a/n: Thank you all SO much for your enthusiastic response to the first chapter of this story! I was so excited to hear how much you all enjoyed at and your encouragement has worked because here is Jess's dream. Enjoy it and please let me know what you think!
()()()()()
She woke up feeling empty.
She was used to the feel of his arm draped over her hip, his feet tangled with hers, or their fingers hooked together. She wiggled her toes back and forth, clenched and unclenched her fists, and noticed the general absence of his skin against hers.
She was alone.
Jess rolled onto her back, eyes still tightly shut, and stretched her arm towards Nick's side of the bed. She ran her hand against the rumpled sheet slowly, remembering what it felt to reach over and let her fingers dance across his chest in an attempt to wake him.
She fought against the pang of sadness that rose inside of her and opened her eyes.
She stared up at a stark, white ceiling.
She blinked her eyes a few times and sat up slowly. The overall industrial, grimy feel of Nick's bedroom was gone and instead she was greeted by walls painted a muted shade of slate blue and a fluffy, spotless white duvet. The floor was comprised of wide, worn hardwood planks and partially covered by a high pile, shaggy gray rug. It was a beautiful room, but it wasn't hers.
It wasn't theirs.
Where am I?
She folded her hands in her lap and furrowed her brow in thought. She did a quick run-through of the events as she remembered them - a lot of drinking, a horrible hangover, too much fighting, a hasty breakup.
The sadness that had been temporarily curbed by confusion was back.
Jess fell back against the plush bedding and stared up at the ceiling. She reached out towards the nightstand with one of her hands and fumbled for her iPhone. She spun it around in her hands and punched her passcode absentmindedly, attempting to gain access. The phone buzzed angrily at her and remained locked. Frustrated, she threw the phone across the bed. This had to be one of Nick's stupid tricks (he'd been known to change her password on occasion) and she didn't appreciate it, especially when she had no idea where she was or what was going on.
As her frustrated breathing quieted she recognized the sound of running water. It was faint, but distinct. She raised her head slightly and looked towards what she assumed was the bedroom's attached bathroom. Jess was almost positive it was the sound of a shower running. She sat there, her eyes blinking slowly, trying to make sense of the situation, when the noise suddenly stopped. She sat straight up in bed and stared at the door. She could hear someone moving and the sound of light, off-pitch humming. She clutched the duvet to her chest in an attempt to shield herself from whoever was behind the door.
The door swung open in one, swift movement and Jess felt her eyes grow wide.
"Babe, have you seen my deodorant?"
Nick walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a bath towel. It was tucked loosely around his waist and his chest was still sprinkled with droplets of water. Although Jess was shocked, she couldn't take her eyes off of him.
Wait…hadn't they broken up? Why was he calling her babe? She was pretty sure that nickname was off-limits now that they were "just friends" again. What was he doing with her in this strange place acting like nothing had happened? She was a notoriously heavy sleeper (she couldn't count how many times the guys had played pranks on her while she was out cold) but what exactly had she slept through?
"Nick? What are…"
He walked over to the side of the bed and leaned down to drop a kiss on her forehead, instantly taking her breath away. She wanted to ask him where they were or what it all meant but all she could do was stare at him…too happy to have him there and showing her affection to question anything else at the moment. There was something different in the way he looked at her but she couldn't put her finger on it. It was almost…softer in some sense.
He smoothed a piece of hair off of her face and offered her a lazy smile. "You know what, don't worry about it. I'm gonna go get breakfast started."
When he stood back up his towel loosened even further and slid down his legs to create a puddle of white terry cloth at his feet. He winked at her and reached for the pair of gym shorts she now noticed were laying at the foot of the bed. He stepped into them, walked back over to kiss her again, and disappeared out the door.
Well that was strange.
She sat in the bed, mouth still hung open and the wheels still churning in her head. Maybe she had been REALLY hungover and they'd already reconciled? Maybe they'd left in the middle of the night and gone to a hotel to escape the loft and their roommates? Yes! She smiled to herself. That scenario made perfect sense!
Feeling instantly rejuvenated, Jess popped out of bed and moved cautiously across the wooden floor to where an elaborate, free-standing floor mirror stood in the corner. She studied her reflection in the mirror, well the best she could without her glasses, and other than looking a little tired, decided she looked presentable enough for breakfast. She was wearing a rather sheer nightgown that she didn't remember buying (Nick had really gone all-out on this little getaway) and she would have to find something else to put on before breakfast, but other than that she was pretty much good to go.
