53. Fresh start

~Explicit wording - kept to a minimum~

I shivered and pulled both legs to under the blanket as morning beckoned. My head was already covered and my nose was pressed against Pat's chest. His breathing remained steady, his right arm was flat against the bed - even though I was wrapped in it, his left just resting on my side; he was still sleeping. "Stop, 'Nettie!" I rebuked myself as I felt the bed shake with me. "Come on! Don't wake him up. Stop shivering," I pleaded mentally. Too late. Pat rolled me to my back, placed his head by my neck, covered my body with his, and gently rubbed my arms to help me warm up. "Sorry," I chattered.

"You're fine, doll," he replied sleepily. "Warm up."

"Weather changed in the night. I wouldn't be surprised if there is frost on the ground," I stated as I blew on his chest and pressed my lips against his rib-cage. He gasped.

"Ah! Doll, even your lips are cold!" He exclaimed as he felt my head. He pulled back in shock, rolled over, turned on the light, and looked at me with pursed lips.

"Sorry," I repeated as my teeth continued to chatter. He sat up and put his leg on as he moved to the bathroom. I pulled the blanket around me and curled up into a ball.

"Annette, let me back in, doll," he pleaded softly as the bed shifted beside me. I released the blanket and let him pull it back. He rolled me to my back, gave me a thermometer, and I obediently put it under my tongue. He moved around to his dresser and put a shirt on and pulled out a sweatshirt. The thermometer beeped and he sat on the edge of the bed, sitting on the sweatshirt. He pulled the thermometer out of my mouth and looked at me with pressed lips. "Normal body temperature is 96.3°. You're running at 94.1°. It's too low, doll; almost to the point it won't register on the thermometer."

"I'm a normal 95.2°. Guess I didn't toss and turn enough to keep it up," I replied as I shivered again. Pat smiled warmly at me and pulled the sweatshirt out. 

"Put this on, love. It's warm," he pleaded. I nodded and sat up. He helped me put it on, put the hood over my head, and wrapped me up in the blanket. "Stay sitting," he ordered. I nodded as he got up again. I pulled my knees up to my chest and breathed into them as I scrunched up the ends of the sleeves and tried to keep my hands warm too. "I'm lifting the blanket, doll. Socks and a pair of sweatpants if you want to put them on. The socks are definitely going on," he ordered. I lowered my knees down again as he pulled the blanket back and uncovered my feet. I pulled them back before he could put the sweatpants on. He looked at me in concern.

"I'm fine," I insisted as my lips continued to tremble. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Stop, doll," he murmured softly. I met his eye and he smiled at me. He moved beside me and wrapped me in his arms. "I love waking up next to you. The fact that you woke me up gives me another minute to talk to you, hold you, and kiss you. Having you react to my touch is the best thing in the world. They are my favorite moments. Did I cause this?" I looked over my shoulder at him, holding the sweatshirt hood so I could see him.

"How would you have caused this?" I asked, my eyes wide with shock. He smiled and moved his lips to my jaw and kissed up it as his hands inched higher, resting just below my breasts. I closed my eyes, giggled, and leaned into him. "As exciting as that was last night, no. You didn't cause this. I've always suffered with it. Fall and winter are the worst for me. Always when I wake up, seldom during the day," I explained as I leaned into his neck and breathed into it so the warm air hit my face. "Sorry," I repeated.

"Stop apologizing, 'Nettie," he ordered softly as he rubbed my arms gently and rested his head on mine. I grinned.

"But I crossed the line," I replied as I pulled the blanket up to my face in embarrassment. He chuckled.

"Did you like it?" He whispered. I wanted to say yes, but I didn't move. "Are you worrying about me again, doll?" I nodded. He leaned me back and covered my body with his. He pulled the blanket down, rubbed his nose against mine. "I enjoyed myself, doll," he whispered. I opened my mouth in protest and he pressed his lips against mine. "You can complain only if you didn't like it," he ordered as he gazed at me. "Did you like crossing the line last night?" I gave him a small smile, lowered my eyes, blushed, and nodded. He stroked my cheek and I looked back up at him. "Me too, doll. Very much." I grinned. 

"I feel guilty," I confessed. He stroked my lips softly and smiled.

"Why, doll?" 

"Because I seduced you! I didn't mean to. It just happened and I didn't want it to stop. You told me that you didn't want to cross that line after a fight, or when one of us was broken because that feeling couldn't be matched!" I exclaimed. He smiled.

"We didn't have sex, therefore you didn't seduce me," he clarified with a small chuckle. I bit my lip and he sighed, pulling my chin gently. I grinned and so did he. "Did you want me to touch you because you were afraid if I didn't, I really didn't want you at all?" He inquired. I shook my head, that wasn't the reason, not really. "Did you need it for validations of my affections?" Again I shook my head. "Did you just crave my touch and desire that we took the next step?" I nodded. That sounded as close to the truth as I could come up with. He leaned in and kissed me again. "Good. Because that's the vibe I was getting. You weren't trying to prove anything; you were just as caught up in the moment as I was," he whispered. I grinned. He kissed my cheek. "You've stopped shivering. Getting you to think about your feelings trumps you thinking about trying to get warm. Sometimes a distraction is good," he teased. I giggled. He kissed my forehead then peered into my eyes. "If that's what you consider seducing, then I'm all too willing to be seduced by you, doll. We can do that as often as you like. I have to draw the line at anything happening south of the border, for either of us. No sex. Just not yet," he begged. I nodded. 

"I like kissing you. I like laying in your arms. I really liked what happened last night. I found it harder to breathe when you were kissing my hips, even though I enjoyed the sensation, I found myself thinking 'enough - not there', but I didn't want to move you away either. The pleasure was greater than the fear, so I ignored your warning to stop you. Plus, you stopped as quickly as you started. I don't want to tumble backwards if the next step is taken. I appreciated that you covered my waist with the towel and didn't move it," I explained. He smiled at me and kissed my nose.

"Nice and warm, 'Nettie?" I nodded as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I was definitely getting there. "Good," he murmured as he yawned, resting his head on my shoulder and kissing my neck. 

"Do you want to go back to bed, dear? I'm so sorry for waking you up so early." 

"Like I said, doll, I don't mind at all. It's another moment I have that you can kiss me or talk to me. We can go snuggle on the couch. I'm going to make you some hot chocolate and you are taking it easy today," he ordered as he sat up and pulled the blanket down, leaving me covered in the sheet. I smiled.

"What are you going to do with your time when I go back to school? I won't be around for you to wait on hand and foot. I think you might go crazy," I teased. He smiled.

"Well, m'lady, I'll spend that time fluffing your pillows, drawing your bath one bucket at a time from the creek, boiling the water, putting hot coals in a metal pan to stick under the foot of your bed, and sprucing up your room so it's fit to house you," he teased in a British accent. I giggled and grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer to me.

"You're not my servant," I replied. He bowed his head and then met my eye.

"Oh but, m'lady, I am. 'Tis true. I live to serve you, your highness," he replied cheekily. I giggled.

"I'll only be your queen if you're my king," I replied. He moved so he could lay on top of me again and began kissing me passionately.

"That'll only happen when you say 'I do'. Not before," he whispered as he stroked my cheek with his nose. I kissed up his jaw and he rested his head on my shoulder.

"I do want to make you happy," I replied and kissed his jaw. "I do think you're amazing." Another peck. "I do desire you." Kiss. I was now by his ear. I rubbed my nose against it and softly whispered, "I do love you." I kissed above his ear and gave him one more. "I do not see a future without you." That set him over the edge and he began to fervently kiss me. He brushed his tongue against my lips as I parted them with a small gasp and he began to kiss up my jaw. I closed my eyes and leaned into him. "I do believe I'm drunk," I breathed. He pulled back and smiled at me. His eyes were bright and dilated. 

"Sweet Annette, I do love hearing those words come from your lips. You sure you don't see a future without me? You were ready to leave me yesterday," he murmured as he stroked my cheek. I looked down and bit my lip.

"I was wrong," I whispered as the tears were beginning to form in my eyes. "I was more willing to break my own heart than find out the truth, because I was afraid you would tell me that," I trailed off, bit my lip, met his eye, and tried again, "because I didn't want to hear that you needed an outlet that I couldn't provide." He smiled warmly at me and kissed my cheeks.

"Silly girl," he chuckled. "So that's why you enticed me with your body last night!" He teased. I blushed and looked down. He softly brushed his lips against mine, but didn't kiss me. The teasing was making me giddy. "I told you, doll, nobody has turned my head since I left for the army. Until you. I wasn't looking for you, but you gave me whiplash. From the moment I walked past Vanessa's counter my eyes became glued on you. I couldn't look away. I didn't know the hold you would have on me then and I've never felt anything like this before. You are who I want. You turned my head," he whispered. He wrapped both arms around me as I hugged his neck. "I dated in high school because I felt like I had to. I date you because I can't stay away. I want to spend every second by your side." 

