I wish I could tell him I’m alright, but I think he hit the nail on the head. I just feel broken.
I must fall asleep again, because when I wake up I’m an Amelia sandwich. Kyle is behind me and Willow is in front of me. They’re both sleeping, I lift my head to see what time it is and I see Asher sitting in a chair wide awake staring at me with a look I can’t quite describe.
Uh oh.
“You’re taking the rest of the week off,” he whispers sternly.
“Asher, I’m fine. I don’t know what happened, but I’m fine now. I can’t take any more time off. I need to keep busy and work,” I whisper, waking up Kyle and Willow in the process.
“Oh honey, you had me so worried,” Willow says, grabs me around the neck and crashes me into her boobs.
Asher stands up, then jerks his head at Kyle and they leave the room.
“Willow, I seriously need to breathe,” I mumble in her boobs.
She lets up and I sit myself up in bed, sitting Indian style and she does the same thing.
“Do you want to talk about what happened?” she asks.
“I’m fine. I don’t really know what happened. You have to talk to Asher. I have to go back to work. Kyle can’t take any more time off either, really I’m fine now.”
If anyone can convince Asher, it’s Willow.
“What happened?” she asks again.
“I just wanted to help bring boxes over to Kyle’s. I wasn’t thinking that I haven’t been back to my apartment since it all happened. It was stupid. I should never have gone there by myself. Kyle just scared me. I didn’t hear him come in and when he touched me, I just lost it.”
“Are you sure that’s all it is? You’re most likely suffering from post-traumatic stress. Has your therapist talked about that with you?”
We both look to the door when we hear Kyle and Asher talking rather loud.
Again, uh oh.
“This is ridiculous, I’m fine. I don’t have PTSD, it was just a small setback, that’s all. Everyone needs to stop reading so much into it. Why is Kyle getting flack for this? I’m putting a stop to this right now,” I say, get off the bed and march down the stairs to find Kyle and Asher.
I’m followed shortly by Willow and she stands behind me.
“Look, boys, I’m a big girl and I’m allowed to have a freakout. I was kidnapped, and drugged, and shot for crying out loud,” I yell.
I look at everyone and it’s such a tense moment and seriously what can you do? So, what did I do? I started laughing.
The three of them look at me like I’m crazy, and then they start laughing with me. I’m laughing so hard, tears are pouring from my eyes. Kyle stops laughing and comes over to me, then wraps me in a hug.
“Honey, are you sure you’re OK?” he asks with concern.
“I’m sure. I’m fine now. I think I just needed to let all that fear and anger out. I feel much better now. Asher, I’m not taking any more time off. I’ll be at work in the morning. It’s late, you two go home to your daughter. I love you both and thank you for coming over, but I’m fine, seriously.”
I give them each the most sincere look I know how to plaster on my face. I am sure, too. I really do feel much better.
“I’m sorry if I scared everyone. I won’t go back to my apartment by myself again, I promise.”
Asher walks over to me and pulls me into a hug and kisses the top of my head.
“I love you, little sis,” he says, then grabs Willow’s hand.
Willow gives a little wave, then blows me a kiss. I feel bad for Willow, I hope Asher doesn’t take this out on her. I know he feels helpless and that makes him angry.
Kyle and I make ourselves some sandwiches and eat on the couch. He pulls my feet into his lap and massages them gently. It’s very late and I know Kyle has an early shift. He locks the front door and we walk up the stairs hand in hand. I change into pajamas and climb into bed. Kyle strips down to his boxer briefs and climbs in behind me.
“Are you sure you are alright now? I think we should make you an appointment tomorrow with your therapist. I can come with you if you want. I should be done with work by four,” he says, squeezes me tight and never lets go.
