49. Revealing

The bed beneath me shifted. I opened my eyes and yawned as I realized I was still laying on Pat. "Sorry," I muttered as I moved to sit up. He wrapped both arms around me and I looked around the empty living room. "They didn't come back?" Pat shook his head on top of mine. "I'm sure I'm heating you out. Sorry."

"Hush, doll. You're fine. You slept soundly and clearly needed to. I'm the reason you woke up," he replied. I looked up at him and he smiled. "I'm just a little tender and tried to flex a little. You really are a light sleeper," he explained as he pulled his collar down and showed me. I gasped as I noticed all the bruises and tried to sit up again. "No! Doll, I'm not letting you go," he whispered. "You've been too long out of my arms. I missed you. Please don't pull away."

"I don't want to hurt you," I replied. He leaned into me and kissed my forehead. "Nor do I want to add to your pain. I love being in your arms, but this! Pat!" He rubbed my back soothingly.

"When you were beat up and riddled in bruises, you ignored your pain so I could hold you. Will you give me the same respect?" He begged. I looked up at him and nodded. Slowly I brought my head closer to his. He met my eyes. "My world is complete when you're in my arms," he murmured. I blushed and pressed my lips against his. Our eyes closed as he deepened the kiss. He moved one hand behind my neck and rubbed it gently. I wrapped my arm under his and rubbed his shoulder. He moved his head to my neck as he continued to kiss along my jawline. "Oh, 'Nettie!" Pat breathed as he held onto me. "Thank you."

"I missed you, Pat," I murmured. I sat back and looked in his eyes again. His hand from behind my neck moved to my cheek. "I love you, Benji," I whispered as soft as I could while I rubbed my nose along his jaw. He grinned.

"Hearing those words out of you lips makes me the happiest man alive. Love you too, sweet Sarah. I was afraid you wouldn't want me after I lied to you. After I told you I was arrested. After I-" he began. I cut him off with another kiss. He sighed as he pulled back. "I'm a damn fool. I should have told you," he whispered. I grinned.

"Let me sit up, please," I begged. "I have to use the bathroom and the bed is a little more comfortable than this small couch." He grinned and helped me sit up.

"Where to, mademoiselle?" He asked. I blushed as he stood up, cradling me in his arms. His left hand stroked my lower back. I held onto his neck and closed my eyes. He bounced my knees. "Doll? You can't sleep here." I opened my eyes and grinned.

"Wasn't planning on it. I was just enjoying your presence; you know convincing myself that you're really here," I teased. He grinned and pressed his lips against mine.

"I'm really here, doll. Now where are we going?" He repeated. I giggled. 

"Um! Right! Gotta focus, can't be getting all distracted by a melodious voice," I teased. He chuckled and rubbed his nose up my jaw. "Pat!" I giggled. He grinned but pulled back. "Thank you. So go down the hallway. Stairwell is on the left. We can go downstairs. You don't have to carry me," I stated. He wrapped me tighter to his chest. "Good. I didn't want to leave your arms anyways. I have a bed, a bathroom, and a surprise for you down there," I uttered as I blushed. He grinned. 

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled. "But you're keeping your clothes on."

"Wasn't planning on taking them off again. You already did that once and that's all I'll give you. What about you? Are you taking your clothes off?" I teased.

"Of course not," he replied as he went downstairs. "Shortly after you closed your eyes after joking around with Renae, everyone went back to the game and respected your wish for no more gawking. Renae and Tyler had plans for after the game. I'm not sure about everyone else. Jess said something about supervising. Apparently there's a dance tonight," he teased. I blushed and gestured to the left. He carried me that way, around the corner.

"Didn't you catch it? I partook in the dance," I giggled as I flicked his right ear then kissed his left cheek. "My partner was late." He grinned and opened the door.

"I am truly sorry, doll. I didn't mean to be," Pat replied as he sat my foot on the floor. He kept his left hand wrapped around my waist as he gazed lovingly upon me.

"I know. I can blame Josh; he said so himself," I retorted. He grinned and nodded as he tenderly stroked my jaw. 

"I was able to watch the whole halftime show. That red jersey didn't do you any justice, but that dress. Wow, baby! Josh and I stood by Jess after you loaded up in the carriage. It took all my strength and self control to stay by her as you collapsed after they announced you as the winner. That 82% is impressive," he praised. I blushed again.

"Thank you. I'm glad you were able to see it. Yeah. I was told that the dance started around nine-ish. Gotta give all those football players a chance to shower or something. Either way, the dance starts much too late for me; I definitely have somewhere better to be," I stated as I kissed him again. He grinned at me and stroked my hair. Playfully, I pushed him back towards the door. "Please go sit on the bed. No snooping," I ordered. He grinned and gave me a small bow as he closed the door.

"Can I snoop upstairs?" He asked from the other side of the door. 

"Feel free. Bathroom is second door on the right. Plenty of food in the fridge," I told him as I hopped to the toilet. "I'll be okay by myself."

"Three minutes, doll," he replied. I grinned as I heard his footsteps retreat. After I washed my hand, I looked in the mirror and grinned. Even though I cried and slept on the makeup, the golden eyelids and dark lashes were still intact. I giggled and began washing it off. It still wouldn't come off. I pursed my lips and kept scrubbing. A knock startled me. "Can I come in, doll? I'm under my three minute warning," Pat remarked.

"Yes. I'm trying to figure out how to wash off apparently waterproof makeup," I replied as he entered the room. I grinned at him in the mirror as he wrapped his arms around me. He kissed my neck and met my eye in the mirror.

"With or without makeup, you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. The gold on your eyes make these blue gems pop and sparkle. Or maybe it's just your excitement to see me," he teased. I grinned and leaned into him. "You mean it's me?" I nodded as he kissed my cheek. 

"I must have missed you or something," I teased.

"It's mutual, doll. I refuse to let you leave my sight more than necessary. You are definitely a vision to behold. I'm sure we can go find Jess and she could give you pointers on how to take that off," he told me softly. I turned off the water and turned around. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and grinned. I kissed his jaw again. Then I caught the bruise peeking from his collar. I stroked it softly.

"Is it really bad? Do you need ice or can I rub some muscle cream on it? Do you want me to do anything?" I murmured. He looked up and sighed. I lowered my head and softly whispered, "I'm sorry." He pressed his lips against my forehead causing me to look up again.

"I'm fine, love. Don't worry about it. Besides, I told you I wasn't planning on taking off my clothes," he murmured as he brushed my hair over my shoulders and rubbed my back. He pressed his head against mine, closed his eyes, and whispered, "but if you want to see my injuries, I'll show you." I closed my eyes as he pressed his lips down my nose. "All you have to do is ask. I can't turn you down." I opened my eyes and kissed his cheek.

"You asked once to see and didn't press me when I didn't want to show you my injuries. You don't have to show me yours. I've only seen you without a shirt once and I think you prefer to stay covered," I stated. 

"Thank you, doll. Didn't you say you had a surprise for me?" Pat asked as he stroked my cheek. I grinned. 

"I do. You have to do exactly what I say," I commanded. He grinned.

"Of course, doll. Whatever you say," he agreed.

"Even if that means walking in a dark room without me?" I asked as I bit my lip. He gave me a confused stare but nodded, tugging on my chin gently.

"I'll do whatever you want me to," he whispered. "Just stop hurting my lips. I like kissing you too much for your teeth to scratch and chap them up." 

"Sorry. It's a nervous habit and they're not chapped. Do you mind carrying me to the door on the other side of the bed please? I know that the bed in the middle of the room complicates a walking path. I can do it myself, but-" he pressed his lips against mine.

"You talk too much, doll. You're not hopping. I have the option to hold you and you are not taking it away from me," he teased as he cradled me in his arms. I wrapped my arm around him and smiled, pressing my lips against his once more. "Do you want to kiss or show me the surprise?"

"Very funny. Okay. I'll show you the surprise first so we can go back to kissing," I teased. "Now walk, mister." He laughed, walked around the bed, and stopped in front of the door, turning us so we were perpendicular with it. 

"The surprise is behind here?" He asked. I nodded. He kissed me again, as he lowered me to the floor - just out of reach from the door opening, closed his eyes, and grabbed the doorknob. "Alright. Walking into a room without you. No problem. Just don't let me hit anything, doll. I'll keep my eyes closed until you say open them. Would you like to blindfold me too?"

"No," I giggled. "I trust you, but I can't open the door and I kinda gotta get in there first." He released the doorknob, grinned, and moved both hands to my waist. I bit my lip. "You're being difficult, Mr. Miller. Please pick me up and carry me two steps forward," I commanded. He did as I instructed. "I need you to take half a step to your right as you turn and face left. Perfect. Now put me down, please." He grinned but followed instructions, holding onto my sides, awaiting further instructions. I turned and leaned against the wall, tugging on his arm. He followed my movements, keeping his body parallel with mine, and I pulled him closer. He smiled as his hips pressed against me. He moved his right arm up and braced against the wall by my head, falling in closer to me. I leaned up and kissed his jaw as I opened the door. It brushed past his shoulder as it swung out. "Did I hit you?" I asked, just to be certain.

"I felt the air but it didn't touch me," he confirmed. I stood on my toes and kissed him again. He rested his hand on my neck as he deepened the kiss. "I like this surprise so far," he teased. I giggled and lowered myself again. I looked up at him. His eyes remained closed. I bopped his nose. He grinned. "You're not behaving, doll. I don't mind," he teased as he leaned in again. I turned my head so his lips brushed against my cheek.

