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Ray groaned as he rolled onto his back in Neela's bed and wiped some drool off of his face.
Eww, must have passed out. He thought thinking he had only nodded off for a few minutes.
He strained his neck to glance at the alarm clock on the bedside table it read 12:30 am.
No way!
His stomach growled as he shot up into a sitting position.
Neela where is she? She hasn't come to bed.
He jumped up off of the bed and quietly made his way out of the bedroom. He could see Neela's sleeping form on the couch, she looked cold and was all
bundled up in a wool sweater. The book she had been reading was resting on the coffee table in front of her. Ray stood there for a moment and scratched
the back of his head. He felt like crap, not only emotionally but physically too. Neela was right he had had too much to drink and was feeling the after
effects of it right now.
He walked very quietly into the kitchen and turned on the light over the stove top. He pulled the pizza box out of the oven and threw two slices onto a
plate and popped it in the microwave to reheat it. He turned to look back at Neela to make sure he hadn't woken her. She was stirring but seemed to
have resumed her sleep. He loaded up the coffee maker and turned it on. He didn't anticipate getting any more sleep tonight. Now that the effects of the
alcohol were wearing off and his mind would no doubt be once again plagued by thoughts and insecurities regarding his future with Neela.
He walked over to Neela on the couch and pulled down the knitted throw blanket off of the back of the couch and rested it lightly over her. She moaned
and whispered something incoherent as she shifted in her sleep to get more comfortable on the couch. Ray stood there for a moment and relished in her
beauty. She was so strong, so passionate and beautiful. He could not stand the thought of possibly losing her.
He was snapped out of his reverie when the microwave beeper went off. He walked back into the kitchen area and started to munch on his now warmed
up pizza as he stood against the fridge all the while still watching Neela sleep.
I should wake her up and tell her to take the bedroom he thought.
But he didn't want to disturb her just yet. She looked so peaceful, finally resting after the turbulence of the days' events.
After he finished eating he took a freshly percolated cup of coffee over to an armchair located across from the couch where Neela was sleeping and sat
down in the darkness and sipped his drink quietly. The dim light of a night lamp from the bedroom and the oven light from the kitchen lit up Neela's face
enough for Ray to now notice it was stained with dried tears.
Damn, I'm such an idiot for doing this to her.
He thought as he sat in his chair sipping his coffee and sobering up while watching her sleep for what felt like a good while when suddenly she started to
move from side to side in her sleep and mumble again. He leaned forward, wondering whether or not he should wake her up, comfort her? Perhaps she
was having a bad dream? Her voice was getting louder,
"No, no... Please, don't go... No" she was pleading with someone or something in her dream.
Ray finally decided to step in. He jumped across the coffee table that had been separating them and sat next to her on the couch and gently placed his
hands on both of her arms and shook her awake.
"Neela, Neela, wake up. You're having a bad dream" He said concerned.
She started to move more violently and suddenly her eyes shot open and she looked at him. She seemed confused for a moment of her exact location
and his close proximity.
"What? What are you-" she started to say as Ray pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair.
"Shhhh, it's okay. I'm sorry you ended up falling asleep on the couch. I didn't mean to fall asleep for that long in there" he said nodding towards the
bedroom as she pulled back from him a bit and looked at him confused.
"What time is it?" she asked sleepily.
"It's almost one am now. Why don't you take the bedroom, I'll stay out here" Ray said looking down at his hands.
"I dunno if I can fall asleep again now... I was having some terrible dreams..." Neela trailed off as she sat up and pulled back and away from
Ray who had still been holding onto her.
"Oh? Do you want to talk about it?" Ray asked sheepishly as he got up to pour her a cup of coffee in the kitchen he came back and offered it to her with a
weak smile.
"Here, it's fresh" he said as she accepted it.
Oh sure, now he wants to talk. Neela thought to herself sarcastically.
She smiled back ever so faintly.
"No, it was nothing... just some stupid dreams" she shook it off.
Ray was unsure where to sit or stand, he stood awkwardly in front of her for a moment and then opted to take a seat back in the chair across the table
from her where he had originally been sitting when she started to stir.
"I'm sorry I came back in that state today. You were right, drinking never solves anything" Ray said meekly looking down at his lap.
"How was your nap?" Neela asked as she sipped on her warm drink.
