by A. D. Ellis
Libby let out a deep breath and seemed to relax once she had unloaded all of that. Months ago, when I met Libby, she had trouble expressing herself to people and she’d never stand up for herself. Now, she’s standing up for herself and presenting excellent debate points over why we should or shouldn’t be together. This woman has grown so much, and I’m so proud of her.
I hugged Libby. “Baby, you’ve got valid reasons. I can’t tell you what to do. This has to be your decision. You know what I want you to decide, but it has to be your choice. I’m not going anywhere, and I’ll wait for you forever. But, I understand your concerns. I’m going to let you get to sleep. I’ll text you before bed. I’ve got that tournament out of town tomorrow, so I won’t be back until late. Oh, here, I have something for you. Don’t open it until I text you.”
I smiled at Libby’s frown. I gave her a quick kiss and headed home. Once I got home, I found the song that had been running through my head, “Brave” by Sara Bareilles, and imbedded it in a text. Then I sent Libby a text:
Me: Libby, open this song and listen to it once. Text me when you’re done.
About 3 minutes later, Libby texted that she was finished.
Me: Okay, now listen to the song again while you read the letter I just attached.
Dear Libby,
You have a lot of concerns. I’m not going to point out the validity or invalidity of each of them. I’m just going to tell you that I’ve watched you grow from a timid, unsure, unconfident girl to a strong, BRAVE, confident woman. I can’t guarantee that being with me will be a cake walk, but some wise men once told me that a relationship worth having is worth working for, and I believe them. I’m so proud of the woman that you’ve become, and I want to be part of that. I want you to be part of me. Ok, go ahead and open the envelope I left for you.
Is it open? Are you wondering what they heck I’m thinking? Well, I’m sort of wondering that myself. I’m not sure if I’m overly stupid or just overly optimistic that you and I will work out, but I booked us a vacation to Gatlinburg, TN. I want you to decide to be with me (and not just for Gatlinburg) and if you do, I want to take you on that vacation I promised you. If this is too much or you decide to just be my friend, maybe you and Audrey could take the tickets.
Libby, I love you more than anything. I apologize again for the way I screwed things up. I’m learning all of this along with you as we go along. I can’t promise I’ll never screw up again, but I can promise that I will always stand by your side and love you.
I won’t keep pestering you for a decision. Take all the time you need and let me know your decision when you’re ready.
I love you, Libby.
Yours Always,
Nate
Now, I had to wait. Nicky was beside himself that we could only wait. I was going to be crushed if Libby left me, but I wasn’t sure how I’d console Nicky if Libby didn’t come back to us. I just had to hope that Libby could see for herself how much she’d grown and realize that with me is where she belonged. I hoped she decided it soon. For me. And for Nicky.
Chapter 93
Libby
I woke up with a smile on my face. Brave. Nate said I was brave. I guess what I went through with Audrey and standing up to her to get her the help she needed did make me brave. After I read Nate’s letter and listened to “Brave” again, I was convinced that I knew who Elizabeth Decker was. I was Elizabeth, Beth, and Libby all in one. I was my parents’ daughter. I was Audrey’s sister. I was Nicky’s friend. I was a valuable employee at the center. And, I was Nate’s girlfriend.
I couldn’t wait for him to get home from the tournament and a text seemed a little impersonal. So, I went to Nate’s house and asked his parents if I could borrow two things. 1) Nate’s Jeep keys. Luckily he had ridden on the bus with the team. 2) Nicky. Nicky had come down with a cold, but he brought along his Kleenex box. There was no stopping him from being involved with this.
Mr. and Mrs. Morgan both hugged me and Cindy’s eyes twinkled as she said, “Welcome back, Elizabeth, we missed you.”
I thought Nicky was going to knock me down hugging me. He practically bounced like Tigger to the Jeep. Nicky talked non-stop the whole drive about how happy he was and how excited he was for me to marry Nate and give him babies and be his sister. I didn’t want to crush Nicky’s euphoria, so I didn’t tell him that a wedding and babies were probably a bit further down the road. Nicky and I made a plan on our drive. I handed Nicky the bookmark that said, “Miss Elizabeth loves Nate and Nicky” and we rehearsed what he was going to do and say.