"And you, sir, are making it hard to concentrate," I retorted. He chuckled and stood up tall. "There's my good soldier." He gave me a salute and I giggled. "To your left is the doorway. Half a step. Okay another. Perfect," I ordered. "Stay put. I'm going to hop around you really quick." He nodded and listened. I hopped around the room and plugged in the several cords. When I had made my around the room, I reached out to Pat. His hand guided me back to his side.

"Trying to hurt yourself, doll?"

"Nope. Just trying to surprise you. I can always count on these arms to support me," I replied. He grinned. I smiled and rubbed his eyes. "Thanks for keeping them closed. I need to close the door. Excuse me." He nodded and pulled me to his chest. "Or not," I giggled.

"I got it, doll. Guide me," he ordered as he leaned back and reached for the door. 

"Two inches to the left, back a little," I told him. He grinned and found the doorknob. "Perfect! Nothing in front of you besides me." He picked me up, took a careful and long step forward, and closed the door behind him.

"You're good at this. Can I open my eyes yet?" He asked. 

"Sorry, dear. It's not the ideal spot. I want you to take the whole room in, not just a corner," I replied as I looked around the room. He chuckled and picked me up. I giggled as I looked up at the ceiling.

"In that case, ma'am, I'm taking the best view with me," he teased. 

"That's fine. The room is empty. Nothing to trip over or get tangled in. I eyeballed it but I'm pleased to see that up here in the nosebleed section is safe. You won't hit your head either," I stated with a grin. He ducked his head anyways and rubbed his nose on my cheek.

"Crazy short people," he teased as he stood up again. I giggled and kissed his chin. He lowered his head and found my lips with his.

"Are you done?" I jested after I pulled back for a breath. He grinned.

"Never," he whispered, kissing me deeper. I pointed my left foot, arched my back, and held onto his neck. He let out a small moan as he stumbled to the left. I pulled back and braced to fall. Pat held me securely and quickly regained his balance. "I can do this all day, but I need you against a wall or us sitting down. You are slippery and can be the leading cause behind several accidents. I don't want to hurt you. Lead me on, doll," he murmured. I smiled and looked around the room again, calculating where the best spot was as I panted for air. 

"Okay. So then I need you to take four steps forward please," I whispered. He grinned and followed my directions. I pulled myself closer to his cheek. He turned his head towards me, I pushed him back. "Put me down," I breathed in his ear. He kissed my cheek again and set me on the ground, holding onto my waist. I put my hand over his eyes. "You are very trusting. Thank you. I think you should sit down though. Remember, there's nothing in here so it'll be a while before you hit the ground," I murmured. He grinned.

"Don't laugh at my feeble attempts. I might fall," he warned. I giggled.

"Never; I would never laugh at you. Maybe at something you say, but not if you hurt yourself. You have remarkable strength and I admire you for it. You have plenty of room. You won't hit a wall or something," I replied. He kissed me again and slowly lowered himself to the ground. He kept his hands on my hips as a guide. Once he was sitting down, I leaned over him and kissed him softly, making his head tilt back. I removed my hand from his eyes, grabbed onto one of his hands on my hips, and whispered, "now you may open your eyes." He opened his eyes and grinned at me. I lowered myself down beside him and watched as he took in my room. 

"You did this?" He gasped. I nodded.

"Mostly. Renae helped. I needed her legs to help me with the nervous and incessant pacing upstairs. Apparently everyone's totally convinced I'm capable of hurting myself," I confessed with a grin. I looked around and smiled. "You told me to find the hope. Renae did all of the ladder work."

"So you turned your room into the night sky?" He gushed at me. I looked at him and smiled. Once again I looked around the room and admired my work. "I love how this turned out, doll. It's truly beautiful," Pat praised as he looked around the room too. I blushed and looked down, staring at my room in Pat's fake leg. His leg wasn't shiny, so it dulled my room, but it was still breathtaking watching the colors shift as he moved slightly. I started off painting the room dark gray, almost black, on three walls. The fourth wall and ceiling I painted light gray. I covered the top two feet of the walls and the ceiling with glitter paint. Then I added lights. The ceiling had soft white twinkling lights, left wall had purple and pink rope lights, the right wall had blue rope lights. I broke several mirrors and secured them inside picture frames with epoxy, making sure that I left space between the broken shards and that they were all positioned in different angles. Then I strategically placed the framed mirrors throughout the room; the rope lights ran behind them, but not all of them. Where the rope lights were present on the bare wall, I wrapped them in black tulle. I also wrapped the white lights on the ceiling in the same tulle then hung several rounded mirrors from the ceiling. The fan in the center of the room was turned on. With the exception of the two mirrors on each blade, lights, tulle, and mirrors were kept far from the fan. I replaced the light cover with a makeshift mirrored ball. The other two walls just had framed broken mirrors. All the lights bounced off the mirrors and I created my own little galaxy, and the glitter on the top made the room seem brighter and larger. I turned on the fan as low as it would go. The spinning created a shifting effect in my stationary mirrors on the walls and the breeze caused my floating mirrors on the ceiling to dance. Pat lifted my chin and I looked at him. "Doll, you recreated the nights on the water," he murmured proudly.

"It was my inspiration," I replied around a grin.

"Did this help you find hope? Relieve stress?" I nodded and he kissed my cheek. "I'm proud of you, doll." He cupped my jaw and kissed me deeply. He pulled me into his lap, draping my legs around his waist, and began rubbing my back softly. I wrapped my arm around his neck and let him kiss me as much and as deep as he wanted. 

"Pat," I breathed as he moved to my jaw. My breathing started coming in short gasps. I closed my eyes and arched my back as his hand traced my spine and his lips caressed the middle of my neck. "Stop," I begged in a voice no bigger than a whisper. Immediately, he pulled back. I shivered as he dropped his hands to my hips. 

"Of course. You are in the driver's seat. I love you. I would never hurt you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cross the lines," he whispered. I nodded and opened my eyes again. Fear and concern was etched across his face as he studied me. I smiled and he returned it. "I didn't mean to scare you. I am sorry, doll."

"I know. I'm not scared of you. In fact fear, scared, terrified, and anger are not words in my vocabulary when I think of you," I replied warmly as I picked his arm back up allowing him to rub my back, and I lowered my head onto his shoulder as I wrapped my arm around his back. He kissed my forehead. 

"I'm glad to hear that," he chuckled. His hands stayed by my lower back, gently caressing me; we stayed like that for several minutes as he continued to look around my room and I watched him. Slowly he brought his right hand down my hip and rested it on my leg, causing me to shiver involuntarily again. Pat turned his face to me again in concern. "Are you cold, doll?" I shook my head. "You shivered though," he accused.

"Your hands are warm, there's a slight breeze from the fan. I wasn't shivering because I'm cold. You caused that, sir. Your fingers are electric, darling. I asked you to stop because I couldn't breathe. You need to stop stealing my air," I teased. He chuckled. "Kiss me," I begged. 

"Gladly, ma'am," he whispered with a smile. He cupped my jaw with his right hand, pulling me even with him, and tightened his left arm around me. When I shifted my hips and ran my fingers through his hair, he simultaneously pulled back, loosened his arm around my waist, put his right hand on the floor beside him, and cleared his throat while looking around the room again. "Would you like to sleep under the stars with me tonight, doll?" 

"That would be fun, but to get the best experience, the room needs to stay empty. Nobody else has seen the room and I want them to experience it like this. A bed kinda takes away from the awesomeness of the night sky. I'll curl up with some blankets and a pillow in here with you though. No matter what, I'm sleeping wherever you are tonight. We can move the bed tomorrow. You and Renae are the only people who have seen this room. I needed your approval before I let anyone else in. I don't plan on staying though," I confessed. 

"Thank you, doll. It's a very special surprise. Never seek my approval for things you accomplished. Be proud. This is good. No. It's spectacular," he whispered. I blushed and looked down with a small smile tugging at my lips. He kissed my cheek again before moving me to his side and standing up. "Would you like to join me upstairs? I want to snoop," he spoke in a firm but soft tone; it demanded attention. All I could do was nod. He reached down and assisted me up. I leaned into him as he stroked my cheek. "It's only 10:30. You slept for nearly four hours earlier. I'm glad you slept. Your last voicemail had me worried. Josh wouldn't let me come see you after I heard it. I could hear the stress in your voice. Sleep was probably just what you needed then, but you need to eat too." His tone was playful, but I could tell there was a lot of truth and the undertone of seriousness in his words too. I had caused a lot of unnecessary worry. He was right of course; I was stressed and upset. I cried for at least an hour after it. Noah couldn't even comfort me and Tyler pulled him away. Jess sat with me until I fell asleep. I had worked myself up so much, I almost got sick. "Doll? Did you clock out on me?" I blushed and shook my head. "Okay. So you didn't sleep or eat much this week; I guess I can't blame you. Will you let me take care of you now?

"You haven't been taking care of yourself either," I accused as I rubbed the dark circles under his eyes. He grinned.

"I was worried about you," he murmured softly. 

"Are we really that pathetic? Can't sleep unless we know the other is safe? Ugh. I hate it. I've never felt so dependent on someone, but I really like it too. You're here though now." He leaned over and kissed me. 

