Handcuffed Rebel

14. An unexpected surprise

14. An unexpected surprise

Niko
It was about three hours after we returned that I eventually made my way up to bed. What awaited me there was surprising, unexpected even. My insecurities reared their ugly heads. I tried not to let them win. I crawled in beside Kaitlyn. She stirred and opened her eyes.

"Did I wake you?" She mumbled incoherently. "You're in my bed."

"I'm in your bed," she repeated quietly.

"Kaitlyn, if you're in my bed I'm going to expect things. If you don't want things go further than they've gone between us already you should leave." She looked up at me for a long while not saying anything.

"One day I'll tell you."

"Kaitlyn."

"Come to bed, Niko. You're tired. We can talk about it later." I tried to figure her out, but I couldn't. I sighed frustrated.

"You're so infuriating." She closed her eyes again and I got under the covers with her. One minute she's hot, and the next minute she's cold.

"Stop thinking so hard." She pulled my arms around her and got comfortable in my embrace. I listened until her breathing evened out and I knew she was asleep once again. But I still could not sleep. So I stayed there with her like that until sunlight started peeking through the windows. I was tired but I just could not fall asleep. My thoughts kept going in strange directions. What if this, or what if that? There were too many what ifs.

I was as saved however from my thoughts by Talon's crying. I quietly removed my arm from around Kaitlyn and went to his room. His face had begun to turn red from crying so much. It took forever for me to calm him down and tell him his mother was sleeping because she's tired. I had to bribe him with the gifts we brought back. I told him he could only open them after breakfast. He agreed.

I was no better at getting around the kitchen than Kaitlyn. When Cafar came down and took over I was grateful. I definitely needed to speak with a nutritionist. Some of the things they fed him I wasn't so sure he should be eating. But I don't know anything about children so I might be wrong.

"I need to talk to you about something."

"Go ahead."

"The men want to return to Turkey."

"They don't need my permission."

"I was hoping you would talk to Kaitlyn."

"What about you? Do you want to return as well?"

"I think that would be best."

"You're unhappy here."

"The men are having a hard time. So is my brother. Enough time has passed. I think it's safe for us to go back."

"It would be better if you tell Kaitlyn yourself. I'm sure she'll understand."

"She'll look at them and they'll change their minds. To them Rose was their saviour during a time they needed saving."

"So you need me to arrange departure. You're putting me in a difficult position."

"One I'm sure you'll get yourself out of."

"What about you, Cafar? Are you going to leave without saying goodbye too?"

"I'm different from those men. I would never do that to Rose. I'll stick around for a few days."

"Will everything be okay when you get back?"

"I'm sure it will be."

After breakfast I helped him arrange departure for his men. Within two hours they were on their way back to Turkey. Luckily Kaitlyn hadn't gotten up yet. I was glad for tiredness. Talon had more gifts than he could handle. I watched him go through every single one with joy, ranking them in order of how much he liked them. Kaitlyn came in about an hour later.