Текст книги "Cherished"

Автор книги: Kelly Elliott

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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 24 страниц)

I carried Heather over to our bed and gently laid her down on it. She looked spent and kept whispering how much she loved me. I loved it when we made sweet, passionate love, but doing what we had just done was so fucking hot. I couldn’t get enough of this woman.

I covered her up and leaned down to kiss her lips. “I love you, princess.”

“Hmm…”

I smiled as I grabbed the vibrator. I took it into the bathroom where I cleaned it off and put it up in the cabinet. I shook my head as I thought about my sweet, innocent wife buying a pleasure kit for my Christmas present…and then I thought back to the blow job. I had to laugh, thinking about the look on her face as she’d spat my come out of her mouth. I turned back toward the bedroom, leaned against the doorjamb, and watched her sleep.

Damn, I’m one lucky son of a bitch.

My phone went off with a text message. I looked at the clock. It was almost midnight. Wonder who that could be on Christmas night?

I walked over and grabbed my phone. I saw it was a text message from Scott. Drake had told me earlier that he had heard from Jessie and that she was in Belize. Scott knew someone who had taken him there even though a storm had just passed through the area.

I opened up the text and read it.

Scott: Got my girl and the most amazing Christmas gift ever. I’ll fill y’all in when we get home. Thanks, guys, for always being there for me. —S

I shook my head. It was about fucking time Jessie had gotten in touch with him, and they’d worked it out. I hadn’t thought Scott would be able to take it much longer if he hadn’t heard from her soon.

I reached for my boxers and pulled them on, and then I grabbed a T-shirt and made my way downstairs. I walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and grabbed a beer. Then, I made my way to the twins’ room. I slowly opened the door and peeked in. Libby was making the sweetest sounds, so I walked in and looked down into her crib. She was lying there with her eyes wide open, looking up at the stars glowing on the ceiling. I smiled as she looked over at me.

“Hey, baby girl. Can’t sleep either, huh?”

I turned and looked into Will’s crib. He was out like a light.

That’s my boy.

I set my beer down, and then I reached in and picked up Libby. I grabbed my beer and made my way out to the living room. I put the beer down on the end table, and I sat in the chair next to the fireplace.

“You hungry, baby? Or do you just want company?” I asked in a whispered voice.

She let out a giggle that caused a warm feeling to run through my whole body. I looked into her eyes as she stared back into mine. Her beautiful blue eyes caused me to catch my breath every time.

“Do you know how much you look like your mommy? So beautiful. I can’t believe you’re really mine, little princess. Yep, you’re my little princess. Don’t tell mommy ’cause she was kind of my first princess.”

It was almost like Libby could understand me because she let out another giggle.

“I love your mommy so much. I love you and Will, too, but your mommy…she’s my everything. She makes me so happy. Her smile…oh man, her smile is my undoing. If she smiled at me the right way, I think I’d do whatever it was she asked.” I laughed and kissed Libby on her forehead. “Kind of like you. I’m pretty sure you’re gonna have your daddy wrapped around your little finger.”

I got up and started moving around as I kept talking to the other girl in my world. “It’s not just her smile. It’s her sweet heart. I hope that you get your mommy’s heart, Libby. She’s so unselfish, and she’d do anything for her friends or me. She amazes me every day. Your grandpa and grandma did such a good job in raising her. I wish we could have met them because I’d love to thank them. If it wasn’t for their love, you and Will wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t have the most amazing woman sleeping so sweetly upstairs. Now, don’t get worried. You’ll always be my number one little girl, I promise…but your mommy…she’ll always be my everything.”

I slowly rocked Libby, and I could tell she was starting to fall asleep. As I began to dance with my daughter, I tried to imagine what it would be like when she got older. I never wanted her heart to be broken…ever. I was going to have to make sure her brother knew how to threaten any boy who even looked at his sister in the wrong way.

I began to hum to her when I heard her little breathing getting softer. I glanced up and saw Heather sitting on the steps. I noticed tears rolling down her face as she smiled at me. I smiled back and started to walk toward her. She stood up and gently put her hand on Libby’s back as she leaned in and smelled her. She was always smelling them both. She’d said she loved their baby smell, and she’d even refused to wash a few of their outfits, so she would have the smell always.

“Is she asleep?” she whispered.

I nodded and gestured toward the bedroom. After entering their room, I walked up to the crib, gently laid Libby down, and covered her up. I quietly shut the door and turned, and then Heather threw herself into my arms.