The clock on the wall above the dresser stated that it was nearly seven in the morning. Even though their status was uncertain, Jess hated the thought that she might make Nick wait for her when he was nice enough to make breakfast, assuming their hotel room had a kitchenette. She decided to put a shower on hold for the time being. Besides, there were quite a few things she needed clarified and she was hoping he would be able to shed some light on what seemed to be a never-ending list of mysteries.
She walked into the bathroom Nick had walked out of a short time earlier (there was no way she was going to meet him for breakfast before she at least brushed her teeth). Jess felt her mouth fall open as she walked into the luxurious room. The walls were a pristine white and were accented by a high, beamed ceiling and multiple skylights. There was a large, ceramic soaking tub and an oversized shower stall lined in muted sage tile with glass doors and dual shower heads. It was fantastic and undoubtedly expensive. Deciding not to think about how they were affording this, she grinned and walked over to one (of two) vanities and began to search for her toothbrush.
There was a blue toothbrush sitting near the sink she stood in front of but she assumed that was Nick's. She opened up one of the vanities, and stared at shaving cream, a variety of medications, and other random toiletries. It was an odd assortment to find in a hotel, but alas, still no toothbrush.
Out of the corner of her eye Jess spotted a bubble gum pink toothbrush sitting to the right of the second bathroom sink. Honestly, she didn't remember her toothbrush looking exactly like the one there but it did look similar to something she would choose. She shrugged and reached for the toothpaste. Really, who else would it belong to anyway? It was her hotel room.
Her mouth had begun to fill with bubbles when she heard the sound of the door opening and could sense a presence behind her. Jess spun around, expecting to be greeted by Nick, but instead was greeted by a child.
"Did Daddy hide yours again?"
The little girl couldn't have been much older than six and she stared up at Jess with wide, dark eyes and raven-colored hair that framed her face. Her expression was a mixture of melancholia and annoyance. Jess was prepared to scream for help or frantically try to search for the child's parents when she smiled at her.
Jess froze. That smile. It was familiar and foreign all at once. She noticed the way the little girl's ears poked out from within her hair and how she was missing one of her front teeth. She was petite but appeared to be self-assured; the way she placed her hand on her hip and widened her doe-eyes was almost adorable. The girl was almost recognizable but she couldn't place it.
Jess spit the toothpaste into the sink and rinsed her mouth.
"I'm sorry…are you lost?"
The child rolled her eyes. "I told him it wasn't funny anymore but I guess he didn't listen."
Jess wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and reached for the glasses that sat on the countertop. The child came into sharper focus and she gasped. Other than the different colored eyes, the child looked almost identical to the pictures she'd seen of herself when she was a little girl.
"Who are you?" She whispered.
The little girl gave her a gap-toothed smile. "I'm yours…well, I can be."
Jess felt her mouth flap open and shut a few time. Hers?
"You're in a dream."
She closed her eyes and let the child's explanation wash over her. The alcohol (so much alcohol), the fighting, the fire, the break-up. The past twenty-four hours raced through her memory and the only thing that didn't add up was the mysterious hotel room that she magically woken up in. Of course it was a dream. Of course it was.
"I don't understand," Jess whispered.
The little girl blinked up at her. "Don't you want to see what you could lose? Or see what you could have?"
Her words echoed through Jess' mind. See what she could lose? She what she could have? Then everything clicked into place. This dream was her life…her future, well, if she and Nick could ever get on the same page.
The child, who stared up her looking so much like a miniature of version of herself, blinked her chocolate-colored eyes that were so much like Nick's. She was their daughter, their future daughter, and Jess had never seen anything so perfect in her entire life.
"Are you coming to breakfast? We're having waffles!" She extended her hand in Jess' direction. She hesitated for only a minute, reminded herself she was in a dream, took the child's hand in hers, and allowed herself to be pulled out of the room. She grabbed the lightweight robe that she noticed sitting on a chair by the door and shrugged it on as the child continued to tug her through the room.
The little girl giggled and it sent emotional, overpowering joy straight to her heart. This was her child. Her and Nick's child. This was her house. This was her future.
She wanted to see it all.