"I'm here. Only you can have all of me, doll. If that means I'm dependent on you, so be it. I wouldn't give you up for anything. Anything, Sarah. I don't want you out of my sight. You're my reason for existing now. My world revolves around you. That being said, I haven't eaten since we left the hotel and am hungry. Not to mention, I would like you to eat too. You passed out earlier, and I can tell you've lost weight. You didn't have much to lose, you could be classified as having an eating disorder now," he murmured, running his thumb up and down my cheekbone. I nodded, hopped around him and snuggled into his back. He tenderly rubbed my arm around his waist. He pulled my right leg up over his hip and I grinned.

"Let's go eat then. I'm not anorexic. Nor am I throwing up the food I ate. I wasn't hungry, just stressed. I like food; just haven't been eating. Now that you're here though, that'll change. Where did Josh go?" I asked as I jumped on his back, wrapped my arm around his neck, and kissed his cheek. "Did you both drive?" Pat rubbed my legs tenderly and adjusted me on his back.

"No. He took a bus to Great Falls. He was afraid I would do something crazy," Pat explained softly as he carried me back up the stairs. Jess was sitting on the couch doing a crossword. Noah was sitting on the couch with a controller in his hand. I looked at him quizzically then nodded as Josh came back in the room. He sat beside Noah with all the junk food from the cupboard. "Figures. He's eating them out of house and home too," Pat whispered, looking over his shoulder at me. I giggled. All three of them turned towards us.

"You can go look at the room," I stated as Pat took me to the kitchen and set me down by the fridge. Jess stood up excitedly and danced, looking at Noah in anticipation. He looked over at me and sighed. "Take her. She might love it more if you were alone. Center of the room is best," I signed. He grinned.

"You ladies are going to drive me up the wall," he teased. "I'll be back. Jess has been dying to see that room since Annette started going crazy and breaking all those mirrors. She finally listened to the voice of reason and accepted help, but still refused to let us see it. You coming too?" Noah offered politely. Josh shook his head and picked up the crown off the table. 

"No I didn't get a chance to dance with the queen," he teased as he made his way to Pat and I. I giggled and shook my head as Noah held Jess' hand and they disappeared downstairs.

"I'm not sharing," Pat teased as he opened the fridge, covering my body with his. He tucked me into the door so Josh would have a harder time grabbing me. I grinned and pulled out the sliced baked chicken, apple pie, and the lemon-lime soda. "I'm not sure I'm liking where this food combo is going," Pat stated, taking them out of my hand and setting them on the counter. I grinned and pulled out a green pepper and the carrots.

"Don't you worry, sir," I teased in a southern drawl, causing him to laugh softly behind me. Josh came up behind us and put the crown back on my head. I turned around and looked at him. "May I help you?"

"Yep. I got to repay you for the marshmallows," he teased as he picked up the honey. I grinned.

"You were already ahead. Pat and I are a team. If you put that one me, I'll turn on your house. I'm certain that one of my siblings will help me find some itching powder. Ooh! Tyler has been wanting to try out a new chemistry set. I'm sure we can create the ultimate stink bomb in your kitchen. No! Even better. I think I'll go with candy logs in your shoes, possibly a few of Rufus' logs. Olivia loves it when I help her clean up her yard. That dog - uck! He know's how to make a mess. Oh! Or how about if I just randomly bring you treats. I might lace them with e-lax or something and just not tell you if and when I did. Please move," I insisted as I shut the fridge and tried to move to the stove-top. Pat chuckled as he pulled the vegetables from my arm and set them on the counter and chuckled softly. 

"Okay fine. Truce. I won't try and get you back," Josh swore, stopping me as he put the honey down and stuck out his hand. I shook it. He crossed his arms and looked between the two of us. I hated being under scrutiny so I hopped to the sink and washed my hand, Pat followed my lead. Josh leaned against the counter as he continued to stare at us. I looked up at Pat with a curious glance he smiled warmly.

"Okay, Josh. Spill. You making her uneasy. Truth be told, it is kinda creepy. Speak your mind," Pat ordered. 

"It's only fair that I be a little creepy. Your girlfriend scares me," he whispered loudly to Pat in a joking manner. I lowered my head and chuckled softly.

"My sweet little Annette! She's harmless. I don't think she has it in her to pull off any of those pranks. She's got some great ideas though. And it's like she said, we're a team. I have no qualms following through. It's about time someone puts you in your place," Pat chortled as Josh went back to his rugged stance, his arms folded across his chest.

"No. I can't be tamed. I'm glad to see you're on board, but I'm still more afraid of her. I don't mind a good pranking war. I just know that it'll progress to the point where you ban me from seeing you guys again because you're a fuddy-duddy," Josh remarked. I hid a snicker behind my hand and looked up at Pat. He came behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist as he kissed my head. "You're like my only friends; everyone else can only put up with me for limited times. That and I love her food. I don't want to be afraid of it because I might crap myself. You are downright devious, Annette," Josh continued with a smirk. I grinned. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his digital camera, and held it up. "No one will believe I know a queen," he chuckled. I shook my head and moved to take off crown again. Pat lowered my arm and kissed my cheek. 

"Stop hiding, doll," Pat chided. I looked at Josh and grinned. His camera flashed and I blinked rapidly.

"Okay. No more. Have I told you that I don't like getting my picture taken? Because I don't and I'm seeing spots. Please. Thank you. Now Pat said you haven't fed him since you guys left. Excuse me, I need to care for my boyfriend since his friend obviously won't," I stated with a grin as I hopped to the stove and started to warm a skillet. 

"Hey! You can't blame that on me. He wanted to see you before we got dinner. I'm glad we didn't stop for food; we would have missed that halftime performance. I got plenty pictures of your dance with Pat too," Josh replied as I blushed. "I had some concession food, so you don't have to worry about me."

"Good. Because I forgot my manners and wasn't thinking about how many I'd need to feed. Will you chop those please, dear?" I asked Pat gesturing to the bell pepper and carrots. "About seven carrots and a third to half of the pepper will do." He nodded and got to work.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! 'Nettie! That's gorgeous!" Jess exclaimed as she came back upstairs. "What's your next project?"

"Dinner. Or well, late night snack at least," I stated as Pat slid me the items I pulled out. I put the pie in the oven and turned it on low. I poured enough of the pop into the hot skillet so that it only covered the bottom of the pan and sprinkled a generous portion of lemon pepper into it. Pat was done chopping so I had him add the veggies to my pan. "I'm glad you like it, Jess. Set up a couch in the formal room. Then add some dressers and a rocking chair into that room. Maybe a crib and a changing table. The color scheme is perfect for a boy or girl. You can move everything to the top of the walls and still have the same effect. Take the tulle off for brighter nightlights for the baby," I stated. Jess squealed and danced up and down. 

"We can't take your room, 'Nettie," Noah stated, putting his arms around Jess waist and leaned against the wall. Her giddiness stopped immediately.

"It's a place for me to stay when I'm with you. I turned it into a gift for the three of you," I retorted. I looked up at Pat. "Unless you're kicking me out?"

"Nope. I'm not kicking you out," he promised as he stroked my cheek. I looked back at the stove and added the chicken. I added a dash of salt and covered the pan with a lid. "That'll be the best nursery in the history of nurseries," Pat stated as he looked back at Jess. "I'm sure it'll be one of many gifts that Annette bestows upon your bundle of joy." I bit my lip and nodded. I opened the oven and checked the pie. It was warmed up. I grabbed the pot holder beside me and moved to take it out. "Doll, please sit," Pat ordered as wrapped his arm around my waist and grabbed my hand with his. I was shaking again. I sighed but shook my head and continued to reach for the pie. "Josh?" Pat picked me up and turned me away from the stove as Josh reached in and took the pie out. Pat sat me on the island counter and looked at me, trying to be subtle as he took my pulse and watched my breathing.

"I'm fine. Just trying to figure out if I offended my brother," I whispered. I looked over my left shoulder. Jess was giddy again, Noah looked solemn. I looked back at Josh. "Thank you. Will you please stir my food?" He nodded and flipped the meat over. I looked back at Pat. "Why do I feel like I'm breaking at the seams whenever I'm with you?"

"Because I'm the one person who tells you that you don't need to be strong anymore," he replied softly. I smiled and looked back at my brother and his girlfriend.

"Do you not like the room for the baby?" I asked. 

"I love it. For the baby. For you. For gloomy days," Jess squealed as she made her way over to me and embraced me. I grinned as she put my hand on her stomach. "So does Junior." I giggled as the baby kicked my hand. I grinned and gave her another hug. She danced her way back to Noah's side.

"I like it, 'Nettie," Noah stated. "You have an eye for the pretty things in life. I felt like we would be robbing you of it." I grinned and looked back at Pat.

"I don't need reminders for that and I'm not being robbed," I chuckled. He grinned. I looked back at the stove. "Food's done. It doesn't take long to reheat chicken. That room, it was a great stress reliever, but it's not so special that only I should enjoy it."

"Alright. Now I gotta go see this room," Josh exclaimed as he moved the pan off the heat and turned off the stove just as the door opened. Renae and Tyler were back. 

"How was the dance?" I asked Renae.

"Lame. Our peers can't dance; they just mainly stick to the corners. Company wasn't lame though and he can bust a move on the dance floor. I wanted to come back and check on you," she replied. 

"I'm good. My over protective entourage is back in play," I giggled. She grinned.

"Good. I'm glad. You need looking over," she teased. Pat grinned and looked at her.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you!" He praised as he looked back at me. "You should hang out with her more often. She has good advice and instincts," he murmured. I looked at him and kissed his cheek.

