The room had taken on a grayish tone when she opened her eyes. Biting her lip, she eased her back further into Nick's chest behind her, taking a shallow breath hoping not to wake him yet. She squinted in the darkness trying to read the clock on the DVD player across the room.
5:17 am
Almost morning.
How much longer could they lay here before her dad woke up and found them together?
She closed her eyes, wishing time would stand still. What if Nick woke up today and decided that all this was a mistake? What if he thought her dad was right? What if he didn't want to be with her?
Her breath caught in her throat as she struggled to breath just thinking about this being the end. She wanted this so badly. Being with him had been...could she even find the words? The way he looked at her, and touched her, and made her feel like she was the only woman he ever wanted. The way he had burst through the elevator door and swept her into his arms to carry him to his bed. When did he become so bold? So confident? So...loving?
Love.
Why had being with him only once make her feel more love for him than she had ever felt for anyone before? Why was he so good at knowing exactly what she needed? Had it always been this way and she just hadn't noticed?
She felt a pain deep in her chest thinking back to last night. "Everyone figures it out eventually. You will too." She swallowed the lump in her throat, closing her eyes against the wall of tears forming in her eyes. He couldn't be more wrong. What would she have to do to prove to him that this wasn't a mistake? Did he even know how much of a mess she was? They were both a mess, but she wanted him to be her mess. For good. No doubts, no panic moon walking away, no middle school dance rules... He had been the best part of her life for a long time, how had she not realized it before now? She wanted this more than anything and she meant what she had said to Cece yesterday, this could be the start of something amazing. She just had to figure out a way to hold on to him long enough for him to see it too. To convince him that she didn't want to give up on this.
She felt him shift behind her, his arms tightening around her as he mumbled her name in his sleep. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and settling into his embrace.