Letting Love In-Ch24

Finally! Sorry for the wait. Busy week.
Enjoy!



Chapter 42:
We drove around in silence and I eventually ended up on the road to the gazebo. I got out and looked back at him. I started walking up the path and he soon caught up to me. “What are you doing?” he asked. “Walking” I said. We arrived at the gazebo and sat down. After a while my legs grew restless and I walked to the railing and leaned against the post. I closed my eyes and let the sun shine on my face. A few minutes passed. “Are you still angry with me” he asked in a small voice. I shook my head. I still felt hurt, but it was time to do the grownup thing; forgive and forget. He stood behind me and put his arms softly around my waist. I stiffened at his touch still and he realized that. He lightened his grip and I eventually became relaxed.”Let’s go home” I said and he nodded. Before I stepped out onto the grass he grabbed my hand. “Do you know you aren’t wearing any socks?” he asked. I looked down and realized I had never put shoes on before I left. I cracked a smile. “Get on” he said pointing to his back. I jumped onto him and he carried me back to the car.
When we got back to the house I turned on the laptop and sat on the couch while he flipped channels at light speed. I looked at him over the top of the screen. 'Just pick one!" I half yelled. He smiled that toothy grin of his and I rolled my eyes. I typed in directions from Nova Scotia to Pittsburgh. It would literally take more than a day. "Sid?" I asked. He looked over at me. "What?" "You know I love you and everything but um... I don't really think I can sit in a car with you for 12 continuous hours." He laughed. "Oh it won't be that bad." I flipped around the screen so he could see it. I really can't see that" he said. I rolled my eyes and brought the computer to him. "Here you go your majesty" I joked. He looked at the map for a minute before pointing out some place in upstate New York, right on the border. "There. We can stop there overnight. Stretch and such. Then the next day you and your led foot can get us back." I stuck my tongue out at him. "Fine." He laughed at my pout until he kissed it away. I shut the computer down and snuggled down into him. "Nap time."

*****

"No it definitely says take a LEFT at the light" he half yelled. We were sitting in traffic in way upstate New York, in the evening traffic, and he was getting fed up with all the different signs. "Ok. I'm taking a left" I said speeding around the corner. The automated voice on the GPS warned the hotel was coming up on the right. He sighed when I pulled into the parking lot. "Finally!" I said. He started laughing. "What's funny?" I asked un-buckling. "You drive like an idiot." My mouth hung open as I walked around the back of the car to get my bag. He had a smug grin on his face as he joined me. We walked in silence up to the desk and I stayed silent as he checked us in. When we were in the elevator he wrapped his arm around my waist. "You know I was kidding right?" He asked with a big grin on his face. I hit him in the shoulder and laughed as he bent to kiss my neck.
**
After we got into the room and settled I decided that I wanted to go look around. I went downstairs and accidentally walked into a man in front of me. "I'm so sorry!" I said picking up my purse and its contents. "It’s ok. I wasn't paying attention either" a familiar voice said. We looked up at each other at the same time. "Kay?" "Tom?" "How the hell are you?! Look at you all grown up" he said. Tom and I went to high school together. He was a junior when I was a freshman, and we were really good friends for a while. We also dated for a few months before he went off to college. "I'm doing very well. How are you? I haven't seen you in forever." We conversed for a few minutes in the lobby and then he asked if I wanted to have dinner to catch up. I agreed to his request and we walked into the restaurant.
**
We talked about everything from old memories to the present and the future. We went through 3 courses and before I knew it, it was after one in the morning. Just as we started to talk about the time we went to the movies and out to dinner, a person approached the table. I looked up to meet a very angry chocolate gaze. "Hello" I said putting on a smile and moving slowly away from Tom. He smiled a devil smile. "Who's this?" Tom asked. "I'm her boyfriend" he said. "And you are?" He asked, clearly angry. "I'm Tom, her old boyfriend" he said, aggravated with Sidney’s harsh tone. I slipped Toms arm off of my shoulder. "Well I'm sure she had a fantastic time" Sidney spat grabbing my arm, and gently but forcefully pulling me off the booth seat. "You can't just take her away. We were having an educated conversation, something you probably can't provide" Tom said standing up. Sidney turned around quickly and Tom stopped in his tracks. I took this time to notice how much taller and stronger Sidney was. Sidney looked down at him, anger clear on his face. "You better watch yourself" he spat. "Why what are you going to do?" "Do you know who I am?" Sidney started yelling. I had enough, "Sid quit it. Tom enough." “Let’s go. Say goodbye" Sidney said. He gave me a millisecond to respond before he pushed me in front of him and out the door. He held my wrist firmly in his hand as we walked through the lobby into the elevator.

I sat in the middle of the fluffy king sized bed and watched him pace the room. He kept throwing me sideways looks; I was waiting for the sermon. He finally stopped directly in front of me. I returned the glare he was giving me. "Why?" He asked. "Sid its nothing. It has been nothing since we met" I cried for about the 5th time. "It sure didn't look like nothing" he muttered pacing again. "If it was something more I wouldn't be up here.” "You're only up here because I had to pry that asshole off of you. It didn’t look like you were about to come back anytime soon. You are so lucky I didn't drop him." He swore under his breath and sat on the edge of the bed, back towards me. After a moment, I crawled over to him and reached for him. My hand brushed his shoulder and slowly his muscles relaxed. I climbed into his lap and he gently held me. "I'm sorry" I murmured into his neck. He didn't speak for a few moments. "You don't have to be sorry. You know how I get. I should've believed you. I'm sorry" he grumbled. I forced my head into the soft skin of his neck and shoulder. I felt him trail his fingers across the bare skin of my lower back and I shuddered. He moved his hand from my back to my face. I slowly moved my gaze to his. I stared at him for a moment and slowly brought my lips to his. “It’s just when you didn’t come back, or call I got really worried.” "You really shouldn't worry about me so much" I said. He pulled away abruptly. "I can never not worry about you. It’s like you are literally always on my mind. I don't know what I'd do with myself if something ever happened to you and I could have been there to prevent it from happening. I never want you to get into trouble or get hurt." He looked away from me and I could see the pain building on his features, just thinking about it. I put my palm on his jaw. "I'm sorry" I whispered, almost unable to hear. He looked at me quickly and then looked down. I crawled off of him and back to my spot under the covers, feeling like I just ripped his heart in half. It was a few minutes after when he finally got up, shut the lights off and laid down next to me. I rolled over into him and he put his arms around me. "Sid?" I asked after a while. "Mmm." He answered; his chest rumbling beneath my head. "Thanks for always caring about me. And loving me as much as you do. I wouldn't want it any other way" I said into his t-shirt. He shifted and held me much tighter. He kissed my forehead and my temples before responding. "I love you.”