It was you (Completed)

Chapter 32

                I wake up later to the feel of him holding me, my back to his chest. His arm is wrapped around my waist and his breath tickles my hair. I soak in the feeling for a few minutes, my hand coming up to cover his where it lays on my stomach. For years I've dreamt of waking up like this. I can hardly believe it's real, that he loves me.

I'd love to stay right here in this moment forever, but unfortunately nature calls. When I try to wriggle free, his arm tightens up for a moment and I can hear him mumbling in his sleep. I am finally able to work myself loose enough to shimmy over to the edge of the bed and climb out. I grab my panties and his discarded shirt on my way to the bathroom, wincing a little from the soreness of some unfamiliar muscles.

After I'm done, I take a moment to look at myself in the mirror. I don't look any different, in fact I'm quite a mess with my hair in snarls and some smeared mascara, but there's something about my eyes. It takes a while but I realize that a tension I've held there for months, if not years, has finally left and I feel lighter. I know that for the longest time I've just been surviving but now...now I've come home. My heart is filled with love and contentment, with just a smidge of anxiety. I don't know if I can take it if this was a onetime deal for him. No, don't think like that. Remember who you're talking about. He wouldn't say he loves you if he didn't mean it.

I keep up the internal pep talk as I rinse off my face and borrow his comb to try to tame my tangled hair. Once I'm finally halfway presentable, I slip on his shirt and head back into the bedroom, pausing to take in the sight. Owen is still asleep on the bed, rolled onto his back with one hand under his pillow and the other resting on his chest with the sheet draped at his waist. If I had my phone, I wouldn't be able to resist taking a picture. He is truly perfect from head to toe and I could stare at him for hours.

I debate crawling back in next to him but that twinge of anxiety is still trying to break through. A growing rumble in my stomach becomes the deciding factor, so I head over and give him a soft kiss on the forehead before going back to my room to grab my phone and a pair of thick slouchy socks to guard against the chill of the floor.

We had napped most of the day but, considering how poorly both of us had been sleeping, I'm not all that surprised. I go down to the kitchen and turn up the volume on my phone as I open the Pandora app so I can listen to music as I get started on making dinner.

I decide on pasta since it's easy so I set a pot of water on the stove to get it boiling before I start on the sauce. Walk the Moon's song comes on and I can't help dancing around the kitchen, grabbing cans of tomato sauce and a few spice containers. I'm singing and mixing everything together in a pot when I see movement out of the corner of my eye.

Looking over towards the archway that leads into the kitchen, I see Owen leaning sideways against the wall wearing nothing but low slung pajama pants, glasses, and a smirk. I feel my mouth water as I stare at him brazenly, caught on where that v disappears into his waistband.

His gaze travels down my body too, standing in only his shirt, and lingers on my bare legs. "You look much better in that shirt than I ever could."

"Highly doubtful," I reply. "Although I have to say I prefer you without one."

He comes over and runs his fingers along the side of my face. "I was starting to think it was all a dream when I woke up alone."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, Owen."

"Well in that case, I only have one question. What on earth are you listening to?" he asks, his eyebrow going up.