The Unknown

Chapter 12

When Rachel ran out of air she pulled back and nuzzled her nose against his chest. She saw it, everything. Richard ran his fingers through her hair and murmured, "It's been a while since you've called me that."

She smiled against his chest. "I missed you, so much."

She looked up at him and he caught her lips in another sweet, longing kiss.

****Remembering****

Rachel smiled against his kiss, she could remember every single time they've kissed like this. She remembered him, her doing everything she could while her mom was sick, him taking her to the cemetery, the funeral…the crash that put her in the hospital and the fight that had led up to it.

Richards hands were resting on her waist when he rolled on to his back, pulling her on top of him. His thumbs slipped under the hem of her shirt and found the bare skin underneath. His thumbs drew small invisible circles on her hips as he went in for another kiss.

Rachel turned her head slightly at the last second. His lips landed on the corner of her mouth. She laid her head on his chest and listened to the beat of his heart. She didn't know how to tell him. She sighed softly and closed her eyes when she felt his fingers running through her hair.

"Rae…what's wrong sweetie?" His chest vibrated ever so slightly as he spoke. He rolled back on to his side so he could look at her face.

He kept his arms around her, and she buried her face in his shirt.

"Just, just hold me. Please." Her voice shook slightly, some of the things she remembered she might have been better off forgetting. The horrible little details that hurt her the first time around.

The storm still raging outside hit its peak, it knocked the power out a few minutes later. The temperature in the house dropped fairly quickly with the heat off and it wasn't long till the bedroom was chilly.

"Rae, you're cold." She was curled as close to him as she could be.

I couldn't save her.

"I'm going to get us a blanket." Her gaze was blank, and he knew she was lost in her thoughts. Which thoughts though, he wasn't sure. He stroked her cheek before sitting up and getting a throw blanket out of the closet.

I couldn't even save myself.

He moved back to the bed and laid next to her, throwing the blanket over both of them.

How could he still love me after all of this?

Rachel moved so she was curled up against him again, her face buried in his shirt.

"Your mother use to call you 'Rae', remember?" His voice was as light as the fingers that were running along her arms. She nodded silently.

"You said you liked it when I started calling you that too. You told me that both of the people you cared about most were close to your heart that way. And it helped keep the memory of your mom alive." Rachel nodded again. She could remember having that conversation with him.

"Rachel," He tilted her chin up a bit so her could see her eyes, "Whatever it is that has you so quiet, it's fine. Don't worry about it right now."

A bolt of lightning lit up the room as the wind howled outside the windows.

"I remember, everything." He barely heard her over the clap of thunder.

"Thats great." He murmured, kissing her forehead.

"Theres one thing I don't understand though, about the fight we had that day…" She trailed off, not sure how to explain the uneasy feeling she had thinking about that fight.

"Do you, really…want to talk about that right now?" He asked taking her hand in his and twining their fingers together.

She nodded, not meeting his piercing gaze. "I want to understand this. I need to understand."

She drifted into silence for a few minutes before she continued. "I know why we were fighting, but we've had fights before. But what I don't understand is why I left, it wasn't that big of a deal…was it?" Her voice dropped to a whisper as she finished, unsure now.

He kissed her knuckles before replying. "I didn't think it was a big deal, but you were already upset, and still grieving your mom. I think it just tipped you over the edge."

"I thought you betrayed me." Her eyes clouded and she buried her face in his shirt again as the memory cleared up a bit more. She never had expected him to lie to her about anything. She thought he had betrayed her.

"I found the papers from her funeral, found out you had lied to me. I trusted you and thought you had been trying to hurt me. But now…I know you only did because you thought it was best."

Richard sat up and leaned against the headboard, pulling Rachel into his lap. "I didn't want you to worry about the money, I wanted to help you. But someone has always been a little too proud and stubborn, just like her mother."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed. "I'm sorry I yelled at you Richie."

He chuckled and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm more sorry that you threw your book at me."

She laughed and kissed his cheek. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that by the way, did it hurt?"

"Nah Rae, you're not that strong." They were both laughing by then.

Rachel smirked and knocked him over and proudly sat on top of him. He raised an eyebrow and rolled them over so he was on top. He grabbed her wrists with both hands and pinned them above her head. Leaning down he chastely kissed her. Rachel frowned at him and tried to roll them over again, but he was bigger, and wasn't successful.

"Awe, is the pretty girl stuck?" He teased lightly.

She grinned up at him. "When I get out of here, I'm gonna get you. Just you wait and see."

He leaned down again, and kissed her deeply. At some point during the kiss, the power came back on and the house hummed back to life.

When they finally parted he rested his forehead against hers.

"Richie?"

"Yes my sweet." He rolled off of her and laid next to her once again, wrapping her in his arms.

"I love you."

He smiled and kissed her nose. "I love you too."