Chapter 13

We arrived back at Jess’s house sometime later. She wasn’t the least bit shaken up from being swarmed earlier and so I didn’t bring it up. I didn’t want her thinking that something like this would send me running.

When she got into the car earlier she wore her usual mischievous smile whenever she’d done something I probably wouldn’t like. Long story short, I had an iPhone now and as much as I tried to argue with Jess that it was too much, she wouldn’t listen. Her argument being that I’m her girlfriend and she was allowed to buy me whatever she wanted. Didn’t stop her before but I just let her win as usual. There was no point in ever arguing with her.

Jess unlocked her front door and I was pulled in quickly. I think she was concerned about us being followed back from the store which was a weird thing to think about but according to her, it happens. Before I could even register what was happening I felt Jess grab me and slam me against the now closed door.

“Um, ow?”

“Sorry,” she giggled as she leaned in and pressed her lips against mine, hard. The events of today were suddenly forgotten as I felt Jess run her tongue along my bottom lip, asking for entrance. The kiss turned heated and I gripped Jess’s waist tightly as my senses were consumed with nothing but her. We did eventually have to break apart and when we did I felt breathless. Judging by Jess’s heavy breathing I’d say she was feeling about the same.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all day,” she said as she pressed her lips to mine briefly a handful of times.

“Hmm, maybe we should just say in for the rest of our lives in that case,” I laughed.

That earned me a slap on the arm as Jess pouted at me.

“Were you really not bothered about earlier, babe? I know it’s a lot to take in but—“

“Jess, I promise I’m fine. It’s out of the ordinary obviously but I’m not bothered by it. It’s fine,” I assured her.

“If you’re sure…” she said as we made our way to the living room. “But please promise me that if it does start to get to you you’ll tell me? Please?”

“I promise,” I told her as we sat together on the couch.

Jess suddenly held up her pinky and I looked at her in disbelief. Was she serious right now?

“Pinky promise?”

I sighed and linked my pinky with hers, planting a kiss on hers for good measure. That seemed to satisfy her and so we continued cuddling together on the couch for a bit with not a worry to speak of after that. Jess had slipped her fingers underneath my shirt and was running her fingertips across my bare stomach after curling into my side comfortably.

“What time do you have to work tomorrow?” she asked.

Well shit. I had forgotten all about having to go to work in the morning. That meant I needed to go home tonight seeing as all my stuff is there still.

“I have to go in at nine and I work until six. Do you want to come stay at mine tonight?” I asked pleadingly. Jess just got back home and I felt like I still hadn’t seen enough of her yet. Then again, maybe I never would get enough.

“I’d love to,” she said as she pecked me on the lips once. “I’ll go get my things and we can head over.”

It only took Jess a few minutes to get an overnight bag together before we were ready to go. We drove to my apartment with the radio playing quietly in the background and my hand tightly clutching hers the whole way.

“Can I borrow your laptop, babe? I need to send a few emails,” she said after we had gotten in.

“Sure, it’s on my bed,” I told her.

Jess disappeared into my room for however long so I decided that I would cook dinner for the two of us. She was always the one cooking huge meals for us both so I thought it was only fair that I’d get to treat her for once. Plus I was starving seeing as we haven’t eaten since breakfast.

I rummaged through all the food that Jess had bought and got all the things together to make some kind of salad. I wanted to make something quick and grilling some chicken to put over the salads would make it perfect.

I never heard a sound out of Jess the entire time I was cooking but I could hear her typing away from time to time so I thought she must be in the middle of something important. I finished the salad some time later and even took the time to organize both plates into some professional-looking presentation. I took both plates into the living room and set them on the coffee table, deciding that I would sit and wait for Jess before I started eating my own.

I sat and watched the TV for about thirty minutes before I heard Jess make an appearance in the living room. I looked up at her and noticed she looked tired as hell which was understandable considering how much she’s worked this week and the jetlag from the flight back.

“Did you cook?” she asked as she sat down, eyeing the plates on the table.

“Yeah I was hungry and I thought you would be too so I just made something quick,” I explained as we picked up our plates.

“Babe, this is amazing,” she said after trying the chicken I had grilled. “You didn’t tell me you were like a professional chef or something.”

I laughed at that, suddenly remembering how I had always said I was going to grow up to be a chef. I remember telling people that up until the time I applied for college. Cooking was just another one of those things that I loved to do and I still do.

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When we finished our food some time later, Jess and I settled back on the couch and watched whatever happened to be on the TV at that moment. I noticed she was leaning her weight into me more and more as time went on and I knew she had to be absolutely shattered by now.

“Jess, do you wanna go to bed?”

“Mmm no. It’s only seven. I wanna stay up with you,” she pouted. I laughed at how childish she looked and kissed her gently on the forehead causing a smile to spread across her face.

“Here, at least get more comfortable.”

I pulled her down so that she was laying on the couch with her head rested in my lap. I took the small blanket I had draped over the back of the couch and covered her with it, knowing she would probably fall asleep in the next few minutes. I contented myself with running my fingers through her hair as I watched her eyelids slowly droop until I saw her finally give in to sleep.

