Hello friends! Well, we're almost there...this is the last "official" chapter before the epilogue. I cannot believe there is only one more update to this story after today. This chapter, the ending especially, made me cry several times while writing and editing. I just cannot believe we are almost at the end of this story because I am in no way ready to say goodbye to this family in one week.
I'll save the super mushy thank you for next week and let you get to your reading. I sure hope you enjoy this one friends. See ya soon for the last one.
"I forgot how good that could be," Hailey mumbles against her arm, a delirious smile spreading over her face slowly.
She lies on her stomach, arms folded between her head and the pillow beneath it as she stares at Jay lying beside her, one of his arms draped over her back.
"I'll take that as a compliment," he teases as he drags his fingers across her skin, making her shiver at the contact.
"Shut up," she says, rolling her eyes at him, but she's smiling still. "I just didn't think I'd ever have this again, after everything I mean."
"What's that?"
"Feeling completely safe and happy."
"Well, you better get used to it because you are safe with me. You and Ave both are, and I'm gonna be here to make sure the two of you are safe and happy every single day," Jay tells her, looking into her eyes and grinning back at her.
"Every single day, huh?" She smirks as she pulls her arms out from under her head and turns on her side to fully face him.
"For as long as you let me."
Hailey hums quietly, her smirk turning softer as she says, "Forever sounds pretty good to me."
"Yeah?"
She nods, leaning over to press her lips against his in a quick kiss.
"How ya doing? You okay?" Jay asks her when she pulls away.
"I swear, if you ask me that one more time," she laughs, her eyes sparkling bright blue as she stares at him. "I'm okay. Better than okay. I don't have a single regret about last night, Jay."
"Not a single one?"
"Nuh uh, definitely not," she tells him with a shake of her head. "My only regret is not doing that sooner. Last night was perfect. You were perfect."
"Perfect, huh?"
Hailey rolls her eyes at him again, raising her head and resting it in the palm of her hand as she props herself up on her elbow.
"I'm serious. You were wonderful," she says a moment later, reaching out her other hand to his waist and squeezing tightly, but there's a shyness on her face that has him raising his eyebrows at her.
"But?" He asks, jutting his chin toward her.
"Was it – I mean…ugh," she groans, her eyes falling to his chest as she breathes out a heavy sigh.
He stares at her for a moment, tilting his head at her as he notices the way her cheeks slightly flush and how she seems to swallow nervously, and then he realizes.
"You think I didn't enjoy myself?" He asks her.
Hailey shrugs a shoulder beside him, tapping her fingers against his waist as she glances back up to meet his eyes. "Did you?"
"Hailey, I did. Believe me, I did. I especially enjoyed the look on your face when you completely fell apart several times," he tells her with a tiny smirk peeking out over his lips, his words making the pink in her cheeks darken several shades, and then he adds softly, "It wasn't about me though."
"What do you mean?"
"Just what I said. It was about you. It was about you knowing you're in control, that the physical stuff doesn't have to be a painful reminder of what you've been through. That it can be good, that it is good."
"It is good," she whispers his words back to him, nodding slowly and grinning softly as she slides her hand from his waist to his stomach and up his chest.
"Really good," he tells her, leaning over and pressing his lips to hers.
She's kissing him back in an instant, as if it's second nature now, and turns to lie on her back, bringing him with her to hover above her.
She whimpers when he pulls his lips from hers, another dangerous smirk curling over his lips, before his mouth is on her neck and he's placing hot, wet kisses against her skin.
He pulls himself away from her neck to meet her eyes briefly and places another kiss to her lips, and then whispers, "I wanna kiss you again, all over. Would that be okay?"
"I think that would be just fine," she says, nodding slowly and staring up at him as her heart begins to race.
His lips quirk into a small smile before he starts the journey down her body slowly, kissing her over her chest, teasing protruding nipples with his tongue and making her squirm beneath him. He continues down her torso, dragging his lips slowly in a torment of sweet kisses until he's just below her belly button.
He settles himself between her legs, holding onto her thighs as he drops his head down between them and slides his tongue up and down her slit teasingly. She squirms beneath him again as she moves a hand to the back of his head, fingers carding through his hair tightly just as he delves his tongue inside her.
He licks and sucks up and down and over her, lavishing her with a need to please her.
She's pulling at his hair in one hand and fisting the bedspread tightly with the other, urging him on with guttural moans of his name until she's panting wildly and lifting herself against his face, her thighs trembling around his head.
"You're too good at that," she tells him through shallow breaths as she comes back down minutes later and her legs slump to the mattress.
