"You know I've dreamt of this moment since the very first time we made love." George spoke against my neck while his fingers gently traced circles on my stomach. The sun was shining brightly through the curtains, a showing me that morning had arrived in the midst of our reunion.
"Dreamt of what? We've woken up together before..." I chuckled as I stared at the ceiling.
"Not like this..." George suddenly rose up and looked over at me, his eyes filled with adoration. "This time we're not sneaking around. This time you're all mine. There's nothing to worry about, nobody to hide from. It's just you and me, darling."
I cracked a smile and propped myself against the headboard, dragging the sheets to my chest to cover my nakedness. Even though I was happy to be here with George, I still felt sickened by everything going on.
George looked into my eyes and I could tell he sensed something off. He held his arms out to hold me and I wearily fell into them, burying my face in his chest to hide my tears.
"What's the matter?" He whispered against my head, rubbing his fingertips up and down my spine protectively. "Have I done something?"
His question broke me down completely, and I became a sobbing mess in his arms.
"George were you really going to sleep with that call girl?" I asked, my shaky voice slightly muffled by his skin.
George immediately cleared his throat and held onto me tighter.
"Yes, alright. I was going to sleep with her." He admitted, pushing me off gently. He took his hand and lifted up my chin, staring into my tear-soaked eyes with guilt.
"But I thought you were gone, Sadie. You hadn't called, and you didn't even tell me where you were going." He continued. I nodded understandingly, yet I still felt uneasy about it all. I wasn't even gone a week, how could he move on so quickly?
"How many women did you sleep with while I was gone?" I asked looking directly in his eyes.
"None. That call girl was the only one, and even though nothing ended up happening I'll always hate myself for even considering betraying you."
"Will you though?" I asked, and George suddenly looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
"You just...you always say all the right things, don't you? You promise me the world and then something comes along and fucks it up!" I barked, wiping my tears away impatiently as they fell. I wrapped the sheet around myself and got up from the bed, then walked over to the window to stare out at the sky.
"George I love you so much but I just don't know if I can trust you..."
"You can, Sadie!" He rose up from the bed to join me by the window, his palms running up and down my shoulders.
"Sadie I know it's gonna take a lot of work for me to prove how much you mean to me, but I swear I'll spend the rest of me life showing you that I'm worthy of your love."
"I want to believe you, I really do."
"So believe me then!"
"It's not that easy!"
"Fucking hell Sadie, what do you want from me? Do you want a ring? Do you want a house? Do you want to move to Paris? Whatever it takes to keep you around I'll bloody do it!" He was nearly in tears, his voice crackling more with every word.
"I don't want things George! I just want you- all of you! I don't want to share you with any other women! I don't want to constantly live in fear!"
"I know that! I already told you that the call girl was a mistake!"
"It's not just the call girl! It's Olivia, too! What if John was right? What if the only reason you're so desperate to keep me is because you know Olivia won't take you back?"
Tears continued to run down my cheeks as I turned to face George. He looked genuinely hurt by what I said.
"I know that seems like the case, but I swear to you I would have left on me own! I was unhappy! I wanted you and only you, Sadie you have to believe me!" He begged.
"Every time I saw her in the kitchen making dinner or in the garden picking flowers I just wished it was you instead!" He took a seat on the edge of the bed, holding his head in his hands as he wept. "I fucking love you with all of my heart and I don't know what else to say to make you believe that!"
"I don't want you to say anything, George! I want actions! I want you to show me how much you love me! I want you to dance with me and stay up late with me, I want you to hold me and protect me and make me feel like the most perfect woman on earth!" I trailed off, my eyes growing at the sudden epiphany that entered my mind. "I want you to be more like John." I whispered under my breath.
"I'm sorry, what?" He asked.
"Nothing." I muttered.
"No, you said you want me to be more like... John?"
"I...I shouldn't have said that." I rubbed the back of my neck nervously.
A thick silence took over the room, making my thoughts run rampant. George stayed quiet and toyed with his fingers, and I could tell that he was hurt.
"John takes care of me." I spoke up, though my volume was still low. George lifted his head up and watched me, focusing intently on what I was saying.
"He talks to me. He listens to me. He treats me like a real woman and not just some sex toy."
"And I don't?"
"George, you haven't even bothered to ask me why I felt the need to run away to New York! You haven't asked me any real questions about the baby, and just a few hours ago you were calling me a slag in the lobby!"
George didn't say anything, instead he got up from his seat and rushed over to wrap his arms around me. I was stunned, though I couldn't help but melt into his embrace.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled into my shoulder as he tightened his hug. "I am so fucking sorry."
George released me and cupped my face in his hands, staring deeply into my eyes. I tried to stare back but tears were blurring my vision.
"I will be the man you deserve." He whispered to me before connecting our lips into a gentle kiss. As our lips mashed, George's hands crept down to my stomach, cradling the area softly. "And I'll be the father our baby deserves too."
His words began to soften me, hypnotizing me exactly the way he wanted them to. He slid his arms around my back again and pulled me into his chest, making me feel comforted. I hated how safe I felt in his arms.
After several moments wrapped in his arms, George pulled away and tilted my chin upwards.
"Wait here." He said with a grin, then kissed me before releasing me from his grip to go into the other room. I took the opportunity to clothe myself, and I could hear him searching for something in his suitcase.
When George re-entered the room he had me sit down on the couch, then took a seat beside me. His left arm was tucked behind his back holding something, and his right rested gently on my leg.
"Sadie I love you more than any other woman in the world." He said with tear-filled eyes and a smile. "I've not made you my number one priority. In fact, I've been awful to you."
"George..." I began, only to be cut off.
"Please let me finish." He said. "You deserve a man who listens. A man who's predictable. A man you can trust." He took my hand in his, brushing his thumb across my knuckles.
"Let me be that man."
George slid off of the couch and fell down on one knee in front of me. My eyes widened as I realized what he was doing, and all of the sudden my stomach felt like it was twisting into tight knots.
"I want to be yours and only yours, forever." George reached his arm back around and held a box in front of me. He opened it up and inside was the most brilliant diamond ring I'd ever seen in my life.
"George...please..." I tried my best to keep my composure, my stomachache intensifying by the second.
"I know the last time I did this I hurt you very badly... but this is different. I'm different."
I opened my mouth to speak but the words failed to come out.
"Marry me, Sadie."
I couldn't take my eyes off of the ring, and I definitely couldn't speak. I tried to keep my composure, but my efforts were unsuccessful as my body was now shaking in fear, tears trickling down my hot cheeks.
"Sadie?" He asked nervously.
I looked into his eyes and snapped back to reality, but before I could say anything an extremely sharp pain surged through my stomach, making me double over and scream.
"Sadie! Sadie!" George jumped up and attached his hands to my shoulders.
"Shit!" I seethed through gritted teeth, slipping one of my hands between my legs to try and alleviate the pain some. As soon as my palm hit the fabric of my pants I felt a dampness, and an unfamiliar warmth that sent chills down my spine.
Blood.