"Are you afraid that because I'm in high school, I'll have the same thoughts some day? Or worse, I'll leave you?" I asked hesitantly. He moved his right arm behind my head and leaned back so I could see his whole face.

"No. You are much more mature and sure of what you want than I ever was. You don't date because you feel it's a requirement. Last night, I finally saw the broken girl you claim to be. I wish your heart didn't have to shatter for me to see that. It was worse thinking I was the reason behind it," he explained. Tears fell down my cheek and I wrapped my arms around him tighter. 

"I shouldn't have crossed the lines last night," I whispered. He pulled back and kissed me softly.

"Stop feeling guilty, doll," he ordered. He dried my cheeks as his left arm tightened around my waist. "Last night was as magical for me as it was for you. I enjoyed being able to give you pleasure. You leapt, I caught you. I loved that you took the plunge. I loved how you made me feel. You wanted to be in my arms. More than that, you wanted me to hold and touch you. Somehow, that pieced you back together. You didn't plan on that, but you went with it. You followed your heart and just let me love you." I rubbed his cheek with my thumb and ran my fingers on my other hand through his hair. He smiled and shook his head. "You send shivers down my spine with a simple touch like that. Do you have any idea what last night did for me?" I shook my head, put my hands down, and bit my lip as I pulled my left leg and traced his leg, trying to move around a little. He inhaled sharply and gave me a warning look as he pulled one hand to his lips and began kissing the fingers and took deep breaths. "You drive me crazy, darling. One look, one word, one touch. You can control my emotions, and it's intense. I love every second of it. You hold so much power. I want to give you everything you desire, but I really need you to stop moving your leg, doll," he explained. I nodded and put my leg back down.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. He smiled and kissed me.

"It's fine, love. I really enjoy everything you do. You drive me absolutely crazy. You just make it hard to cap my emotions sometimes and I fear that if I let you take me to the edge, I'll go over the top and scare you away," he whispered as his nose traced my jawline again.

"You can't scare me away. Even yesterday, when I thought I had a plausible reason to run away, I still came back. If I'm causing problems, I don't mean to be. Do you need space? Are you hungry, dear? I can whip you up some breakfast," I replied as I tried to push him off me. He shook his head with a smile.

"You're fine. You're not causing any problems so stop trying to divert the attention. You're taking it easy today, doll. You told me you overdid it this weekend. Let me take care of you," he pleaded. I smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Love you, Benji," I whispered. "Is solar charging out of the question?" He laughed and kissed my cheek.

"I love you too, Sarah. You can charge your panels, but it is only like 5:30, so the sun won't be up for a while - like at least two hours. Get dressed. We'll go out for breakfast today. I'm sure whoever is there would love to see you at six. No complaints. All of our food is gone from the fridge," he stated. I giggled.

"Yeah. Sheesh! New roommates are rude," I teased. 

"They wouldn't have been rude if you weren't such a good cook," he teased back as he kissed my cheek again and helped me sit up. 

"Must not be that good. There was leftovers. I mean if I'm as good of a cook as you say I am, the food would have been finished when I made it," I giggled. He grinned and kissed me.

"I'm glad there was leftovers; it fed me this weekend. Granted, it wasn't as good as fresh off the stove, but it was still delicious. Thank you," he replied. He rubbed my cheek tenderly and held onto my hand. "You're beautiful," he murmured. I blushed and looked down. "Sarah," he whispered. I looked up and met his eye again. He smiled warmly at me. "Thank you. I love looking into your eyes."

"What's on the agenda today?"

"Your happiness. As it is everyday," he replied. I grinned and gave him a skeptical look. "I can work on my truck while you chill on the couch and watch tv or do homework; I have to fix it before we go anywhere. If you don't want to do homework, we can find something to do together." I nodded and kissed his cheek.

"You're too good for me," I whispered.

"I'm not nearly good enough for you," he countered. "You are so pure and perfect. My personal drop of sunshine. Now, I need going to get some coffee going to help me bounce up and start the day so I can keep you with you, doll. I'll boil some water and get you some hot chocolate too." He kissed my temple. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me." I blushed and leaned into him.

"Don't go. Stay," I whispered. He pushed me back so he could look at me. "Let's just stay in bed today. I could go back to sleep." He smiled and kissed me.

"I'm all for that. Go use the bathroom. I'll get you another pain pill. Then we'll snuggle," he promised then kissed my temple. 

"Yes, dear," I replied as he helped me stand. "Don't move just yet please." He nodded and held onto my back as I stood on my toes, arched my back, and stretched my arms above my head. When I was pleased with that. I lowered my foot and pulled my arms off to the side as far as they would go. Finally I wrapped my arms around Pat's shoulders and kissed his cheek. "That's getting so much easier now!" I giggled. He grinned.

"Nothing can stop you once you're fully healed. I hope I can be the exception," he teased. I leaned into him as he picked me up and carried me to the bathroom. "Behave. Keep the hopping to a minimum. I'll be on the other side of this door if you need anything."

"Thank you, dear," I replied as he shut door. I went through my morning routine quickly. After I washed my hands, I opened up the mirror so I could take care of the other hygienic needs. I put the deodorant on and smelled his sweatshirt and smiled. I loved the way he smelled. "You almost lost the best thing that ever happened to you, 'Nettie. You would have destroyed yourself," I rebuked myself mentally. Then I brushed my teeth. After I rinsed my toothbrush, I took the hood off and began brushing my hair; it was ratty and frizzy after not taking care of it properly last night; it was brushed but not dried. I sighed as it was almost unimaginably kinked. After yanking my brush through it one final time, I pulled it back into a french braid quickly and put the hood back on. "Pat! I'm done, darling!" I remarked. He chuckled on the other side of the door. I put all my items away behind the mirror again and washed down the sink and counter as Pat came back into the bathroom with me. He placed a glass of water and half a pill beside me. I took them both then as he reached around me and put the thermometer away and shut the mirror. I turned around and looked at him with a raised eyebrow as I noticed he was holding onto the sweatpants he pulled out earlier. 

"Humor me," he stated. I grinned as he picked me up and sat me on the counter, pushing the glass to the corner. "You apparently need all the warmth you can get," he teased as he rubbed my bare legs and pushed my cast through the hole. I giggled and blushed but pointed my left toe so he could thread the pants on the rest of the way. He smiled and put the pants on for me up to my thigh. "You can take it from here, right doll?" He teased. I grinned and began to pull them up at the same time he lifted me up and carried me back to the bedroom. "Love you, 'Nettie," he whispered as he made me lay down in the middle of the bed.

"Love you, Benji," I replied as I pressed my shoulders against the bed and lifted my body as I adjusted the pants. Pat sat beside me on my left pulled the blankets around us as I settled back down and he laid back. "You're keeping the leg on?" I asked in a surprised tone. He kissed my cheek.

"Hush, doll. I've kicked myself a few times in my sleep with that leg and it really smarts. So I've gotten in the habit of taking it off at night. I don't toss and turn when I nap," he replied. I nodded and rolled to my stomach. I positioned a pillow under my head and got comfortable. "I'm on the wrong side now, dear. I'm going to hurt your leg again," he teased as he scooted me closer to him and rolled over me. He pulled my right leg up and braced it on a pillow again. I giggled as he wrapped his arms around me and rested his head between my shoulder blades. He took the hood off and stroked my jaw. I grinned. "Sleep well, beautiful," he murmured.

"You too, darling. Thank you. I love this," I replied. He re-adjusted so that he covered half of my body with his and his chin rested on the top of my head. His arms wrapped around mine as he held both my hands and rubbed them softly.

"Me too, doll," he whispered as he kissed the top of my head. He let go of my left hand and grabbed another pillow for under his head. I closed my eyes and snuggled into him. I moved our right hands closer to my chest. He kissed my head one more time and his breathing slowed and evened out. I smiled and drifted off myself.

"Hey, kids! What are you doing?" A voice startled me awake. 

"Vividly hallucinating," I glowered as I tried to snuggle under the blanket again. Pat chuckled behind me. 

"What?" The voice replied. I sighed. Josh.

"She said we're vividly hallucinating," Pat replied with a chuckle.

"Do I get some of those drugs? I want to hallucinate too! Oh wait. Annette said it. Not the good drugs then. So dreaming, huh?" Josh teased. The bed bounced and I tensed. Pat let go of my hand and began rubbing my back. 

"What do you want, Josh?" Pat asked.

"It's nine, and you guys weren't up. I had to see if you're alright!" He replied.

"It's nine!" I gasped as I tried to sit up. Pat kissed my head, gently pushed my shoulders, and I lay back down. "That means I missed the sunrise! Ugh!" Pat snickered and began drawing circles on my back again

"It's raining, so I doubt it would have been any good," Josh replied.  "Gonna make me breakfast, Net?" He tickled my foot and I pulled both legs up to my chest.