"Or I could come hang out here. One central location to hang out with my best friend and her family," Renae interjected. I giggled and looked over Pat's shoulder at her. Tyler shuffled his feet nervously but I've never seen him smile bigger.

"Anyways, Josh was just about to go down and look at the room. You wanna show Tyler too?" I asked. She nodded and pulled Tyler behind her as she led the way. "Dessert first. Life's short," I told Pat. He grinned and made his way over to the pie. "Only for you, I'm not a fruit pie fan," I stated as he set up two plates. He looked back at me and scowled. 

"Annette," he warned. I grinned.

"You can eat the pie first; I don't mind," I told him sincerely. He shook his head.

"I want to have a meal with my girl. So we'll eat the chicken first. I want you to eat too," he replied, moved to the stove, and dished up two plates. I moved off the counter as Jess came over and kissed my cheek.

"Love you, sister. I'm going to bed," she stated. She looked at my eyes and grinned. "I'll put some makeup remover in the bathroom for you." 

"Thank you. Meant to mention that earlier. Thanks again. Love you too, sister. Sleep well," I replied with a grin. I looked over at Noah. "Pie?" He grinned and dished himself up a slice. Carefully I hopped over to the table with the pop and sat down. Noah came over with three forks and two cups. I poured the lemon-lime pop in both of them. Pat joined us, setting a plate of food in front of me and I pushed a cup in front of him. I picked up a fork and began to eat. I grinned as I looked at Pat. "The chicken's not going to bite you, dear. I used to pop to keep it moist. The veggies soaked up most of the liquid, so now they're sweet and still delicious," I explained as I took another bite. "You said you were hungry. So why aren't you eating?" He grinned at me. 

"I'm sure it'll be great, doll. I was just realizing I've gone a full week without your cooking. How in the world did I ever survive?" He teased as he took a bite. "Yep. It's still amazing and easily the best thing I've had in my mouth all week. Josh was excited about your stress cooking this week, he wants me to leave again so he can pig out on your food." I grinned.

"Well that's nice. I'll be a good friend and neighbor and make sure I make him some fresh goodies at least once a week. I won't even put a laxative in them," I replied as I heard someone stomping up the stairs. 

"Watch out. Josh is happy. He'll most likely try to hug you," Pat warned. I giggled. Sure enough, Josh wrapped his arms around me and rested his head on my right shoulder.

"I have never seen a room like that. I might need a night alone in there sometime. You're sharing, right?" He teased as he kissed my cheek. I grinned and offered him a bite of chicken. "Well, I wasn't talking about your food, but thanks!" He took the whole fork and carried in his mouth as he moved over to the counter to dish himself up some pie. Pat grinned and offered me his fork. I pointed down to my nearly empty plate and picked up the chicken with my fingers. "That room is something else. Baby Gibson is going to be one lucky son of gun," Josh praised. I looked back at Noah; he grinned widely.

"Baby Gibson? You're pregnant, Net?" Renae asked as she came back up the stairs. I felt the color drain from my cheeks and I inhaled sharply. Pat looked at me with concern and I lowered my gaze to the two remaining pieces of chicken and handful of vegetables on my plate.

"That would be baby Miller, but Net's kinda not into exciting things. She's completely bland," Josh stated. I could hear the concern in his voice too even though he was trying to tease and keep the mood light.

"No. She's not. I'm sorry, Net. That's right. Noah's kid. Sorry. You just gave me a lot of information today," Renae concluded. I nodded, blinking back several tears.

"I couldn't be pregnant," I whispered, hoping it to be true. My period came but it was spotty at best; I was very uncertain. Pat rubbed my neck sympathetically. 

"No, doll. It's not possible at this time. You said he didn't finish and we haven't reached that point in our relationship; I don't care if we never do. You're not pregnant," he told me. I looked up at him and he smiled warmly. I was glad he had such high faith; one of us needed to be certain. "He won't bother you, doll. Nor will his brother. Both have been locked away for a very long time." I nodded and picked up another piece of chicken with several green pepper chunks and changed the subject.

"How'd the game go?" I asked Noah. "I know we were winning 17 to 7 at the half."

"We won. 35-24," he replied. "Third quarter we lost our momentum some."

"And that's when we came back. Our team was down 24-17. Our kicker couldn't get another field goal," Renae filled in as she sat at the table. 

"Our kicker is Derek, right?"

"Yep. You know for someone who got so much of the school's support, you don't pay much attention to our sports teams," Renae teased. I giggled and smiled at her. "Derek noticed me after another failed field goal. He pointed me out to Adam, Connor, and Dan too. Instead of stopping with the team, the four of them ran over to the fence and asked for an update on you. Ryan, Mike, and Nate got an update too after they changed lines again. I've never felt so popular. It's unnerving. I can only imagine what it did to you today." I blushed and nodded.

"What did you tell them?" 

"We told them exactly what happened. You fainted but were doing just fine. Your pain was being managed. Speaking of, what's your level? Honestly," Tyler demanded.

"Everything aches. I can tell I'm healing, but I did overdo it tonight. I've tried hard to ignore my pain, which obviously wasn't a good idea. My pain is about a six or seven. It's tolerable," I replied. Pat, Noah, and Tyler all shook their heads as Tyler handed me another pain pill. I rolled my eyes but took it, showing them that I actually swallowed it. 

"We told them you were fine, curled up on the couch sleeping. Nothing to fret about," Tyler finished as he nodded his head in approval. "Pat will back me on this, you are not going to ignore your pain any more. Understood?" I nodded and stood up. I had finished my plate and needed to do the dishes now. "Sit," Tyler ordered harshly. I looked up at him in shock. "Sit," he repeated. I sat down and he sat across from me next to Renae. "You're not moving around yet. Last night, you asked me something. Do you remember what?"

"I wanted to see Ronnie," I replied with a shrug of my shoulders. Pat choked on his drink. "I owe him a thank you."

"You owe him nothing," Noah replied. I looked over at him. "You don't have to see him, 'Nettie. He hurt you."

"He's not the first!" I yelled, effectively shutting everyone up. I fiercely held my brother's gaze. He looked down and began fidgeting nervously. I won so I continued with a smirk. "But he is the first I'm not mad at for it. I'm sorry that it kills you that I'm not mad at him and that I want to talk to him," I added in a calm voice. I looked over at Pat. His eyes were wide and he wasn't eating any more. "He stopped Lionel from having his way with me. He allowed me to have some conversations with my peers after being unable to move. He brought me home. He may not have known that he gave me hope, and I held onto any glimpse of hope I could find. I'd still be there if it wasn't for him," I explained. "I owe him."

"What about Dad, Net? Do you owe him too? Or this latest monster. You going to want to talk to him too? Are you going to want to talk to everyone who has ever hurt you?" Noah was on the verge of yelling. I looked over at him in shock and slight fear. He took a calming breath and explained in a softer voice, "Ronnie never hurt me, 'Nettie and I had a hard time trusting him all because of how he hurt you. At one point when we were getting you out, he held onto my shoulder and was about to apologize to me. I didn't want him to explain his actions. I didn't want him to talk about you or touch me. I took a play out of your book: misdirection. I refused to let him speak, so I just smiled at him and thanked him before turning away. I felt sick to my stomach doing that. I'm thankful that he did get us all out, but 'Nettie, I'm not sure if I did it right now. I was numb and concerned about you. I had the option to get back at one of the people that hurt you and I didn't take it. I took Jess and Ty's lead. I was civil with him." He looked over at Tyler. "I respect him. I can give him that. He's also more of your father than anyone," he continued; I shuddered. Pat pulled me into his arms, leaning awkwardly in my chair, and rubbed my back. I continued to stare at my brother as he continued to rant, "but Nettie you really don't owe him anything. He made it so you couldn't walk. You've been scarred by that rod." I looked down a the back of my leg. I didn't notice any scarring, but I'd give myself an inspection later. I looked back at my brother. He seemed to be trying to collect his thoughts. "Annette, I don't think-"

"Enough!" I snapped as I slammed my hand on the table, cutting him off. He looked up at me in shock. "Maybe one day, I'll forgive Dad too, but right now he hasn't earned that. He told my mother I'm dead." I looked over at Pat. "I will never forgive that monster that you helped defeat in court. I appreciate what you did for me. I have no plans of ever learning his name or seeing him again," I promised. Pat grinned at me and kissed my forehead. I looked back at Tyler. "I do have the right to see him though. It's not the pain talking, it's me," I insisted. Tyler gave me a small smile. Noah pounded the table and pushed his chair back. I glared at him. "I'm thankful you are just trying to protect me, but for crying out loud. I'm not a baby, it's not your decision to make for me. I can make my own choices. I won't be alone with him," I stated definitively.

"You technically won't even be in the same room," Tyler added. I looked over at him. "Sound proof plexiglas. You can only chat through a phone." I nodded and stood up, holding onto the table for support. 

"I'm sorry this upsets you, but I'm turning a new chapter and not letting hate destroy me. I've taken down Dad, Lionel, Ronnie, and the goon squad. All different forms of monsters. All in this past month. Hate is crawling around in my head. I feel grungy and ill. I can't take it any more." Pat reached over and rubbed my hand, his other hand resting on my back. I looked over at Renae. She looked shocked but remained silent. "I found that agreeing to forgive one different version of a monster -while I still can't trust him- has made it more tolerable for me to move forward. Let alone be in the same room, hell his arms! I didn't like being that close to him. I didn't like when he held me and danced around the football field. I especially didn't like his lips on my hand or cheek." I looked back at my brother again and glared. "But I did it. With a smile. I might have even had a little fun. I had no desire to slap him. I wanted to run away, sure. I was happy to be done even though we barely made it through half of the song. I didn't want to be in his presence longer than necessary, but I promised him that I could work on being civil with him. Outside of a crowd, we haven't spoken."

