He sat up, it startled Sheelagh slightly as she'd just begun to doze off.
"Des?" She asked as she sat up and looked at him
He said nothing, he just ran his hand down her cheek, round the back of her neck and after a moments consideration he pulled her close and kissed her, a gentle lingering kiss that made her whole body tremble and her heart flutter, then he pulled back and looked at her.
Sheelagh was shocked to say the least, she wasn't sure why she hadn't expected it, she wasn't upset, she wasn't angry, that was good, but the problem was, she didn't know what she was feeling.
Des too was confused, he'd done what his heart had told him was right but he couldn't help wondering if he'd upset Sheelagh, after all, she was just sat there looking anywhere but directly at him.
Eventually Sheelagh climbed off the bed and walked out of the door.
Des stayed where he was, his head was reeling, she'd kissed him back so why had she left like that? He was even more confused as Sheelagh was still wearing his bathrobe, surely she wasn't going to put her wet clothes back on.?
Five minutes passed and Des still hadn't moved, he felt as though he was glued to the spot. The only chance he'd had to make things right between them and he messed up. He grabbed the pillow she'd been cuddling when he came back from his shower, he was sitting there looking at it when Sheelagh came through the door with two cups of tea.
"What?" She asked "I…" "You thought I'd left, wearing either wet clothes, or a bathrobe?"
He said nothing and just smiled, he couldn't believe she hadn't gone. He put out his hand to take the tea from her, but she put it on the bedside cabinet instead. She took his hand her in own and smiled down at him.
Maybe it was time she thought, to let go of her reservations about them as a couple. They had their differences, they always would have, but she had no doubts about how much she loved him and she knew how much he loved her. The doubts she'd once had about Des's capability of being faithful to her had gone. His womanising and dirty comments had ceased months ago and he seemed thoroughly devoted to her.
"What are you thinking?" Des asked "Hmm? Oh…Sorry, just stuff" "What kind of stuff?"
She let go of his hand and sat down, resting her back against the headboard of the bed, she picked up her tea and drank some. Des began to think she was avoiding the question but he wasn't going to ask again. He moved up until he was sat beside her and put his hand on her knee.
"I was thinking about us" She said quietly "And what about us were you thinking?" He enquired
She put her drink down and took his hand from her leg and kissed it.
"I was thinking, that …" She began "I love you" He said before she had chance to finish "Exactly"
Des was surprised she's admitted to it, he didn't think she would. They finished their drinks in silence.
Sheelagh sat there gathering her thoughts, she surprised herself being so forward with Des about how she felt. It was getting near 1am, she couldn't understand where the evening had gone, but she knew she should probably be getting home. She knew they'd built a lot of bridges that night but not enough for her to want to take it any further, not right now.
"I'd better go" She sighed "Why?" "It's very late and I'm not ready to…well…" "I know it's late, but neither of us are working tomorrow and as for…that…I don't think I want to just yet either"
Des really had changed, she remembered a time when she just had to look at him and he wanted to get in her pants. She felt her heart begin to beat faster and her eyes start to well up and before she knew what was happening she found herself crying.
Des looked at her, he wondered if he'd upset her by saying he wasn't interested in sex, maybe she'd thought he didn't fancy her. 'Women' He thought 'No pleasing them'
He put his arms around her
"Did I say something wrong?" He asked "No, I just didn't expect you to say something like that" "I want us to try again" "It's all or nothing Des, I'm not going to be messed about, I can't take anymore hurt, I've had enough of it to last me for eternity" "I want it all, I want to give it all to you and ask for not wanting to…tonight…I…"
He stood up and walked over to his chest of drawers, Sheelagh looked over, she hadn't noticed before, but on top of them, stood two photo frames. Fresh tears began to fall as she saw a picture of her and in the other, a picture of Niamh in her arms. Des opened a drawer and took something out, he walked back over to her and sat on the edge of the bed.
"I just noticed your pictures" She whimpered "It's so you're the last thing I see before I fall asleep, if I don't wake up in the morning one of my angels was the last thing I saw and the other one's waiting to meet me when I wake up where she is."
Tears streamed down her face, she couldn't believe Des thought things like that, she felt even worse about being so harsh with him. She gave him a gentle smile and curiosity took over
"What did you just get out of that drawer" "When you left Patrick, and Niamh was on the way I wanted to ask you something, but I couldn't do it while I was keeping a secret from you. After I'd told you about the fire I went out and bought this. Sheelagh, when you ended our relationship, I wasn't expecting it."
He held out a clenched fist, she turned it over and lifted his fingers, in his palm lay a diamond ring. Sheelagh gasped, she didn't know what she'd been expecting, but it wasn't that. She felt awful, she couldn't believe that as Des had been wanting to give his life to her and she just pushed him out of hers.
"I didn't want to do anything tonight, because if you'll say yes, we've got forever to do that, or anything else you want" "Des…"
He turned his face from hers, the tone of her voice implied it was a no. He'd waited all this time and she wasn't going to say yes. He wasn't going to let her see him cry, not over this.
He felt her fingers brush his palm, he looked round to see her picking up the ring and put it on her finger. Their eyes met and she smiled,
"The answers yes, Des, it was always a yes but I was too blind to see it." "You're serious?" "I wouldn't say it if I wasn't"
He pulled her close, kissed her and then she smiled, got up and went to his closet as she'd planned to hours ago, pulled out a T-shirt, put it on and climbed into bed.
Des smiled, if he'd had any doubts the first time he planned on asking her, he certainly didn't now. He got into bed beside her, she lay on her side next to him with her arm over his chest and her head on his shoulder and they looked up at Niamh's picture together.
Sheelagh reached up to the light cord,
"Night baby" She whispered
Des knew she wasn't talking to him.
She turned the light off.
"Don't let go of me Des" She said as she snuggled closer
Just wanted to say a quick thankyou for the reviews, but I've realised this writing thing isn't for me, so this is my first & last story. Thanks for reading, the soppy ending I apologise for, I'm a romantic and I wanted a happy ending!