"Don't touch me! No. You've had enough of my food," I stated. Pat chuckled and pulled me closer to him. I grinned. "Plus, I opted to stay in bed today. Pat said I'm taking it easy. I offered to cook for him hours ago and he said no." I stretched again and sat up, facing the wall on the left side of the bed. Pat was soon behind me. I leaned into his chest as he wrapped both arms around me. I looked over my left shoulder and pushed back the hood that was up again and kissed his cheek. He smiled at me and moved his lips towards mine. I grabbed one of the pillows, broke away from the kiss, and swung the pillow at Josh's head. Bullseye! I hit him a few more times for good measure. "I almost left and didn't come back because of you jerk! All because you can't keep it in your pants. I thought it was Pat. You're a jerk," I playfully rebuked as I hit him repeatedly. His hands covered his face, he rolled to his back, and he was laughing.

"I'm sorry! Stop! I'm sorry! Annette! Please! I'm sorry. Pat! Come on. Seriously, dude! Call off your warrior," he ordered around another fit of laughter. "DUDE!" I giggled and put my pillow down.

"Dude!" Pat mimicked. "Just be thankful it's a pillow and not a brick. Doll, you could have told me you wanted to beat on him. I could have found you a baseball bat or something." I giggled and swung my pillow again. Causing another fit of laughter to come out of Josh.

"I couldn't hurt him like that," I replied. "So Pat won't let me cook and he doesn't want me to teach him. So there's no breakfast unless you're cooking for us, Josh."

"Doll, you agreed to go out to breakfast earlier with me. I need you to eat," Pat rebuked softly. I grinned and looked at him over my left shoulder. 

"I know. Just giving him a hard time," I whispered. He grinned.

"Yep. So we're going to the restaurant unless you're cooking for us," Pat agreed looking over at Josh.

"Restaurant sounds good," Josh replied as he sat up again and bounced on the bed on his hands and knees.

"I don't think we invited you," I teased as I looked over my right shoulder at him. Josh looked at me in mock agony. I giggled and leaned into Pat. "Can he come?"

"I'm okay with it if you are, doll. Especially if it's raining. My bike won't do very well in this weather and I need Josh to drive us," he teased. I giggled again sat up and took off my hood.

"You just woke up! Stop it. How are you laughing? Mornings don't work like that," Josh stated. I looked over at him and smiled.

"I like to laugh. I like to smile. If you don't like it, get out!" I teased as I pointed towards the door.

"Hold up! You got a makeover! You're not a true blonde any more. Let me see," Josh begged. I shook my head.

"Hair's done for the day. Braid's staying in. It's not too different, is it?" I asked Pat as I turned and looked at him. He shook his head and played with my bangs.

"This is the only thing that threw me, but it looks great," he replied. I grinned. "The color was a nice touch. I like it."

"You should, you bought it. Thank you. Remind me to take a picture and send it to Jess when I take the braid out. After I wash it again. It's a bit stubborn today," I ordered. He nodded and kissed my cheek. I looked back at Josh. "How long are you staying?"

"I was told it could take about a week," he replied I nodded and scooted to the edge of the bed. "Should you be doing that by yourself? Isn't your leg still broken and making you unsteady on your feet?" Josh asked as he stood up and walked over. I nodded.

"It is, but I'm fine," I replied with a grin. "You might be worse than my boyfriend, and he's pretty overprotective. However, he actually lets me stand up on my own." Pat chuckled as he got out of bed himself on the opposite side. Josh scowled. I gave him a confused look as I stood up. "What's wrong?"

"You two are bland. I was thinking your bedroom life would be a little more spiced up, but you're covered head to toe, and you don't even have a rod to stand on!" Josh stated pointing towards Pat. I punched Josh's shoulder playfully; not to harm him. He looked at me in shock.

"This isn't the first time we woke up," I teased. He looked between us both as his eyes widened.

"Tell me more!"

"Get your head out of the gutter, or you'll truly be homeless," I stated. Pat chuckled. I turned around and helped him make the bed. 

Josh stood back and pouted playfully as he leaned against the wall, "I can't think without the gutter. I'm always looking for inspiration." I put the pillows down and looked at him. 

"I'm glad you found someone you can be yourself with. You can stop with the innuendos with us though," I remarked. I hopped forward two hops, turned around, and held his gaze as I braced myself on the wall. Josh looked embarrassed and Pat made his way around the bed. He offered me his hand and I happily accepted it. Josh continued to sulk against the wall. "Enough with the pity party. I'm running on my reserve tank of happiness," I teased as I pushed him. Pat pulled me into his arms as Josh took three steps over with a grin.

"Sorry we didn't charge your panels then, doll," Pat whispered. I hugged him and looked at Josh.

"I'm sorry, Annette. I didn't mean to cause your relationship any problems. You two are great together. Anyone can see that. I'm jealous actually," he replied as he met my eye. "So if you're running on reserves, are you mad at me? Or close?" I shook my head.

"I'm not mad at your girlfriend either. I'm happy for both of you. Just keep her away from my boyfriend. She's not exactly subtle when it comes to who she flirts with. Pat told me enough, but I'm serious. Keep her away from my man," I ordered. Josh smiled.

"Will do. Annette, what are your thoughts on someone for everyone?" He asked.

"I believe everyone deserves happiness," I replied honestly. I looked up at Pat and smiled. "I believe it can be found with someone else. I know I have never been happier to be with someone," I continued. Pat smiled and kissed my forehead as I looked back at Josh. "But I also know that if you can't be happy with yourself, you'll always be miserable in some form."

"Wise beyond your years," Josh mused as he walked out the door.

"Did I offend him?" I asked Pat he rubbed my ear as he looked lovingly at me.

"No, doll. He's just rethinking his priorities. When I called him last night, he felt guilty that he might have ruined my chances at a lifetime of happiness. He knows I would have been miserable and held it against him if you followed through last night," he explained.

"Even if you followed me?" I replied. Pat nodded.

"You wouldn't have talked to me. Or let me hold you. I would have begged and pleaded and stalked you until you ordered me away. Which I'm sure you weren't far from doing," he replied softly. "Josh knows me better than anyone. He knows if that happened, and I found out the reason, I would have made his life miserable."

"Sheesh! You're a monster," I teased. He grinned.

"Without you by my side, I'm a jerk - calloused and hard. You make me a better man, Annette," he whispered. I blushed. "Now do you see why I insisted you wear the pants? Josh has no boundaries." I giggled as he leaned in and kissed me softly, slowly stealing my breath. "You're drunk," he teased. I giggled and looked back at him. He was smiling and his eyes spelled trouble. "Me too. You intoxicate me, darling," he whispered as he leaned in for another kiss. I pushed him away lightly. 

"Well, no drunken behavior right now. I'm hungry," I replied. He chuckled.

"Yes, ma'am. Guess I better get moving so I can feed you," he teased. I giggled and buried my head in his chest. "Do you need the bathroom, doll?" I shook my head. "Can I carry you?"

"I think that would be acceptable," I replied as I kissed his jaw and he scooped me up in his arms. I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I don't need the sun when I'm with you," I whispered. He grinned and began moving out of the room. I flipped the light switch off as we passed. "Watching the sunrise is great. Stargazing is fun. You surpass both easily," I told him. He stopped and leaned against the wall, between the closet and bathroom, just across the hall from his room so he could look into my eyes. I held his gaze, ran my fingers through his hair, took a deep breath, and continued softly, "it's not about anchors, shields, hope, roses, safety, passion, desire, or even love. But all of that plays a part in my decision making. Everything about you brings me comfort and joy. Even in the silence, just holding my hand, my heart is full and flowing over. I love you, Pat." He smiled and leaned in for a kiss. I met him halfway, slowly pushing him back against the wall as he let me deepen the kiss as our eyes closed. I scrunched my hand in his hair and he grinned. I smiled and sucked on his bottom lip, letting my teeth graze across it gently. 

"Oh, God! Annette!" Pat breathed as flipped us around, pinned me against the wall, and wrapped my legs around his waist. His right hand ran down my left leg, his left arm traced my side. He pressed his lips against mine again. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes as he began kissing up my neck. I sighed contently.

"Ahem," Josh cleared his throat as he opened the door to Pat's old bedroom. I opened my eyes, but pulled Pat closer; he continued to kiss and nibble my jaw and neck.

"Don't like it, shut the door and stay behind it," I teased. Pat found a sensitive area on my neck, causing me to gasp in surprise and close my eyes again. Pat focused on that area. "Pat!" I gasped and pushed him away as I opened my eyes. He pulled back slowly and grinned at me. I returned the smile. "I'll put you on restriction, mister," I teased.

"Please, don't stop on my account," Josh smirked. I looked over at him. He was leaning in the doorway with an amused look on his face. I blushed and buried my face in Pat's shoulder.

"No. We need to stop. I need food. He needs coffee-"

"And a cold shower. For both of you!" Josh interjected. 

"I'm good. I don't like being cold," I sassed.

"Well with the heat you two are putting out, one of you is bound to explode. So hit the showers," Josh teased. We all laughed.

"Food first," Pat stated as he cradled me in his arms again. "You can invite Amanda."