Once we got to the tournament, we waited until one game was over and there was some wait time until a new one started. I stood outside the locker room and Nicky headed inside. I figured it would be less than a minute before Nate came out. I was right, in about 30 seconds Nate came busting through the door and crushed me into a hug. “Nicky tells me that you’ve figured out where your place is so you’re giving me back my bookmark? Is that true, Libby? Are you coming back to me?”
“Nate! Miss Elizabeth loves us! We got her back! Now she can marry you and give you babies!” Nicky was jumping up and down like a little kid hopped up on sugar. A bunch of people from the team and the town had gathered around to see what all the hubbub was about. Nate smiled and shook his head, “Nick, buddy, remember we talked about how that’s sort of private stuff to talk about?”
Nate turned to me and said, “So, will you go on that trip with me, Libby?” When I nodded yes, he pulled me to him and kissed me thoroughly until a few people started whistling. Ok, enough with the scene making. “Nate, go back to the tournament. Nicky and I will stay and watch if that’s ok with you. We can talk about the vacation tonight.”
Right before Nicky and I headed to our seats, Nate and I both got a weird text from Audrey.
Audrey: What the hell, guys! You gave my name to some Jeremiah Jordan?? Surely you could tell he’s military. You know I don’t do well with military.
Nate and I exchanged confused looks. I’m not real sure what all that was about. I thought she’d be happy with a recommendation for her business. Who knows with Audrey.
Chapter 94
Nate
I’m not sure I’ve come down from Cloud 9 yet. We won the tournament which was awesome for the kids, but the only thing that mattered to me was that Libby came back to me. I called her first thing the next morning and convinced her to take the next week off. That meant she was spending the entire day at the center getting everything set up for the week, but we’d be leaving bright and early tomorrow and I couldn’t wait.
The drive to Gatlinburg took about 8 hours. It was the greatest 8 hour drive of my life. Eight hours confined with Libby just listening to her talk. Restroom breaks, breaks to stretch our legs and a few stolen kisses, a stop to eat, and then we were driving up through the mountains to our cabin. The mountains were barely starting to turn green and higher up you could still see some snow. Our cabin was gorgeous. It was like a studio apartment only much larger. It was a totally open floor plan with a living area, kitchen, and bedroom area. The bathroom was hidden behind a partition. It was the biggest bathroom I’d ever seen. It had a Jacuzzi tub and double rain shower heads. I had a feeling that the bathroom was going to be my second favorite part of this cabin. The bed was going to be the first. I had tried to explain to Libby that this vacation wasn’t about us having sex, it was to spend time together and reconnect and relax. “Silly boy, I just came back to you. This vacation is most definitely about sex! I plan on both of us being totally worn out by the end of this week. We may need a vacation from our vacation!”
That’s my girl. I like her plan.
Once we got settled in, we took a trip down the mountain to do some site seeing and shopping. Libby wanted to get one of those old-fashioned photos so we now have a souvenir photo of me as a gun slinger and Libby as a dancing girl. She looked hot in that costume. We grabbed a bite to eat and headed back up the mountain. I think both of us were filled with anticipati
on of what might come next.
I started the shower as Libby put away our purchases. Libby started to undress, but I came up behind her and put my hands on hers to stop her. “Let me, please.” I kissed Libby’s neck and unbuttoned her shirt. My hands skimmed down her sides and it made me chuckle when she shivered. With her jeans successfully unbuttoned, she let me slide them down her legs. I spun her around and stood back to just admire her. Libby hadn’t changed her preference for matching sexy undergarments. Today they were a bright pink. I walked back up close and pulled her close to me, my hands traveling down to cup her ass. God, whoever created the thong was a freaking genius.
