Consumed By Love (on hold)

Chapter 23>>>

I want to sleep with you. I don't mean have sex. I mean sleep. Together. Under my blankets, in my bed. With my hand on your chest, and your arm around me. With the window cracked, so it's chilly and we have to cuddle closer. No talking, just sleepy, blissfully, happy silence.

Theo's POV
Her sleeping figure is the first thing I see in the morning when I wake. It's my birthday today, turning 31. But nothing matters more than what's going on right now, watching the love of my life laying in my arms. Sleeping in my grasp.

I told her I loved her yesterday. And the most surprising thing... She said it back.

I was afraid that I'd scare her off if I said the words this soon- even if I meant them. I was afraid she'd leave me if she knew how hard I had really fallen for her.

But she didn't leave. She didn't run or hide; she stayed.

"Morning birthday boy." I hear her soft voice say, sleep present in the words she speaks.

I chuckle softly, my chest vibrating against her. "Morning sunshine." I whisper.

The sun has already risen, so rays of light fill the bedroom. Frost sticking to the window and making anyone warm feel colder- just by looking at it.

"Feel any different yet??" Shai asks rolling over to look at me.

I laugh fully this time, "No. Not yet." I say kissing her forehead.

Shai sits up, slipping out of my hold and standing up. "I better call my mum." I tell her as she trudges into the bathroom, nodding.

I smile at how much I love waking up with someone else here with me.

I get up and go to the kitchen, starting coffee and dialing my mum's number.

After three rings, she answers. "Hello??"

"Morning mum." I say.

"Oh Theodore!" Rolling my eyes at my real name, I move past it. "Happy birthday hun!" She says with her usual perky voice.

"Thanks mum. So I just wanted to call and say hi. And also talk to you about something." I say.

"Sure! What is it dear?"  With a hint of motherly concern, not knowing what it is that I want to talk about.

"Well first I wanted to ask when I should come up and visit you guys. I know I'll come closer to the holidays, but we normally do my birthday or the weekend after." I ask and explain.

"You can come up tomorrow, your brothers and sisters are already here. Driving your father and I absolutely crazy!"  My mother says and I can't help but laugh.

"Good, yeah that'll work. And second, when I come... I'm bringing my girlfriend." I say and wait for the hundreds of questions that'll come at me.

"Oh my lord! Phillip!!!" I hear my mother say and shake my head, knowing that my father won't care as much as my mother does.

"Your father says congratulations." She says with an annoyed tone. "Man of many words." I joke.

"What's her name??? Is it that girl you flew after?" 

"Shailene and yes, she is." I say and feel arms wrap around my torso, making me instantly smile.

"How serious? What's she like?? Where's she from?? What happened after you went to get her back??" My mother asks.

"Mum, slow down please. I'll answer any questions when we come see you all." I tell her, knowing it'll take hours with the amount of questions she has.

"Alright alright." My mother says and I laugh.

"I'll talk to you later, I love you." "Love you too Theodore!" "Bye."

I hang up and Shai's smirking and it looks like she's going to break into the giggles.

"What's so funny??" I question.

She shakes her head. "Nothing Theodore." Shai says walking off to the bedroom to change, leaving me in the kitchen laughing and falling harder for her.

>>>>>>

"Thank you." I tell Shai, sitting across from her in a dimly lit restaurant.

"No need to thank me. I mean it's your birthday, you deserve to have a great day." She says and great day I had. We were out almost all day, just enjoying each other's company and went sight seeing for a few hours.

"I had a good birthday. I have to admit." I say and that fuels Shai's smirk, not even having to say 'I told you so'

"You can say it.." I say taking a sip of the wine we ordered.

"I told you so!" Shai sings happily, making me laugh.

"What time do we have to leave tomorrow?" She asks. Shai had agreed to come with me to meet my family, both excited and nervous at the same time. But I already know that they'll all love her.

"Probably around ten. It only takes an hour at most to get there, normally not even that long." I tell her, and she nods.

"You're really nervous aren't you??" I ask, seeing her staring down at her lap.

"Yes." "You don't have to be. I've told you, they're going to like you. A lot." I assure her, and watch her take a deep breath.

"I know it's just... there's still a lot of pressure and nerves that I can't help." Shai explains, and it does make sense. I just wish I could calm her mind.

"What do you mean by pressure?" I ask. "I don't quite know what I have to live up to, or how well your family liked the girls before me."

"You don't have to live up to anything. Trust me, just be yourself and that's all you need to do." I tell her, hoping that puts her conscience at ease.

"Thank you. And I'm excited to meet your family." Shai says, with a small soft smile.

"Yeah, they can get very irritating though. Just a warning." I tell her.

"That can be anyone's family." She reasons and I nod.

"I'm excited for you to meet them too." I say reaching across the table to grab her hand, and hold it in mine.