The next day we do go to see my therapist and she said I made a breakthrough. That a major meltdown was bound to happen sooner or later with me. She had been telling me for some time now, that I was kidding myself before if I thought I was dealing with everything so well. She had been making me mad about the whole thing and I considered not seeing her anymore. But in the end, she was right. She said I needed to let go of all the hurt and fear, that until then, I had left it buried deep. The next step is to look to the future and let the past be just that, the past. I honestly feel that I’m ready for that. I’m ready for my future with Kyle.
The rest of the week goes by without any more problems. I never did go back to my apartment again, though. I just didn’t feel that I needed to. Kyle and my brothers packed up the rest of my things and brought them over. I’m now officially moved into Kyle’s house, or I mean, our house now.
Kyle
I’ve never been so scared in my life. I didn’t know what to do when she broke down in her kitchen. All I could do was hold her and keep telling her she was OK now. I should have known better than to touch her with the look she had on her face. In a way, I’m glad it happened, because it really helped her to move past this horrible thing. She seems a whole lot better now. I was worried I might have to cancel this weekend’s getaway and that I wouldn’t be able to propose. She’s been to work every day since and she really seems to have had a breakthrough. So this weekend is still a go.
It’s December in Washington, which means snow. Friday after work I have us both packed and I load everything in my car. I’m taking Amelia to her parent’s cabin in the mountains, the one she loved so much as a little girl and would ice skate for hours at. Willow and I did pick out the perfect ring for Amelia. I have the whole evening planned out to the last detail with the help of Willow and Asher, of course.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going now?” Amelia asks excitedly.
“No, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out sooner or later,” I say and put my hand on her thigh, as we drive out of Seattle.
She’ll figure it out as soon as we hit the mountains.
Just as I thought, as soon as we head up the mountains she gets a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her face. There’s about six inches of snow that fell in the last few days, but the roads are plowed and clear. I pull up the driveway and the rustic log cabin is as amazing as she described it. The big surprise though, is out back by the pond.
I unload the car and bring everything inside. Amelia hasn’t stopped smiling and I love that I’m able to put that smile there.
“I have a surprise for you outside. You can keep your coat on,” I say, grab her hand and head out onto the back deck.
It’s pitch black outside, so I pull out my flashlight and guide her down the steps.
“What are you up to?” she asks curiously.
With a flip of a switch the pathway lights up, with hundreds of white Christmas lights leading to the little pond. We get to the edge of the pond and, with another flick of a switch, the pond is illuminated by overhead lights. In the center of the pond, sits a table set for two.
There are hundreds of twinkling Christmas lights all over and their reflection dances on the surface of the ice. Amelia gasps and looks at me with complete shock. I lead her to the table and pull out her chair. She sits down and I kneel on one knee in front of her. Her hand goes to her mouth as tears stream down her cheeks.
I take her other hand and look deep in her eyes. Man, I’m so nervous. It’s gone off perfectly so far, now let’s hope I can put two words together and ask her the big question. As if on cue, huge, fat snowflakes start to fall, turning the little pond into a winter white fairytale.
“Amelia, ever since that first day you came crashing into my life, you turned my world upside down.
I could never imagine my life without you now. You are the piece of me that’s always been missing. With you in my life I’m a whole man. I love you so much. Would you do me the honor and be my wife?” I ask, reach into my pocket and pull out the little box with the ring that, from the first day it was created, was made with her in mind.
I open the box and she starts to sob, but she has a huge smile on her face. Who would have thought asking the love of your life to marry you would involve so many tears.
“Yes, Kyle, I’ll marry you. The ring is beautiful, I love it and I love you.”
We both stand and hug. I pull the ring out of the box and slip it on her left hand. It’s a perfect fit.
“I was planning on having dinner outside, but wow, it’s cold. How about if we take this inside and light a fire in the fireplace and eat on the floor sitting in front of it?”
“That sounds perfect,” she replies.
We head inside and the catered dinner I had delivered, is just as beautiful and romantic in front of a roaring fire as it would’ve been in the winter wonderland on the pond.
The best part about being inside in front of a warm fire is that after we finish eating, we start kissing, and it soon turns as hot as the fire.
