The Proposal

Part 14

You weren't sure what to expect when you unexpectedly kissed Jensen. He could have pushed you away, leaving you awkwardly on the couch. You weren't sure you were ready for the moment his hand came up, cradling your neck gently. He hummed against your lips, his other hand tugging on your waist, pulling you deeper into the kiss. Sure it wasn't the first kiss you had shared, but it was the most real. It wasn't for show, or to appease family and friends.

His lips were warm, slightly callused against yours, leaving you wanting more as he slowly pulled away. "That was quite the welcome," he chuckled.

You could feel your cheeks blazing. "I'm sorry. Just got a little overwhelmed. I never imagined you would work so fast."

He shrugged, but the smile on his face told you he was pleased at your reaction. "I like seeing you happy. I knew I could pull some strings and I wanted to do this for you."

"You definitely knew the best way to do that," You felt as if your smile couldn't grow any bigger. "And this envelope?"

"Has all of the lawyer's information, plus questions he wants to ask you. He wants to meet Monday. I wanted you to be prepared."

Monday. Only days away before you could tell the lawyer all of your concerns, and start the process to get your brother away from your aunt and uncle. It seemed too good to be true. Jensen held his hands up. "Please know that this is just the start. We have a long way to go. I could see your family causing trouble."

"I know they will. But this is a start. The best news I've heard in a long time."

His doorbell buzzed and he stood up, quickly picking up the pizza and setting it down on the coffee table in front of you. "Beer? Wine? Water?"

"Beer please," you answered, opening the boxes and picking up a steaming slice of cheesy pizza. He handed you an opened bottle, sitting down beside you before picking up the remote.

"Anything in mind?" He asked, but you just shrugged, your mouth full.

He scrolled through, settling on some comedy you had seen before. Munching on a bite of pizza, he continued to glance over at you instead of the TV. "What?" You finally asked, wondering if you had pizza sauce all over your face.

"I like this," he admitted. "Sitting here with you. Comfortable silence. Enjoy some cheap pizza and beer. I'm used to...well normally people expect everything to be so fancy and expensive. This is a nice change for once."

There was that slight mention to his past once again. A past he was so good at keeping quiet. You hoped that maybe someday he would open up, let you help him as he was helping you know. It was the least you could do.

He closed the empty pizza boxes, placing them in the bare fridge. "With you here we definitely need to hit a grocery store. Now how about that tour?"

He led you down the hallway, pushing open the first door. It was a smaller bedroom, with a full size bed and dresser, both a dark cherry. "I thought this is where Luke could stay. It's not too fancy, but he can decorate it however he would like."

"He'll love it," you assured him.

He walked you past a nice bathroom, before opening up another room. It was slightly bigger than the last. A queen sized bed, the same cherry wood, but this one had a cream colored comforter. A dresser and chair were the only other pieces of furniture. "You share the bathroom with the other room. But it has a decent size closet."

The only door left led to the master room. As expected, it was huge, with a wall full of windows and a sliding glass door. A small patio had a great view of the city scape. A king size bed hugged the other side, a deep grey comforter with deep green pillow shams. A en suite bathroom with a walk-in closet was on the other side. It was a nice room, but a little more stark than you had imagined. "I haven't had much time to redecorate after...well it's enough for me since I spend most of my time at the studio anyways."

"It's amazing," you assured him, stepping out onto the patio. The wind swirled around you, as rain started to gently fall down. "I love the view."

"I can't wait for you to see it as the sun rises," he blurted out. "It's spectacular."

Yawning, you stepped back inside. "I think I'm ready to call it a night."

He nodded. "Why don't you take a shower, and by the time you're done I'll have your bags in your room. There's shampoo, body wash. Even a toothbrush and a robe in there. You should be set."

You stepped into the bathroom as he walked past. Sure enough, there was everything you needed. Letting the water run, you kicked your clothes off to the side, stepping under the steaming water. Compared to your puny apartment, the water pressure was amazing, and you closed your eyes, letting the water soothe your aching muscles and nerves.

You stayed in there for quite some time, scrubbing at your skin, using the sweet smelling shampoo. The water stayed warm as you cleaned, whereas your old shower would be freezing by now.

Stepping out, you wrapped a fluffy towel around your hair, drying off with another before wrapping the soft gray robe around you. It was large, almost dragging on the floor. Brushing your teeth, you stepped out to see the living room and kitchen lights were off. Your door was left open, your bags off to the side. Light shined lightly from underneath Jensen's door before he opened it.

"Doing okay?" He asked and you nodded. Leaning against his door frame, Jensen seemed like he wanted to say something, but stayed hesitant. "Listen, feel free to wake me up if you need anything. Anything at all. Okay?"

You nodded, and he turned, heading back into his room. Hesitating once more, he smiled at you. "Sleep well."

With his door closed once again, you stepped into your room, shutting the door. You looked at the bags on the floor, and you knew you weren't going to tackle them all tonight. Pulling out a t-shirt and shorts, you slipped into them, before pushing the rest of the bags into the closet. Tugging on one particularly heavy bag, you bumped into the wall. Catching yourself before you fell, you whimpered as something fell from the top shelf, hitting you in the head.

"Everything okay in there?" Jensen called out, and you answered through the door. Picking up the book that had given you a bump on the head, you started to place it back up when the picture caught your eye. It was of Jensen, his eyes shining, so full of love as he stared at the most beautiful woman you had ever seen. She had long, curly reddish brown hair. Her body had curves in all the right places, and her face. She could have been a model for any top agency.

The book you were holding was a photo album. Photos of Jensen and this mystery woman. They had traveled all over the world, seeming the perfectly happy couple. This was the past he had tried to keep hidden. One that not even the press seemed to know that well.

It was the last picture that had your mind swirling, your heart breaking for what Jensen might have had to go through. The beautiful woman was standing in front of Jensen, wearing a long, swirling dress. Her hands were clasped proudly across her swollen belly as they both smiled at each other.