She drawls out a moan as he presses several kisses to the inside of her thighs, and then lifts his eyes to meet hers.
"I aim to please," he says cockily, a satisfied smirk on his face as he stares up at her and licks his lips.
She laughs, breathing heavily and shaking her head at him as he crawls up and over her and presses a kiss to her cheek.
Her hands find their way to his waist, squeezing tightly for a moment before she slides them around his back and pulls him flush against her.
"Let's try this way," she says as she parts her legs for him, breathing out another guttural moan when she feels the hard length of him pressing between her thighs.
Jay pulls his head away from her to look her in the eyes, staring at her curiously. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," she says with a nod of confirmation, lifting her head to kiss him just below his jawline before she whispers, "I trust you."
He's smiling at her when she drops her head back to the pillows, a soft gaze in his eyes as he slowly slides a hand down the length of her body. His fingers moving over soft, warm skin before he wraps them around her thigh and lifts it over his waist beneath the covers.
"Remember what I told you?" Jay asks quietly.
Hailey nods again, smiling up at him. "I'm in control. I call the shots. I set the pace."
"That's right," he tells her, leaning his head down to brush his nose over hers before he presses another kiss to her lips.
He moves a hand between them and wraps his fingers around himself to guide the tip of him between her still slick folds. He lifts his eyes to hers, looking for any sign of hesitation or discomfort, but all he's met with is another sweet smile and a nod.
He raises an eyebrow, smirking at her again and she giggles softly.
"I'm okay," Hailey tells him, digging her fingers into his back and squeezing him against her.
Once he hears those words he slides the rest of the way inside of her, his breath catching in his throat when she lifts her other leg over his waist and he fills her completely.
Hailey swallows hard from the anticipation and exhilaration, as if she doesn't already know what it feels like to have him inside of her, but this new position makes it feel like their first time together all over again.
This is different and it's good. Really good.
The weight of him on top of her as he rocks into her slowly, his heavy breaths below her ear as he buries his face against her neck, and his hands gripping her tightly as she meets him thrust for thrust.
"Jay," she breathes out, her nails digging into his back as she tightens her legs around his torso. "I – I need…"
"I know," he whispers, pressing his lips below her ear as he pulls his hand from her thigh and slides it between them.
He presses his thumb over her in slow circles, helping to bring her to release and nearly loses himself completely when she pulls a hand from his back and places it over his against her.
She moves his hand faster with hers, pressing him harder against her and squeezing her legs around him that much tighter until finally she's clenching around him and arching up into him and coming undone all over again.
Hailey blinks her eyes open several hours later against a stream of sunlight coming in through half drawn curtains and smiles to herself when she feels the weight of two arms around her. She breathes out a quiet sigh of contentment, her head falling against one of Jay's forearms as he holds her close with her back to his chest in a cage-like embrace.
She maneuvers herself slowly as she turns in his arms, smiling wider when she sees him still in a deep sleep beside her. She sets a hand on his chest, dragging her fingernails over his skin slowly as she leans in and leaves a trail of soft kisses up and down his neck.
He grunts in his sleep at the feel of her lips on his skin and tightens his arms around her as he opens his eyes slowly, smiling a sleepy little grin when he sees her face.
"Good morning," Hailey says quietly.
"Good morning," he says back before he leans in and presses his lips to her forehead. "How'd you sleep?"
"Hmmmm, pretty perfectly actually, even without the weighted blanket. We kinda got distracted."
"Or maybe you're just insatiable," he teases.
"Nah, I think you did plenty of satisfying last night," she grins at him.
He shakes his head, smirking at her. "See? You say things like that and then wonder why I have such an ego."
She giggles beside him, her fingers trailing over the splotches of freckles on his arms, his shoulders, his chest. They're all over his body and she can't help staring at them or drawing invisible patterns of connect-the-dots over the uniqueness of his skin.
"I never noticed just how many freckles you have," she says quietly, dragging her fingers across his chest now.
"You enjoying yourself?" Jay asks, watching with an amused smile as she continues with her ministrations over his skin.
Hailey hums beside him, smiling still. "There's just so many. I could do this for hours."
"You are so easily entertained."
"Yeah, usually," she chuckles.
He just continues smiling at her, then kisses her on the forehead once more before he mumbles "one sec" and reaches for his watch on the nightstand. He checks the time and then looks back at her. "It's early and it's our D.O. I'm surprised you're up right now. You okay?"
"Mhmmm."
"You sure?"
"Positive," she says, knowing he'll never stop asking how she is and loving him even more for it.
"Well, what would you like first then, waffles or coffee?"
"Neither, just you," she says simply.
