If Sean could turn back the clock of life, he would tell you he never envisioned himself falling in love. He was knee-deep in work and time with family. Never in his twenty-six years of existence did Sean think his heart would be beating a mile a minute by simply looking at a woman who managed to open his heart.
His thoughts were loud in his head as he watched his girlfriend sleep peacefully beside him. Her curls were in a messy bun on top of her head, strands falling over her eyes occasionally. He fought the urge to kiss her precious lips as he swooned, leaning against his headboard. Sean pulled out his phone and took a picture of her in adoration, his movements making her stir into consciousness.
He swore under his breath at the action of waking her up, immediate guilt forming in his heart. She looked so serene when sleeping. Kaycee blinked a few times, pulling at her eyelashes before sitting up slowly. As she rose, Sean noticed her bare back and the small scratch marks, which were turning red. Memory came flooding back to him of the intimate night they had after their celebratory dinner since the doctor cleared Kaycee.
As a yawn escaped her lips, Kaycee stretched her torso and legs before turning to find her boyfriend staring at her. "My love!" She beamed, instantly throwing herself into his arms. Sean laughed wholeheartedly then kissed her, making him sigh happily into her lips.
"Angel, don't tempt me." He sighed pleasurably as Kaycee showered his collarbone with kisses. She giggled then looked up at him knowingly. "It's not my fault my boyfriend is irresistible." She countered, making her partner blush.
"Anywho, how's my baby doing? Did you sleep okay?" She frowned. Her fingers traced his facial features slowly as she awaited his response. Sean nodded then chuckled. "Everything's just a bit hazy right now, that's all."
Confusion settled on his girlfriend's face. "It feels...dream-like..since last night." He corrected himself, a sheepish smile upon his features. She mirrored his smile teasingly, watching as a slight blush appeared onto his cheeks. "When did you start becoming so shy? It's like we've traded places." Kaycee giggled, fully wrapping her arms around his neck.
Sean shrugged. "That's just what you do to me. I'd say you've changed me." He said, looking into her eyes.
"For the better, I hope?" She smiled softly, shifting her eyes to elsewhere. "Definitely for the better." He reassured before kissing her cheek once and then her neck repeatedly.
A fit of laughter erupted from Kaycee as he began tickling her, causing her to fall back onto the cream colored sheets. Sean held his dominance by straddling her then tickling her more. Her pleas for him to stop and giggles filled the room accompanied by his own laughter at her reaction.
It wasn't until tears of laughter rolled down her face that Sean stopped, partially feeling bad. He then kissed her forehead while wiping away her tears. "I love you." She sighed contentedly with a smile on her lips.
"I love you more." He replied softly into her neck. His hand slid between their bodies as his lips began to suck on her neck, sliding into her panties. "I love you so fucking much." He stated as Kaycee let her body succumb to his ministrations.
~~~~
"I don't think you guys get it! I don't do relationships! That's not me. I'm adventurous and experimental, that's how it's always been. I can't do this!" Bailey babbled, pacing back and forth in Kaycee's home office.
Her serene atmosphere— created by a coffee-scented candle, folk music, and Sean's loving stare, was interrupted when Bailey barged into her office once Sean let her in the house. Kaycee had been doing the final paperwork to close her case that occurred before her incident and Sean was sitting beside her, acting as a light distraction by talking about anything that came to mind.
As he stared upon her, he decided that he'd get his own laptop and be productive as well. As he went to retrieve the object, that was when Bailey began ringing the doorbell frantically. So here the couple was: listening to Bailey vent about her thoughts. Kaycee thought it was sweet that Sean was actually listening along with her. It warmed her heart.
"So why don't you talk to him about it? I'm sure he'll understand." Sean suggested with a shrug, taking a glance at Kaycee to see her still writing.