"You had a problem with someone on the field? As in the homecoming king?" My brother gasped piecing the puzzle together. I nodded and looked down. "What did Ryan do and when?"

"He did more than cross the lines at the hospital," I whispered. I looked down at Pat. He stood up beside me and he wiped my eyes. "He tried but wasn't as successful," I wept. I leaned into him and looked over his shoulder and met Josh's eye; he had remained leaning against the counter, silent. He was shocked, but I couldn't tell over what. I lowered my head. Of course. It was me. I was acting uncharacteristically again. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I was starting to shake. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep this from you," I whispered. 

"I know, doll," Pat murmured as he rubbed my back. "You don't have to say anymore."

"No. she doesn't. If you want to know what happened, here. She wrote it all down, or at least enough," Renae stated and slid her phone over. My brother read the message I had typed earlier and groaned. Pat looked at me, I nodded, and buried my head in his chest as he beckoned to see it.

"You could have told me, doll," he whispered as he slid the phone back across the table. I shook my head.

"I couldn't even tell, Nae! I had to type it out," I cried. I pushed him away and hopped to the sink. I splashed some cool water on my face as I took a few calming breaths. Josh offered me a clean glass, since he was the closest. I nodded and filled it up with water. Once I drained it, I left the glass in the sink, and looked back at Pat. Slowly I made my way over back to the table and sat down again. "I figured you knew. You asked if I would allow you to offer me physical comfort. I just assumed that meant you knew more than you let on to," I whispered.

"I knew that he offended you and tried to take advantage of you, but I didn't know how. I just thought he stuck his tongue down your throat, maybe groped your chest. I had no idea it was more. I had the inclination that he wanted to do more. I was upset that he forced himself on you in some way," he said softly as he crouched beside me. He rested his hand on my back and I leaned back into him.

"Freaking a! I hate crying. I hate that all of you are seeing me like this. All because I want to let go of the past and you don't want me to?" I glowered at Noah. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"No. 'Nettie, I'm wrong. Once again, you're showing me just how strong you are. If you want to see Ronnie, you can. You should. I'm not going to stop you," he replied as he stood up. He walked over to me and held his arms out. I pulled away from Pat and stood up. My brother embraced me warmly and kissed the top of my head. "I couldn't if I tried, could I?" I shook my head and grinned.

"You have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, Net. Dr. Brandt wants to go over your healing. If you're up for it after the appointment, I'll take you," Tyler promised. I nodded then bit my lip, snuggling in closer to my brother as I buried my head in his chest.

"We'll take you, doll. A little extra muscle never hurt anything," Pat added. I grinned.

"You don't need extra muscle or protecting, Net. You do a damn good job by yourself. I'm glad that Pat and Tyler will be there, but I know you don't need them. I'm lucky to have such an amazing sister. I love the room. I just didn't want to take it away from you. Junior's nursery will be perfect in there. Or at least it'll be perfect for the playroom. Thanks," Noah murmured as he kissed my head again.

"Love you No-No," I replied. He huffed but I could tell he was smiling. "I'm not trying to offend you; I'm just trying to do what's best for me." He nodded his head on mine. "I was just trying to pass along hope and joy."

"You do, 'Nettie. You do. I'm just an overprotective brother who doesn't know how to protect you. I'm afraid that if I can't protect you, I'll be a horrible father too," he admitted. I looked up and grinned.

"That baby is going to be the most loved little Gibson ever," I giggled. He grinned and kissed my head again. "Love always defeats fear," I stated firmly, no hint of joking. Noah grinned and handed me back to Pat. Pat was standing again; he gently rubbed my back as he folded me into his arms.

"You're right, 'Nettie. It's just not as easy for the rest of us," Noah whispered.

"See, Net. You being negative is an impossible thing," Renae chirped. I grinned and dried my eyes again.

"You couldn't even get convincingly mad at your brother. You were mad, sure. You grabbed everyone's attention with your outbursts, but part of me was waiting for you to bust out laughing, exclaiming 'gotcha' or something," Josh noted. I blushed and put my head down.

"I can show you mad," I countered. "Only if you're on the receiving end." Everyone laughed merrily. I looked at Josh and grinned; he looked uncertain. "Gotcha. I can't be mad at you." He shook his head as he ducked it to his chest, sporting a huge grin.

"The world wouldn't be the same if we didn't have to worry about you. Even if you do throw a tantrum like a toddler. Ooh look! Something shiny. Tantrum is over," Tyler teased. I grinned.

"I do like shiny things," I retorted. The room chuckled again. Noah kissed my head one more time and headed to bed. I looked back at the table then met Tyler's eye. "Can I wash my dishes now or are you going to go all crazy-big-brother on me again?" He grinned.

"Knock yourself out, kid," he offered. He looked over at Renae. "Would you like to spend the night or should I take you back to pick up your car?"

"You're not getting rid of my bed!" Josh pouted.

"I think he's asking for a snuggle buddy, Josh. Renae would get the spare bed and you'd room with Tyler," I teased as I stacked all the dishes on top of each other. Pat took them all over to the sink. I hopped over there carefully. I looked back at Renae. "There's also the couch, the armchair, or the bean bags," I offered. I looked back at Tyler and grinned. "He's a good pillow too. He never let me hurt myself."

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! You a playa, Net?" Josh asked as I began filling up the sink. He wrapped his arm around Pat's neck. "I mean because I gotta protect my brotha from anotha motha from girls like you." I giggled.

"Yep. She's slept with me twice and I've only known her about a month and a half," Tyler teased. I looked over at Pat; he smiled warmly at me.

"Both of which I know about. Tyler has always been upfront with me and told me immediately afterwards. They just sleep. Annette's not big on action," he confirmed. Josh pouted, Renae giggled, I blushed, and Tyler grinned. Pat looked at me and rubbed my cheeks. "Cell phones can be useful. I don't know what you have against them," he teased. I grinned.

"Maybe I'll make you sleep with Josh or Tyler then," I teased. I looked over at Renae. "We can have a girl's night under the stars."

"Mom will love if I stayed with you, Net. I have to get home and take care of Spitfire and Spartan. Mom says I have until graduation before she takes over for me," she said apologetically. I nodded and continued to wash my dishes. I put my skillet in the sink as she came over and hugged me from the left side. "You're right. I enjoy kissing him," she whispered softly. I giggled.

"Good night, Nae. Thanks for hanging out," I replied. She bumped my hip softly and I lost my balance. Pat was right beside me and caught me. Dropping the cup he had just dried. "Sorry. I'm still a klutz," I mumbled. I looked up and grinned. "I thought breaking glass was my therapy," I teased. He chuckled and helped me stand upright again, making sure I stayed away from the glass shards. I looked over at Renae. "Go home. I'm sure I can come visit more often now," I winked. She giggled and headed out the door, Tyler not far behind. I drained the water and looked around for the broom. 

"Don't," Pat ordered. I looked up at him. He pointed down to my bare foot. "Please don't. You'll just upset yourself if you shred your foot with all that glass and you really won't be able to move around. Especially since you're doing so well healing up. On second thought, go ahead. It gives me another reason to hold you," he teased.

"I'm staying put. Broom will be between the fridge and counter or in the pantry," I replied. He nodded and made his way over there. Josh came over and picked me up. He sat me on the counter and gave me the dish towel. I took it and dried the inside of the pan as it rested on the counter. "Thanks. Sorry about my blow up. There's still too many protective brothers around."

"Shut up. All due respect, but shut it. Anyways, that room is stellar, Net," Josh praised as he put the pan away for me. I grinned as Pat came back over with the broom and picked up the glass shards. 

"It's nothing. I needed something to keep my mind off him. Thank you for making sure he slept and ate before getting on the road. I'm glad he's got you as a friend. I'm glad you drove up to wherever he was, but if I had to guess, I'd say Great Falls," I stated. Josh looked at me in surprise. 

"Where else would I be? Pat's the one friend I got who has always had my back. Guess I got you now too," he retorted and poked my side. He dropped his hands to his side and looked at me solemnly. It was the first time I've ever seen him completely serious, and it had me concerned. "Why do you want to face your imprisoned monster, Net? I don't get it."

"Life is all about choices. I can choose to live in fear that one day he'll be chasing me again, or I can choose to take the bull by the horns and let him know he doesn't scare me. Plus, I need to see if his hand is okay. I broke it," I admitted as I looked down at my broken leg. Pat chuckled as he threw the glass away and took the towel out of my hand. He soaked it and mopped the floor too.

"If someone was beating me up and I broke his hand, I wouldn't care how he was doing even if I was healed or mostly healed," Josh snorted. I giggled again. "I'll never understand you. You're crazy, kid. I'm heading downstairs. I'll move that bed back into the bedroom for you."

"You never stop surprising me," Pat noted. I grinned.

"Then I'm doing my job. I often surprise myself too," I replied as he stood up and hung the towel over the sink. 

He pulled out his phone and sent a message. "Just let the sibs know not to play with that towel," he explained as he pocketed his phone. Then he walked over to me and pressed his lips against mine fervently. After several pecks, we were both gasping for air. He pulled back and stroked my cheek tenderly.

"What was that for?" I breathed.