I held her as I felt her sobbing. “Baby, what’s wrong?” I moved my hand up and down her body.

She had thrown on one of my T-shirts, and there was nothing sexier than her wearing only my shirt.

“I just love you so much. I love you, Josh Hayes.”

She pulled back, and the look in her eyes about brought me to my knees.

“Josh, will you please make love to me?” she asked.

I smiled as I gently picked her up and kissed her. She tasted like heaven.

“Yes, princess,” I said as I carried her back up to our bedroom.

After laying her down on the bed, I slowly crawled on top of Heather. I took in every inch of her beautiful body with my hands. I just wanted to touch every square inch of her. I’d never gone so slowly while making love to Heather before, but I just wanted it to last forever. I wanted to stay like this with her, connected together.

Then, she grabbed my arms and threw her head back. I could practically feel her squeezing my dick. I leaned down and took her lips with mine as we both came together. Nothing would ever feel better than making love to my wife and then seeing the love in her eyes as she smiled at me.

“That was amazing, Josh.”

I kissed her nose and gently pulled myself out of her. I rolled over and lay next to her. She rolled onto her side and started running her fingers through my hair.

“Thank you,” she said.

I looked over at her and laughed. “Thank you, princess. I swear to God, it gets more amazing every time.”

She shook her head. “No…I mean, thank you for what you said to Libby.”

I closed my eyes and then opened them again. “How much did you hear?”

“All of it. I started to come downstairs, but then I heard you talking to her, so I stopped and listened to you. You’re my everything, too, Josh, and I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you and the twins. I feel so blessed that it’s not even funny.”

I nodded. Then, I thought about Scott and Jessie. I hadn’t told Heather that I’d heard from him. “I got a text from Scott. He said he was with Jessie, and he had gotten the best Christmas present ever. What do you think he meant?” I pushed a piece of her hair out of her eyes.

She took a deep breath. “Probably just getting Jess back, maybe? I just can’t believe Jessie left us all hanging like that. I’m kind of pissed at her.”

I let out a chuckle. Ari had said the same thing to Jeff and me earlier. Ellie was so mad at Jessie that she’d told Gunner to keep Jessie away for at least a week after she got home.

“I kind of feel sorry for Jessie. Y’all are mad at her. She’s not going to get a very good welcome home.”

Heather smiled. “No…no, she’s not. So, Scott better make sure he gives her one!”

I laughed. “Oh, believe me, I’m sure he intends to.”

As Heather snuggled in next to me and drifted off to sleep, I tried to shake the bad feeling I was having. A part of me didn’t think that everything would be going back to normal.

I closed my eyes and thanked God for the girl in my arms and for the babies sleeping downstairs. Then, I prayed for my friends to be happy and for the feeling in my gut about Jessie and Scott to be wrong.

Jessie had hardly spoken two words during the entire drive up to Mr. Martin’s house. After a quick tour of the house, Lark showed us to the guesthouse, which I swore was almost the size of my house.

I couldn’t shake the unnerving feeling I had. Jessie seemed to be uncomfortable around me.

Does she really believe it wasn’t me?

Maybe once we were finally alone, it would be better. I shut the door and turned to see Jessie standing there, staring at me. My heart started pounding.

“Did you want to call your dad or anything, honey?” I asked as I noticed the look in her eyes change.

The next thing I knew, she was slamming into me and holding on to me so tightly. Then, she began sobbing.

“Jessie…baby, please don’t cry. I’m so sorry all this happened. It took everything out of me not to kill Bryce and Chelsea. I’m so sorry, baby, that she hurt you and caused you to—”

She pulled back and looked at me with tears streaming down her face. She looked down and said, “Run away? Because that’s what I did, and I’ll never forgive myself for it. Never.”

I shook my head and tilted her chin up to make her look at me. “I love you, Jessie. I’m not going to lie and say that the past five weeks were okay because they weren’t. I was dying a slow death when you were gone.”

She sucked in a breath of air and started shaking her head as she began crying harder. “I’m so sorry. I should have talked to you instead of running away like an idiot and—”

I pulled her to me. “Shh…it’s over now, baby. We’re together now, and you know the truth. Jessie…as God as my witness, I promise you that I’ll never be unfaithful to you…ever. I’m yours, body and soul. And now…now, we’re going to have a baby.”

She buried her face in my chest and just kept repeating how much she loved me. She finally looked up and said, “Please…I just need you so much. I need you to hold me…I need you to make love to me, Scott. I’ve missed you so much.”

