All Night

Chapter Forty-Seven

I wipe the tears that won't stop falling down my face. Sitting in the back of this taxi was only making it worse. People can see me crying. All that I can see is pity in their eyes. I didn't want pity. I wanted my life to go back to normal when it was just Nate, Sky and I. We were happy together, we made each other happy.

I tell myself to pull myself together before gathering my things, paying the driver and stepping out of the taxi. I walk up to my apartment and unlock the door. I place my keys and wallet on the entrance table in the hallway where a large mirror hangs on the wall. I look like a mess. My hair is messy from pulling at it and my eyes are sore and red, puffy from the crying. Nate is sitting on the lounge when I walk into the lounge room with Sky rocking in his arms and he gestures his head for me to come sit next to him. I plonk myself down next to him, feeling limp and weak and his eyes trail over my body, this time with concern, not lust. I look at my sleeping daughter in his arms and her face is carefree, naïve, forgetting everything that had happened hours earlier. My eyes trail up Nate's body and his eyes, full of concern, bore into mine, looking for an explanation. I shake my head, begging for him not to ask any questions. Not tonight. I already feel bad about the things I said to Shaun and the last thing I need is to relive the moment that I said to him that he would never see his daughter again. I try not to imagine his face when I said it. The hurt that could've broken me down right there.

Nate nods his head in understanding and looks back down at Sky. I rest my head on his shoulder before my eyes slowly but surely droop closed.

"Hey, let's go to bed before you fall asleep on the lounge and I have to hear all about your crook neck tomorrow," Nate smiles sweetly at me before standing up and taking Sky to her room. My body feels heavy, refusing to stand up and walk to bed. Within minutes, Nate returns from putting Sky to bed and picks me up, cradling my body to his. His warmth spreads throughout me, safety returning to my body. I kiss his chest before he puts me down on our bed and he chuckles at the small gesture of adoration. He takes my shoes off of me and slips my shirt over my head and my jeans down my legs, freeing my body of the restricting clothing. My head hits the pillow and my eyes feel droopy all over again. Seconds later, Nate's body slips in behind mine, rid of clothes other than a pair of boxers, and his arms wrap around my body. I turn to face him and kiss his bare chest again.

"I love you," the words tumble out so easily. His body stiffens but his arms pull me in closer seconds later. He places a kiss to my head and then lowers his mouth to mine. Our mouths move together like they are two halves making a whole once again. Like they're made for each other.

"I love you too," he whispers between kisses. His soft lips kiss mine gently, full of passion and love. He pulls away and places another kiss on my forehead. My head rests on his arm and is buried in his chest, his scent drowning out everything else. And just like that I fall asleep in the arms of the man I love.