Page 19 of A Layperry's Hope
“My plan was for us to speak and then take a dip in the water,” Ghenie says slowly, “but I’m suddenly feeling something else. I think I will go pick up Maribel now. You can meet me back at the house. Once she’s asleep, I would very much like to take you to bed.”
“Take me to bed?”
Ghenie raises his brow at me and it suddenly hits me.
“Oh? Oh! Yeah, umm. Okay. Go pick up our daughter.”
Ghenie’s features all turn soft at that. He leans forward and kisses my lips again. “I love it when you call her that,” he confesses before standing up and pulling me with him. I just barely keep myself from full on running back to the house.
This time is going to be different. This is the first time we’ll be coming together as two people who care about each other instead of a last ditch effort before I run. This time is the first time that’ll start the rest of our relationship and I want it to be special.
Chapter Nine
Ghenie
My stomach is a whirlwind of emotions. The talk I had with Christian went better than I could have ever imagined. His words play over and over in my head, giving me a better understanding of him. I want to rip his parents to shreds and protect him from every person who has ever hurt him in the past.
I have a child and cannot imagine doing anything like that to her. How could they just abandon their son? It leaves me equal parts baffled and enraged. Christian didn’t deserve that. By the Ancestors,no onedeserves that.
Even the voices in my head agree. So many of them have softened towards Christian. Many of them wish for me to travel back to Earth and make sure his parents have been dealt with. One promised to wake me up in the middle of the night for eternity if I ever pulled something similar on Maribel.
It makes sense that Christian feels the need to keep himself away from those he cares about. It makes sense that he would keep everyone at arm’s length. I do not think it possible to beprouder than I am, seeing how far he’s come, how much he’s grown in such a short time. I am not naive, I know there will be hardships in our future but they don’t feel as scary now. They feel like we will tackle them together head-on.
As I walk through the door, my mind is miles away which is why I don’t notice what’s going on at first. It takes longer than I care to admit to notice the flowers and the candles.
I stop in my tracks, staring around the living area in wonder. Christian is not the romantic type and yet, he has managed to completely surprise me.
“Right this way,” Christian says, walking into the room and gesturing me towards the couch. “I got your favorite spot comfortable so you can feed Maribel before bed.”
I’m powerless to do anything but follow Christian’s lead. I sit down in my seat and a warm blanket is placed around my shoulders. A glass of water is beside me, knowing how important it is to stay hydrated while nursing. Everything is perfect.
Dare I say,Christianis perfect.
I know he won’t be ready to hear this for some time, but I love him. I love him so much. When I imagine the future, it always features him by my side.
“Do you need anything else?”
I shake my head. “This is perfect. Thank you.”
Christian leans down, leaving a soft kiss on my forehead, right between my antennae before he’s leaving the room and heading to the bedroom.
I pull my shirt down and bring Maribel to my chest, allowing her to latch. Then I tip my head back against the couch, letting out a long breath. There’s so much time between our beach confessions and now. Has the spark died? Will Christian still want to follow through with what we implied?
Am I ready to be intimate again?
That last question is the easiest to answer. Of course I am. I have been aching for him for years. My ass has been growing slick since I left the beach which made for a very uncomfortable walk back home.
A sound catches my attention and I look over, finding Christian rolling Maribel’s bassinet out of the bedroom. He doesn’t go far, leaving it in the hallway right by the door. We’ll be able to hear her if she starts crying but there’s enough distance that we won’t accidentally wake her up.
It seems as though Christian has thought of everything.
I’m not sure how much time passes but eventually, Maribel drinks her fill. Before I can stand up, Christian is suddenly there.
“Let me,” he says softly, careful not to wake her up. “I’ll change her and meet you in the bedroom once she’s down.”
“Alright,” I say, standing up and getting my shirt back into place. Then I make my way to the bedroom.
Once inside, I’m hit with a wave of awe all over again. Christian has lit candles in here as well. The room is filled with warm, flickering orange light. There is a flower on the bedside table, one of my favorites.