"For your remarkable strength. You give me plenty reasons to love you more everyday. But with what I just witnessed, I'm left speechless," he whispered as he tucked my hair behind my ear and kissed my cheek. "I'm also drawn to you. I have to hold you, kiss you, and be near you. You have me tied around your fingers and everyday I want more. I can't get enough of you." I sighed and leaned into him. "Now I believe it's time to go to bed. We'll go home tomorrow," he promised. I grinned and held onto him.

"I am home now," I replied. He kissed me again.

"Me too. The night's not over yet," he replied as he picked me up and carried me downstairs. He tossed me on the edge of the bed that was still in the middle of the room downstairs. I lay back so I wouldn't fall off the bed. "You didn't get very far," Pat teased Josh. Josh shrugged his shoulders.

"I was admiring that room again. Today has been full of surprises. Net crowned a queen. Net forgiving a monster. Net acting out of character. Pat slobbering on the hotel's pillows," Josh replied. 

"Can't believe you would threaten to make me share a bed with him," Pat rebuked me playfully. I grinned.

"I'm sleeping with you two tonight? Sah-weet! Pat's staying behind you. I'm not waking up in his saliva. I'm curious to see how this night is going to go," Josh teased as he jumped in the bed and held onto me. I squealed and he turned my body so he could hold onto me tighter. I looked up at Pat in defeat. He was smiling warmly at the both of us.

"Josh!" I giggled as he began breathing on my neck. "Pat! Please help me!"

"Alright. That's enough. You can't hold her any more. That's my job," Pat jested as he pulled Josh off me. "Come on. Help me move this," he ordered.

"Fine," Josh consented as he moved to the corner of the bed. I giggled at both of them and shook my head as I sat up. 

"Just leave the bed. We can take pillows and a blanket," I insisted. Pat grinned and grabbed the pillows off the bed, and Josh headed upstairs.

"Whatever. Night, love birds," he called over his shoulder. 

"You can't have this one," I teased as I pulled the pillow back into my arms. Pat smiled at me as he noticed it was wrapped in his shirt. He took his handful of comfort items into the room. Then he came back out, looked at me, and sighed.

"First things first," he stated. He sat beside my right side, rubbed my leg, and then took off his shirt. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"I bring you nothing but trouble."

"You bring me nothing but joy," he countered as he grabbed my hand and looked me in the eyes. "Please look," he begged. "I need you to see that I'm really okay, doll."  I closed my eyes and kissed him. 

"I know you are. Why are you choosing to show me? You have nothing to prove to me," I stated as he pulled back. 

"I'm not trying to prove anything. I need you to look, doll. Please," he begged. I sighed and looked down his body quickly.

"I've seen enough bruises. You don't have to. By the way, they're healing very well," I praised as I kissed the one by his neck. I met his gaze and held onto it. He grinned and moved his hand to my head. I giggled as I remembered I was still wearing the crown. "This isn't me," I giggled as I went to remove it again. He stopped me and wrapped his finger around mine.

"You're beautiful, and truly my queen. Leave it on a while longer," he pleaded. I bit my lip, looked down, and nodded. "Sarah," he whispered as he lowered our hands to my lap. I met his eye again. "Why are you afraid of riding out your emotions? You try and change the subject, or divert your attention, or even ignore it all together. I just told you that you look beautiful, yet you look like you want to run. Why?" I sat back and stared at him. I didn't have an answer for that. 

"Because we, uh. Because we're not. No. We shouldn't be focusing on that right now," I finally stammered. He chuckled softly. "Fine. It's because I hate the attention. I don't want anyone looking too close," I mumbled as I looked down at his chest and bit my lip again. I pulled my fingers away from his and rested my hand on the bruise in the middle of his chest. "They tried to rip your heart out!" 

"They can't. My heart is right here," he stated as he stroked my face. I looked over each bruise again then looked back up at him.

"I only want to be beautiful to you. I can't stand anybody else staring at me. You stole the colors that are usually riddled on my body. I don't like seeing you hurt. I wish you didn't take another beating for me," I whispered. 

"And I would never let you face this path again, doll. You are so valuable to me. I can't stand to see you covered in bruises again. One bruise on your porcelain skin is one too many," he retorted. He leaned over and kissed my head. "I was just making sure he couldn't hurt you again."

"And if I lose you in the process?"

"I'm not an easy target. They'll have to take me in pieces," he replied as he tapped his prosthetic leg. I giggled and he kissed me again. I pushed on his chest and made him lay back. He stroked my hair as I looked over him again. One by one, I kissed the bruises across his chest. "Doll!" he breathed as I kissed the one on the underside of his jaw. I moved to his lips as he wrapped both arms around me and positioned me on top of him. His arms snaked up my back until he was able to unhook my sling. I sat back and took deep breaths as he slid it off my arm. He grabbed my left hand and pressed his lips to each finger. Gently he cradled me in his arms as he flipped us over. He rested on his elbows. One by my side, the other by my head. "I love you, Sarah Annette. You steal my breath, cloud my mind, and make my heart beat. You are my reason to smile."

"You make me smile too. Thank you," I whispered as I kissed his cheek again. He leaned in and kissed me again, slow and passionate. He leaned back and stroked my hair. Once again he adjusted my crown.

"I will treat you like my queen everyday. And yes that means waiting on you hand and foot. I love you. More than I can express," he whispered and looked in my eyes. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I need to know what's going on in your head. What do you think when I kiss you, hold you, or have you pinned like this? I also need to know why you're with me. You don't feel guilty do you?"

"Patrick Benjamin Miller, are you doubting my affections for you?" I asked. He shook his head and smiled before pressing his lips to mine again. "Good. Because you're being absurd. You make me feel safe. Even before all this happened," I replied as I rubbed the dark circles under his eyes. "Work always felt like a safe zone. That's why I kept coming back even when I wasn't on the schedule; it was the one place I could be where he wouldn't try to hurt me. It was too public. I may have secluded myself in a back booth and buried my head in a book, but I felt safe. Even though you never joined me, I felt safer with you around. I think it was because even back then, I picked up on your protective nature. When you were not there, I found myself looking around more often. The day that I was certain my life was going to end, you held me in your arms and kissed my head," I reminded him. He grinned and kissed my hand as he wrapped his fingers around it. "I loved being able to talk to you. I never thought I would grab your attention. I never dreamed of being so cherished. I figured to the public eye it would appear that way, but behind closed doors," I trailed off. Pat stroked my forehead.

"Oh, doll. I will always cherish you; you are worth it," he breathed. 

"I know. It's one of the reasons I have always felt safe with you. You've always respected me, shown me in little ways that I'm worth the manpower, the attention, and being taken care of," I murmured. He grinned. "From day one when I first served you. Your eyes were kind, I trusted you immediately. I was surprised that you were a regular but I was happy to make a new friend. Of course, once I saw you talk so casually with Linda, I became worried again. You never once made me uncomfortable. You always tried to make me feel at ease, praising me when I did something even though it was completely wrong. Like the day that I mixed up my big tables food. I wanted to cry and run away. I ruined over $200 worth of food because I couldn't pay attention. I had to have to cooks make the meal over then I had to figure out how to make it up to the tables. You came beside me and asked me to breathe. You looked at my mistake and ran over to the tables, offering them all two free desserts. I ended up giving you both their tips that night. You had me laughing again before I went home reminding me of all I did right: didn't mess up their drinks, gave them the correct salad and dressing combo, didn't spill their soup, and kept smiling. You always seemed to know exactly what to say to help calm me down," I told him. Pat stroked my cheek again. "I love it when you hold me. I can always count on these strong arms for support," I stated as I reached up by my head and rubbed up his left forearm to his bicep. Then I moved my hand to his lips, resting my fingers gently on them. He kissed them and pulled my hand down; I rested our hands on my chest and took a deep breath. "Those lips are soft and irresistible. I crave your touch. I can't get enough," I confessed. Pat smiled and leaned in for another deeply passionate kiss.

"I can't get enough of it either. Sarah, you leave me intoxicated," he replied as he stroked my left side softly. I giggled and tried to squirm away, pressing against his right arm with my left elbow. Pat released my right hand and moved his arm by my head again as he shifted his weight. His right hand rested softly on my left arm. "I didn't mean to tickle you. I'll stop. Please don't hurt yourself. You haven't been released yet by the doctor to do physical activity," he whispered. I nodded and took a deep breath as I pressed my hand lightly back on his chest.

"I love being in your arms. I don't even mind being pinned down by you. This right here right now, this is comforting. I know I should be terrified of this position, but I'm not; I trust you completely," I confessed. Pat smiled and moved his right hand to my face where he stroked my forehead softly.

"Tell me," he began. I cut him off with another kiss; he did not disappoint me as he deepened it.

"I'm terrified you're going to leave me. Someone better will come along. When and if I become intimate with you in the most alluring way, you'll be done with me. I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. That I won't enjoy it," I whispered; tears filling my eyes again.

"Now who's being absurd?" Pat asked as he rubbed a thumb over my eyelids. "I crave your touch too, doll. I have never wanted something so much. I told you, everyday, I want more. Not more as in I need to touch every part of you, or that I expect sex, or that I want you to give me more than you are comfortable with. When I said that, I was talking about this, right here. Holding you. Talking to you. Kissing you. I want more of this. I want you right here beside me for the rest of our lives. There can never be someone better than you. I don't know if you got the memo, but I'm in this for the long haul. All I want is your happiness," he whispered. He reached down and grabbed my left hand and pressed his lips against the fingers, pausing on my ring finger. "There may come a day when we are both naked: exposed and vulnerable. I will only do what you are comfortable with. However, there will be a ring on this finger before I ever try that to go down that path," he promised.