"I can't break his heart like that! I'm not a monster, Sean." She huffed, following with a groan. "I hate him! He's so sweet and considerate and funny and understanding...He's not the problem, it's me. I can't just tell him-"
"Bails, look, why don't you just look at this as an experiment since that's what you like? Think of it as simply testing out a full-on relationship with him. Trust the process. Honestly, it's not much different than where you're at now." Kaycee spoke, finally looking up at her best friend. She stopped in her tracks, turning to her friend's desk.
"Kayc, do you hear yourself?! How in the hell am I supposed to just trust the process?!" She exclaimed dramatically. "I feel like a fucking mess. Do you guys know how it feels to be so drawn to someone you're scared will hurt you? I know Julian is great, he's shown me nothing less, but I just can't wrap my head around letting him in. Every time he gets close, I just cower away and I don't want to do that anymore. That's why I have to just break it off with him before we're in too deep." She explained, crossing her arms.
Kaycee could see Bailey had made up her mind, but she knew she'd still think about it 20 more times before actually acting on it. Bailey loved to be impulsive, but not with people she cared about. It was one of Kaycee's favorite things about her: Her ability to think of every detail and perspective before making a move.
"Can I talk to you for a sec?" Sean asked Bailey, already walking out of the room. She followed him, sparing Kaycee a confused glance before leaving. Once they made it into the kitchen, Bailey hopped onto a stool, swinging her feet like a five year-old.
"What is it?" She questioned while watching him move around the kitchen. He began taking out pans and ingredients with a huff.
"I think you're better off just taking the chance." Sean said softly. "I'm not saying that because Julian is my friend, but I'm saying it because I know he truly cares about you and likes you. The guy never shuts up about you."
"I get it, being scared. I felt the same way about Kaycee. I didn't want to succumb to the hold she had on me, but I couldn't run from it. There was no point in running from it, just like there's no point in you running from Julian. You're gonna argue, you're gonna get frustrated, then you're gonna laugh about it later. You can't be scared to evolve into something more, Bailey. You guys have chemistry and you click effortlessly. Why run from something that could be the best thing to ever happen to you?" He reasoned.
His task distracted him from looking at Bailey, who he'd come to realize could read him like a book if she wanted. The woman remained silent, deep in thought about his words.
"How didn't you run?" She responded, turning to look at his figure. Sean chuckled before answering.
"I decided that it was better to let it consume me than just walk away from her completely. I had to stop caring about the consequences." He explained while chopping vegetables.
"To let what consume you?" Her eyebrows were furrowed as she questioned him. Every response he shared was like putting pieces of a puzzle together in her head. "My love for Kaycee. By the third encounter, I was already infatuated and wanted to learn everything there was to know about her. I wanted to fight it, to take things slow at least, but I couldn't. She ran more than I did." He answered with a small smile on his face.
"We fought, but...it was undeniable what we felt for each other. So she stayed and so did I. It just takes some faith." Sean said, starting to drift off into space but he stopped himself. This was about Julian and Bailey. "Reciprocate that. He has already put faith in you by simply asking you to be his girlfriend. He sees a future with you. Put some faith in him." He finalized with a shrug.
For a couple beats, Bailey was silent before letting out a huff. "Lew, you've done it again. I have to go talk to him."
"He's doing inventory today, so he's most likely occupied but he shouldn't be too busy." Sean responded. Bailey paused, thinking to herself. Soon, a smile stretched onto her lips.
"Can I use your laptop for a sec? I have a letter I need to type for him. Then I can buy him dinner and we could watch Star Wars at my place! Ah, I can make it a cute surprise!" She squeaked, clapping her hands together happily.
Sean nodded then left the kitchen to retrieve the item. Kaycee noticed he walked in, giving him an 'is everything okay?' stare. In return he pecked her lips whilst grabbing his laptop.
Once he gave it to Bailey, she wiggled the mouse a bit to bring it out of rest mode while Sean proceeded to make food. Once she opened the existing window of Google Chrome, a company's website already caught her eye. Even if it didn't, taking up 35% of the screen was a silver jewel with a diamond. She felt her eyes widen.
