Alive with Me

Chapter 28

Lia

"I have one more thing to give you," I said to him as we walked back to the house.

"Okay," he said with a smile.

We walked quietly back to the house, our hands intertwined.

Everyone was still asleep when we got back, which was good so we can have some quiet and private time alone before we get bombarded with questions from our friends.

I led Nate up to my room quietly.

"I like this surprise already," he said wickedly.

I giggled then covered my mouth. "Shh! And we're not doing that... Well at least not until I give you what I've been waiting to give you," I said in a whisper.

"We should hurry then," he said as he rushed us up the stairs.

Once we got inside my room I walked over to my bed and dropped to my knees and pulled my gift to Nate from under my bed.

I looked up and saw how Nate's facial expression changed once he realized what I had for him.

"I've been trying to find the perfect time to give this to you," I said. "But when you came back from your trip I was a mess and well... You know the rest," I said.

"Sunshine..." He said huskily.

"I know it's not the same as the one your neighbour gave you, but this has all my love and I ache for that little boy whose parents didn't know what treasure they held," I said. "I love every part of you Nate. And I'd love for you to share this part of yourself with me, so I could fall in love with you even more," I said, emotions clogging my throat, as I hand him the guitar I bought for him.

When he looked up, his eyes were misty.

"You don't even know how much I love you," he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

"I have a pretty good idea," I whispered back with a smile.

He chuckled. "Thank you, Sunshine."

I smiled at him.

"You have me. You have all of me, and I don't only want to share all of me with you. I surrender all of me to you," he said.

"How did I get so lucky?" I asked. "What did I do to deserve someone like you?"

Nate

I looked at the woman I love with awe.

I shook my head. "I'm the lucky one," I said. "I don't know how I could have ever thought I could live without you. That I could forget about us. That I could leave you after my job was done,"
I continued. "There's no way I could ever let you go. When you left, I couldn't breathe. I got a taste of what life is like when I'm not with you, and I don't want that life. I want you. I want a life with you," I said, as I wiped her tears away.

"You're in my blood. In my mind. In my heart. I didn't believe that any woman could ever make me feel that life without her is unimaginable, but you..." I traced a featherlight finger on her trembling lips. "You changed me and everything I believed in. You proved me wrong. You made me not want a life without you in it."