleep in my bra.

I open the bathroom door and fold my arms over my chest, keeping my head down as I walk to the left side of the bed. I don't want to look at him for fear of what I might see on his face now that he can see more of my chest than he has before.

I reach out with one hand to pull the quilt back, but it doesn't move. I tug it again and look up to see the issue, his hand is out, on top of the quilt on this side of the bed and the muscles in his forearm look tense as it sits there.

"Look at me" he says, the command in his voice is obvious and I can't help but to obey, looking up at his face.

He looks almost angry, his brows furrowed and a small frown tugging at the corner of his lips.

"What are you doing?" he asks me quietly and I'm not quite sure how to answer.

I gesture towards the quilt that I'm trying to move and see his fist close over the top of the cover.

"No" he starts,

"You've not looked at me since you walked out of there, and you've got your arms like that. Like you're trying to hide from me" and I look up at him in surprise. I honestly didn't think he would even notice.

"I'm sorry, I-it's just-'" and I shake my head, realising as I look at him sat in front of me, I have nothing to hide from. I move my arms down to my sides and smile at him.

He nods firmly, lifting the quilt,

"Better. Now get your fine ass in this bed" he says, and I laugh, climbing into the bed and lying down on my side, making myself comfortable.

He must have switched off the main light and turned on his bedside lamp while I was in the bathroom, the dim bulb casting shadows over his exposed skin as he sits above me, eyes cast down across my face.

He lifts his hand, gently running the back of his finger over the skin of my cheek, caressing it gently, before he leans over and plants a soft kiss on my lips.

He turns around, turning his lamp off and shuffling down into the bed. I can't see him in the dark but I feel movement from his side of the bed and feel his arm wrap around my waist, pulling me into his chest.

I lay there, with my head resting on his chest, and find myself more relaxed than I have been in a while, his hand running calming circles on my back over his t-shirt.

My eyes fall closed as we lay here together, and I fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.