Without You (Sequel (2018))

Impassioned Words

"The police have gone now," Eli announces himself as he comes tentatively into my room. "I showed them out. I thought we wouldn't tell anyone else about this until it's not a ridiculous hour."

"Thank you for finishing up with them," I smile through tired eyes, my arms wrapped around my waist as I sit nervously at the side of my bed. "And they said they'll keep a police officer outside the house?"

"Yeah. I left a note for the others to tell them not to freak out over the police car sat outside our door when they get home," he laughs lightly, looking pretty exhausted himself.

He lingers awkwardly by the door as I realise that I'm still in my towel robe from when I got out of the pool over an hour ago.

"Will you sleep in here tonight?" I ask softly, biting the inside of my lower lip. "I'm just really freaked out."

"No shit," he flashes me that boyish smile that never gets old.

Clicking the door firmly behind him, he heads over to the bed and scrambles under the covers, looking relieved to finally be in bed. I smile down fondly at his boyish grin and floppy blonde hair before lifting the corner of the sheets up and sliding in myself.

I click off the bedside lamp as we lay side by side, staring up at the dark ceiling in silence. After a few minutes, I feel a big hand slowly enclose itself around my tightened fist and squeeze reassuringly. My skin does its usual shiver upon feeling his warm touch and it's as though my heart stops beating completely.

"Did you mean what you said? That big speech you gave before about waiting for me and not blaming myself," I say in a hushed tone, focusing on my words in the darkness of the room.

"Of course I did Dani," he replies simply and I nod my head with bated breath.

"You know," I start, shifting the mood as I turn onto my side to face him, my hand still in his. "It's not that I didn't get it. There's been so many moments this year when there was nothing more I wanted than to just be with you but ..."

"But what?" He breathes slowly, I can only just make out his shadowy outline from underneath the gentle glow of the moon outside.

"I guess, like you said, I was scared of inflicting my damage on anyone else. I know it sounds stupid but I just couldn't trust anyone especially after this whole mess started with your uncle Mason, someone so close to us. Though I know I don't really blame him," I voice my thoughts honestly.

"We're all afraid to trust," he begins seriously. "But that's how you know when you've found that one person that makes you want to take that leap of faith; found the person that you love. So stop saying that you're scared because we all are. However, I know that I'm more afraid of losing you again because that's the most pain I've ever been in. So no, I'm not going to let you run away. Not this time."

I'm left pretty much speechless by his impassioned words, not realising that he's been holding onto this sudden expression of emotion for so long. His next act takes me aback even more when he leans across the plump pillows and lightly places his lips against mine. I freeze momentarily, looking up into the depths of his blue eyes before reaching up and stroking his cheek. Placing my hand on the back of his head, I gently manoeuvre him even closer to me and kiss him with more intensity.

I get as lost in this kiss as with every other, moving into it as my hand presses more firmly on his cheek. I push my body against his and in return he grips my lower back so that we're laying like two intertwined vines that have grown inseparable.

His hand glides along my waist and slowly undoes the tie on my robe before slipping his hand onto my bare, heated stomach. His hand travels up, inside the material, over my breasts and cups the back of my neck. His tight grip comforts me and I've never felt more secure.