"And if I can't be that intimate with you? I want to give you everything but I fear that part of me will always be holding back," I cried. Pat leaned over and kissed me softly.

"Then I will find other ways to be intimate with you. You give me what you can, nothing more. A ring doesn't guarantee me access, it shows the world that you are spoken for and loved for eternity. I don't want to be with you to see if we can tangle the sheets up. I want to be with the girl that brings me joy, brightens my day, and makes me a better person. I was going to say tell me if I ever go too far, if I'm going too fast or slow, or if I ever start to scare or hurt you. I want to be with you, Sarah Annette Gibson," he murmured. I blinked back the tears and focused on him. It was like he was plucked from my dreams; too good to be true.

"I want to be with you. I want to have a life with you, but-" I stated. Pat cut me off with a passionate kiss.

"Stop right now," he ordered. I nodded. He smiled and dried my eyes again. "No buts. If you want to be with me, I'm right here. There's no pressure, doll. You told me at the lake you wanted to be in my arms for eternity. You can have it. I'm never letting you go. You belong in my arms as much as I belong here, drying your eyes and offering you comfort. I will never cross lines or force you to do something you're not comfortable with. I won't get mad at you if we never have sex. As long as you continue to be my girl, I'm okay with just this," he stated as he rubbed my arm and kissed my forehead. He reached his right hand across my body and grabbed my hand bring it to his left side. I rubbed his scars gently. "I want to be with the person who doesn't see a blown up soldier who failed his mission. I want to see myself through your eyes, because I look at these scars and I see disfigurement. I'm ashamed. I don't feel worthy of you, but you are the only person I want to share this with."

"You're not a failure. You aren't broken or disfigured. You're unique and wonderful. These scars show how strong you are. It shows me that you chose to live. It shows that nobody's past is perfect, but every obstacle can be conquered. I saw an anchor when I first saw them, not shrapnel remains," I told him sincerely. He looked down at me in amazement. I rubbed up his side. The folds of the scar ran all the way down his side and around his back. I reached my hand around his back and he closed his eyes. I bit my lip and pulled my hand back to the loan scar at the base of his ribcage - my anchor. I didn't want to make him uneasy. "I see a man who loves his country, who has a heart as big as the nation, and feels sworn to protect everyone. I love his generosity. I love his kindness. I love his compassion. His smile pulls me in and gets me through my cloudy days. It is the one image that keeps me going. I can't imagine where I'd be if he wasn't part of my life," I whispered. "Pat." He opened his eyes as I moved my hand to his face and traced his lips. I smiled at him and he returned it. "You never guilted me into loving you. When I told you my fears of my heart being ripped out because you were pining over someone, you immediately backed off even though it hurt you. I denied my attraction to you, long before I knew you were the one for me, because I never wanted anyone to get close; especially you. You were too kind and I never wanted to drag you into the hell I call my life. I knew that you had seen enough darkness and didn't need any more. That night, when I realized I had fallen in love before I could fight it, Jess told me to focus on what made me happy." I stroked his lips again and he gave me one of his heart stopping smiles, causing my breathing to hitch. I took a deep breath and continued. "This is the smile I saw. No face, just the smile. I couldn't place it; I just thought that other people's happiness is what made me happy. Slowly a fuzzy image came along with the smile. It took me by surprise when I could put a face to those images and it scared me. Once I ran through the mental video again, I saw your eyes, your hands, you. I want you. Forever. Because without you, I don't feel like I'm living at all. I feel stressed and panicked. You keep me centered. You are amazing and I want to feel worthy of you. I feel like I'm dreaming and any moment I'll wake up to the harsh reality of pain and abuse again. So if I'm dreaming, don't wake me," I spoke softly. I lowered my eyes to his neck and took a deep breath. He lowered his face and kissed me again. When he pulled away I met his eyes again.

"You're not dreaming," he confirmed. "Because I can't dream up a kiss that good." I giggled and he smiled. "For as long as I live, doll, nobody will ever abuse you again. You are mine to protect. You are one mission I will not fail. I will work hard and give you all my attention and devotion. If anyone is to feel unworthy, it's me of you. As long as you're here, I'm never letting go." I smiled and pulled him in for another kiss.

"Good, because I'm not leaving," I replied. He smiled and gazed tenderly upon me. I sucked in another breath and held it, trying to focus. "I'm stuck when you stare at me, and I'm okay with it. I want to spend the rest of my life, or as long as he'll allow it, with the guy that gives me the sunshine and the stars at the same time. I want to be with the guy who puts others before himself because he's truly selfless. I want to be with the guy who respects me in all forms, not because I feel like I deserve it, but because I finally feel like I'm alive. I never want to leave his arms. You are my lifeboat. You are the reason I've been able to stay afloat, especially this past month," I told him sincerely.

"How can you see that in me and yet look at yourself and think you're broken?" He asked me. I looked down, unable to answer. "Alright. Fine. Let me show you." Pat stood up keeping me in his arms. He carried me to the bathroom, set me down so I could stand on my own, and had me look in the mirror. He moved off to the side. I looked over at him and he gently pushed my face back to the mirror. "Don't look away," he instructed. I nodded and looked at my reflection. "The girl before me is truly a royal." I grinned as I looked at the crown, it sparkled and shined but wasn't overpowering. It wasn't bigger than an inch high. Delicate filigree adorned with small crystal rhinestones made up the front; it was simply elegant. The thin silver band wrapped all the way around my head so it stayed in place. "She stands tall. The weight of the world doesn't even cause her to slouch or buckle," Pat explained. I looked at my shoulders in the mirror and snickered. Keeping my shoulders back and holding my head up high was a practice I had gotten into years ago; it hid my pain from prying eyes. I shifted both shoulders but found I couldn't slouch. Pat chuckled which caused me to laugh again. "Her laugh is contagious. Her eyes are the richest shade of blue, and no matter what is happening, they light up. The window to her soul never shows an ounce of pain. Even when they fade to a slate gray, they still have a sparkle in them. She never acknowledges her own pain. Those eyes always catch those who are in pain. Which causes her hands to act. She shares compassion and joy. Her smile is my life support." I blushed and looked down with a smirk. Pat came and stood behind me. He put one hand on my hip, the other under my chin. He lifted it up and I looked at my reflection again. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "no man would deny her beauty, but her kindness, compassion, concern for others, and the purest form of gold that pours from her heart is what makes her the most beautiful creature the world will ever see." I blushed again and he kissed my cheek. I turned around and looked at him. "You don't have to be strong anymore, doll. You just need to let me care for you," he pleaded. I nodded and he kissed me. "I love you, Sarah," he breathed. I closed my eyes and sighed contently. 

"I love you too, Benji. Thank you," I whispered. He kissed my temple and rubbed my left arm before grabbing my hand. 

"I have very important question for you," he whispered. I looked at him in shock.

"It's too early for an engagement! I would say yes, because I want to be with you forever. Pat! You cannot propose right now," I exclaimed. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Perhaps someday, but not today. Now, what I'm about to say isn't the question, but do you trust me, doll?" Pat asked softly. I nodded. "Good." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet bag. I looked at it curiously as he put it flat in his hand. My heart started to pound. "Will you open that for me please? It's not an engagement ring; I promise." I pursed my lips, reached over, petting the black fabric softly, and opened the bag, pouring the contents in his hand. A silver chain came out with a large charm attached to it. Pat took the bag out of my hand as I studied the necklace charm closely. It was a marquise cut royal blue gem, fixed in a three point setting. A silver and crystal heart was lopsided on the top of the gem that connected to loop that moved freely on the chain. I gasped and looked back up at him. He grinned. "Would you do me the honor of wearing my mother's ring? Obviously it's not a ring any more, but the gem was from her ring. This chain is the same metal that they hang our dog tags off of, only more feminized. You can sleep with it and get it wet," he explained nervously. I smiled and pulled my hair over my right shoulder.

"I would be honored to wear such a beautiful gift. Would you put it on for me please?" I asked as I kissed his jaw. He smiled and undid the clasp. I looked up at him as he gently traced my neck with his fingers and secured the necklace in place. His right hand stayed behind my neck as his left hand adjusted the charm. I looked down at his hand and held it with my own. I pressed my lips to his hand. "Thank you. It's beautiful. I love it. Even more so that it's not a ring. I think it would swallow my fingers," I murmured softly. I looked up and met his eyes again. He smiled and gazed at me tenderly as he found his words again.

"Next to you, this has been my most cherished possession. Well you aren't a possession, but you are what I care most about in this world. I made a promise to my mom. Like I said, this stone came from her ring. She wore it all the time. Three days before she passed away, she gave it to me. She asked that if I ever met someone who completed me, I was to give her this gem. She said she understood if I didn't keep it in a ring form. She wanted to be a part of my life. She knew that whoever I gave this to, would be a part of it too. This is her way of looking out for us, for me. I, uh. Ahem. Ah. Well it's a real sapphire. I wanted to wait until Christmas for this gift, but now seemed like the perfect time. Sarah, this sapphire reminds me of you. There is only one gem stronger than it- a diamond. One day, I would love to give you one of those as well. It's like you said though, now's not the time. I know this. I do. I don't mind waiting. Your beauty is magnetizing and pure. Your eyes hold the same intense color as this sapphire. The heart, speaks for itself. You are my queen and I want to treat you like the royal you are. I know you don't like fancy things, and I'm happy you are wearing this gem. My heart is forever in your care," Pat rattled. I smiled. He stopped talking, took a deep breath, and looked at me tenderly. "I'm rambling. Aren't I?" I nodded and pulled him closer. "Thanks for being so patient with me, beautiful," he murmured as gently pressed his lips against mine. "I love you," he whispered as he moved his hands to my waist. 