"Well, I woke up in a pile of drool... so I guess it was good" Ray joked looking up at her.
He cocked his head to the side and smiled at her while looking her right in the eyes. She shifted her eyes away but did smile back.
There's hope yet.
Ray thought to himself encouragingly.
"So you've got the day off tomorrow? Err today I guess really?" Ray asked attempting to keep the ball rolling on this conversation they had started.
"Yes." Neela replied with just one word.
She set her cup down on the table in front of her and looked at Ray.
"Ray, I don't know if you remember what I said when you came back but I really am sor-" she started only to be cut off by Ray.
"I know. I can't say that those words didn't cut right to my heart. But I accept the apology. We were both starting to say some really messed up things. That's why I left, I didn't want to say anything I would regret out of anger" he said.
"Oh you mean like I did?" Neela joked looking at him.
"Yah. Kinda." Ray shot her a huge grin.
"Neela, you know that I care about you... I never wanted to give you the impression that you weren't the most important thing in my life right now, because you are" Ray said assuredly.
Neela bit her lip and looked at him apprehensively.
"I just didn't get it... you know... why you didn't wanna talk... I mean it just seems like we have so much to discuss, stuff that we weren't able to get into over the phone" she said looking at him longingly.
Ray got up and moved next to Neela on the couch. He gently pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes as she looked down. He raised her chin so they were
looking each other in the eyes.
There's that look of passion again.
Neela thought as she stared at him intensely. Ray took hold of one of Neela's hand in his own and held it possessively,
"Right now, or whenever you're ready we can talk about whatever you want to talk about. I love you, and I will do anything to make this work" Ray said
and then smiled at her as he got comfortable on the couch leaning back and turning his head to face her, still holding her hand. He brought her hand to his
lips and kissed it softly before letting it go. He then grazed the side of her cheek with his hand and cautiously brought his lips to hers for a soft tender kiss.
She kissed him back, softly a few times before pulling her lips away from him.
"Oh no mister, you are not getting out of this that easily...' Neela joked looking at him.
"Who me?" Ray pretended to not know what Neela was getting at.
"Are you accusing me of trying to distract you? How rude" he cocked and eyebrow and ran his fingers through her hair messing it up playfully.
"Ray!" Neela scolded as she slapped him playfully on the arm and reached for his hair.
"Oh no, not the hair!" he said as he grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms down to her sides and held them there.
"No fair" Neela teased pouting and then smiling at him.
"It's nice to see that smile again" Ray leaned into her and whispered it into her ear.
Neela felt goose bumps rise all over her body as he did this and a slight shiver shot through her as he pulled back from her ear to look her in the eyes again.
"Hey so I have an idea..." Neela said as she raised her eyebrows and stared at him he had finally released her wrists so her hands were free again.
She set one of her hands down on his thigh as she spoke.
"I'm listening..." Ray raised an eyebrow and gave her a peculiar look.
"How about we go to bed right now, and in the morning when we wake up we do our best to forget this day ever took place?" Neela asked genuinely.
"That is a great idea" Ray turned to her with puppy dog eyes and with a grin plastered on his face as he put his hand over her hand that was resting on his leg and stroked it gently.
"Okay then, what are we waiting for?" Neela jumped up off the couch and took Ray by the hands and pulled him up too. As she began to drag Ray
towards the bedroom he pulled her back towards him and engulfed her in an all encompassing embrace.
"Ray, what are you doing?" Neela's voice was muffled as she spoke into his chest.
"We may be forgetting the rest of the day but this part I want to remember" he spoke softly as he looked down at her.
He released her but they stayed close just holding hands and looking at each other for a moment.
"Alright, come on you... I believe we have some more making up to do" Neela flirted as she finally succeeded in pulling him off towards the bedroom.
Ray smiled to himself as he stripped down to his boxers while watching Neela get into bed. She had just slipped into one of his T-shirts and looked quite comfortable as she sat up in bed waiting for him to join her.
This is how it's supposed to be.
Neela thought to herself as she watched Ray make his way to the bed. He sat down and removed his prosthetics and slipped under the covers and pulled her into an embrace. Thankfully, the crisis had seemingly been averted and things appeared to be on the mend. The true test would come tomorrow when they woke up and tried to start off all over again.