My heart was breaking. She looked so sad, and I knew she was feeling guilty for leaving and for being gone for so long. I reached down and gently moved my lips across hers as she let out the sweetest moan ever. Just the idea that she was carrying my child caused my heart to practically burst with happiness.

She reached her hands up and ran her fingers through my hair. She pulled on it as she bit down on my lower lip.

Oh god, I want her so much. “Jessie…I’ve missed you so damn much,” I whispered against her lips.

“Touch me, Scott…please just touch me.”

I put my hands on either side of her face and deepened our kiss. I was going to go slow with my lovemaking. It had been too long since I had been with her, and I needed her to know how much I wanted her. She had come back to me, and that was all that mattered right now. I slowly started walking her backward until she hit the bed. The windows were open, and all I could hear were the waves crashing on the shore.

I pulled my lips away and whispered, “I love you, Jessie. I love you to the moon and back.”

I watched as a tear slowly made its way down her cheek. I used my thumb to brush it away. I moved my hands and began taking off her T-shirt. She stood there, chewing on her lower lip, and I didn’t think my dick could get any harder than it was. Then, I placed my hand on her stomach as I dropped to my knees. I kissed her on the stomach and looked up at her. Her head was back, and she was touching her breasts. I wanted to rip off her damn clothes…but slowly. I needed to go slow.

I looked back at her stomach and said, “Best Christmas present ever.”

“Scott…oh god, I love you so much.”

I began to unbutton her jeans, and then I slid them down her legs…oh-so slowly. She lifted one leg and then the other as I pulled off her pants. I glanced up her body. She had on a pair of blue boy shorts and a white lace bra.

My god, she’s so damn beautiful. The thought of her stomach growing bigger with my child sent shivers through my body.

I began kissing her body as I stood up. She had her hands in my hair, and the little noises she was making were making it harder for me to go slow.

“Scott…” she whispered over and over.

I began kissing her gently as I unhooked her bra and slipped it off her shoulders. I cupped her breasts in my hands and squeezed gently.

“Oh god…they’re so tender,” she said as she snapped her head straight and looked me in the eyes.

“I want to kiss them, baby…can I kiss them?” I licked my lips.

She smiled and nodded. The moment I put her nipple in my mouth, I reached my hand into her panties and brushed my fingers against her.

My god, her panties are so wet. I stopped sucking on her one nipple and made my way over to the other one. “Jesus, Jessie, baby…”

“Yes…oh god, yes.”

I slipped two fingers inside her and started gently moving them in and out.

“Scott…my god…I feel like I’m going to come.”

I stopped my fingers.

She immediately grabbed on to my shirt and called out, “No! Please don’t stop.”

“Hmm…I don’t want you to come yet, baby. Lie down on the bed, Jess.”

The look in her eyes was driving me insane. She quickly moved and lay down on the bed. Her whole body was shaking. I began to take off my clothes.

Slowly.

She locked her eyes on mine, and I swore she was peering into my soul. I’d never in my life loved her as much as I did at this very moment. As I took off my jeans and boxers, I watched her eyes move down and lock on to my rock-hard dick. When she licked her lips, I let out a growl, and her eyes snapped back up to mine. I gently made my way onto the bed and hovered over her.

“Scott…I want you inside me so badly. I just need to feel you close to me. Please.”

As much as I wanted to just slam myself into her, I forced myself to smile and wink at her. “Oh, baby, don’t worry…I plan on burying myself so deep inside you that you’ll know I’ve been there for the next few days.”

She closed her eyes and lifted her body up to me as she threw her head back. She sucked in a breath of air as she brought her hands up and touched her breasts.

“Please. I can’t stand it any longer.”

A part of me wanted her to beg me. I wanted her to know how I’d felt all those weeks when she had left me alone…wondering where she was and what she was doing…and who she was with.

I moved down and kissed right above her clit. She let out a gasp as she put her hands in my hair and began pushing me down. I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“Oh, baby…have you missed my touch?” I asked.

She began thrashing her head back and forth as I started to blow on her clit. I quickly ran my tongue over it, and she let out a small scream.

“Oh god…Scott. Yes! Yes…I’ve missed your touch and your smile. I’ve missed your laugh. I’ve missed the way you hold me and kiss me. I’ve missed making love to you. Fuck! Jesus…I’ve missed being with you…”

That was all I needed to hear. I placed my lips on her clit and began sucking as I put three fingers inside her.