She lifts a leg over his beneath the sheets and rolls herself so she's straddling him over his stomach, a leg on either side of him.
"Oh really?" He asks, staring up at her with raised eyebrows.
She nods, grinning wickedly before she leans down and kisses him on the mouth. His hands find her waist and squeeze tightly to her soft skin as she slides her bottom lower down his torso.
"I love you," Jay mumbles out between soft kisses.
"I love you too. So damn much," she tells him, smiling against his mouth before she pulls her face away from his. "I think we have some time before Ave wakes up. Wanna take a shower with me?"
"The way you say that tells me you have an ulterior motive," he says, grinning up at her.
"Maybe I do," she smirks, tilting her head at him before she climbs off him and pulls herself from the bed.
She stands in front of him, completely naked and smirking at him still, quirking an eyebrow at him as she walks backward to the bathroom.
"You coming or what, Halstead?"
Jay shakes his head at her as she turns around in the doorway, her back to him and glancing over her shoulder at him as he gets out of the bed and walks toward her.
"There are so many things I could say to that right now," he chuckles, reaching for her and wrapping his arms around her from behind.
He presses his lips to the side of her neck as they make their way toward the shower stall, hands roaming and Hailey's soft giggles filling the room.
"See what I said? Insatiable. You're definitely trouble," Jay says, smirking at her over his shoulder as he steps out of the bathroom with a towel hung around his waist.
"Yeah, well, you bring it out of me," she calls after him as she drags a brush through her wet hair.
"Mhmmm, I'm sure that's what it is," he calls back to her, laughing quietly and shaking his head as he moves through the bedroom.
He pulls on a fresh pair of boxers and makes his way back to the bed while Hailey finishes up in the bathroom, slipping under the covers and leaning back against the headboard.
Hailey comes out a few minutes later, damp hair brushed out and hanging over her shoulders with a towel around her body.
"So, I was talking to Vanessa last night," she says as she makes her way to the dresser and pulls out a pair of underwear and one of his t-shirts.
"Oh boy," Jay chuckles again.
"What do you mean, oh boy?"
"The two of you plotting together is dangerous."
"What makes you think we were plotting?" Hailey asks him with a raised eyebrow when she turns around to face him. She smirks at him as she drops the towel to the floor and pulls on her underwear, then his t-shirt over her head.
"What did the two of you talk about?" he asks, smiling at her and following her with his eyes as she makes her way to her side of the bed.
She crawls in beside him and sits with her legs crossed, then reaches for one of his hands, toying with his fingers between hers.
"Okay," she says, taking a quick deep breath. "Vanessa is moving out."
The smile fades from Jay's face, certainly not expecting those words from the woman beside him, and he sits up, shaking his head again.
"I'm sorry, Hailey," he sighs.
"What are you sorry for?"
"Because I'm always here and I'm intruding on your space, on her space. This is her home. I'll talk to her and apologize, and I'll go back to my place."
"You don't need to do that," Hailey tells him.
"I do. I'll make it right, I promise," he says as he reaches for her other hand and squeezes it tightly. "I'll fix it."
"Jay," she breathes out, laughing quietly and swallowing nervously as she stares at him for a moment, then says, "I want you to move in."
"What?"
She glances down at their joined hands in her lap and squeezes his fingers, breathing deeply as she meets his eyes.
"Vanessa is moving in with Kev. They're really serious about each other and he asked her last night to move in with him and she said yes," Hailey says, smiling softly at him. "And I am really serious about you and us, and I want you to move in. I want you here with me and Ave all the time. I want forever."
"Really?"
"You seem surprised," she laughs quietly again.
"No, just – are you sure?"
"I am," she nods, swallowing nervously again as she stares at the look on his face. She knows she caught him off guard, but she can't help wondering if maybe she'd spoken too soon so she shakes her head, smiling wider at him. "You don't have to make a decision right now. Just – just think about it and know that the offer is there, okay?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"I don't need to think about it," he tells her, that soft look in his eyes again as he stares back at her and gives another squeeze of her hand. "I wanna move in."
"Yeah?"
"Absolutely," he nods, tugging on her hand and pulling her closer as he leans in toward her. He pulls a hand from hers and lifts it to the side of her face, his thumb brushing over her cheek before he closes the space between them and presses his lips to hers.
"Ya know something? Maybe it was fate," he says quietly when he pulls his lips from hers several moments later.
"What's that?" Hailey asks, tilting her head at him.
"You walking into that credit union last year, becoming a part of the unit, being partners…us."
"You getting philosophical on me now, Halstead?"
