Rainy Day | Rhea Ripley

Chapter 21

Couldn't chain me down,

Couldn't cage me in

So keep your savior,

give me back my sins

- Back From The Dead by Halestorm

"Ready to go?" Damian threw the strap of my bag over his shoulder and Demi put her arm around my waist.

"Yes"

And was I ever. Two weeks in the hospital had been more than enough. It had taken three days until the effects of the Scopolamine wore off completely and I could move again. 

Being able to actually speak again took three more. 

I had a couple of broken ribs, a broken nose, a concussion, and some pretty nasty bruises but all in all I had been very lucky.

There had been a lot of communication with the police which, amongst other things, had luckily resulted in me getting out of my lease without my landlord suing me for the damages to the apartment, it would be part of the court case against Xav.

This also meant that I was moving in with Demi full-time, at least for now. Realistically I would've had to do that anyway because she didn't let me out of her sight. 

In the hospital, she had at least left to shower, occasionally sleep and eat and train (at my insistence) but I had a feeling it would get a little more complicated than that at home. 

As for my job, it had looked a little rocky at first but since Demi had the ability to be very convincing she somehow managed to get her manager to let me keep it, and even to pay out my boss at the agency for my contract so now I only had to answer to her team.

After what felt like the longest drive of my life we finally arrived home and Demi, for some reason, was ecstatic to be able to show me the guest room.

She let me open the door and I almost burst into tears. One of the guys must have gone back to my apartment and packed up everything that was salvageable. 

The guest room was redecorated with my things and stuff that matched them perfectly.

It was one of the most thoughtful things anyone had ever done for me.

"Now, this doesn't mean I'm kicking you out of my room, or my bed" Demi quickly emphasized. "I just wanted you to have your own space where you could go if you needed a break from everything, including me"

I couldn't give her a verbal response. I just stepped into her arms and let her give me a hug.

We had dinner with Damian who had to go back home today. Demi had been given some time off work but the guys still had gone to events in the meantime and I was sure he was exhausted from the amount of traveling he had to do. 

We took a photo together to send to the TJD group chat and then he was on his way, insisting we didn't drive him to the airport.

Demi and I decided to have a movie night in her bedroom so we could have more space to cuddle with the dogs.

This had been what I had missed the most in the time I was away. Demi was sitting with her back against the headboard and I was splayed over her legs, letting her play with my hair. 

"What are you thinking about?" she had noticed that I wasn't looking at the TV anymore.

I shifted to lie on my back so I could see her face.

"Are you really okay with this?" I asked.

"Of course I am, haven't I made that clear? I want this" There was genuine disbelief in her voice as though she couldn't think of a reason why I would even ask that. 

"I just want to make sure you know that you are not obligated to do this. You are allowed to change your mind if it doesn't feel right anymore" My voice sounded smaller than I had intended.

"Oh Alex" she chuckled quietly "everything is good now. You're back. We're together. I wouldn't want it any other way."

She wasn't just saying this for the sake of peace. In her voice sounded so much confidence that it immediately calmed me down. 

I took hold of the collar of her shirt and pulled her down to kiss me. 

Due to the way she was sitting it was probably the most uncomfortable kiss in her life but when I tried to let her back up she took my face in her hands and held me there until she decided she wanted to let go.

I grinned at her with absolute giddiness.

"So I see that hasn't changed" 

She put on her I-Am-Rhea-Ripley-And-This-Is-Me-Mocking-You face (which is the scientific name for it).

"Never" Then she tapped my shoulder to get off her legs.

"I'm gonna go brush my teeth, it's getting late and I think we should go to bed. I have a new training plan to start tomorrow, I really need to get back in shape" 

I rolled my eyes at her as she got up.

"Like you've ever been out of shape"

She just stuck out her tongue and disappeared into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later all of us, including the pets, were cuddled up in bed, and I felt as safe as I hadn't in a long time.

I fell asleep to Demi stroking my side as her arm was draped over my stomach.

That same arm was also what was missing when I woke up. Demi wasn't there.

At first I thought I had overslept but a look at my phone told me that it was 3 am.

"Demi?" I groaned as I peeled myself out of the duvet to go look for her.

There was a strange clunking noise coming from outside the room.

"Demi?!" I called out louder, more urgently. 

Had something happened to her?

I rushed out of the bedroom only to walk straight into her arms.

"Hey, hey, everything is fine, I just got up to get a glass of water I was getting a little warm" she explained in a hushed voice.

Her skin did feel a little sticky from sweat and I immediately felt bad.

"I'm so sorry I tend to heat up a little while I sleep. You can just push me to the side a little next time, I won't notice" She laughed quietly.

"I would never. You are way too adorable when you sleep."

And with that she led me back to the bedroom where, I once again, fell asleep in her arms.