A/N: Hey guys, thanks for the reviews! please keep them coming! Especially for this chapter! really gonna want to hear what you think on this one. This was the HARDEST one so far. I had to rewrite it three times with different ways it should go, but I'm pretty satisfied with how it went. I hope you're as shocked as i was ;)
Chapter eleven – wake up and confront your past…
I started to wake up slowly, not even aware of my surroundings yet. I hadn't slept this well in years, and didn't want it to be over yet. I felt an arm draped over my side, and something behind me. I opened my eyes, and saw that I had my head on an arm, that was casually hanging of the couch. Couch? Oh right! Nightmare, Embry, couch! I stirred slightly, afraid to wake him. I couldn't believe we had slept on the couch together. I wondered what time it was.
I turned around in his arms to face him. He was still sleeping. I was just lying there taking in his features. His dark eyelashes twitched slightly, and his full lips were slightly parted. I moved closer to his face and brushed my lips over his in a gentle kiss. God, he was so perfect.
I felt him stir slightly but he didn't wake up. I moved out of his embrace and went into the kitchen. I started making tea and heard a light knock on my front door. Oh no, who's that? And what will whoever it is think, seeing Embry asleep on my couch?
I opened the door halfway, poking my head out to see who it was. My eyes were met by Kim standing with a wondering look, and her finger pointing towards something behind me.
"Is…is that Embry on your couch?" she asked almost in a whisper.
"Uhm…" I looked over my shoulder at the sleeping Embry, and squeezed through the door gap and closed it behind me.
"Yeah…He came over during the night…" I said not sure how to explain it other than that.
"What do you mean during the night?" Kim asked smiling.
"Well…I woke up last night around 2 am after having a horrible nightmare, and he texted me that he couldn't sleep either…so…he came over with biscuits and a film…to cheer me up," I said smiling a huge smile and continued: "Isn't that just the nicest thing ever?" I asked a smiling Kim.
"That's so cute! See, I told you he was a good guy!" Kim said nudging my shoulder with her hand.
"I never doubted that, haha," I said, before saying: "But could we meet up later? I just don't want to wake him with you here…no offence,"
"Oh sure. Of course! I'll just see you later! Have fun," she added the last bit with a smile and a wink.
I went inside again and remembered that I was making tea.
Once I had two cups of tea, I went over to Embry, and sat next to him on the couch, having placed the cups on the coffee table. I started tracing his cheekbones, and the bridge of his nose, with my fingers. I saw a tiny smile grow on his lips, and a matching one grew on mine. He slowly opened his eyes, and looked at me.
"Morning…" I said, still brushing my thumb over his cheek. He reached up and took my hand. I thought he wanted me to stop, but instead he kissed my fingers and said:
"Morning beautiful…" I smiled a big smile, and handed him his tea.
"What time is it?" he asked, and sipped his tea.
"It's 10.30," I answered and saw him lift his eyebrows.
"Oh shit, I'm late for patrol," he said and sat up. I whished he didn't have to leave. He put his shoes on while sitting next to me, and looked up at me when he was done.
"Can I see you later?" he asked in a low voice. It made my stomach flip.
"Sure…do you have anything in mind?" I asked.
"Not really…I just wanna see you," he said looking a bit shy again.
"…I wanna see you too," I smiled. He leaned in and kissed me really gently. The kiss being gentle didn't last long, and soon I felt his hand on the back of my neck, pulling me closer to him. My hands were on the front of his t-shirt grasping it and pulling him closer.
I broke the kiss unwillingly, and said breathlessly:
"Patrol Embry…You have patrol…"
"Right…you just distracted me, haha," he said smiling. He gave me one last kiss, and got up and left after saying "I'll see you later".
I grabbed a shower, and called Kim after putting on todays outfit.
"Hey Kim, are you free?" I asked in a chipper voice.
"Yeah, do you want me to come over? Or would you rather come here? I mean, Jared is here so…maybe you wanna talk at yours?" I could hear she was trying to hold back a tiny laugh. I knew she was happy about what had happened last night, and she didn't even really know what happened yet.
"Yeah come over haha…no Jared is probably for the best," I said snickering into the phone.
I was throwing a quick lunch together when Kim came in the door.
"I assumed you were alone, so I just decided to barge in haha," she said with a crooked smile walking into the kitchen.
"And if I wasn't?" I asked her with a matching smile.
"Well…would have been a happy coincidence then haha," she laughed and I joined her.
After eating, Kim and I talked for a while. I told her about last night but didn't elaborate about the nightmare. She told me that it was one of the sweetest things she'd ever heard. She then told me that she and Jared had had a fight last night.
"He just wouldn't say what was bothering him! I just sat there not knowing what was wrong, and was like "I can't ready you bloody mind like the boys can!" so just…" Kim stopped and looked at me looking a bit shocked.
"What?" I asked suddenly worried.
"…I didn't mean that they…can ACTUALLY read minds…just…" she said letting out a nervous laugh.