()()()()()
Their house was gorgeous. There were shiny, hardwood floors lining the hallway and a balcony that overlooked the floor below. She noticed a floor-to-ceiling fireplace, plush couches, and a child-sized table covered with construction paper and crayons. There was a coffee table with a few magazines scattered across it as well as a half-played game of checkers. The room looked inviting and lived-in and Jess was surprised at how it looked so different from the house she imagined in her idea of the future.
But that didn't mean she didn't love it. And she had to admit a big part of that was because of the hand she currently held. This little girl, her daughter, was the only thing she could focus on. They could have been in a cabin in the woods or a trailer mounted on cement blocks and she still would've thought it was perfect.
They were just about to take the staircase downstairs when the little girl dropped her hand and took off down the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Jess called after her, noticing how empty her hand suddenly felt.
The child's hair bounced as she bounded down the stairs. "I told Daddy I'd help him," she called over her shoulder. "But remember…he doesn't know you're having a dream. Come find us!"
Jess watched the little girl continue down the stairs and then disappear down the hallway. When she was finally able to turn her attention away she noticed the photographs that lined the stairway. Their were various pictures of the child, and Nick and Jess with her, as she grew. Pictures from her first bath, her dance classes, a birthday party…a proverbial greatest hits of their life together so far.
It was both wonderful and sad to see. Jess loved knowing that it had all worked out, every doubt she or Nick had ever had, but she hated that she'd missed it all. She would've given anything to watch her daughter take her first steps or run around the house in a tiny pair of tap shoes. But then she sobered slightly and remembered what the little girl had told her. She could have all those things, in real time, if she and Nick were able to fix their problems.
Jess continued down the stairs to the room she'd only studied from the floor above. She scanned the room until she noticed an espresso colored desk. It sat along a wall of windows and next to a pair of double-doors that opened onto a deck that spanned the entire back of the house. Strewn across the workspace were brown note cards with tiny orange flowers and an open address book. Jess picked up one of the cards and flipped it open to read the inside.
'Please join us for a celebration of Clementine's 6th Birthday. 4pm at our house on June 20th. Dinner will be served. Please RSVP to Nick by June 15th. Regrets only.'
She read the phone number that clearly belonged to Nick and felt tears prick in her eyes for the first time since she'd woken up in this dream. Learning her dream daughter's name, the name she'd loved ever since she learned the song 'Oh My Darling' in kindergarten, made everything hit even closer to home. It just all seemed too real, too perfect, and she wanted to fix the present now. She wanted to know that all of this could become her reality and she didn't want to wait to wake up.
"Babe?"
She turned her head sharply like she'd just been splashed with cold water. Nick stood in the doorway, a dishtowel slung over his shoulder, with his arms folded across his broad chest. He'd acquired a t-shirt and a pair of dress pants from somewhere and couldn't help but appreciate the way the fabric hugged his biceps perfectly.
"Are you coming to breakfast? I told Clem to tell you it was ready…"
Jess stared at him, once again overwhelmed by how he seemed so different yet so much the same. It was at least seven years in the future and somewhere along the line Nick had figured it out. He'd found something, or some reason, to grow up. She'd never wanted him to change, never expected it, but it was reassuring to see that he had at least adapted to the job of fatherhood. There was responsibility and happiness when she looked at him now and she figured their lives were going well if they were able to afford a house like the one she currently stood in.
"Jess?"
Her head snapped up again. Her eyes connected with Nick's and he smiled. Regardless of the hazy appearance her dream-life had there was one thing she was certain of - he was still beautiful and she still wanted him. Badly.
"Come on…I even got powdered sugar for the waffles. I know it's your favorite."
Jess smiled. It was her favorite.
She followed him into the kitchen and tried to ignore how it was just as gorgeous as the rest of the house. It was so much more than she was accustomed to and she was unsure how she felt about it. But it was a dream, she mentally reminded herself, she might as well enjoy the working appliances and stellar electrical panel while she had them.
Jess moved cautiously around the kitchen's center island and a breakfast nook came into sight. The tiny alcove had windows on three sides and a cheerful table sat directly in the middle. There were three places set with black and white checked placemats and squared dinner plates. There was a pile of waffles sitting in the middle of the table and steam rose from the mugs at two of the settings.