“Ah…oh…oh my god! Yes! Scott…I’m going to come…oh god, yes! That. Feels. So. Amazing.” Then, she began calling out my name over and over.

The rush of wetness was more than I could take. I pulled my lips away and took my fingers out. I moved up and barely pushed my dick inside her.

“Scott! Please…oh god, please. More.”

I slowly pushed myself into her warm body. I lowered my head and let out a moan against her neck. “Motherfucker…you feel so damn good.”

“Oh…” was all she could say as she brought me in closer to her.

It was like she couldn’t get me in her deep enough. I began moving in and out, and she let out the most amazing noises.

I began thrusting harder in her. “I missed you, Jessie. Don’t. Ever. Leave. Me. Again,” I said with each thrust into her.

“Never!”

I’m not going to last long. Oh god, I’ve missed her.

“Harder, Scott. Please go faster and harder.”

I gave her what she asked for. “Talk to me, Jessie…promise me that you’ll always talk to me,” I said as I slammed myself into her harder.

I wanted her to feel me…to feel how much she was mine.

“I will…I promise. God, I promise you…”

The moment she began calling out my name with her orgasm, I couldn’t hold off any longer.

“Jessie…baby, I’m gonna come.”

“Yes! Scott…it feels so good.”

I swore I could feel every ounce of me pour into her. After I finally caught my breath, I just held myself slightly off her body. I was still inside her, not wanting to move. I just wanted to stay inside her warm body.

“I love you so much. Don’t ever leave me again, Jessie,” I said as I kissed along her neck.

“Scott, oh god, I love you. I love you so much, and I’m so sorry for everything.”

I slowly moved myself off of her, and then I lay down next to her. I rolled her against me, and we faced the giant window overlooking the beach.

I closed my eyes and thanked God for her and for the baby and for finally bringing us together again.

Finally…things are going to be okay because we are together again.

As I listened to Scott breathing in and out, I was overcome with a sense of relief that we were together again. He had made such sweet, passionate love to me. I reached my hand up and ran my fingers along my swollen lips. I closed my eyes and could practically feel his lips on me.

Then, the sheet of guilt swept over my body. I opened my eyes and looked out to the ocean.

Talk to me, Jessie…promise me that you’ll always talk to me.

My heart started pounding in my chest, and I fought the urge to start crying again. I have to tell him what happened. If I don’t…it will eat me alive.

I slowly moved Scott’s arm off of me and rolled over to look at him. I can’t believe he got his friend to bring him here…on a helicopter of all things! My heart swelled, knowing he had come for me as soon as he’d found out where I had been.

I closed my eyes and thought of Chelsea. I wanted to kill her for doing this to us. She’d pushed me away from him. If I hadn’t been so damn scared, I would have called my father weeks ago, and I would have found out the truth, and I would have never, ever kissed Trey…or let him touch me…or let him make me feel the way he’d made me feel.

Oh god, please let him forgive me. Please.

I peeked up and saw it was just after six in the morning. Scott and I had made love three times throughout the night. Each time had been so different. The first time was almost a blur. I just knew how much I’d needed his touch and needed to feel his love. The second time was hotter than hell. I had gotten up to take a shower, and the next thing I’d known, Scott had been fucking me up against the wall with the hot water just pouring on us. The third time was the most amazing. I swore Scott had kissed every inch of my body. He’d moved so slow and sweet while he’d whispered the most romantic things in my ear. I’d never had so many orgasms in one night.

I heard Scott’s cell phone buzz on the table. I stood up and grabbed his shirt. I slipped it over my head as I walked over and picked up his phone. I saw it was a message from my dad. I thought about how angry he had been when I’d talked to him last night. Ugh…I’m going to have to hear it from him when I get back. He’s going to lay into me about how I walked away from the vet clinic…and how I could have walked away from the love of my life.

I moved across the room over to the giant sliding glass door and watched the sky light up. So much had happened in the last two months, and at the same time, I felt like my life had been at a standstill. I ran my hand down my body and felt my tender breasts. Then, I placed my hand on my stomach.

The moment I felt Scott’s hands over mine, the butterflies took off in my stomach. I leaned back against him and smiled.

“I missed you,” he whispered.

The tears began building. “I missed you, too.”

“Did you want to try to leave today? Or would you like to stay a few days?” he asked as he held me closer to him.

The moment I felt his erection pressing into my back, I wanted to tell him to take me again. I wanted to forget the last five weeks and focus on our future together—just Scott, our child, and me.

