Chapter 22
Emma
I rushed down the stairs and plopped on the sofa. I grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned on the power. I could hear Killian stepping down the stairs, probably after me, but I didn't look up at him. Instead I selected the Hulu app on my smart TV and went to the newest episode I had missed from This Is Us. Once I chose to watch my episode, I set the remote down on the sofa next to me and leaned back as the recap of the Pearson family on TV flashbacked to episodes I remembered seeing.
Killian heaved a long sigh of surrender and stood at the end of the sofa. I could feel the weight of his stare on me. I frowned at the TV as the episode began. I attempted to lose my thoughts in it, but the weight of Killian's heavy gaze distracted me.
He stepped forward and said somberly, "I am sorry I ruined our evening, Love."
My heart felt like it was warmed, and relief washed over me. As frustrated as I was with him and myself for our fight, I whispered, "I will say one think, Killian." I lifted my eyes to meet his tortured ones. My chest ached immediately to see him in this much pain. My eyes watered. "I do not love Neal. I promise you. I only said that for the spell."
He nodded and lowered himself to sit next to me. He still seemed disturbed. "You're sure? I do want to know. I promise you I will do my very best to make this marriage work. Whether or not you care for him, I won't let this get in the way of us."
I picked up the remote and paused the episode and set it down on the coffee table. I said softly, "I am sure. I don't have feelings for him. If I did, I wouldn't be in this marriage anymore. I would be filing for divorce because I wouldn't live a lie."
He managed a half smile. "Then I believe you. I don't want to argue either."
I smiled at him and reached for his hand and held it. He squeezed mine in response. I scooted next to him and held the side of his face with my palm. I gazed at him admiringly and whispered, "I swear to you, you have nothing to worry about. I was only using what I used to have for him. Not what I Still have in my heart. He doesn't stand a chance, Killian." I said with an earnest face.
I let my thumb graze his cheek, touching his facial hair. I looked at his lips and then he crushed his mouth to mine and kissed me passionately. I felt him wrap his arm around my waist. He hugged me tightly to himself.
I slid my arms around his shoulders and kissed him back deeper. He tightened his arms around me and laid me back onto the sofa and climbed on top of me. I giggled as he slid his hand down my chest and stroked my stomach. I rubbed his chest with my hands and started to undo his buttons of his shirt. He kissed me tenderly and slowly. I moaned a little as he did so. His lips traveled down my neck and then to my chest. I gasped at the intense sensation of his body on me. As his hands moved lower, I shivered and sighed.
I moved my hands down to his belt and started to undo it. I closed my eyes and relished in the sensation of his hand on my breasts and the feel of his soft warm lips on my throat. I moved his pants down, just as I heard Hope crying upstairs. I opened my eyes and smiled up at Killian who was straddling me but had obviously heard her too. He looked down at me and murmured, "I suppose we'll have to save this for later."
He rubbed my side with a lopsided smirk.
I sat up and caressed his leg, promising that we would.
I asked him solemnly, "So are we good now?"
He smirked at me and nodded once. "I promise not to worry anymore over it."
I could tell he was telling the truth.
I leaned towards him and kissed him again and then stood up. I smiled lovingly at my husband, knowing that we would make it and that he honestly meant what he said. I reached and took his hand and made my way with him to the staircase. "With a new baby in the house, we're going to have to get used to interruptions."
We climbed the stairs and I went inside Hope's room and flicked on the light. She was wiggling and whining, her face red with crying. Her eyes found me, and she stopped crying. I scooped her up in my arms and cradled her to my chest.
"Hungry already?" I asked her in a warm soothing voice.
She responded with an adorable little smile.
Killian had disappeared down the hall, but in a few seconds, he returned. He held my iPhone 11 from my cellphone from the wall, which had been plugged into the wall of our bedroom. He was reading the screen. He lifted his eyes to me, and said, "Sorry Love, I heard your phone chime. There is a text message, from Henry."
I bounced Hope in my arms and leaned over to read the text. "It's so good to have my phone back," I said repeating myself from earlier about missing my new iPhone Plus. I had gotten the dark green one.
The text from Henry said:
'Hey Mom. Early tomorrow morning, Dad and I are headed to go visit Violet. I text her. We're back together. We just have to get through her Father, but I'm not going to give up. Violet told me she wants to be with me. I hope you & Hook & Hope have a great night. Thank you again for your sacrifice. You'll never know what you have done for me. I love you.'
I smiled at Killian with teary eyes. I felt like I would burst with happiness. Killian was grinning at me.
"Henry has learned at a young age, not to give up on love." He replied softly.
I nodded and looked down at Hope. I said to Killian teasingly, "And love also needs trust. And if you had nothing to worry about, then I would lock my phone and change my passcode to where you couldn't get in."
He smirked at me. "I honestly do trust you, Swan." He touched the screen. He handed my phone back to me and I took it with a glance at it. I had no other messages, not even one from Neal, which I was pleased about. He had truly moved on; I was sure he knew that I had meant what I said when he and I talked alone in the hospital. That I would never cheat on my husband, and I had truly meant that. I didn't even feel anything for him except that I cared for him, like a friend. And I was most pleased that he was in our lives again, but mostly for Henry. I would never entertain my feelings for him again. They had only been for the ritual, nothing more.
Killian and I walked into our bedroom. The comforter was dark blue, and there were a few nautical hangings in here a lot like Hope's room. We climbed into bed with Hope still in my arms, so I could feed her. Once we were settled under the covers, I leaned my head on Killian's shoulder.
I said dreamily, "One thing I will say that I miss," I paused to look into Killian's loving eyes, "Is my younger body. Not this pregnant, puffed up belly one."
He chuckled and he whispered, "You look beautiful Love. And still very sexy. Once you get Hope to sleep, I can prove that to you."
I smiled endearingly up at him and kissed him softly, savoring it. I had Hope in my arms. She was placidly laying in my arms, content and staring at us. Killian tightened his arm around my shoulders. I scooted closer to him and rested my head on his shoulder again.
I murmured lazily, "I hope everything went back to normal. I wanted to pay Gold back, but I rather give you and Hope here my attention and energy."
"I'm certain Regina has that covered, Love," Killian replied comically.
"I hope she did," I said with a giggle. "I think I saw her headed towards The Pawn Shop with Robin actually."
Killian breathed out a soft laugh, then he reached and gently caressed Hope's cheek and whispered, "You're as beautiful as your Mummy." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"What I really think she wanted was not milk, but not to sleep alone," I replied.
"There's a basinet over there for later," he said coquettishly, as he glanced over at the white basinet near my bedside.
"I promise we will have make-up sex when she is fast asleep." I whispered in his ear, not that Hope understood my words, but still. We had to speak G rated around her from now on.
"I know all about patience, Love." He murmured. He kissed me slowly and gently. I gazed into his eyes, so in love with him that I couldn't even believe that I still had this man after everything we had been through. I nodded emphatically. "It'll be worth it, trust me," I said in a seductive tone.
"Oh, I'll make sure of it," he said under his breath. His hand grazed my stomach insinuatingly. It caused chills to go through my body with intense longing for him to touch me more. I couldn't wait. He gingerly touched his palm to Hope's head in a loving gesture and murmured, "Go to sleep, Sweetheart."
I chuckled and snuggled closer to my husband and peacefully sighed with a smile, knowing he was probably right. At least everyone got their happy ending. We would just have to find someone for Neal. Right now, I was certain that Henry was his happy ending, because they were already going on an adventure together.