"I'm just saying things have a funny way of working out sometimes," he tells her.
"Yeah," Hailey whispers, nodding slowly and smiling wider at him as she squeezes his hand tightly. "Yeah, they do."
A soft knock sounds from the door and then comes the turning of a handle, and they both turn their heads as the bedroom door opens.
"Please tell me you have boxers on under that blanket and you're not about to scar our child for life," Hailey says quickly and quietly as she glances back at him.
"We're good," he nods, chuckling beside her when she breathes out a sigh of relief.
Avery peeks her head around the door a moment later with messy blonde curls and a sleepy smile on her face.
"Hi mama, hi daddy," she says quietly.
"Hi bug," Jay says, smiling at her.
"Morning baby," Hailey calls out to her with a grin as she waves the little girl over to the bed.
Avery shuffles into the room, her space teddy in one hand and the other rubbing away the remainder of sleep from her eyes as she makes her way over to them. She climbs up onto the bench seat at the foot of the bed and crawls in between Hailey and Jay, sitting between them above the covers.
"Did you have a good sleep?" Jay asks, wrapping an arm around the little girl when she snuggles into him.
"Yeah. I slept really good, but I think I danced too much at Aunt Trudy's party," she says, letting out a little yawn.
"No such thing as too much dancing if you had a good time. Did you have fun?" Jay asks her.
"Yeah, I had a lotta fun. I loved my twirly dress," Avery smiles at him.
"You looked so cute in it, spinning all around on the dance floor. I'm glad you had a good time, baby," he tells her, squeezing her against him.
Hailey smiles at the two of them for a moment, then remembers the conversation she and Jay had been having and reaches out a hand to the side of Avery's head.
"Hey, Ave," she calls out to the little girl, raking her fingers through her hair. "What do you think about daddy coming to live here with us? Would you like that?"
"Don't you already live with us?" Avery asks, her eyebrows scrunching together as she glances up at Jay.
Jay grins at her, nodding his head while Hailey chuckles quietly.
"Yeah, I guess he does," she tells her daughter. "But this would be for real. He'd bring all his stuff here and he'd be with us all the time. How's that sound?"
"It sounds good. I like when we're all together," Avery tells them, tilting her head with a sweet and toothy grin on her face.
"I like when we're all together too, bug," Jay says, leaning down to kiss the top of the little girl's head, and then asks, "Anyone want waffles?"
"Me!" Avery squeals, turning her head to look up at him.
"How about you and me make breakfast for daddy this time, huh? What do you think, baby?" Hailey asks, smiling at her daughter.
Avery nods excitedly and Hailey gets out of bed, reaching out a hand to the little girl to help her down, and then the two make their way to the door.
"Well, I'm not staying in bed alone. I can at least supervise," Jay says, pulling himself from the bed to follow after his girls.
"You can help daddy! You can be our soup-chef!" Avery says with another sweet smile.
Hailey and Jay laugh, both nodding their heads at the little girl as the three of them head out of the bedroom.
Avery runs ahead of them, her space teddy tucked under an arm as she makes her way down the stairs, her parents trailing behind her.
Hailey grabs one of Jay's hand as they reach the top of the stairs, tugging gently on his fingers and he turns to look at her with curious eyes.
"I love you," she tells him, lifting her other hand to the side of his face.
"I love you too," he smiles at her before he leans down and presses his lips to hers, soft and slow and sure.
Hailey grins against his mouth as she kisses him back, squeezing his hand in hers as he wraps his other arm around her waist. He holds her tightly as they deepen their kiss for a moment before Avery's excited voice floats up the stairs to them.
"Mama! Daddy! Come on! It's waffle time!"
"Duty calls," Jay sighs as he pulls his lips from Hailey's, but there's a grin still plastered on his face.
She knows he wouldn't want to be anywhere else, and neither would she.
He presses one last kiss to her forehead and tugs on her hand as he removes his arm from around her. He's beaming at her with that soft smile he always wears for her and then they head down the stairs to their daughter, finding her waiting for them with a sweet smile of her own on her little face.
Jay hoists Avery into his arms and carries her to the sink, helping her wash her hands before they start on breakfast together.
Hailey stands back, staring at them with a happy grin and that familiar ache rushing through her as she watches them together.
She can't help wondering if maybe it was fate just like Jay had said, a serendipitous gift from the universe, or maybe it was just pure coincidence. A right place, right time sort of thing.
Whatever it was, it had brought them here, to right now, to being happy and being together. Living and loving through their past lives and traumatic experiences and all the heartache and chaos in between.
Somehow, they had made it.
Somehow, through all of it, they had become a family.