Kneeling in front of each other, I pull her shirt over her head and remove her bra. Her long blonde hair cascades down her bare back, picking up the orange hues from the fire, she looks like a goddess. Gathering up her hair, I wrap it in my hand and around my wrist, then pull her in for a fierce kiss.
I unbutton her pants with my other hand and guide my hand under her panties. She gasps and thrusts her tongue in my mouth. She reaches for the hem of my shirt and rips it off over my head. I lay her down and kiss that amazing spot that drives her wild, under her ear.
I kiss down her neck to the hollow of her throat. I trail kisses down the center of her stomach and pull off her pants and panties, in one smooth motion. Straddling her hips, I can’t help but look how glorious she looks with the shadows from the fire dancing on her naked skin.
On my knees, I scoot down her body, she bends her knees and places her feet on the rug. Have mercy, how in the world did I end up with this beautiful woman? I kiss up her shin to her knee, and then trail down the inside of her thigh. Loving this woman is a gift I could never have imagined.
I hit my target and she arches her back off the floor. Any man who says they don’t love doing this is a fool. She’s so responsive, it doesn’t take long before she’s coming and whispering my name. She pulls me up to her mouth, and I love that she can taste herself on my lips and it drives me crazy.
I reach between us and guide myself inside her so slowly it’s almost torture. I continue the slow pace, as she runs her nails down my back sending goosebumps all over my arms.
“Kyle, I love you,” she whispers in my ear.
It’s torture continuing at such a slow pace, but I never want it to end. I can feel it building up and I know I can’t hold back much longer.
“Let go, Kyle,” she whispers and clenches her insides around me.
It’s my undoing. I come and continue to pump in and out at a slow pace. I nuzzle her neck, pull out, then flip her over so she’s laying by my side. I pull the blanket that’s draped over the end of the couch and cover us both. We soon fall asleep on the floor, wrapped in each other’s arms, with the fire crackling in the fireplace.
The next morning I wake up before Amelia. I place more logs in the fireplace, she looks like an angel sleeping. I head into the kitchen to start coffee and make breakfast. The refrigerator is stocked with everything I requested. I make us an egg white omelet with spinach and feta cheese. I place everything on a tray and set it in front of Amelia. She looks at me with those amazing blue eyes and killer smile that send my heart racing.
I love the look she has in her eyes, that’s only for me. We eat our breakfast in front of the fireplace, I have another surprise for her that I know she’s going to love. We clean up the breakfast dishes together, then shower together. We have the rest of the day to be alone and celebrate our engagement.
“I have another surprise for us today. I need to go get it out of the car. I’ll be right back.”
I bundle up and get the large square box out of the trunk and place it in front of her. She opens it and her face lights up.
“Are we really?” she asks as happy as the little girl I imagine she once was.
“Lace up, honey, we’re going ice skating.”
I pull out my own skates from behind the couch and wiggle my eyebrows at her. She squeals and claps her hands with excitement. She gets bundled up and we head out back to the frozen pond.
I’ve only been skating a few times in my life, but she takes to the ice like a pro. I skate on shaky legs, as she flies around the pond twirling circles around me. She looks so graceful, it’s hard to believe she’s the same person that’s so accident prone on dry land. She twirls around in a big circle that gets tighter and faster as she spins, she finishes with a grand gesture that would bring all tens in the Olympics.
I skate off to the side and sit on a bench. I could watch her for hours, she’s so graceful and beautiful. I can just imagine her teaching our little son or daughter how to skate on this very pond, sometime in the future. She sees me sitting on the side, then skates over to the edge of the pond and holds her hands out for me to come back out.
I could never say no to anything she asks of me. We skate hand in hand in silence, as the cold wind stings our cheeks. I understand now why she spent endless hours out here as a little girl. She’s so at home and loving every minute of it. When she’s out skating gracefully on the ice, it’s such a stark contrast to her normal klutz prone tendencies. I can see how relaxed her face is and I can’t help but think this is good for her, with everything that’s happened to her recently.