"No. I'm good. She'll be a fun fling, but I don't want to be around her 24/7. She's not the girl for me," Josh replied. I looked at him in shock as he led the way to the front room. Pat put me down on the armchair as he ran back to the room.

"Josh, did we ruin your relationship?" I asked. He smiled at me and shook his head.

"No, Annette. You two only opened my eyes to what I want. Someone I look forward to waking up next to and falling asleep with. Who would have thought that termites could have given me that insight?" He teased. I giggled and looked down. Pat came back out, wearing a hoodie himself and carrying my tennis shoe.

"Figured you wouldn't like to hop in a puddle with just your sock on," he explained as he handed over the shoe. I smiled and put it on, double knotting my laces.

"You're letting me hop? I thought I wasn't allowed to do anything today," I teased. Pat chuckled, Josh grinned and looked down, and I blushed. Pat disappeared into the kitchen and came back with the crutches.

"I don't want you to hop, but if it's wet, I'm more likely to lose my balance," he explained kindly as he offered me his hand again, helping me stand.

"I can carry her," Josh offered. I shook my head.

"That's alright. Winter's coming and I'm going to have to manage on crutches through the snow then to wet linoleum floors. I need some practice," I stated as I reached around Pat and grabbed the crutches. His lips were pressed in a thin line as he thought about it too. I smiled. "You worry too much, dear." He smiled at me and released the crutches. "Let's go. I'm hungry!"

"A chick that's more excited about food than two guys. Now I've seen everything," Josh chuckled as he led the way to the door. Pat and I followed. Pat locked up the house as I made my way to the car. The ground was soggy and squishy. I bit my lip and carefully made my way to the car. Josh looked back, shook his head, and moved to my side. "Let me help you please, Annette. Those crutches are already sliding around in the muck. You won't make it very far before you end up face planting in the mud," he insisted.

"A mud bath can be fun. Pat won't like it, which makes it all the more exciting and tempting. Care to join me?" I asked.

"Grab her, Josh," Pat chuckled as he walked beside us and took both crutches out of my hands. "You're nothing but trouble, doll," he whispered before kissing my cheek. I giggled then gasped as Josh threw me over his shoulder and carried me to his car. I loaded up in the backseat and looked at Pat. He was dunking the crutches under the gutter as a stream of water ran out. Josh loaded up, started the car, and looked back at me.

"He cares about you a lot, you know," he mused. I grinned.

"I've noticed. Thank you," I replied sincerely.

"Seriously, Annette. He's polite all the time. I think he might be light-hearted and fun like this around Dalton. But around you, it's a full time thing. No moping. No bitterness. He wants to be around people," Josh stated. I gestured with my eyes that Pat was coming back. Josh nodded and continued, "he's good for you too. I've seen a whole new side to you since you started dating. You're more open. You're still all smiles so I don't know if he had anything to do with that but I haven't seen a fake smile, or one put one to be polite. You put on quite a few of those at work; I can tell the difference now. You're genuinely happy all the time, it's just.... you're different. In a good way." Pat climbed in the front seat as Josh continued. "There was a time that you had a hard time keeping eye contact with anyone, only as long as necessary. You wouldn't talk more than two sentences to anyone. I'd hate to think that I could have damaged that." I blushed, looked down, and began playing with the sleeves on the sweatshirt I was wearing.

"Thank you for the compliment. I appreciate your concern," I replied as I looked up and met his eye again. "I would appreciate if you didn't tease us as much about our dating life, but I understand why you do it. I'm glad Pat has a good friend like you, even if you are immature. I'm glad that you extended the friendship towards me." He smiled at me and nodded.

"You're like family, Net. I'm happy to consider you my friend," he replied sincerely.

"Now, can we go eat? We can continue this mushy stuff at breakfast. I'm hungry!" As if to make a point, my stomach loudly rumbled. I giggled, looked down, and raised an eyebrow back at Josh.

"Alright. We can go," he stated as he put the car in reverse. Pat looked over his shoulder at me and smiled.

"Told you, doll. You're amazing," he praised. I blushed and looked down. 

"I'll drop you two off here," Josh stated as he pulled up to the back entrance. I bit my lip as I looked around. "Linda says you're still on the payroll, Annette. You can still use the employee entrance," Josh remarked. Pat chuckled and opened his door. I smiled at Josh, gave him a curt nod, and opened my door. Pat's hand was waiting for me. I grabbed his hand as he pulled me out, closing the door behind me. I looked up at the enclosed parking area as Josh pulled away.

"You alright, doll?" Pat asked kindly as he squeezed my hand. I looked at him and smiled before looking at the stairs and my crutches in his hand.

"Josh has a good heart; I'm glad he's in our lives," I told him.

"That's not what I was talking about, doll." 

"I know. I have issues with stairs that don't have a handrail," I confessed as I looked back at Pat. He smiled at me.

"It's dry here, so I can carry you up the stairs. You can totally do the crutches by yourself, after I dry the rubber stoppers inside. Right now, I'm not letting you do anything," he replied. 

"Overprotective fool," I teased with a grin as he picked me up and carried me inside. "I like it," I confessed as I kissed his cheek. He put me in the break room with the crutches as he found a rag. He came back and dried them. "I love you, you know? You're too good for me," I murmured. Pat sighed and bopped my nose.

"I love you more, doll. I try my best to be the perfect man for you, but I fail often. I just know I do. I will continue to give you my all and best because you're worth it. I know I'm not nearly good enough for you, but I'll remain by your side until you push me away; I'm very hopeful it never happens though. Come on. Let's go eat. Booth, table, or counter?"

"Let's do a booth, today," I replied as I stood up. "Do you think they would be mad if we grabbed some fruit and some toast or something right now?"

"I'll get you some. Go find a place to sit down. I'll join you in a minute," he promised as he kissed my cheek one more time and handed me the crutches. "Love you."

"Love you too," I replied as I made my way out to the floor. Bertie and Jade were working this morning. Bertie was a good for getting food out quickly, but she was often bitter and had to gossip about anything and everything with every table. Jade was friendly all the time and was efficient, so she was who I preferred to serve us. I looked around quickly and spotted a recently emptied booth in Jade's section. The buser, Andrew, had just wiped the table down and it didn't look like anyone was waiting for it. "Morning, Jade. Three at B24. We'll need utensils," I told her as I passed. She looked up at me in surprise, then at the empty booth and grinned at me.

"Thanks, Annette. I'll be right out," she replied. I hopped over to booth 24, leaned my crutches on against the booth - so they were between 24 and 25. Then I sat down on the right side scooted to the wall. I propped my broken leg on the far booth as Jade came by with the coffee pot, two coffee cups, a large orange juice, and three place settings. "Pat said you prefer juice; he placed an order for you when he saw where you were sitting. Dax has started your order too," she explained as she filled up both coffee cups. 

"Thanks, Jade. Sorry about the trouble," I replied.

"No trouble at all, Annette! Pat made it simple! It's nice to wait on people who know how this works," she replied as Josh came over and sat in the middle of the seat across from me.

"In that case, you better come back 30 more times before I know what I want," he teased.

"Har! Har! Pat beat you to the punch. He'll bring you out your flavored creamer when he comes out," Jade quipped as she turned around and left.

"Oh I see how it is," a voice growled. I looked up and smiled at Amanda. "You leave me yesterday and go out to breakfast with her."

"Actually, she's out to breakfast with me," Pat stated as he sat beside me and passed a bowl of watermelon and cantaloupe then passed Josh a small metal milk craft.

"I didn't ask you, sugar," she replied. 

"Shut up! There's no need to talk to my friends that way," Josh remarked as he poured the milk into his coffee. "Thanks for my hazelnut creamer, Pat. Annette, enjoy your fruit. I know you've been looking forward to it practically all morning. So eat up," Josh ordered, making it clear that he was not interested in talking to Amanda. I picked up my fork and took a bite of my fruit. Pat held my left hand with his left hand as he crossed it across his body, resting our hands between us on the seat. It looked uncomfortable for him as he put his right elbow on the table and sipped on his coffee. I compromised and moved my hand to his lap, meeting his eye to see if that was alright. He smiled at me and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. 

"Like I said. Annette's out to breakfast with me. Josh just happened to join us this morning," Pat remarked looking back at Amanda; I followed his gaze as I swallowed my fruit.

"You're welcome to join us as well, but that's up to Josh. Since he would have to share his seat and all," I stated, looking over at Josh. He pursed his lips and looked down. I felt guilty as I popped more fruit in my mouth. Pat squeezed my hand, but I didn't turn to face him.

"I have to ask permission now," she spat, causing my eyes to shoot up again and dart between the feuding couple in front of me. Josh shook his head and slowly looked up at Amanda.

"Not usually, but I think we're done. You were fun, just not long term material. So yeah, you gotta ask. And you gotta leave," he stated. 

I looked up at Amanda. She was fuming as she bellowed, "so your friendship with this a*****e is more important than me?" I swallowed the food in my mouth.

