Kenna comes home after four weeks apart. She looks haunted but relieved when she steps into his warm embrace and inhales his scent. She's gone back to work to take her mind off of things so whenever he had mustered enough confidence to go over to Mary and Francis's to talk to her, he was met with her not being there. Their place really was a place to sleep.

"How are you?" Bash asks, helping her bring her suitcase in as she waits for him by the door.

Kenna latches herself back onto him once the door closes. "I'm sorry. I just needed space-"

"Don't be silly," he cuts her off, tightening his hold on her. "I couldn't sleep without you."

She lets out a wry chuckle. "James snuggled up with me whenever he caught me crying. He's only three, how is he so smart?"

Bash cups her cheek, kissing her lips softly. "As much as I love this limbo, we've got to break it and talk."

Kenna nods and leads him over to the sofa where they sit apart. But her hand reaches across for his and she smiles when he accepts it. "So..."

"I want to say sorry too," Bash starts. "You're right. I left last year and it was unfair of me to have sex with you after that. I shouldn't have used the Antoine thing against you."

"Okay..."

"I want to trust you and I do," he continues on. "But sometimes, I'm scared what I have to say will make you leave."

Kenna eyes him in confusion. "I won't ever use anything to leave you. You can tell me anything. Our relationship was based on trust, Bash. God knows when we stopped trusting each other and I hate it. I'll always trust you. Now, trust me enough to want to be there for whatever plagues your mind."

Bash presses a kiss on her lips, cupping her cheeks. She sighs happily, shifting across the sofa to wrap her arms around his neck as their lips continue their dance.

After a while, he pulls away and says, "Promise me?"

"I promise," she replies hoarsely even though she doesn't know what she's promising exactly.

"I've been seeing the therapist alone."

"So have I," she admits, making them both chuckle in slight surprise.

Then he swallows hard. "Kenna, I've been..."

"Yeah?"

"Lately, as of last year, I guess... I thought about being with other women. I don't know what possessed such thoughts but I didn't act on anything, I swear," he tells her, his breath hitching nervously in his throat. He almost can't breathe. "It started when I followed my dad to that business event in America and I went to the bar alone because I didn't feel like going golfing with him and his friends... There was this woman and she kept eyeing me up and I considered it but showed her my ring and she took her attention elsewhere. I felt sick but at the same time, I was flattered because of the attention she gave me. She made me feel wanted for those brief minutes of flirting."

Kenna sighs heavily, bringing her legs up beneath her. "Bash," she starts, his eyes tearing up as he meets hers. She gives him a sad smile. "I considered it too."

He's surprised and then he releases a breath before bringing her into his arms, burying his face into her hair as tears slide down his cheeks. "Did you-"

"I went to Church and sought guidance about my urges," she admits. "He told me to pray on it and talk to you. Neither proved futile but I kept my fidelity."

"When was it?" He asks out of curiosity. It mustn't be the Antoine thing, could it be?

Kenna shrugs. "A few months ago. He was a client who wanted to be involved with his parents' anniversary event," she informs him. "He suggested dinner, I brought my personal assistant along to let him know that things were strictly professional and that I was married. Happily so. Or somewhat... He kept his distance, thankfully but I found myself thinking about him. I hated it." Her voice breaks now and tears stream down her cheeks too as he thumbs them away, pressing kisses where they used to be. "I just wanted you."

"I love you so much. I want you to want and need me, don't be ashamed to do so," he tells her, resting his forehead against hers. "You're not needy. If anyone's needy, it's me and I'm sorry I've not been giving you the attention you deserve. I just want us to go back to normal."

"This may be our new normal," Kenna replies tightly.

"No," he says firmly with a sniffle. "It's not. Because we'll try."

Kenna lets out a sob and she nods, snuggling into his side as he rests his back against the sofa, rubbing her shoulder and forearm as she cries. Her grip on him tightens and she smiles a little, feeling him press a kiss on the top of her head.

"I'm sorry I left this conversation for a month," she says after she's calmed down.

Bash laughs a little. "Better late than never, hmm?"

She looks up at him, smiling back. "Hmm," she hums in agreement before their lips meet.

...

The next morning, they wake up like that and as much as Bash wants to stay in her arms forever, he's got to go to work. He gives her a chaste kiss on her forehead to sate her before heading upstairs for a shower as she does whatever to prepare for her day.

A couple of minutes under the stream of hot water, he feels her arms wrap around his waist and he turns in them, kissing her. She smiles against his lips, hands trailing down his wet skin as he massages the back of her neck with one hand, the other resting on the lower end of her back.

They've not taken a shower together in ages, let alone react this way to each other whenever they were both in the bathroom at the same time. Normally one would be in the shower or using the toilet and the other would be sorting their hair our, face out and brushing their teeth.

They're comfortable but it's never led anywhere other than a chaste kiss to get the day started. But lately, Kenna's woken up alone in bed, her desire for working decreasing.

"Hmm," she hums, his lips shifting to her neck. "You've got work."

"I can be late for once," he mumbles before meeting her lips once more but she pulls away, chuckling softly as she runs her hands through his hair, reaching a hand to grab the shampoo.

"I don't want you to be late," she tells him. "You love work."

Then she's shampooing his hair, then soaping his body up and nuzzling her nose against his with a smile.

"We haven't done this in a while," he says, returning the favour as he brings the shower head to wet her hair.

"No," she agrees. "We should do it more often?"

He nods, kissing her. "We definitely should."

He continues washing her hair, his fingers brushing over her skin after her hair has been dealt with. They run down her arms, tingling her skin as they trail to her waist and hips, his hands sliding behind her back and landing on her bum.

"No more running away," he states, kissing her nose and then forehead.

"No more running away," she agrees, resting her cheek against his chest. "I love you."

His fingers run down her hair. "I love you too."