Nick and Clementine sat at the table and, at the same time, they both turned their heads to look at her. She froze. They smiled and she felt the wind rush out of her body. The child's smile was Nick's smile and playful dimples formed on her cheeks just like they did on his.
"Finally! I'm starving!"
The little girl leaned over the table and took a waffle onto her plate. She dumped an atrocious amount of syrup onto her breakfast and then reached for the powdered sugar dispenser and proceeded to cover her entire plate with the sweetener. You could barely see the waffle under the small mountain of sugar.
Jess looked over at Nick expectantly. She wasn't sure what she wanted from him or what she was supposed to say but she was still speechless…and that didn't happen very often.
He threw his hands into the air, surrendering, and totally misinterpreted her glare. "Ok, I get it. Sorry." He turned his attention to the little girl, who had somehow managed to locate the waffle under the sugar and syrup and was lifting a lofty sized bite towards her open mouth. Syrup dripped in sticky sweet strands onto her hands and lap and Jess felt her teeth decaying just at the sight. "Clementine…you know how we talked about manners? Wait until everyone sits down before you start eating."
Wait. Nick was correcting their daughter about manners? Wow. She really was dreaming.
Nick pulled a waffle onto his own plate and raised an eyebrow at Jess, who still stood motionless. She cleared her throat nervously and, again, he misunderstood her non-verbal communication.
"Oh…and apologize to your mother."
The little girl pouted and reluctantly set the fork down on her plate. She looked up at Jess with big, brown eyes and a slightly disappointed smirk. "Sorry, Mommy."
Nick smiled appreciatively. "That's my girl." He covered his own waffle with syrup and powdered sugar and shoved a bite into his mouth. He set his fork down, brushed his hands together to rid them of any access powder, and pulled the chair out for Jess. "Come on. The Miller's have manners, but damn, when it's time to eat it's time to eat."
Jess sunk onto the chair, her eyes fluttering back and forth between the child and Nick, both of whom continued to eat their breakfast like it was the most normal day in the world.
None of this made any sense.
And she loved every second of it.
()()()()()
Jess's eyes continued to bounce between Nick and the child. They ate and talked back-and-forth casually. She sat there, her plate empty and her mind racing. She felt like she was in the twilight zone.
She remained pretty much silent as they ate, enjoying the discovered dynamic between father and daughter. She's imagined what Nick would be like as a father a million times and in a lot of ways what she was currently experiencing wasn't that far off base. He was silly and immature but still firm and, surprisingly, responsible. He listened to the little girl's embellished stories and asked questions about what she told him. He wanted to know what was going on with her friends at school and her input on where they should go on vacation that summer. It was obvious from the look on Clementine's face that the feeling was completely mutual; she adored him.
Clementine had just gotten done telling Nick a rather spirited tale about her dance class, which included different voices for the different children and proof that "Felicity ruined the whole thing", when Jess caught herself chuckling along with the two other people at the table. It was the first time since she'd be conscious of the dream that she felt like she wasn't in one. Sitting at the table with her little family was everything she ever wanted.
Nick took another sip of his juice and laughed. "I don't understand any of the words you just used when you were talking about your ballet class, Clem. You lost me at pirouette."
The little girl rolled her eyes. "Daddy this is the simple stuff! I'm not even six yet. Imagine how hard the words will be to learn when I'm, like, twelve!"
Jess watched Nick closely for his reaction. She waited for any indication that he or the child were playing some sort of elaborate joke on her (was she really supposed to believe Nick actually knew what a pirouette was?) but instead he just grinned proudly. Well that was different. Generally he had no patience for her endless supply of whimsical banter but, as his daughter spoke, he seemed almost…entertained.
Nick wiped his mouth with his napkin and placed it on his empty plate. "I liked it better when you were too young to speak in detail about these things. Now it's two against one…there's no way I can win."
The child covered her mouth and giggled. Nick smiled at her and looked down to check his watch. "Shit…sorry girls but I have to get out of here…"
"But Daddy," Clementine whined, "It's Saturday!"
He stood up and moved into the kitchen to deposit his plate (!) in the dishwasher. He rinsed his hands in the sink and dried them on a dishtowel. "I know. I'm sorry, Peach." He moved back over to the table and crouched down in front of the little girl. "Why don't you and Mommy come downtown and meet me for lunch? I only have to go into the office for a couple of hours. I should be able to spend the whole afternoon with both of you."
