Playing With Fire (A Merle Dixon Story)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Author's Note:

I'm on a roll, two updates in a week! Also, exciting news because this story is almost caught up with LILB which means I can start the crossover soon! Yay! Thanks again as always for all your lovin'. It makes me a very happy girl. :D

Harlow

I woke up the next morning twisted in the white bed sheets, one arm dangling over the side of the bed. I tried to blink the sleepiness from my eyes as I looked at the small beam of sunlight that was filtering in through the window. I was surprised at how much I did not want to move from this spot. Most mornings it only took me a minute to force myself up and out of bed. This morning, though, was different. There was only one explanation behind the sudden contentedness that I was feeling.

I felt an uncontrollable smile tugging at the corners of my lips and I buried my face into my pillow. Who would've thought Merle Dixon would be the one to make me feel like blushing little school girl with her first big, real crush. I rolled over, expecting to see Merle still lying next to me, fast asleep. My smile fell, though, when I saw that the space next to me was empty. I sat up, tugging the sheet over my chest and leaned over the side of the bed. His clothes were gone too, though mine were still scattered around the room and obvious evidence to what had happened between us just a few hours before.

I felt my brow furrow. I couldn't believe I hadn't woken up when he got out of bed. I was normally such a light sleeper. It didn't take much more than a creepy floorboard or a rustling sheet to wake me up. Apparently not this time, though. At some point, Merle had found his way out of the bed, into his clothes, and out the door. I could feel the happy feeling inside me slowing deflating, like a punctured balloon. I didn't want to admit it, but I was so hoping he would still be next to me in the morning. For many, many, many reasons including that I liked the feeling of his warmth next to me, that I was honestly hoping for some hot morning sex or at least kissing, but mostly for tangible proof that he had meant what he had said last night. Without him there to remind me, I felt a little bit unsure.

I didn't have any reason to believe he was making things up just to get me into bed. Merle had always been pretty blunt and to the point with me. I shook my head. No, there was no way he had lied or changed his mind. I heard the way his voice sounded last night when he said my name. I saw the way he looked at me and felt the gentleness in the way he touched me. Nothing had changed, I reassured myself. There could have been at least a hundred different reasons as to why Merle had crept out while I was still asleep. I wasn't going to let myself get all worried and pessimistic about nothing. Not when I had been such a fantastic mood not even ten minutes ago.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood to my feet, letting the sheet fall to the floor. I gathered up my clothes into my arms and tossed them into a sack with the rest of my dirty laundry, while simultaneously trying not to blush as I thought about how it had felt when Merle had removed each and every piece of clothing from my body the night before. God, I wouldn't make it through the day if I couldn't get control over my own thoughts.

I did the best I could to push Merle to the back of my mind as I dressed myself in clean clothes and headed down the hall to the bathroom to put myself together. I hoped like hell I didn't run into anyone in the hallway because I was pretty damn sure it was obvious by my hair and the goofy, blissful look on my face that I had had wild, awesome sex the night before. Luckily, the hall was empty and I made it to and back from the bathroom without any serious issues.

I ran hand through my long hair as I headed down the rickety staircase, pulling it back into a low ponytail as I headed outside. I forced a smile and nod towards a familiar Woodbury face as I made my way down the sidewalk and towards the mess hall. It was a beautiful morning, still early but already warm thanks to the bright, unrelenting sun that hung in the middle of a cloudless blue sky. I caught myself humming under my breath after a few minutes and forced myself to stop with the giddiness because I could see it getting real embarrassing quickly. The people in this town knew by now that I was by no means a humming, smiley person.