"Amanda," I spoke softly. She turned her icy gaze upon me and I held it. "I don't know the full story, but if you're going to snap at the guy who you call your boyfriend because he didn't plan his whole day around you, maybe you should look in the mirror," I told her kindly. "Nobody likes to be yelled at, but especially a man who hasn't had his first cup of coffee yet."

She glared at me and raised her voice, "you have no say! Your boyfriend-"

"-kicked you out of his home. For what I understand to be promiscuous reasons. He's strangely opposed to any form of nudity. His home is the one place he has any say in the matter," I interrupted softly. Pat was hiding a smile behind his hand, gently squeezed my left hand, and Josh was trying not to burst out in laughter. "Josh and Pat have been friends for years. I would expect them to put me in my place if I ever got in between their friendship, and that's what I got from their story. You can't make your boyfriend choose between you and his lifelong friend; you'll lose every time. I could never get mad at Pat for choosing to spend time with his friend, especially if he was unable to return home at the moment," I explained. Her face softened and she looked like she was ready to cry. I smiled warmly at her. "Josh is fun, but he's not a fool. I'd hate to see him get hurt," I remarked. Amanda looked guilty and shifted her feet uncomfortably. 

"Hurt?" Pat asked looking at me in confusion. 

"She has no right to yell at you for sitting in the booth with me even though Pat wasn't here yet," I stated, meeting Josh's eye. He looked shocked.

"It's none of your bus-"

"'don't snap at her like that, Amanda. What do you mean, Annette?" Josh asked kindly. I looked back up at Amanda.

"Even if he wasn't a friend, I would still tell him, but it's better coming from you. You're right. It's not my business where you are or what you do, but Josh is my friend and I always look out for them. He deserves to know. Tell him where you were not even three minutes ago," I ordered. Amanda glared at me, looked around the room, and returned her icy gaze to me as she shifted her feet uncomfortably.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she huffed. I sighed and looked down. 

"Don't say I didn't warn you. Josh, I am sorry about this," I remarked sadly, meeting his eye. He gave me a confused look, but a curt nod that said I should continue. I looked up and met Amanda's gaze again, she shifted uncomfortably but remained silent. "You were sitting with the guy in booth three when we came in. Your head was on his shoulder as he kissed you deeply. I didn't see your face when we walked in, but that outfit is hard to miss. I love the florescent pink, it's a fun color. Anyways, he keeps looking over at you. Every time you you raise your voice, he looks over. Any of the guests can tell it's a lover's quarrel. B3 dude seems a little hurt right, and now Josh does too. If you want someone to respect you and enjoy dating you, throwing yourself out there like a piece of meat to a den of hungry dogs isn't the way to do it. Pull up your shirt, lower your skirt, and hold your head up. You are beautiful and don't need a man to complete you. Love yourself first," I told her sincerely. She met my eye and nodded. Tears were on the brim of her eyes. I smiled again and looked at Josh. He had a look of disappointment and shock on his face as he looked over at B3. This was news to him.

"I can explain," Amanda started.

"Don't bother," Josh replied as he looked up at her. "I know we weren't all that serious, but I did ask you to be my girlfriend. That was pretty serious to me. I would only give you my attention, but if you can't respect me to be monogamous, then I know I wasn't making a mistake when I said I'm done," he spoke softly but I could tell he was hurting. I bit my lip and looked down at my fruit again. Pat squeezed my hand and I looked up at him. He gave me a small smile and I nodded and took another bite. "Annette," I looked over at Josh. "Thank you for being a good friend and defending me. Of course, I'd rather have heard it from you, Amanda, but not knowing is more hurtful. So thank you for telling me, Annette. I know you hate to cause people pain, but no one deserves to be cheated on," he stated. I smiled and gave him a nod. He looked back up at Amanda. "She's right. You're beautiful, and would have better luck finding someone that truly respects you if you wore your clothes like they're supposed to be worn." 

I looked back at Pat and tried to give them some privacy as their conversation continued. I squeezed his hand: short-short-short, long-long-long, short-long-short, short-long-short, long-short-long-long. (s-o-r-r-y) He smiled and squeezed back: short-short-long-short, short-short, long-short, short (f-i-n-e). I giggled. He reached over and popped some watermelon in his mouth. He winked at me as he started squeezing again: short-long-long-short, short-short, long-short-long-short, long-short, short-short, long-short-long-short (p-i-c-n-i-c). I grinned and picked up a piece of cantaloupe and held it to his lips. He took it and kissed my fingers before I could pull away. He reached over, grabbed another watermelon cube and brought it to my lips. I moved to take a bite and he pulled back. I giggled as he brought it back and traced my lips with the fruit. When he went around my top lip, I stuck my tongue out and pulled it in. He chuckled and squeezed my hand. 

"You two are nauseating," Josh teased. I looked back at him and smiled. Amanda was gone. "But that was quite erotic. No wonder you two get along so well. You were able to talk without talking. Do you have some sort of mental telepathic connection?" Pat chuckled and shook his head. I just smiled. "Thank you, Annette," Josh murmured. "Thank you for telling me about what you saw. I like to fool around as much as the next guy, with the exception of Pat and his fear of the human body," he teased and Pat chuckled softly as he rubbed my hand. I kept my eyes on Josh as he continued, "but I only want one girl at a time. I want to be her only guy. One night stands are different; there's no commitment, just fun. You quickly diffused the situation before it became a full on scream fest." I ducked my head as I popped another piece of fruit in my mouth. "I wish you would have interrupted us yesterday," he stated as he reached across the table and threw a piece of cantaloupe into his mouth. 

"It was something else, doll," Pat murmured as Jade brought us our food. She put the french toast in front of me and I looked over at Pat's biscuits and gravy. "Sorry, doll. I made the assumption that you were so hungry you didn't care what I got you. Did you want something besides french toast?"

"No! This is perfect. Thank you," I replied and giggled as I noticed the go cup of powdered sugar. I put some butter on the toast and sprinkled the powdered sugar. We ate in silence. After I finished half my breakfast, I looked over at Josh. He was zoning out and sipping on his coffee, his food barely touched. "Are you okay, Josh?" I asked. He put his left hand on my toes and squeezed them gently.

"I'm fine, Annette. Maybe a little famished, but I'm fine. I wasn't that emotionally invested in her," he replied sincerely with a smile. I returned the smile and took a bite of my food. I looked back at Pat. He was staring Josh down. "What? I'm fine. You said you didn't even know we were dating! Guess she wasn't life changing," Josh mumbled. Pat released my hand, moved his fork to his left hand, and placed his right hand on the table. "Really? Fine. Annette, pick up your juice," Josh warned as he mimick Pat's actions. They clasped hands like they were going to have an arm wrestling match. I picked up my juice and took a big sip as I held onto it. "My heart is not broken but I'm shocked and offended," Josh stated. Pat's arm lowered. "I'm hurt that she was cheating, but I'm not upset over it," Josh continued. Again, Pat's arm lowered. "I'm not going to call her," Josh stated. Pat didn't move, his muscles bulged as did Josh's. "Okay fine. I might call her." Their hands moved up one notch. "I'm not mad at you for kicking her out." Down towards Pat. "You saved me from getting hurt again." Again, Pat lowered his hand. "Your girlfriend's cooking is amazing and great for-" Pat moved first and brought their hands down on the table as Josh laughed.

"A brotherly lie detector test," I giggled as I put my juice back on the table. "Does it work with everyone?" 

"Let's find out! Five truths, and you win. If I believe it's a lie, I push back. If it's true, you don't let me move you. If I catch you in a lie, you owe me another fact. I'm not allowed to talk, and have to gage an answer within a second. I can't think on it," Josh stated as he put his left hand on the table and wiggled his eyebrows at me. "They can't be generic truths or prompted, but they do have to be something not anyone can verify right now," he instructed. I grinned and put my hand on the table and Josh grabbed it. Pat wrapped his arm around me. "Your go, Net," Josh stated. I nodded and thought for a moment. I wanted to make sure I picked truths that not even Pat could confirm and would throw both of them for a loop.

"I've considered death welcoming on more than one occasion, all in the past three years," I told him, keeping my face void of any emotion. I pressed against his hand. Josh looked shocked but lowed our hands towards him. "My first kiss made me throw up," I continued. He smiled and pushed against my hand. I didn't let him move me. He looked surprised.

"Seriously?" He gasped. I nodded and giggled as he lowered his hand. "Was your first kiss Pat?" 

"Thought you weren't supposed to talk or prompt me," I giggled. He nodded. I continued, "dogs terrify me. Doesn't matter the size." He squinted his eyes at me, I remained emotionless. He scowled and lowered his hand. I smiled and continued, "I've always wanted a set of twins of my own." Again, our hands lowered as he winked at Pat. I blushed and bit my lip. "I held my aunt's hand as she bled out after being shot when I was six." Josh studied me for a moment, pressed against my hand. I refused to let him budge my hand. Finally, he caved and make his hit the table. I pulled my hand back and grinned.