As I watched her sleep, I let my mind wander. This was the first time I’ve been left to my thoughts since Jess and I officially got together and as I stared down at her beautiful face I couldn’t help but be reminded that I was probably the luckiest person in the entire world right now. I could have struck gold and it still wouldn’t be nearly as amazing as being able to call Jess mine. The fact that she was trusting me with her heart was better than any tangible wealth I could possibly think of and for a moment, it all felt too good to be true.

As I lost myself in my thoughts I began tracing the features of her face lightly with my fingers. I started at her jaw, continuing up over her high cheekbones, across the bridge of her nose, and finally moving back down to trace over her lips. I saw Jess twitch slightly as my fingers moved back to her cheek and she turned herself over, pressing her face into my stomach. For a second I thought that I had awakened her but her breathing slowed right back down again.

I glanced over at the end table next to me and eyed the sketchbook I kept laying there. I reached over carefully, making sure I didn’t jostle Jess in the process and set it on the arm of the couch. I turned it over to the first blank page and absentmindedly sketched a few lines, not really paying attention to what I was doing.

Before I knew it, I glanced up at the clock and saw that it was now one in the morning. Shit, I got carried away with the drawing. I looked down and noticed for the first time what I was actually doing. Normally when I draw I let my mind wander wherever it wants to go and I never really focus on what my hand is actually doing. The once blank page was now an extremely detailed drawing of Jess sleeping. I glanced back and forth between the drawing and her face in an attempt to see how close I actually got. The resemblance was definitely there but I still felt like I could never capture her perfectly. That was just it, though. She was perfect and there’s no way I could recreate perfection like that.

I closed the book and put it back where it was before. I should have gone to bed hours ago and there was no doubt I would be dead on my feet tomorrow. I looked down at Jess’s sleeping form, wondering if I should wake her up or try to carry her to bed. I sighed and decided not to attempt the latter seeing as odds are she would wake up anyway.

“Jess,” I whispered softly as I stroked her hair again. “Jess wake up.”

I heard her mumble sleepily before her eyes finally fluttered open. She looked up at me, still slightly disoriented.

“What time is it?” she mumbled.

“It’s really late. Let’s go to bed now,” I said as I helped her sit up slowly.

We got up and I walked Jess to bed with my arm securely around her waist, knowing that she probably still wasn’t even fully awake. Her head was tucked into my neck and I’m fairly sure her eyes were closed as we walked.

I laid her down and set my alarm before lying beside her. I felt Jess move around beside me and drape her arm across my stomach, her head back on my shoulder. I felt her lips press onto my neck once before I felt her whisper against my skin.

“Goodnight, babe.”

“Goodnight, Jess,” I whispered into her hair as I held onto her tightly.

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I woke up suddenly, knowing immediately that it wasn’t even close to time for me to wake up yet. It was still dark and when I glanced over at the clock, I noticed that it was only about half past three in the morning. I closed my eyes but opened them again immediately when I noticed something missing. Jess wasn’t beside me anymore and I could feel that her side of the bed was cold.

I got up and walked out of the room to look for her when I noticed the flashing lights of the TV in the living room. When I walked into the room I saw Jess sitting on the couch with the blanket wrapped around her. She was staring blankly at the TV and to be honest she still looked exhausted.

“Jess?” I saw her jump at the sound of my voice and she looked over at me as I moved to sit down beside her. “You all right?”

“Yeah, I just—I just couldn’t sleep,” she said in a quiet voice.

I wrapped both my arms around her and pulled her close to me. She seemed to relax right into me as she laid her head on my shoulder, sighing out heavily.

“Is there anything bothering you? You know you can talk to me about anything,” I said soothingly as I ran my fingers along her spine.

“It’s nothing. I just had a bit of a bad dream. It’s stupid really.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” I asked her as I held her tighter to me. I felt her shake her head immediately.

“No. I’d rather just forget about it.”

“Okay. Well, next time you have a bad dream or anything is bothering you, you know you can wake me up,” I told her. I didn’t want to force her talk about a nightmare if she didn’t want to. I know I wouldn’t want to be forced like that. But I also didn’t want her to feel like she’s alone.

“I just know you have to get up early for work. I didn’t want to bother you.”

“Jess, I don’t care if it takes me sitting up all night with you. If something bothers you, I want to know. I’d never make you talk about something you don’t want to but I’d be a pretty shit girlfriend if I didn’t want to comfort you when you need it.”

Jess pulled out of my embrace then and before I could even think I felt her lips crashing against mine. The kiss was more loving than it was heated and it spoke what words could never possibly convey. Jess’s hands had moved out from under the blanket and I felt her arms snake around my waist.

“Thank you,” she said after we pulled away.

“Let’s go back to bed. I know you’re still tired,” I stated.

When we were finally back in bed, I held Jess to me tighter than I ever had before. I wanted her to feel like she was safe from everything in the world, nightmares included. Our legs tangled together and Jess’s head rested comfortably on my chest. I could feel her breathing even back out almost immediately and I closed my eyes, intent on going to sleep as well. My last thought before surrendering to sleep was a simple one, but filled with so much meaning. I really think I might be falling faster than I ever thought I would and if that’s the case, I never want to reach the ground.

A/N  Nothing too interesting yet but maybe that'll change soon ;)

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