I figured our shower was warm enough by now so we headed into the bathroom. I stripped down to nothing and then watched, dry-mouthed, with hooded eyes as Libby unclasped her bra and slipped her thong down to her ankles. God, this woman was breathtaking. Libby leaned in close to me and kissed me as her hands wrapped around my neck and her torso pressed into me. She moved against me and we both groaned. The scent of soap filled the room and the steam made our skin damp so that we stuck together slightly. I leaned down to taste her breasts and Libby threw her head back with a moan. I came back up to kiss the neck she had exposed to me. As I laved kisses along her neck, my hand traveled down and found her wet center. Knowing that I made her wet with just a few kisses was heady stuff. I walked her backwards into the shower, and we spent several more minutes just kissing and touching. Her moans told me that she was ready, and Maverick was about ready to cause a mutiny, so I backed Libby up against the tile and lifted her up. Her legs automatically wrapped around my waist and within seconds I was inside her. “Oh, God, Libby….you feel so good, I’ve missed you so much…..shit, baby, I’ve got to move, are you ok?” Libby panted a quick yes and then no words were needed.
By the time we were done, the water had grown cool. We wrapped up in big fluffy towels and headed toward the bed. We grabbed food and drink and the TV remote, but once we satisfied our hunger and thirst neither of us were interested in the TV. Libby and I made the most of our king size bed and had every right to sleep in until noon the next day.
The week we spent on vacation brought Libby and I closer than we’d ever been, both physically and emotionally. I memorized and worshipped every single inch of Libby’s body, and I think she got most of mine committed to memory as well. We did make it a point to leave the cabin every day so that we could see all that Gatlinburg had to offer. We had so much fun, just walking through stores, holding hands and talking.
Today was our last day, we planned on leaving around noon, but it was early so we had some time. I rolled over and pulled Libby to me. Her bottom wiggled against me and I felt Maverick wake up. Moving her hair away from her neck, I kissed that sweet spot that she loved. Libby had been sleeping naked most of the week and I took advantage of that now and reached up to cup her breast. She arched her back, pushing her bottom against me harder. My other hand slowly traced down her stomach and stopped right where I knew she wanted me to touch the most.
“What do you say, Libby-girl?” I whispered in her ear.
“Please, Nate, please touch me.” Libby whimpered when I let my fingers travel farther until I reached her heat. My fingers didn’t stop until I felt Libby’s body quiver and clench on my hand. Once Libby had ridden out her release, I reached for a condom, and pulled her top leg up and over mine. “I want to try it this way, baby, if it doesn’t feel good, we can roll over.” My voice shook as I slid into her from behind. Dear Lord, would I ever get tired of this feeling? Maybe when I’m dead, but until then, the feeling of being inside her will probably always turn me to mush. Libby rolled a little toward her stomach, and I rolled a bit more on top of her, pulling her leg up slightly more. This angle was new and different and so very good. Libby seemed to think so too. I loved when she moaned my name. I think I need to make sure she does that every single day. I hadn’t moved out of her yet, we both lay panting, whispering our I love you’s.
My phone rang, but I ignored it. Within seconds I got a text. Then Libby’s phone rang. By the time Libby got a text, we both realized that something was wrong. We both grabbed our phones. “Oh my God! Nate! We need to leave now!” My world tilted a bit on its axis, and I saw nothing but blackness for a moment.
“Libby, get dressed. We have to get there. For Nicky. He needs us.” We loaded the Jeep in record time and checked out. The best 8 hour drive on the way down was now the longest, scariest 8 hour drive on the way back to Torey Hope. We had to get home. For Nicky.
Chapter 95
Libby
Driving back to Torey Hope knowing nothing other than Nicky was sick and in the hospital was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. Nate was a mess, never once letting go of my hand. We got occasional texts from Audrey or Nate’s parents. My dad even texted once. From what I could gather, Nicky had come down with a bad cold which turned out to be RSV, and he ended up in the hospital on the vent. By the time we got home, he was doing slightly better and they talked about removing the vent the next day. Walking into the hospital to find the Morgan family and Audrey and Nicky was like walking in a dream. I was so afraid of what awaited us. Luckily, Nick was sedated and resting. John and Cindy were resting in the waiting room and Audrey was in the room with Nicky. Nate wanted to see Nick, so we went in and relieved Audrey. She headed home for a while since she knew we were there.