The child clapped her hands with glee. Apparently lunch downtown was the key to this almost-six-year-old's heart.
"What do you think, Jessica?" Nick shot a pointed look in her direction.
She nodded enthusiastically, fairly certain there wasn't another option. "Sure. Sounds great."
"Then I guess I'll see you both later." He walked into the adjoining room and returned a minute later buttoning a newly acquired dress shirt and pulling a suit jacket onto his arms. He held a rumpled tie in his hands. He leaned over and kissed them both on their cheeks. "I gotta go. I love you both. See you later!"
And with that Nick was gone, leaving the two girls sitting alone at the table.
What the hell was Jess supposed to do now? She didn't know how to entertain a child this small (she taught middle school after all). She didn't know where Nick actually worked (apparently somewhere that required a tie, but that didn't help much).
She snapped out of her momentary panic when she noticed that Clementine had begun to clear off the table. She shook off her trance and followed the child's example. She deposited her dishes into the dishwasher and then noticed that her daughter (she supposed she could refer to the dream child as that for the time being) was staring up at her.
"Do you think you could put my hair in two braids today? I know it's kind of short right now, but I love when you fix it like that."
Jess beamed. She'd always loved when her mother had put her hair into pigtail braids. She wrapped her hand around Clementine's and let the child pull her up the stairs.
For something that was only a dream her emotions felt very real.
()()()()()
It had been the single best afternoon of her life.
After she'd done Clementine's hair they had spent the next few hours exploring the house. She disguised it as a treasure hunt so the child wouldn't suspect anything too unusual and they'd had entirely too much fun ripping the place apart.
Everything they'd found trigged a story in Clem's memory. She rambled on about trips to Oregon to visit her grandparents and other details of her life that made Jess yearn more and more for the future she now (for sure) knew she wanted.
But the most surprising discovery had been in Nick's underwear drawer…his business cards. She'd been a little put off to find them there at first but then she'd realized that it made perfect sense. It was vintage Nick.
And this Nick was a lawyer. She never thought she'd see the day when other people would actually know he'd passed the bar exam (and maybe people never would know…this was Dream Nick). Apparently, when he actually took things seriously, he was a pretty good lawyer. She'd traced her finger over the engraved business card and smiled proudly when she'd learned that he was partner at the firm he worked that. Well, that explained the unnecessarily large house in the Hills at least.
She'd recognized the address on the business card and, after making sure Clementine was properly secured in her booster seat, they'd driven downtown to meet Nick at his office. He'd been outside waiting for them when they'd arrived and she'd felt herself melt a little at the lazy smile he'd given her.
They'd dined outside at a Middle Eastern restaurant and discussed Clementine's upcoming rainbow-themed birthday party over grape leaves and mango smoothies. Jess thought she already loved Nick, but after seeing him as a father she felt that love deepen.
He was amazing with their daughter. She loved that this Nick wasn't a completely different person, but more like an evolved version of the Nick she knew. It was refreshing. She'd never, not once, wanted him to change, but knowing that he could add these desirable characteristics without sacrificing who he was? Well, that was all she ever wanted.
After lunch they'd walked through her favorite park downtown and gotten ice cream while Clementine (and Nick) chased ducks through a field and climbed on the jungle gym. They'd gotten hotdogs from a food cart for dinner and the sun was beginning to set when both cars pulled into the driveway.
Jess glanced into the rearview mirror of her fancy SUV and saw her daughter sleeping soundly in the backseat. Her heart squeezed in her chest as Nick walked up and tapped on her window. He instantly noticed what she was fixated on.
She slid out of the car and closed the door gently so she wouldn't wake Clementine. She only stood there for a minute, staring up at Nick with hungry eyes, before he pushed her against the car and attacked her lips with his own. He moved his hands underneath her shirt and she let him without any resistance, too desperate to feel his hands against her skin. She didn't know how long it would take to get back to this place in her actual reality so she decided to let herself get lost in the moment.
He sucked her lower lip into his mouth just the way she liked and she tightened her grip on his arms before he pulled away from her reluctantly. Her pressed his forehead against her temple and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her against him. His breath was hot against her face and she was comforted knowing that he still wanted her, even all these years in the future (dream or not).
"We should probably get her inside," he said quietly, his thumbs rubbing circles on her waist.
