Chapter 50

As the two of them left the dining hall, Vincent asked, "Would you like to go back to my chamber and read like we planned before?"

"I'd love to do that! Have you read Great Expectations yet?"

"No, but it is on my list. Do you like it?"

"It's the first book you read to me…in the future. It became a favorite of ours."

"Then I would love to share it with you now too."

When they arrived in his chamber, Vincent went to the bookshelf to find the book. As he turned around, he started to apologize for having only one chair in his chamber, only to find that Catherine had already solved the problem. She was on his bed sitting there calm as you please propped up by his pillows. With a small gulp, he said, "You look comfortable there."

Her knowing smile made his blood race. "Come here next to me and see for yourself," she replied.

Bringing the book with him he walked over to the bed and joined her. "Catherine, weren't we going to read?" he asked with just a hint of nervousness in his voice. After all kissing her was one thing, but being in bed together could definitely lead to more that just that.

"Yes, Vincent, we are. Just because we are on your bed doesn't mean we can't read here. It just gives us the added bonus of being able to cuddle at the same time."

"I like the sound of that," he admitted and put one arm around her as she cuddled close to his side. Opening the book on his lap, he began to read aloud.

Vincent read the first chapter and Catherine the second, but by the time he finished reading the third, both of them realized just how tired they were from a night without sleep. "Catherine, I'm sure it's safe for you to sleep now in regard to your head injury, but I'm afraid…" he trailed off.

"I don't believe it, Vincent! You're the bravest person I know. What is it you're afraid of?"

"I don't know what will happen if we sleep."

Knowing what he was referring to, Catherine let her lawyers training kick in and start to analyze things. "Well, what are the possible outcomes? We could sleep and wake up right here…"

"That would be my wish."

"Or this could all just be my dream. I could wake up in 1990 and you would have no idea I dreamed all this."

"That would be my worst fear. To have no memory of all this happening to us and then your wish would have failed," he answered sadly.

"My worst fear is that now that you know how gorgeous you are, you will have dozens of girls in your life and when we finally meet all those years from now you won't fall in love with me. You might even be married to someone else by that time!" she admitted with a catch in her voice.

"Oh, Catherine! Don't you know that a Bond like ours is impossibly rare and precious? Do you really think that I will be able to find what we have with anyone else, and that once I've experienced this, that I could settle for anything less?"

"Oh, Vincent!" she sighed with tears forming in her eyes.

"I don't want you to go, Catherine."

"I know, my love, and I am torn too, but what of my Vincent? If all this is real, he has to be insane with worry about me and where I am. And we are expecting a baby! How can I not return to that life?" she pleaded for his understanding.

"I do understand what you are saying, Catherine, and maybe the Bond we have now is what led me to find you in the Park then? Who can really know what all this means? All I do know for sure is that now, or in the future, you are the only one for me and nothing will change that!"

"I feel the same way, Vincent. No matter the time or place, you are the only man I will ever love! And, Vincent…you'll remember…"

"That I'm beautiful? Yes, Catherine, I'll remember, and other that that we will just have to trust that our love to see us through."

"All right," she said softly, trying to be as brave as he was about this.

Vincent put the book aside and they shared a tender kiss before settling down to sleep.

To be continued….