"Sean...why were you looking at engagement rings?" Bailey asked, fighting the excitement that was rising in her chest. The man in question quickly turned around in fear, instantly covering Bailey's mouth.
"Bails, whatever you do, you cannot tell Kaycee- Anyone, for that matter! I'm just looking, alright? When the time comes that I ask you and Tahani for help in person, you say nothing." His eyes were pleading desperately, yet his voice scared her for once, even with him whispering.
Bailey slowly reached up to his wrist and pulled his hand off of her mouth. "I won't say a word." She declared, offering her pinky to him to close the deal. He let out a deep breath to calm the nerves she triggered, but locked his pinky with her's. They went back to their comfortable silence before Bailey made her way over to Sean.
"May I be permitted just one question?" She asked, nearly squealing in excitement for her friend. The man groaned in response while still chopping ingredients. "What is it?" He asked, for once agitated with his lover's best friend.
"When did you know that you wanted to..you know?" She asked. He remained silent, only ignoring the woman. "Please! For my hopeless romantic heart?!" She begged with a pouting face.
Sean sighed as he dropped the knife on the counter. "Fine." The woman rested her chin in her palm as her eagerness came to light. "All moments gave me a glimpse of what it'd be like if I lost her. The first was when she avoided me in the beginning and the second was when Gabe attacked her. I found that it was one of my deepest desires to protect her from the dangers of the world, even if that meant protecting her from her own thoughts. The final moment when I knew was when she got into the incident. I knew for sure that without her on this planet, I'd suffocate. I wouldn't be able to live without her nor did I want to." His tone was definite.
Bailey smiled widely, covering her mouth to scream. "That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." She said through her muffling hands.
Just then, waltzed in the subject of conversation. "Hey, is everything okay? I was getting bored in there by myself." Kaycee asked with a slight pout.
"Of course it is, sweetie. Sean convinced me to give it a shot with Julian, so I will see you lovebirds later!" The younger woman chirped, ignoring Sean's glare. She pushed herself off of the counter and hugged her best friend before grabbing her keys.
"Text how it goes." Kaycee said with a small smile.
"I will. Thanks Lew!" Her best friend shouted before flying out the front door. Sean felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso and soft lips peck his shoulder. "Are you okay? You're tense." She asked her boyfriend.
Avoiding her observation, Sean turned around and cupped her face then kissed her forehead. It was gentle; it was as if it were a whisper on his lips. Just as gentle as his touch, almost faint. "I feel perfect, angel." He reassured her. However, Kaycee could gather the stress in his features from a mile away.
"Must you lie to your girlfriend?" She teased, poking his chest softly. "Whatever it is, maybe I can help?" She knew little about his responsibilities, which made her uneasy at times. The desire to be his unwavering support system was only just that if she couldn't understand what it was like to be in his shoes.
She thought to herself that if her other half was suffering, she'd suffer a hundred times over. "I want to help." She corrected herself, pulling her boyfriend into her embrace. Sean let out a heavy sigh once his face fell into the crook of her neck. The warm scent of perfume wafted through his nose, temporarily relieving him.
Kaycee felt his tight hold on her and nearly gasped. His heart was racing which startled her. "Sean..what can I do?" She asked desperately. A silent Sean was never something she preferred, but an anxious Sean concerned her even further. It tampered with her being as if they were conjoined.
"Stay." He said instantly. His response shared no sign of hesitation. "Just stay and hold onto me. I need you to keep holding onto me." It was only just above a whisper. There was not a clue in her head for what he meant, but the words only made Kaycee tighten her hold. Her thoughts queried but she didn't voice them.
"That sounds too easy." The woman whispered into his ear.
Then make it last forever. That was what he wanted to say, but he wouldn't force their relationship to greater lengths than what was meant for them at this time. But man, was Kaycee Rice consuming him.