"Ok," she agreed. "You carry her and I'll follow."
Ten minutes later they had Clementine changed into red and white striped pajamas and nestled into her very pink bed. She'd woken up for only a minute, but it was long enough for her to tell both of them that she loved them. She rolled onto her side as her light-up carousel music box projected patterns on the wall and filled the room with familiar children's tunes. Jess stood there and watched the child sleep until she felt Nick's hand close around hers. Only then she did allow him to pull her in the direction of the hallway.
She was just about to step out the door when she heard the sheets rustle and looked back to see Clementine sitting up in her bed.
"Mommy?"
Jess's heart swelled. She pulled her hand out of Nick's and walked back towards the child. She sunk to her knees next to the child and took her small hands in her own. Clementine stared at her for a moment and then launched herself into Jess's arms. She snuggled her face against Jess and leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"You're a really good mom. I hope I get to see you again. Daddy loves you very much."
She sucked in a deep breath. She wouldn't cry. She smoothed the little girl's hair and tucked her back into bed. "I hope so too." She kissed her daughter once more and then retreated towards Nick, tucking her hand back into his.
They moved into the hallway and she watched as he closed the door behind them and then sucked in a sharp breath when he turned around and came chest to chest with her. She inhaled sharply as he invaded her personal space and lifted his arms to rest gently against her hips.
"She's amazing," Jess breathed, her voice barely audible. She wanted to say more, so much more, but was afraid she'd only be overcome with emotion if she elaborated. This day, which probably seemed so ordinary to him, meant everything to her.
Nick looked over his shoulder at the closed door. "Who? Clem? She's ok I guess." She swatted his arm and he smiled at her, eyes softened. "She's the best thing I never knew I wanted."
She stared at him silently, his words sinking into her memory. "What do you mean?"
"She was my trigger, you know?" Jess didn't know. She wanted him to continue. "If it hadn't been for her I'm not sure I'd have any of this right now. The job, the house…you."
She connected the dots. Clementine had come first. She'd come before any of his success or even before their marriage. Somehow, their daughter had set-off a chain reaction in their life. Jess assumed the pregnancy had come as a surprise and had forced Nick to reevaluate his direction. He was right…sometimes it took something you didn't even know you wanted to make you see how badly you needed…well, everything.
"We would have been ok," Jess said quietly, confident now that she and Nick would fix whatever problems they'd stumbled upon and somehow she would be able to have this life again. It wasn't good enough to know she had it in the dream. She wanted it to be her reality.
Nick gave her the turtle face that she loved so much and bobbed his head. "Probably, but seeing you stand there with that positive pregnancy test changed everything. It made me grow up and finally be a man. And now I have you and our beautiful daughter and this life and I don't have many complaints. It was amazing how easy it was to have responsibility once I had a reason to."
She could have stood there and talked to him for hours. Listened to him talk about how their child had warped his whole life, his whole outlook, but she didn't want to know all of their secrets. She knew enough to know they would be ok and that was all she really needed.
"Come on," he urged. "I think we've earned a little adult time."
She didn't disagree. She wanted to enjoy every second of her dream while it lasted and if that included sex with Nick she surely wasn't going to say no.
()()()()()
She woke up suddenly. It wasn't one of those leisurely wakeups when you were conscious to what was happening before you actually opened your eyes. Her eyes popped open and she sat straight up in bed.
She looked around the room frantically for a moment and then sobered when she realized it was the room she woke up in everyday. Gone was the perfectly painted white ceiling and wide planked hardwood floor. She pulled the ratty, well-worn comforter up to her shoulders and fell back against the mattress.
She turned her head slightly to the side and felt Nick's sleeping body shift silently next to hers. She gentle movement of the mattress comforted her for a moment and she inhaled sadly as she felt his arm unconsciously brush hers.
For a moment she longed for the life she'd dreamed about. She wanted to have Nick's arms around her again and to see their perfect daughter at the breakfast table when she walked down the stairs. But then she remembered that life was all about the journey, not the destination. She needed to work fixing her relationship with Nick now so she would get to experience every second of the life they created together.
With a sigh she rolled onto her side so she was laying face-to-face with Nick. She pulled his arm over her hip and snuggled her face against his neck. She just wanted to be close to him in that moment.
They would have plenty of time to figure how to fix the mess they'd made.