Page 16 of Forever

CHAPTER 5

ANABEL

We make love three more times after that. Hard and fast, sweet and slow. As long as we are together, as long as I can feel him under the palms of my hands, I don’t care.

The moon that was shining through the open window is soon replaced by the first rays of sunlight. Too soon. The time is flying by, and there is nothing we can do to slow it down, much less stop it.

Through the whole night, neither of us fell asleep. Between our love makings we would lie on the bed, our limbs intertwined. His strong hands were around me holding me close. Keeping me safe. My head rested against his naked chest, so I could hear his heartbeat, feel the rise and fall of his lungs with every breath he took.

“J.D. and Sienna will be parents,” I whisper softly, looking at the first rays of sun shining through the lingering darkness of the night. “How surreal is that?”

“I totally didn’t expect that.” His lips brush over my forehead.

“I know, right? But when you think of it, they’ve been married for almost a year now. Si is in her late twenties, and J.D. is thirty-one.”

“Hmmm.” I let him think it through and just enjoy being in his arms. “I guess you are right.”

Silence settles over us again. His hands caress my back in slow, even movements, and my fingers trail different shapes on his chest.

“You want kids, Bel?”

I tilt my head back to get a better look at his face.

We’d talked a lot about our future, but it was always about what would happen once I finished college. How I’ll move to the States and we’ll be together. But we never moved further from that point. We never talked about marriage and jobs and kids. Never discussed where we’ll live or what we want out of life. So, his sudden question catches me unprepared, but at the same time …

“Yeah.” I’ve always known I want kids. Somewhere down the road I want a family, I just couldn’t put a face to the picture in my head. Not before William. “What about you?”

His hand cups my cheek. “I want it all with you, Tink. White picket fence, as many kids as you want, a dog or two, rocking chair on the front porch. The whole deal with a bow on top.”

Now I can see it in my head clearly. William coming home to me. William sleeping with our baby on his chest. William teaching our son how to throw a ball or playing tea party with our little girl. William and the kids playing with dogs.

The images continue showing like snapshots in my brain. It’s so clear. So real. So real it hurts. And until this moment, I didn’t even realize how much I want it.

How much I need it all.

“But first I need to marry you and move your sweet ass up here.” He spanks said ass softly.

I giggle. “That sounds reasonable.”

“And maybe we should wait a bit with kids.” His words make me lean against my elbow to look at him better. “We’re not as old as those two. The Knights are at the top now and there will be a lot of extra work and endorsements, lot of training and away games. I don’t want it all to fall on you, Bel. I want to be there for you. There for our kids. We are in this together.”

I nod my head. It’s not like I want to start popping babies as soon as we get married or anything. Will has his career, but I have mine too. “I totally agree with you.”

“But, don’t worry, baby. We need to practice as much as possible so when the time comes to work on those babies we are well prepared.”

Laughing at his words, I bend down and kiss him on the lips. His fingers tangle in the mess that’s my hair and pull me down to gain better access to my mouth.

“Lots and lots of practice.”

So, we use the last couple of hours before the alarm rings, signaling we have to start getting ready, doing just that—practicing.

*

I nibble at my lip nervously as I watch the row for check-in get smaller and smaller in front of me.

William is behind me, his hands tightly wrapped around my middle. My hands are curled around his strongly holding on.

The lump in my throat is so big I’m scared it’ll suffocate me.

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