Unfortunately, overnight, Nicky took a turn for the worst. His fever spiked and his breathing was being done almost 100% by the ventilator. The doctors were optimistic about him getting better, but they said his RSV had led to pneumonia. The biggest fear right now was secondary infections. We could only wait and let Nicky’s body rest while the ventilator breathed for him.
Two days after we returned from our trip, I wandered down to the hospital chapel. I found Nate kneeling at the front. I lit a candle and said a prayer for Nicky then knelt next to Nate.
“Libby, I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose him. Aside from you, I’ve never loved anyone the way I love Nicky. My entire life, everything has been for him. The threats, the fists, the busted knuckles and lips, the video games, the endless games of hide-and-seek. From the time I was old enough to know what it meant to protect someone, I’ve been loving and protecting Nicky. And now I can’t protect him. I can’t fix this. I have always felt guilty that Nicky has the challenges that he has; I’ve always wondered why him and not me. I wish I could take his place in that bed. I’m stronger than he is; my body could fight the infection better. What will I do if he doesn’t make it?” Nate finished on a shuddering sob and hung his head in his hands.
I didn’t have answers for Nate. So I just wrapped my arms around him and we sat like that for over an hour. Nate refused to leave the hospital, so we sat in Nicky’s room and talked to him during the daytime hours. At night, Nate would take the first shift while I slept on the tiny cot in the little room reserved for family of patients. I’d head in to Nicky’s room in the early, early morning so Nate could go rest. John and Cindy came to the hospital every day and relieved me so that I could go to the center. Nicky had many visitors, but due to his RSV and his fragile condition, most visitors didn’t get to enter his room. Luckily, the nurses let Nate, Audrey, the Morgans, and me come in as long as we wore masks and gloves. Nate and I spent most of our time talking to Nicky even though he was totally sedated. The doctors said that he could probably hear a lot of what we were saying.
“Nicky, you need to get better, buddy. We’ve got a lot of video games to play.” Nate’s whispers practically begged Nicky to beat this.
“Nicky, I can’t wait until you’re better so we can go to another movie and get some pizza! I’ll even let you beat me at Mario Kart again!” Audrey held Nicky’s hand as her eyes filled with tears.
Nate whispered something in Nicky’s ear at least once a day. He always made eye contact with me and smiled as he whispered his secret to Nicky.
After a week, I started pulling out the big guns. “Nicky, you’v
e just got to wake up so that we can talk about those babies for Nate!” I smiled through tears as I whispered this to Nicky while Nate was in the restroom.
The next day, Nicky began breathing over the ventilator and the doctors said his blood work showed the infection was clearing up. The nurses explained that they would slowly decrease his sedation medication and that he’d begin waking up, but it wouldn’t be a quick process.
It was really hard to watch Nicky fight the vent and to see him so confused and scared. Nate and I were right there with him through it all, holding his hand and talking to him, trying to explain what was going on. I was grateful that the nurses were able to keep him fairly comfortable until it was time to take the vent out.
The next day, they took Nicky off the vent and he was awake and alert. His scratchy and hoarse voice didn’t stop him from talking a mile a minute about the ride in the ambulance. It was so good to see him feeling better. The doctors said that if made progress today he could possibly be heading home in a day or two. Leave it to Nicky to have enough gumption to progress well enough to leave first thing the next day.
As Nicky was wheeled out of the hospital toward Nate’s Jeep, it was refreshing to see that he was back to being Nicky. “Nate, I heard you say that you were going to ask Miss Elizabeth to marry you if I got better. Miss Elizabeth you told me you’d have babies for Nate if I got better. I got better so when are you getting married and having babies?”