Stealing Kisses

Chapter 15

Faith POV: 

I sit in my empty hospital room, trying to stop crying for the hundredth time. I feel my lip quivering, which always results in me completely breaking down. I lean my head back into my pillows, listening to the steady beeping of the heart monitor, while tears rush down my cheeks. A soft knock on the door makes me turn my head. 

Tim stands in the doorway, hesitantly walking in before shutting the door gently behind him. He staggers toward my bed, stopping short so he doesn't cross my comfort zone. 

"You can come sit." I let out, watching him nod. He sits down carefully in a chair beside my bed. He wears a red flannel with a white t-shirt under it, blood spotting through on his side. "Are you okay?" I ask, motioning toward it. He looks down and nods, sparing me a slight smile. 

"Just a few stitches." He releases quietly. "What about you?" He asks, noticing my tears and shaking voice. I shrug, looking down at the gauze bandages wrapped around my chest. I feel the tears rush out a little harder. 

"I was really scared." I croak out, clearing my throat while he watches me carefully. A saddened frown on his lips. "I'm okay though." I reassure him, as he leans forward in his seat. "I'm sorry for punching you." I confess, watching him laugh a little, bringing a little light into the room. 

"I think it was justified, given the circumstance." He remarks, smiling at me, before looking down at his shoes. "I'm sorry for kissing you." He says, while I nod. "And I'm sorry for avoiding you the last couple months." He releases, his voice rasping. I reach out and grab his hand, before noticing it's got an orange hue, similar to the blood stain on my hand. The sight is nauseating. He looks down at it, before wrapping his other hand around mine as well, sandwiching it in a familiar motion. "Where's Dan?" He asks quietly, running his thumb across the back on my hand. 

"He went home to watch Jake." I let out, causing him to nod. "Why'd you avoid me?" I question, watching him cringe. He reaches up and pushes my hair behind my ear, thinking long and hard about his response. 

"I drink too much." He confesses, making my chest ache. "I drink too much, and now it's starting to catch up to me, more than just the mental toll. I didn't want you to have to watch me go down that slippery slope, I guess." He admits, getting far more in depth than I expected. Usually with him, it's like pulling teeth to get a straight answer. Something about his touch is surprisingly comforting. 

"I overheard what the doctor said, about your --" I start to admit, as he smiles. 

"I know you did." He says, laughing a bit to himself. "I didn't want you to try and fix me, after hearing that. I wanted to go on, business as usual, and I knew you wouldn't go for that." He explains, giving my hand a slight squeeze. 

"Why do you do that?" I ask, watching a sad smile develop on him. 

"I'm not married... I don't have kids, or really friends for that matter. I haven't been in a serious relationship in over a decade, and I haven't spoken to my mother since my Dad died. I've always just been on my own, and I've honestly been okay with it." He says, although I know that's not true. "The only person I trust is Rob. The rest have just been people who come and go as they please. People really don't stay in my life for long. They get their dose of fame, or fortune, or whatever they want from me, and go, and I really never saw myself as having it any other way. I thought this was the only way my life could go." He continues, as I hear his throat start to grow tight. 

"It doesn't have to be like that, Tim." I let out, watching him laugh a bit to himself. He looks up at me, smoothing back my hair while squeezing my hand. 

"I see how I felt when I thought I lost you, and that terrifies me. Loving someone that much scares the hell out of me. I see myself walking down the aisle, and raising kids, and taking on the world with you... That's just foreign to me. I never saw myself as being that kind of man." He runs on, before holding his words. "I can't help but think about what would've happened if you had walked back in that bar a few moments earlier." He laughs to himself, with a bittersweet smile. He feels my wedding ring, before glancing at his empty ring finger. 

He and I walk down a city street, clinging to piping hot coffees while holding hands. We keep a slow pace, taking a moment to enjoy the setting while chatting about irrelevant topics. He rambles on and on about how we should try to keep our engagement private until after we are married so we can have a truly private ceremony. I can't help but get distracted. I feel the diamond on my finger rub against his finger, watching a slight smile form on him. The sight is reassuring. 

A mother stands across the street, holding the hand of a little boy. She kneels down in front of him, fixing his hair and zipping up his jacket. She places her hands on his cheeks and smiles brightly, before giving him a kiss on the forehead. I feel a little tug on my arm, causing me to glance toward Tim once more. I guess I didn't realize I had completely stopped walking when I saw her. He smiles toward me, following my eyes, before looking down at me. 

"I thought that wasn't a part of your plan." He says quietly, while I nod, slowly starting to walk again. I fall silent, stuck in my thoughts for a while. "We don't have to make any decisions anytime soon." He reassures me, wrapping his arm around my waist and kissing the top of my head. "What's up with you today?" He asks, giving me a little squeeze. 

"I'm pregnant." I croak out, the words spilling from my lips. He keeps walking, apparently not processing it. He slowly comes to a stop, before his hand slowly falls from my waist. He looks down at me, staring for a moment, before swallowing hard. He nods slowly, his lips paling a little. 

"Pregnant?" He spits out, while I nod, anxiously awaiting his reaction. He runs his fingers through his hair, nodding again, as I watch it digest. "With..." He says, before pointing to himself. I look at him in a brief moment of disbelief. "I mean, I know it's mine... I just... My kid? Our kid?" He rambles, before covering his mouth. I watch his cheeks start to rise, before his hand drops from over his mouth, revealing a bright emerging smile. He laughs a little, before his smile grows. "Oh my god... Baby... That's..." He says, excitement now funneling in. He notices my lack of reaction, causing him to place his hands on my hips. "Babe, that's incredible. I mean... you and I..." He says, unable to put it into words. He hugs me tightly, as I try to ignore how terrified I am.