"Annette, you have some interesting secrets. I'm sorry about your aunt," he said sincerely. I nodded and took another bite of my food. Pat was done eating, I had one more slice of french toast to eat. Josh was only halfway through his omelette.

"The first one and last one was a lie," Pat stated beside me. I looked at him and shook my head. "Your lip shifted slightly," he noted.

"I pressed back on the last one. I was wrong," Josh countered. I grinned.

"Technically, they all are true. The only one that had any part of a lie was the one about the dogs. Ankle biters are fine as long as they don't yip; bigger dogs scare me," I explained. I pointed to two divots on my forehead above my nose. "I'm not sure of the breed because I was so young, but he was the same size as me when I was three. He bit me. I lost a lot of blood and was hospitalized. Aside from being born, that was my first hospitalization." I paused and let Pat take it in. He rubbed my scars gently and smiled at me before he dropped his hand to his lap again. "I welcomed death twice at the complex, but three times before that. I didn't want to put up with my dad any more. With the exception of the complex, death has never crossed my mind since I met you," I told him. 

"Glad to hear it, doll," he murmured and smiled at me. "So your first kiss made you sick. Was he just that bad of a kisser?" 

"Will decided to take me to the fair for our first date, we went on the tilt a whirl then had lunch. He got sauerkraut on a hot dog and tried kiss my nacho cheese off my lips. The smell of the rotten cabbage churned my stomach. I loved the rides and my nachos were great, but that sauerkraut. Uck! I never cared for the smell after that. Every time I smell it now, I get queasy. Every time he tried to kiss me after that, all I could think of was our first date, so I didn't enjoy kissing him once. But sauerkraut, that smell lingers and burns," I confessed as I crinkled my nose and stuck out my tongue, shuddering at the memory. I took a deep breath and looked back at my plate. "As for my aunt, I should have picked a different truth, but I was put on the spot and it was one that came to mind. It was turkey hunting season. Mom's sister, Odette and I were blackberry picking while wearing orange vests. She was going to show me how to turn those berries into a syrup. It's why I love cooking; it's my connection to her. Anyways, somebody shot her with a bow and arrow accidentally; I remember hearing the turkeys gobble, but I didn't see them. I don't know if the hunter was aiming for us or not; I can't imagine anyone purposely aiming at another human, but with the monsters I've seen, I wouldn't be surprised. The arrow knicked her throat. The hunter took us to the ER, but she died on the way there," I explained. Pat nodded and gave my hip a gentle squeeze. "Your turn," I commanded as I pulled his arm from around me. He grinned and put our elbows on the table.

"This ought to be good," Josh snickered.

"You know, doll, this is kinda backwards," Pat teased as he flexed his hand. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Truth, my hand goes down in front of you. Lie, your hand comes in front of me," I stated. I picked up my final piece of french toast and pushed my plate away. Pat stacked it on his dirty plate. I took a bite of my french toast and turned to looked at Pat. He was grinning.

"Alright. You ready, doll?" He asked. I nodded. "Christmas is my favorite holiday," he started. I looked in his eyes as he pushed my hand down. "I can't go hunting anymore," he stated and pushed my hand down again. "I want to live in New York someday," he stated and looked down slightly, he tried to keep it subtle, but I caught it as he pushed down on my hand. I pushed back as I took another bite of my french toast. He grinned and allowed me to move him back. "I have never played seven minutes in heaven." Truth. "I have never been to a theme park," he remarked. I smirked and pressed back on his hand. He chuckled and allowed me to push back. Josh snorted.

"Awesome possum! Five for five. Pat, she's good," he mused. I grinned and finished my french toast. Pat nodded but didn't take his eyes off me. "You owe her two more truths," Josh ordered. Pat nodded again and smiled.

"Five girls have implied to have sex with me. I said no to all of them," he stated. I shifted nervously and looked down. Was I one of the five? He moved my hand down and I looked back up at him. He tapped on my hand: long-short, long-long-long, long, pause short-short-long (n-o-t u). I grinned and he returned it. "I love all sorts of movies, but 'The Lion King' I can never get enough of," Pat finished. Truth. I allowed him to lower my hand to the table.

"Name the five girls," Josh stated. Pat rolled his eyes. "Name the five," he repeated.

"Three I dated, two were just there: Rebecca, Eleanor, Marci, Private Tanner's desert storm princess - Monique I think was her name, and Amanda about a month ago, in front of you doll. She offered to give me masseuse lessons this weekend too; I refused," Pat stated. I squeezed his hand.

"You don't need lessons, darling," I told him sincerely. He grinned.

"Okay, so junior high school, high school, summer fling, army, and my gal," Josh remarked. He looked bummed. 

"Why'd you break up with her if you're calling her yours?" I asked. Josh shook his head.

"So, Annette, you haven't asked for sex? I mean we both know Pat's cowardly when it comes to the whole glorious natural form of the body: unhidden and a treasure set aside for him," Josh teased but sounded surprised. I shook my head as I blushed and looked down. I picked up my orange juice and finished it.

"I'm not a coward," Pat retorted. He swung his leg out and kicked Josh's foot. I tensed and leaned away waiting for the reciprocation. "I actually just respect women," Pat teased. Josh chuckled.

"Relax, Annette. I'm not going to hurt him. I think he got the table more than he got me," he stated. I scooted closer to Pat and relaxed slightly. Josh looked back at Pat and smirked. "I respect women too. No means no. Only go after single women," he stated. He looked back at me and winked. "You won't get twins by not trying. Practice makes perfect." I bit my lips as I felt my cheeks get hotter. Pat turned my face to look at him.

"When and if you decide you want kids, we can adopt, doll," he whispered. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do." I smiled and he lowered his hand.

"But seriously you might surprise yourself if you explore that path, Net," Josh stated around a mouthful. I rolled my eyes and looked down. There was no way he was getting off this topic until I gave him something.

"Truth be told, I'm kinda frightened by that path. I'm afraid I'll hate it," I confessed. I looked over at Pat and he smiled warmly at me. "But Pat makes me feel special and doesn't pressure me. That's good enough for me."

"Me too, doll," he replied softly and brought my hand to his lips as he gently kissed the back. I blushed and looked back at Josh as Pat lowered our hands onto the table again.

"Seriously? Because the way you two interact. Oof ta! The bedroom life is going to be hot!" Josh stated a little louder than he needed to. I giggled and looked down turning bright red. Pat squeezed my hand again.

"He's a good snuggler and keeps me nice and warm. Other than that, not much has happened in the bedroom," I insisted softly. Pat chuckled. I looked over at him. He was sipping on his coffee hiding a smile. He looked at me and winked.

"LIES!" Josh remarked loudly as he pointed at both of us and laughed. I giggled.

"She's not lying. We haven't had sex. I do like to snuggle with her. She get's cold easy. Hence my sweatshirt. We spend a lot of time kissing," Pat remarked. "I'm perfectly happy with that."

"Me too," I insisted as I leaned into his shoulder. Josh looked at the two of us and laughed. 

"I'm jealous. I want that," he stated sincerely. He waved at Jade as she walked by with the coffee pot. She topped both Pat and Josh off. She left our ticket as well. "You two seriously put a whole new level on relationship goals." I smiled. Pat took released my hand and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer. I pulled my arm down and rested it on his knee as I lowered my foot off Josh's seat. I was starting to feel tension in my leg and it was causing my toes to go numb. "So what's the plan today? I'm off," Josh stated.

"Annette is staying off her feet. No debates, doll," Pat stated. I nodded and he kissed my head.

"You guys are going to teach me how to play Call of Duty," I insisted. Both of them chuckled. "Okay fine. I'm probably going to nap, do some homework, and make a mess." I looked up at Pat and he smiled. "And you'll let me clean it up too," I demanded.

"We'll see, doll. About the mess and the clean up" he chuckled. I faced forward again. 

"What's on your agenda, Josh?"

"Oh, I don't know. Battle of wits with Net. You're kinda a dull companion sometimes, Pat," Josh teased. I giggled. 

"You think I'm dull, doll?" Pat teased as he began tickling my sides. I shook my head and tried to stop him, giggling uncontrollably. 

"Of course not!" I insisted around a fit of giggles. "Stop!" I begged. Josh smirked at me as Pat finally stopped. "Do I get to buy breakfast?"

"No!" Both men stated. I smirked and looked down. I pushed Pat's coffee away. He wrapped his fingers around my hand. "Stealing my grog again, doll?" I shook my head.

"Nope. I'm good. I think you are too," I replied. He chuckled and pulled the coffee cup out of my hand. "Besides, you have your own personal drop of sunshine and I can find a way to wake you up," I whispered. He grinned and kissed my nose.

"Let's go home then, doll," he whispered in my ear. I grinned and shook my head. "Can I make you change your mind?" He began planting tiny kisses up my jaw. I closed my eyes and leaned into him.

"Stop it," Josh demanded as he looked at us. "You're sweet together, but you make us single guys uneasy." I sat up and tried to pull away from Pat. He held onto me tighter.