Chapter 15
Amelia
Kyle and I skate for hours and I feel so free, it does wonders for my soul. We head inside to make a late lunch and I catch the sparkle on my left hand. I’m engaged, it’s so hard to believe I’ve found the love of my life and soon I’ll be Mrs. Amelia Peters. Kyle catches me staring at my ring and smiles at me.
“I guess we should talk about setting a date. What are you thinking?” he asks me, then brings my engagement ring to his lips and kisses it.
“I was thinking about maybe this summer. Nothing too big, just family and close friends. What about you? What do you think?”
“I think a summer wedding sounds perfect,” he says.
We take our sandwiches and sit in front of the fire, to thaw our frozen bodies.
“I know my sister and Willow will go crazy with planning. I was thinking of asking Ava to be my maid of honor and Willow, Chloe, and Amanda to be bridesmaids. What about your side?”
“I think I’ll ask Spence to be my best man and ask Asher, Aiden, and Adrian to be groomsmen,” he says, counting them on his fingers.
“That works out perfectly. I can’t wait to get home and tell everyone. Are we going to make it home in time to go to family dinner tomorrow? I don’t think I can stand waiting to tell everyone.”
“We can leave after lunch tomorrow and head straight to your parent’s house for dinner. How does that sound?” he asks.
“Eek, I’m so excited. Wait, what about my Dad? How do you think he’s going to react to all of this?” I ask, suddenly scared of his reaction.
“I asked your Dad and your brothers last Sunday if I could have your hand in marriage. I have all of their blessings,” he replies, tilts my chin with his finger, then smiles at me and kisses me warmly.
“You did?”
I don’t know why, but I’m suddenly choked up. He already asked my dad and all my brothers? How old-fashioned and romantic is that?
“I did. Your dad was a little concerned it was too soon to be engaged, but I assured him my love for you now is the same as it will be for the rest of my life. Your brothers were all on board and assured him that I’m worthy to be your husba
nd.”
That did it. Tears fall down my cheeks and Kyle wipes them away with his thumbs.
We spend the rest of the day inside, wrapped up in a blanket, in front of the warm fireplace. Kyle didn’t get to see any of the bedrooms, we never made it past the family room and the kitchen. We did test out the shower in the hallway a few times though.
That night we sleep on the floor by the fireplace again and it’s absolutely perfect. The next morning we don’t get dressed, until it’s time to leave. We hold hands all the way to my parent’s house. He plays with my engagement ring with his thumb and looks at me out of the corner of his eye every so often with a smile.
We arrive at my parents early, which is perfect because I want to tell my mother first, before my brothers and sister arrive and show them both my ring. I don’t make it two steps in the front door. My mom wraps me in a big hug, with tears in her eyes, which only makes me cry. My dad shakes Kyle’s hand and congratulates us both.
I help my Mom make dinner, while my dad and Kyle relax in the study. Soon my brothers, sister, and Chloe arrive for dinner and I can’t wait to make the announcement over the meal. We all gather around the table, Kyle and I stand, holding hands. I glance at Willow and she winks at me.
“I want to make an announcement before we all begin to eat,” Kyle begins, then looks at me and smiles.
“All of you know, except for Chloe . . .” he begins again.
“Actually, Ava told me, sorry brother,” Chloe tells him.
“Well then, I guess all of you already know that I planned to ask Amelia to be my wife. I want to tell everyone that she’s made me the happiest man in the world and she’s accepted.”
Everyone claps and says their congratulations. Everyone raises their glasses and we toast.
“I also want to ask Ava if you’ll do me the honor of being my maid of honor, and I want to ask Chloe and Willow if you’ll be so kind as to be two of my bridesmaids.”
I barely get the words out of my mouth and they attack me from both sides with hugs and screams. Asher stands and raises his glass again.
Running Into Love - The Complete Box Set Page 31