"I love you too," I replied with a grin. "Did you take this to court with you?"

"Actually, it's been with me since the day you stole my coffee, I grabbed it when I dug in my dresser as you got comfortable in my bed. When Josh and I went to Missoula later that day, I had a jeweler fix it up for me so it wasn't a ring any more. I considered giving it to you during our first date, then thought better of it. Not exactly first date gift. I've been holding it often, rubbing my finger over the smooth gem, and wondering when the right time to give it to you was. You hold my heart. I don't know if there was ever a perfect time," he rattled. I kissed his cheek and he smiled warmly at me. "Thank you. I wasn't planning on asking you tonight, but you were crowned a queen tonight and it also happens to be my mom's birthday. I haven't spent a birthday with her in six years, but since her death two years ago, I can rejoice again on this day," he explained. "I'm sorry, the bathroom's not very romantic, but you just cause words to spill from my mouth. You have incredible power over me," he whispered. I giggled.

I looked down at his chest again and fingered my anchor. "I'm not dreaming?" I whispered.

"You're not dreaming, doll," he confirmed. I bit my lip. He stroked my face. I sighed and met his eye. 

"I love having this moment with you. I'm sorry to ruin it," I stated as I continued to stroke his scar. "Noah mentioned a scar from the rod. I haven't seen it. Will you help me locate it?"

"Of course, doll," he replied. He took my crown off and hung it up behind me. I looked at his chest and stroked it softly. "Why don't you wash that paint off your face. I'll look at your leg. If I don't find anything, you're going to have to take the shirt off. You can keep the front covered," he offered. I nodded and swallowed my spit nervously. My mouth felt dry. He gave me a half smile and turned me around. I met his eye in the mirror as he centered my gem. I grinned. "It looks good on you," he whispered as I picked up the makeup removing wipes and took one out. Pat kissed my cheek then crouched behind me as I started taking the makeup off. His fingers traced my leg softly. Just below my knee he ran his finger up and down. "I think I found what he was talking about, doll." I looked over my left shoulder at him. "There's a definite indentation that's not normal muscle structure. It appears to be one of several, the rest are covered by your pants. They're tight enough to give me an idea though," he explained. I bit my lip as he looked back at me. "I'll show you when you aren't standing," he promised. I nodded and looked back at the mirror. I finished washing my face quietly. Pat stood up, embraced me in his arms, and kissed my cheek. "I'm going to get ready for bed. Join me when you're ready. Every time you look in the mirror, I want you too see the queen who holds my heart," he ordered. I grinned and leaned into him. He kissed me again and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. I looked up at the crown that was now hanging on the mirror and grinned. I looked back at my reflection. My eyes seemed to sparkle as much as the necklace around my neck.

"Hello, sunshine. It's been a while. You found happiness. Pat's correct. You are amazing. Now that you don't have to hide anymore, shine. Enjoy life. You can fully live it to the fullest now," I told myself as I gently held the blue gem in my fingers. I smiled and threw the makeup wipe away. I pulled out my toothbrush and brushed my teeth. After I spit in the sink and rinsed the toothbrush, I looked up at the crown again and grinned. "How'd I get to be so lucky? Me a queen!" I mused. I looked over at the toilet and thought I should try before I called it a night. So I hopped over there carefully, completed my business, then hopped back to the sink. I washed my hands, running the hot water over my left hand. "I never knew something so simple could be so wonderfully refreshing," I giggled as I dried my hands on the lilac towels. I hopped carefully to the door, bracing my right hand against the wall. When I reached the door, I leaned against the wall beside it and swung it open. I flipped off the light and hopped back to the main room using the wall, around the small hallway. I sorted the laundry as I passed the laundry chute. When I made it to the corner of the stairs, before making my way around the corner, I braced my back against the wall, closed my eyes, and several deep breaths as I tried to stop the room from spinning.

"Would you like help, doll?" Pat asked softly. I opened my eyes and looked at him. He stood in front of me, his arms ready to catch me, but he didn't touch me. "You look a little lightheaded." I nodded and he took another step closer. I pushed off the wall and leaned into him. "Let's go to bed, doll," he whispered as he picked me up. I nodded and kissed his cheek.

"That sounds like a wonderful plan," I mused. Pat grinned and carried me across the room. "You moved the bed!" I gasped. He grinned as he moved us into the bedroom.

"If I could have put a mattress on that dock, I would've. You created a beautiful space in here. We'll enjoy it comfortably," he whispered. I grinned as he set me on the bed. "Get comfortable, doll. I'll be back in a few," he promised. I nodded and looked up at the ceiling as he draped the blanket over me. He kissed my head and headed back to the door. "We're losing the breeze, doll. I don't want you shivering all night," he stated as he flicked the switch off and headed out the door. I adjusted the pillow behind my neck and stretched my body. I bit my lip in pain as I relaxed again; that was becoming easier to do. As I stared at all of the lights, I played with the necklace.

"Oh, Joanna! You raised an exceptional young man. Thank you and happy birthday," I whispered. The light in the main room flipped off, and I thought I saw my lights flicker twice before Pat came back in the room. He sat on the edge of the bed and took off his leg. Under my fake starlight, his scar on back looked luminescent and his bruises blended in. His left side was lighter than his right. I sat up, scooted over, and brushed my fingers across his back. He stiffened and turned around and looked at me. I started to pull away. "Sorry," I murmured. 

"Go ahead, doll," he whispered. I studied him in the dimly lit room and brushed the skin softly.

"Are you sure?" I asked hesitantly. He closed his eyes and nodded. I looked down at his hands, they were surprisingly relaxed. I ran my fingers all the way across his back. From his spine to the left was rippled and layered skin; there wasn't a single smooth part. The right side had a few solitary scars. I leaned over and kissed his shoulder as I traced the scar by his hairline on the back of his neck. "You're amazing. Soldier boy through and through," I whispered. He opened his eyes and looked at me. I pressed lightly on the scar. "I know why they're always on your mind. You seriously have a set of tags right here," I told him. His eyes widened slightly in surprise. I moved my hand to his back. "I don't see destruction. I see the waves, reflecting the light, like on the lake. Thank you for sharing this with me," I whispered as I scooted back over. He laid down and pulled me in his arms, draping a separate blanket over him. I rubbed his bare chest. "Are you okay with this?"

"Holding you while the the lights dance in your eyes? Definitely," he replied as he kissed my forehead again. He reached around my neck until he found the charm. He gently pulled it up. "Holding you while you keep my mother's memory alive. Yeah, I'm okay with that too. Letting you hold my heart and being your man? Doll, that's the best feeling in the world," he informed me as he kissed my cheek. I snuggled in closer and reached for his hand. He grabbed it and rubbed it tenderly.

"That's not what I was talking about," I whispered into his chest. "If sex isn't the ultimate goal, you don't have to sleep beside me, especially shirtless. You prefer to stay covered."

"I like holding you. I like waking up to your beautiful smile. Believe me, I sleep better too. So I'm going to be selfish and stay put because I hate being away from you," he explained as he rolled me back so he could gaze upon me. His eyes held me in a trance, and I was unable to look away. "You see something great in this mess of a body; I don't know why but you love it. You don't shy away from it; you just proved it. I sat down and you immediately wanted to touch my back. If you want to work on shutting the door to your past, I will too. Right now, that requires me to embrace what I'm ashamed of and what I feel guilty over. I can only do it with you; you give me a strength I didn't know I possessed. Whatever skin is revealed, you are welcome to touch. I want you to. I'm going to learn to love myself too," he whispered. I grinned as he kissed my lips sweetly. He rolled me to my back and deepened the kiss. Now that my left arm was free, I rested it on his side and pulled him ever closer with my right arm behind his neck. "Oh, doll," he breathed as moved to my jaw and kissed up to my ear. He pulled my hand from behind his neck and interlaced our fingers again, pinning my hand to the bed by my shoulder. My left hand scratched his side as he came back to my lips and kissed me deeply. I parted my lips and let out a small sigh as he pulled back. He released my hand and bopped my nose. "Your lungs are healing up nicely. Now it's my turn to heal," he whispered as he took a deep breath. I grinned and kissed his chest. "I don't need to have sex to be intimate with you. I'm quite content with you in my arms. Now are you satisfied, 'Nettie?" He teased. I shook my head with a grin as I tried to regulate my breathing again; he was also panting. 

"I want more. I can't possibly be satisfied," I sassed. 

"Me either, but we need to sleep. We have a lifetime to become satisfied with each other." He rubbed under my eyes. "Plus, you're starting to droop. Snuggle in, doll. I'll be here when you wake up. I love you, Annette; like I've never loved anything else before. You fill my heart with overflowing joy. This is where I belong."

"I love you, Pat. Welcome home," I whispered around a yawn. He grinned and kissed my head again as he rolled me to my side and cradled me, rubbing my back and holding my hand. I looked up at my ceiling again. "This is the perfect way to end the day," I murmured as I closed my eyes. "Good night, dear."

"Sleep well, my sweet rose," he replied softly.