"Like you've never made anyone uncomfortable with your relationships. Yesterday is a prime example," Pat retorted. I smiled.

"Who said he needed a relationship to make them uncomfortable? Everything is an innuendo. First thing you told me when you trained me, 'you're a cute blonde with great legs. It draws the eye to your a*s. Want more tips, use it to your advantage.' I had never felt so uncomfortable," I added. Pat chuckled. "Will you let me out, dear? I got to use the bathroom." He nodded and stood up. I grabbed my crutches. "Meet you at the front door?" Both men nodded. Josh sat there with a cheeky grin on his face and I needed it gone before he said something. So I looked up at Pat. "Kiss me," I begged. He grinned and leaned into me, kissing my cheek before he moved to my lips. "Love you, mister," I beamed. 

"Love you, doll," he whispered before kissing my nose and sliding back into the booth. Josh now look bemused. I grinned and made my way to the bathroom. As I was washing my hands, I saw Amanda again. She walked in the door and glared at me in the mirror.

"I'm sorry," I told her sincerely as I turned off the water and turned around. She walked over and slapped me. I looked down at my left foot before meeting her gaze again as my right cheek felt like it had been heated up. I smiled. "Maybe I'm not. Josh is crazy, but I would never encourage a relationship if it involves hitting others." She slapped me again. I laughed. 

"What the hell is wrong with you? I hate you, sugar. You took everything from me," she snapped as she backhanded me and I bit my tongue.

"Nothing is wrong with me. Or something. I don't know. Maybe I was dropped on my head when I was a baby or something. All I know is I'm not normal and that's alright with me, but I didn't take anything from you," I insisted. She slapped me again and I giggled. 

"Do you get pleasure out of seeing people miserable?" She asked. I shook my head.

"On the contrary. I hate to see anyone in pain for any reason. Why do you think you have to act up for people to notice you?" I asked sincerely. She moved to slap me again. "If it makes you feel better, go ahead," I told her as I held her gaze. She lowered her hand and stepped back.

"First your boyfriend isn't like other guys and turns me down time after time. Then my f**k boy says he doesn't want to see me anymore after ten days of the best intercourse in my life. Then you tell him that I was with another guy within hours of your boyfriend getting rid of me. Mr. Tall-and-handsome wouldn't even look at these perfect peaks covered chocolate and whipped cream. And though he denies it, that chicken I slept with enjoyed it. I come in here and you're smiling at me but not in anger or malice. I slap you and you encourage me to do it again. You aren't even trying to stop me or hit me back. I don't get it," she wept. I smiled again and pulled her in for a hug. She stiffened under my touch but allowed me to finish embracing her. I pulled back and looked at her.

"If you ever need a friend, let one of the restaurant staff know. They'll contact me and I'll meet you here for a milkshake or something. You are beautiful," I told her honestly.

"I can see why he likes you, Rose," she replied. I gave her a quizzical look. "Sorry. I forgot your name. The first night I met him - uh soldier boy, he brought a rose and didn't let me touch it really. He smiled and looked at it tenderly. Then I met you guys the next day for breakfast and I asked him if you were Rose. He nodded. The way he looked at you, made me jealous. No one has ever looked at me like that. I'm 24 and have been looking for love for a long time. Instead all I get is guys who want to use me," she confessed as she leaned against the wall and put her hand to her mouth. "How can I find love if people don't like having me around?"

"Start with a smile, not any sexual context. Then to keep him, be nice, not bossy. If a guy likes you, he'll let you know," I told her. She nodded but didn't look up. I pursed my lips unsure of what to say next. I looked at the door then at her. "Are you alright?" I asked. She nodded and rubbed her arm, still looking at her feet. "Take care, Amanda. I'm sorry you had a rough morning. If it's any consolation, Josh is thinking about calling you. He slipped and called you his girl after you left," I told her sincerely. She looked up and gave me a small smile. She nodded again and moved to one of the stalls. I paused for a minute then left. She didn't need me sticking around. I made my way through the gift shop. I paused when I approached the jewelry. A locket caught my eye. Trish was working the area so I waved her over. "How long has this locket been here?" I asked. She pulled it out and let me look at it. Be-you-tiful was inscribed on the front. I opened up the locket and read the inscription: she believed she could so she did.

"Honestly, Annette, this is the first time I've seen it," she confessed. "I don't think it will last long." I nodded and pursed my lips. 

"Do you have a phone I can borrow? Pat has my money," I stated.

"I'm here until 4. I'll set it aside for you," she stated.

"Or we can get it now. You've been away from my side like fifteen minutes. I was concerned. Go figure you found something shiny and got distracted," Pat teased beside me as he rested a hand on my back. I looked up and grinned. He smiled then scowled. He rubbed my cheek in concern. "Doll, what happened? You've got a bruise forming," he whispered rapidly.

"It's nothing," I replied as I put the necklace down, pulled my sweatshirt hood up, shifting it so it covered my right cheek, and looked down. Pat lifted my chin stared into my eyes. "Amanda. It's barely stung," I confessed. His eyes went hard. "I'm fine. I saw this necklace and thought she could use it," I told him honestly.

"Only you would want to gift something to someone who has hurt you. You amaze me, doll," he chuckled softly as he pulled out his wallet. He began to pull out some cash and I put my hand on his.

"You don't have buy this, dear. If you want to buy something, I need a wallet. I was going to see if you could you run home and get my money card? I left it in my bag," I stated. He shook his head, grinned, and kissed my cheek.

"Yes, dear," he replied. He pulled out my bank card. "I emptied your book bag as well. I didn't want you to lose this," he whispered I grinned and took it. "This is the cash you left on the counter too. Socrates and your homework folder remain in your bag. Your reading books are in the closet. I put the house key in the outside pocket," he whispered. He pointed to a pair of earrings. They looked like a constellation in the sky, they would dangle slightly, but not much. I smiled; they were pretty and the gems were small in all sorts of different colors. "Would you wear those, 'Nettie? My diamond in the sky," he whispered in my ear. I bit my lip as I smiled and nodded. I didn't know where or when, but I would wear them. "We'll take these too, Trish," he stated.  She nodded and wrapped the necklace up in tissue paper. She pointed to a bracelet.

"Do you want the matching bracelet? I think it'll work as an anklet too," she stated and looked around. "Half off for all three, or full price for the two," she whispered. 

"I don't want to short you. I'll take all three, no discount necessary," I replied. She shook her head as she began to ring me up and I saw Amanda leave the bathroom. "Pat!" I whispered urgently. He followed my gaze and we watched her walk around. Trish gave me a price. I just slid my card over, not paying attention to what she said. Amanda paused at another booth, smiled and sat down. I released the breath I didn't even know I was holding. Pat rubbed my arm tenderly. Trish slid me over my credit card slip and I signed it. Pat took the receipt, card, and the star sets; I took the necklace. "I'll meet you out back," I stated over my shoulder. Pat nodded, kissed my cheek, and took off. I made my way back to the restaurant. I paused at Amanda's table and looked at her company; this was a new group. She flirted and batted her eyes at with the two men, but she didn't look like she wanted to be here. "Oh my word! Rose? Is that you?" I asked. She turned her attention to me in shock. I smiled warmly.

"I think you have me confused with someone else," she replied dryly, a look of confusion on her face, thankfully her company couldn't tell.

"My brother, Jason was just thinking about you. His schizophrenia is getting better. He can actually remember who I am. Better yet, he remembers you. He was just telling me about the last night you spent together. He's never talked so much about someone before, especially a girl like yourself," I continued. Her company looked like they were uncomfortable. That was my intention. Amanda smirked at me.

"Do you need a minute to talk to your friend, Rose?" The men jeered. I smiled again, that was exactly what I needed.

"Oh please, Rose! I won't take much of your time," I promised. She smiled at me and gestured to counter. "Thank you, Amanda," I said sincerely. She gave me a curt nod as she sat down. "I have something for you," I stated. She looked at me in shock. I smiled and slipped her the necklace, making sure her company didn't see. She read it and cried. "I believe you are capable of great things. You just need to believe in yourself," I stated. She buried her head in her hand and cried. "If you aren't comfortable, why do you keep doing things that make you unhappy?"

"I don't know how to do anything else," she confessed as more tears fell silently. I looked up at the clock. 10:48. I was shocked that we had been here so long.

"The day's still young. You can do anything," I replied and held up my leg. "Trust me, it's possible." She chuckled.

"Easy for you to say, Rose," she retorted.

"Annette. I like Rose too though," I confessed. "I wasn't in a car accident." She looked up in shock. "I was kidnapped, abused, and they tried to force me into sex. I refused. They nearly killed me. I shouldn't be here right now, but I am. You can pull through this too." I stood up and squeezed her shoulder. "Read the inscription on the inside. Change all starts with you. You got this, hun. Take care," I murmured as I made my out the back. She sat at the counter and fingered the locket. I smiled as I disappeared through the dry storage. I opened up the back door and ran into Dax on his smoke break. "Sorry, Dax. Thank you for breakfast this morning. My french toast was delicious," I told him sincerely with a smile, as I held onto the door. I felt ready to fall over. Dax must have thought that as well as he reached out and steadied me before I tumbled down the stairs. "Thank you."

