Page 86 of Straight to Me

“Sorry babe, I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay,” I shrug, grabbing a box, taking it to the bedroom. “I’ll see you when you get back then.”

Whilst he’s out, I unpack my boxes. Mainly clothes and a few toiletries, it’s virtually done by the time he gets back just over two hours later. I hadn’t realised he took my car until I saw him reverse parking into my bay.

My phone rings. “Come give me a hand?” he says.

Confused, I hang up and put on my trainers, meeting him at the entrance door downstairs. “What’s going on?”

“If you won’t stay with me, then I can’t let you live here without the bare essentials. Come on, grab some of it, help me take it upstairs.”

In the living room I open the boxes and find a variety of things inside. Some of it’s new, some of it’s his. “VP, what is all this?”

“I grabbed some stuff from mine. Figured you’d want some sheets?”

I hold them up to my nose, smelling them. “Very good thinking,” I smile happily.

“I got some clean towels and other stuff from mine too. That box there,” he points to one next to me, “I just bought that as a housewarming.”

“You went shopping for me?”

He looks at me like I’m the crazy one. “You had no mugs, no kettle, not even dish cloths or anything. Everything you’ll need is in there, babe. It’s not much, but it’ll do for now.”

I can’t look away from him. My heart completely full of love for this man.

“You didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to.”

I move towards him and hold him tight. “I don’t deserve you.”

He kisses my forehead. “It’s me who’s undeserving,” he whispers against my ear. “Now, you’re going to go have a hot bath, assuming there is a bath in there,” I playfully elbow his ribs, “then I’m going to make you some food and if you’ll let me, I’ll stay the night.”

“As if I have choice whether you’re staying.”

He laughs, kissing my neck. “As if you'd say no.”

The next morning when I wake, VP lays besides me. My head is curled on his bare chest while his arms hold me close to his warm body. I steal a few minutes to watch him sleep. His calm breath brushes over my skin as he inhales gently. He looks so peaceful. I could wake up like this every day.

Stroking his chest, he stirs, rubbing his eyes. “Morning,” he chokes, his voice gruff from a deep sleep.

“Morning. Did you sleep okay?”

He hugs me closer, kissing the hair on top of my head. “I always do when you’re next to me,” he yawns.

“You didn’t get up before me for once.”

“Hmm. I couldn’t leave you, not today.”

His eyes stay closed as his hand moves to my neck, his fingers stroking the back of my hair. I remember what day it is and whisper, “How does it feel to be thirty-five?”

“Amazing.”

“Really?”

He blinks his sleepy eyes open to look at me. “Twenty-three years I’ve woken up on this day and hated it. This morning is different. I know it’ll be the best birthday I’ve had in a long time.”

His phone pings from his jean pocket on the floor. “Urgh, I need to get up,” he stretches.

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