His challenge #3

Chapter 42: Dinner

After I left the apartment yesterday and left Lexi alone, I just drove around town. I didn't know what to do and the bar sounded like a bad idea. And so I stayed in a parking lot a few streets from my apartment.

After I started to fall asleep, I decided it was time to go back. I came home to find Lexi asleep on the couch. Carefully, so that she wouldn't wake up, I carried her to bed and since she probably didn't want to sleep next to me now, I laid down on the couch.

I woke up when I heard the door close. She left without a word, and that hurt more than it should have.

I knew exactly when she came back from work.

But I didn't know how we were doing. We didn't talk for more than a day. No call or text.

She said she needed time, so I gave it to her. It was killing me from the inside.

But when she laid down in bed with me and put her arm around me, I knew that we would be fine.

I don't know what I would do if it wasn't like that.

Her breathing became regular, and I took that as a sign that she had fallen asleep. At that moment I turned around and threw my arms around her. I didn't want to let her go. I didn't care if my arms would begin to hurt. They can fall off for all I care, but I won't let her go. Not again.

*****

I don't know how long I was awake just watching her sleep. I promise I'm not a psychopath, I just couldn't stop staring. She slept so peacefully that I felt sorry when she started to wake up.

I brushed a strand of hair from her face and she leaned into my touch, even though her eyes were still closed.

Somewhere near us, probably on the floor by the bed, there was a soft meow. I don't know if he wants to eat or go to bed, but if it's the latter, he's out of luck. I put him to bed in the evening, so he had to jump down himself. His fault.

"Finn?" Lexi whispered, her eyes still closed. She said my name like she was in a dream. Or she wanted it to be a dream.

"Yes, sunshine?" I let my hand rest on her face, running my finger down her cheek.

"I'm sorry." She lowered her head to her chest and snuggled closer to me. "I'm sorry for everything."

"You have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one who..."

"I'm scared." She interrupted me and I was taken aback by her words. "I'm afraid I'll lose someone else. Mother doesn't even know I exist and father..." She buried her head in my chest. "I just..." She shook her head.

"Lexi, sunshine, listen to me." I grabbed her face and lifted her head to look at me so she knew I meant what I was about to say. "No matter what happens between us...you will never lose me. I mean it."

"What if..."

"No what ifs." I interrupted her. "I know you can't help it sometimes, but when you're with me, you don't have to think like that. No what-ifs, just reality. And the reality is that I..." My sentence was cut off by a loud meow. If I had to compare it to something, someone is skinning a cat. "Okay Sunny, you're starting to piss me off." Irritated, I pushed back the duvet and reached for the cat by the bed. I put him between me and Lexi and it was finally quiet. "Satisfied?"