Take My Hand

Chapter 16

I didn’t want to open my eyes; I had just had the most vivid, incredible dream… about Calix. I laid there replaying it over and over again in my head. I sighed, wishing I could just go back into where the dream had left off.

I felt someone in the bed shift next to me. That’s funny. I thought. Hadn’t I sent Whitney home last night?

I rolled over, and my eyes popped open. “Good morning,” he said, grinning at me and kissed my nose. I quickly looked down at myself. I was clothed. Good. He was only missing a shirt.

Apparently it hadn’t been a dream.

“You alright?” he asked, reaching out and pushing some hair back off my face.

“I just thought I was having a dream. I guess not,” I replied, trying to keep my voice light as ‘SHIT SHIT SHIT!!! WHAT HAVE I DONE’ ran through my head.

He looked a little troubled; I couldn’t take that look, not from his perfect face. It looked so out of place. I smiled and slid over to him, cuddling up against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to even think about the amount of trouble that I was in.

“So much for my rules,” I mumbled into his chest. “Who knew that I would be the one to break them.”

He chuckled. “I don’t mind. Although I did think it was going to have been Wes who broke them. He’d take them on as a challenge.”

I laughed. “I can’t believe they were in effect all of one day and they are broken. I’m a failure.”

“I don’t see why you think your breaking the rules was a bad thing. You don’t see me complaining.”

I looked up and laughed. “You’re just so funny.” I snuggled back into his arms. I never wanted to leave them. I wanted to stay there forever, where everything made sense.

I sighed. “Let’s live here.”

“What?” he asked, propping his head up with his hand and looking down at me. I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling.

“Let’s live here. In this bed. Forever. Never leave.”

He looked at me and grinned. “I might be okay with that…”

I rolled my eyes. “This is just so,” I rolled onto my side and looked into his eyes. “So perfect. This, right now.”

He smiled at me, a real, perfect, genuine Calix Sinclair smile. My heart melted. I sat up. “This is all your fault.” I glared at him.

“My fault?” he said innocently, sitting up.

I forgot he was shirtless and I lost my train of thought. “Rae?” he asked, reaching out and touching my cheek. My eyes shot up.

“Sorry! But yes! See? Your fault. You’re just so perfect. It’s impossible to resist you.”

He laughed. “And are you trying to?”

“Yes! No… I don’t... Maybe?”

He pulled me against him. “You still have a lot to figure out, don’t you?” he asked.

I nodded. I could feel the disappointment rattle through his body.

 I pulled his arms tighter around me and kissed his hand, pulling him back down on the bed with me. “Shhhh. That’s not a problem for right now. I don’t want to have any problems right now. I just want to be here, with you. This; this is making me calm. You’re making me happy. And that’s all I want to worry about.” I looked over my shoulder to see his face. “Are you happy?”