“I’m not sure. Do you think we can get flights out?”

Scott let out a laugh. “Baby, if you haven’t noticed, my best friend has a helicopter, and he can take us home anytime you say the word.”

The idea of going home excited me so much. I was so ready to leave and get back. I missed work. I missed my father, brothers, and the girls. I missed waking up every morning, looking at the love of my life.

I turned and looked into his eyes. “I want to go home.”

The smile that spread across Scott’s face caused me to smile in return. Then, I thought of why I wanted to get off this island so quickly.

I’m running away again—running from the truth.

I took a deep breath and looked away from Scott. “Um…before we leave, I have something I need to tell you,” I said as my voice cracked.

Scott took a step back and looked at me. “About what? Is everything okay with the baby?” His eyes were filled with fright.

“Yes. I mean I’m sure everything is okay with the baby. Um…this has to do with Trey.”

The second I said his name, Scott’s eyes turned to anger…and then sadness.

Oh god. The sadness in his eyes about killed me.

He knows. He must know that something happened.

He took another step back. “Okay…what about Trey?”

I took in a breath and bit down on my lower lip. “Something happened.”

“No…oh god. Jessie, you didn’t…you didn’t sleep with him, did you? You told me you didn’t sleep with him,” Scott said as his legs began to wobble.

“No! No, of course, I didn’t sleep with him. I would never lie to you, Scott, ever.”

He threw his hands in his hair and then ran them down his face. I just stood there with tears rolling down my face now.

“Well then, what the hell happened, Jessie? Because the shit that’s running through my head right now is driving me fucking mad!” he yelled.

I jumped and started crying harder. “Um…we…um—”

He shook his head. “What? You kissed? Did you kiss him?”

I slowly nodded my head.

His eyes began to turn gray. “How many times?”

My mouth dropped open. “Does it matter?”

He nodded. “To me, it does.”

I started biting and chewing on my lower lip. “A few times.”

“Friendly kisses or more?”

“At first, it was friendly, but a couple were, um…”

His eyes filled with tears. “Is that it? Is that all you did with him? You just kissed him?”

I shook my head, and then I watched his face drop as a tear escaped down his cheek. He slowly backed up and sat down on the bed.

“What did you do together if you didn’t fuck, Jessie?” he shouted.

“Scott…you have to understand that, at the time, I thought you had slept with Chelsea. I thought you’d cheated. I was hurting so bad, and he was hurting, and we both just wanted to forget…and…” I couldn’t talk anymore.

His head was down, so I couldn’t see his face. When he looked up at me, the hurt in his eyes was more than I could stand. When I started to walk toward him, he jumped up and held out his hand.

“What. Did. You. Do. With. Him?”

“Does it matter?”

He turned and knocked over the lamp on the end table. It crashed to the floor, causing me to jump back and scream.

“Yes! Yes, it fucking matters. You’re the one who brought it up, for Christ’s sake. I just made love to you all night long. Were you thinking of him while we fucked, Jessie?”

I started crying so hard that I could hardly talk. I began shaking my head frantically back and forth. “Scott…I love you…I only want to be with you.”

He walked up to me and grabbed me by the shoulders. “Tell me what happened, Jessie. Tell me!” he screamed.

“Um…he took off my clothes, and…and he touched me.”

His eyes filled with anger, and I felt my whole body shaking.

“Where? How?”

I closed my eyes and tried to erase the memory. “He…he kissed on my nipples…while he…while he…oh, Scott, please…I made him stop, and I felt so guilty afterward…even though I thought you had cheated on me. I made him stop!” I shouted out.

“Did he finger-fuck you, Jess? Did you come?”

I couldn’t move. I tried to open my mouth, but nothing would come out.

“Jessie!”

“Yes! Yes…he touched me with his fingers, but no…I didn’t come. I made him stop almost as soon as he’d started because I couldn’t do that to you. I love you, Scott. I love you so much, even when I thought you had hurt me. I still loved you too much to do that.”

Scott looked down at his hands holding on to my shoulders, and he quickly let go. He started to back up slowly. “He touched you while you were pregnant…with my child, Jessie. You let him suck on your nipples…while you were pregnant with my child.” He started to shake his head, and then he looked at me with disgust on his face.

“I didn’t know I was pregnant at the time! I would have never let me touch him if I had known, I swear on my life!” I cried hysterically.

Scott reached into his bag and grabbed a pair of jeans and then a T-shirt.

