Three days of you

56. Chase

Did she say what he thought she just said? His brain was having some trouble processing the words that she spoke. Some part of him couldn't believe this was happening. It was one thing to feel in love with someone, but being loved by someone in return was something very powerful. It had the capability to bring a man to his knees with the intensity of the meaning behind those words.

She was starting at him very intently and he knew that he needed to respond appropriately before she felt discouraged.

First he kissed her deeply and made sure that she knew how grateful he was. The kiss was slow and intense. It was like he was sealing a moment in time. The brought to mind the phrase "sealed with a kiss."

Amelia was someone whom he felt he owed his life to. There wasn't anything he would regret about deciding to love her. The way she looked at him, kissed him, touched him was extraordinary. It was like his soul was lost in her world and he was perfectly content with that. He felt happy, and a little overwhelmed by the rush of emotions her words had invoked within him.

After kissing her, he smoothed the strands of hair that flew across her face. His fingers gently caressed her cheeks. She smiled and closed her eyes blissfully.

"Thank you," he said.

"For?"

"Loving me."

"I didn't really have a choice," she stated.

"How so?"

"There was just something about you from the moment I saw you."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, there was something familiar about you. Almost as if I've met you already. I know that may not make sense, but I felt myself being pulled in your direction."

"I felt something of that nature too."

"Really?"

"Yes, I was thrilled when we were paired together," he confessed.

He laughed quietly in memory of how excited he'd been to spend the whole day with her. Now he tightened his arms around her body and bent his head to kiss her neck. He moved some of her hair aside so that he could have better access. He gently skimmed her skin with the tips of his lips. He loved her scent. It reminded him of strawberries and sunshine.

He tried to remember a time in his life when he ever felt this content. He supposed it must have been during the time of Robin. However, even then he didn't think he felt this strong connection. Maybe that was something that comes with age. He was very young back then and he had other important goals. He had just graduated and was thinking of landing a good job and getting his first apartment. Though he had Robin, she really wasn't the focus of his entire world. He never had the time to feel this deeply in love. At the moment, he always thought that it was something they would both grow into and that they would do it together. Sadly fate didn't give them that chance.

He never liked to dwell on the memories of that time in his life. Since meeting Amelia he found himself comparing his feelings then and now. He knew that it was not fair to either person, and he wasn't doing it to see if one was better than the other. The reason he was mentally contrasting these two periods of his life was because his behavior then and now were filled with revelations about himself as a person.

He found it astounding that he was capable of feeling love after the most devastating loss of his life. He thought all love had died with Robin. Now he knew that to be untrue. Amelia was different, she was his redemption, his destiny, his soulmate.

What did he do to deserve her? He wondered. She was too good for him. Some part of him felt guilty for feeling this happy. He was of the idea that he could have lived the rest of his life in a state of normalcy. He didn't need to be this happy. He also didn't need to be as devastatingly sad as he was when Robin died. In a sense he had learned to protect his heart.