"Hey, Annette. Glad you liked it. No problem. Just don't hurt yourself again. We kinda need you back," he stated. I grinned and sat down on the steps. Carefully, I made my way down. "Come back soon, you hear?" I giggled and waved at him as Josh pulled up alongside the steps. Pat got out of the car and opened the back door for me before he came to my sidr. I smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "Hey, Pat, bring her around again. Stop hogging her to yourself," Dax teased. Pat looked up and smirked as he embraced me.

"Nah! I think I'll keep her to myself," he replied as he kissed my temple. I giggled and ducked my head into his chest.

"Damn lucky, son," Dax replied as he headed back inside. I giggled.

"He's wrong," I teased. Pat looked down at me and grinned. "I'm the lucky one. Can I load up now? Or do you want to see if the this murky, drizzly day can make me shiver again?" He kissed my temple. He closed the front door and sat down in the back seat with me in his arms. I giggled. "I'm sorry, Josh. Apparently Pat's making you our personal chauffeur," I teased. Pat chuckled and Josh took off his imaginary hat and grinned at me in the mirror. He took off down the road as Pat wrapped his arms around me and kissed up my neck. "Stop. We're making your best friend uneasy," I whispered.

"He'll live," he whispered back. "You are the most generous person I know." I blushed and looked down.

"That doesn't explain why I'm sitting on your lap in a moving vehicle. My dad would have a field day," I retorted.

"That's simple, Net," Josh interjected. I looked at him as he turned up Pat's road. "Pat's head over heels for you and can't stay away from you. When he told me that Amanda slapped you and you were buying her a gift. I had no words, Net. You're simply amazing and he's definitely drawn to you. It's not a shock as to why. And your dad can suck it. He won't touch you again." I blushed and looked down.

"You're a good friend, Josh. Thanks," I told him. He nodded and opened the door to his car. Pat handed over a key and Josh disappeared. I looked back at Pat. "Love you, sir," I whispered as I kissed his cheek. He grinned and kissed me back. "So you probably won't be working on your truck today. I'm going to do some homework then lay down. You?"

"Probably play Xbox with Josh and hold you as long as you'll allow," he replied as he kissed my temple again. I smiled and kissed his cheek. Josh startled me as he opened the door behind me. 

"Come on, Annette, I'm taking you inside," he stated. I giggled as Pat handed me off and Josh carried me inside. He kissed my cheek once we were around the corner. "Pat would kill me if he saw me do that. It's the only way I know how to show my gratitude; I mean nothing by it. Thank you for sticking up for me and lending Amanda the hand of friendship. I hope she takes you up on it." I smiled and squeezed his arm. He gave me a curt nod and moved away as Pat closed the front door.

"Josh," I called. He turned around and looked at me. "You're welcome. She really likes you. Call her. You can be a friend too. Will you move the coffee table closer to the couch? That way I can do my homework and Pat won't freak that I'm so far away from him." Josh chuckled as Pat came up behind me and kissed my neck.

"Happy to be of assistance," Josh replied as he moved the table. He then ducked down the hall. I turned around and looked at Pat. I kissed his lips softly and he picked me up and carried me to the couch. I slid to the floor and didn't move. He smiled at me and brought me my books. I opened up my math book first as Pat disappeared down the hallway again. Josh came back out first and loaded up the Xbox. "Would you really like me to let you know if I thought you were being obnoxious? Or if I felt you were in the way of our friendship?" I nodded.

"Of course. I wouldn't want to interfere," I replied honestly as I looked at him. He smiled at me.

"You aren't an interference. You are the best thing that has ever happened to him. He's actually more sociable now than ever. It's not hard to get him to continue a conversation any more. Ever since he left for the war, he hasn't been the same. Like a part of him had closed off. Not even the letters, phone calls, and video chats were the same friend I grew up with. I've seen that friend again recently. It's been hard trying to reach out to him. He's always been there for me. I didn't know he was injured. I didn't know when he got home. After Joanna died, I saw him at the funeral. He didn't say hi to anyone, but I understood; he was grieving. It took him two-three months to come back to the restaurant. I don't know how he managed to live during that time; he really couldn't cook, Annette," Josh explained. I smiled. Josh reached over and grabbed my hand and squeezed it before he dropped it again. "He started coming for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He was always on high alert. He allowed us to come over, but it wasn't often. Then you started to work. His whole attitude changed. He fell for you before he had a chance to breathe. And all you did was smile. You remember the first thing I told you, so I'm thinking you remember me training you." I nodded. Linda showed me around, but Josh was the one who was ordered to train me. I had asked to shadow Bertie instead and was denied.

"Linda told me you were more personable and I could learn more from you than Bertie. Then you made that comment," I recalled. "I was uncomfortable that whole day. Plus, guys made me uncomfortable. It was really hard for me to trust men in general; I was always fearing they would hurt me physically. My first read on you was that you were horny and I was afraid you were going to hurt me in some way, maybe not with your fists, but pain nonetheless. I hated any attention and preferred to be left alone. Unfortunately, Linda told me to shadow you. I was so nervous under your scrutiny, and your constant babble. You flirted with everyone but me."

"Hard to have a good working environment if you flirt with your co-workers. So while I may make an inappropriate comment to the pretty girls I wait on, I do try to stay professional with my co-workers while at work. And no, I wouldn't have tried anything outside of work. I caught on to the nervousness you had. I could see how being around the guys bugged you. I tried to help you out. You barely met my eye or spoke up, and just shadowed me. You caught on quick. You had the menu memorized by nine, within half an hour, whatever order I threw at you, you told me exactly how to write it down for the cooks. I was running out of things to show you. You were my fastest trainee. You started at eight and were taking your own orders -correctly- by 11:30."

"Pat was my first order," I recalled. Josh chuckled.

"Only because he refused to let me take his order. 'New girl? Let's see how you hold up, doll.' I sat back and grinned. He actually looked up and met your eye. He didn't give snippy responses. He joked and laughed with you. Right then, I knew you were special; you did the impossible. You broke him in one day," he explained. I blushed and looked forward.

"I was just trying not mess up," I replied softly. "I was so nervous."

"Like I told you, doll, you were good at your job but better at spreading joy," Pat murmured as he came back in the room. He put my notebook down in front of me with a black pen, a blue pen, and a mechanical pencil. He sat down behind me and began rubbing my shoulders. I blushed and looked down.

"No joke, Annette. You were good at your job, but you seemed to change the atmosphere in that place. Instantly," Josh added.

"I was just being me, and trying to stay out of trouble. Go unnoticed," I confessed as I bit my lip. "I failed."

"I wouldn't say that," Josh replied. I looked over at him. "Like I said, you changed the atmosphere. We loved having you around." I nodded and looked at my books again.

"It got me kidnapped," my voice cracked.

"But you came home to me," Pat replied. "And you still change the air around you. You are in your own joy bubble and it's infectious." I bit my lip and leaned into his leg.

"If I put a spell on you since day one, why'd it take a year and a half?" I asked, my voice cracking and tears threatening to spill.

"Because he thought he was broken. There was no way he would be worthy of you," Josh announced. "I told you, Annette, he was unreachable. He tried to look at the other girls. Tried to make a connection so he could get you off his mind. His eyes never left you when you worked."

"Stalker," I sassed. Pat chuckled behind me. "I never noticed. I was just happy to have made a friend, one that didn't scare me, one that I could trust," I confessed. I leaned my head back and looked at Pat. "He's painting you as a monster," I told him. He leaned over and kissed me. I pushed him back. "Upside down still leaves me feeling woozy." He grinned and pulled back.

"Told you, doll. Without you by my side, I do feel like one," he replied softly. I smiled reached up and rubbed his cheek. He placed his fingers on my lips. "Told you, you make me a better man. I know what life is like without you; I can't do that again. I felt so empty, so cold, calloused, and alone. You talk about your joy well. You are the reason I have one. Don't you see, doll, I'm unworthy of you, but I will tell you a thousand times over how precious and beautiful you are. And how you have stolen my heart. I will try to prove my love to you, because you are so worth it and deserve it."

"You're too good for me," I mumbled around his fingers.

"Knock it off, Annette!" I rolled my head and looked at Josh. "Don't doubt yourself or him. You two are made for each other. Trust your instincts and just let him love you. I've never seen a happier couple. I'm happy to be able to witness it," Josh said sincerely. I smiled at him and pulled forward and began working on my homework. Pat pulled out my phone and set it on the table as well.

"You have a few missed messages, doll," he teased. I grinned and opened it up. 16 from Pat, three from Josh, two from Renae, one from Esther, one from Jess, and two from Noah.

"Wow. Who knew I was so loved?" I giggled as I read the messages - nothing of great importance. 

"Everyone," Josh and Pat stated together. I giggled again and went back to my work as they began playing their game.