“Where…where are you going?” I asked in a panicked voice.

“I need to go for a walk. I need to clear my head.”

I started panicking even more. He’s going to leave me. “No…please don’t leave me. You have to believe me when I say that it meant nothing. I swear to God, it meant nothing. I just want to be with you.”

Scott turned and looked at me. “It all makes sense now—the way you were looking at him when I walked up, what you wrote to your dad on the postcard. It all makes sense.”

Wait…what is he saying? “No…” I whispered.

“Have you seen him since you told me you’re pregnant?”

“Yes. He was waiting for me at my cabana to make sure I was alright.”

“Did he ask you to stay with him?”

I shook my head. “He knows I love you and only you!”

“Oh yeah? Sure doesn’t seem like he cares if he’s fucking you with his fingers and sucking on your nipples, now does it?”

I felt like I was going to throw up. “Scott…we were both lost and hurting. I would have never…I didn’t…I stopped him. All I could think about was you and how wrong it felt, even when I thought you had cheated on me. Please, Scott. You have to know that I wish to God it had never happened.” I sucked in a breath of air as I sobbed. I tried to keep talking. “If I just hadn’t run away, none of this would have happened.”

The look in his eyes turned from anger to hurt. “You never even called…you just left. You left me to wonder where in the fuck you were and whom you were with. I was slowly dying with each day that passed.”

I sat down on the bed and put my head in my hands. “I’m so sorry! I’m so, so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I would never hurt you.”

I looked up and saw tears rolling down his face. I did hurt him though. I did the one thing I thought he was going to do to me.

He shook his head and walked past me. When he opened the sliding glass door, I jumped up and grabbed his arm.

“Wait! Where are you going, Scott? Please don’t walk away. Please don’t leave me.”

He slowly looked up at me, and the sadness in his eyes gutted me.

“I need to be alone for a while. I need to think, Jessica.”

I threw my hand up to my mouth and tried to keep the sick feeling I had down. “Let me come with you…please,” I begged.

“No. I just need some time to clear my head. I can’t even really think right now. Every time I look at you, I think of him touching the one thing that I value the most in this world. I think of you, pregnant, with him…” He stopped talking as he turned and walked out the sliding glass door.

I stood there, watching him head toward the beach. I quickly turned and ran into the bathroom where I began throwing up.

Scott had been gone for over thirty minutes. I walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. I found it stocked with bottled waters and every kind of beer I could think of. I grabbed a bottle of water and made my way out to the deck that was off of the main living room. The view was amazing. I looked up and down the beach, but I saw no signs of Scott. I quickly wiped away the tear I felt, and I tried my best to keep from crying.

I was starting to get cold, so I walked back in and grabbed a blanket. I headed back outside. I was so tired, and I fought to keep my eyes open. I was hungry also.

I placed my hand on my stomach, and for the first time, I talked to my child. “Daddy is upset with Mommy, and he has every right to be. I really screwed up…but I thought your daddy screwed up first.” I made a face and shook my head. “Not that it really matters who screwed up first. I love Daddy, and I know Daddy loves me and you, pumpkin. Mommy just needs to make him understand that I love him so much, and I would never, ever hurt him. Without your daddy, I’d be…I’d be…” I began crying again.

Jesus Christ. What is with me and all the crying?

“I’m so tired, pumpkin, so very tired.”

I leaned my head back and decided I was just going to rest my eyes for one minute. I didn’t want to miss Scott when he came back.

As I slipped deeper and deeper into sleep, I began dreaming.

Scott and I were walking in a field, holding hands and laughing. I heard someone calling out my name. I tried to ignore the voice, but Scott kept looking back over his shoulder. I tried to keep him walking straight.

Ignore it, Scott. Please ignore it.

Scott turned around and made a funny face. As I spun around, I saw Trey walking up. He reached out and began pulling me away from Scott. I started pushing Trey away, but he kept pulling me harder and harder.

Don’t let go of me, Scott! Please don’t let go of me.

Before I knew what was happening, Scott was fading away, and I stood there, crying out his name, as Trey just smiled. I turned to look at Trey, and he smiled bigger.

He said, “I won.”

I opened my eyes quickly and sat up. I was sweating, but I was so cold. I shook my head to clear out the dream. Shit.

I turned and looked at the clock in the living room. He’d been gone for almost an hour. I held my hand up to my mouth to keep from crying.

“Scott…please come back to me. Please…please come back to me,” I whispered.

I closed my eyes and silently began crying…again.