"Hahaha, I know Kim! How crazy would that be," I said laughing, then continued: "I get it, it's like a figure of speech…Right?"
"Oh, Yeah…A figure of speech," Kim made another nervous laugh; maybe she thought I'd think she'd gone crazy or something.
"Anyway…" Kim continued: "So, I was like "You need to tell me what's going on" but he just kept still, and then I just went to bed really angry at him! He then came in later and admitted that he was upset because he wanted to talk more about us having kids, but felt bad for saying it because he knew I'd be annoyed…Such an idiot," Kim said and rolled her eyes.
"Wait, you're talking about having kids?" I asked a little surprised, this was the first I heard about that.
"Well, Jared is talking about me have his kids… I on the other hand have already said, that I need to get my nursing classes done, so I have a stable income! But he just wants kids now…I said to him, that I want to have kids when I'm so ready for it, that I cant wait to pee on the bloody stick!" Kim said sounding more like an inner monolog.
"Kim, this is a big deal…I mean…you should talk about this and plan it but…do you want to have kids?"
"…Yeah…I do," Kim said smiling.
"With Jared?" I clarified smiling, and already knowing the answer.
"I would never have kids with anyone else! He's gonna be an amazing father!" Kim said.
"…I know you're being sensible…but…I think you should do it someday! But do you wanna be married first?"
Kim thought for a bit.
"I kinda feel like we're already married…we've been together so long, and with the impr…uhm…seriousness of our relationship, we both know that we'll be together until we die."
We didn't say anything for a few minutes. We just smiled. I felt happy for Kim and Jared. They were really good together, and I hadn't met anyone who complimented each other as well as they did before.
Kim and I spend the afternoon chatting and laughing. I was getting some drinks from the kitchen when I heard a knock on my door. Kim said something funny from the garden, which made me laugh. I went to open it, still laughing, and my heart stopped and my laugh died instantly, when I saw whom it was.
"…Thomas?" I lost my breath. I felt like I couldn't think. "Wha…why…how did you…what are you doing here?"
"I came to find you…and it wasn't easy Nica…but I'm here" he flashed the smile I had seen so many times before, but hadn't seen in over a year. I didn't know what to say.
I felt Kim come over to stand next to me.
"Hi…I'm Kim…Who are you?" She asked. I could hear in her voice that she was guarded.
"Hi, I'm Thomas Morgan…Nicas…friend from Kentucky," Tom answered, still looking at me. Suddenly my head became really clear.
"Why are you here Tom?" I asked feeling angry.
"Nica…I came to see you…do you have any idea how long I've looked for you?" Tom looked hurt by the anger in my voice. Then he continued: "I know what I did wasn't right…but I just want a chance to…talk…you left so sudden so I never got a chance to…" I interrupted him.
"What? A chance to tell me that you picked her over me within seconds of having been given the choice?" I half shouted. When he didn't say anything but just looked at his shoes, I sighed.
Kim was standing next to me with wide eyes, clearly not being in on what was going on, but not in a hurry to go away either.
"Nica…" Tom began again, and I interrupted him once more.
"Look, it's a long time ago…but I don't know if I have anything to say to you really." I felt my eyes sting with tears that I pushed back. He did not get to see me cry, and I desperately tried to push away the remaining feelings for him that were moving around in my stomach like tiny warm butterflies. I had never really been able to get rid of completely.
"Well, you might not have anything to say but I do! I'm in town for a couple of days, and I really think you should hear me out…"
As I thought this couldn't get worse, or more awkward, I heard footsteps in the gravel behind Tom. Tom turned around, and I saw Embry waking up my front porch. Shit.
"Hey…what going on?" Embry asked hesitating, looking as weary as Kim. When I didn't answer Tom said:
"…Hey man, I'm Tom. Nicas friend," extending his hand for Embry to shake. Embry held his back for a second, but then took Toms in his. You could tell they were sizing each other up. Kim was the next to speak.
"Maybe Embry and I should go…and you two can talk about whatever it is you have to talk about…you okay Nica?" Kim looked at me a bit concerned. Embry looked out right pissed with a look that seemed to say, "Who the fuck is this clown?".
"…Yeah, I guess…but I'll text you guys later," I said, wanting this to end as soon as possible.
Embry and Kim left reluctantly, Embry more so than Kim, and Tom and I went inside. Tom put down his backpack, and looked around. I took the moment to look him over. He looked like himself. His dark blonde hair swept to one side, slightly covering his ice blue eyes. He had studs in his ears, a loose tank on so you could see his tattooed arms. He also wore black skinny jeans and black vans. As always he wore his rings on his thumbs and index fingers, and leather bracelets. I noticed the bracelet with three dark black pearls that I had left at his place that night, and felt a tug in my stomach. He'd kept it. And wore it.
A/N: sorry for the cliff guys, but i promise to update as fast as possible, and not let you hang there for long. I'm already writing chapter 12 as I'm writing this note. What do you think happened here? and what did Tom do? And what do you think of Tom? please let me know, much love! DN xxxx