UNCONDITIONALLY YOURS

I have you now // 16

I told Parker everything. From my mother's death and the way my father treated me to what had just happened with Ben.

"That's it. Most of it, anyway." I tried to appear confident, and carefree of what he would say next but I was only lying to myself. My voice cracked in anticipation of his response. I thought I knew what he would say. I thought I knew that he would think my past is too much or it's too overwhelming. I had never known anyone to approve of my past, not completely. Though I still had a deep, buried hope for his approval.

He did not reply. Instead we both sat still on the sofa, his face concentrated and undecided. I studied his emotions intently, waiting for some sign of response to all that I had told him. But as I received none, I became increasingly disheartened and uncomfortable sitting next to him. I crossed my arms tight across my chest and sat rigid and awkwardly. He looked at the floor, as I looked up at him.

"I'm sorry. I'm emotional I shouldn't have. Just tell me to leave, I'd far prefer that to you letting me stay here out of the sheer awkwardness in telling me to do go."

He finally looked back up at me. As our eyes met again I felt the same electricity I felt when we first met. Something that made me surprisingly unwilling to let him go. This, however, was why I told myself I could not rely on people, nor trust them. It could have even been better to scare him off and I was having trouble staying away for myself. I began to turn away, ready to leave when he put his hand on my shoulder. He turned me back around to face him and then put my head on his chest so it was acting as a pillow. He pulled my close to him as he snaked him arms around me.

"I'm so sorry. You don't deserve any of that." He whispered. I was momentarily stunned as I had been prepared to leave, but I could not prevent myself from feeling glad I did not have to.

"What?" I asked, slightly in denial of the fact he had not only accepted my past, but he told me I did not deserve it.

"You heard me." He muttered simply.

My body relaxed and he pulled me closer so I was lying against him. He flumped an arm around me.

"Thank you." I eventually murmured. He looked at my from his peripheral vision before looking straight ahead again as he spoke.

"You don't have to thank me for being a decent human being, just because I broke the chain of cold-hearted morons you have met."

"Thank you for breaking the chain when no one else could. For now anyway."

"It's only going to change when you say so, you don't have to worry about that."

I was exhausted, so I didn't remember a lot after that. All I recall was Parker putting a moving on and me slowly drifting off in his embrace. I slept better than I had in such a long time. No tossing and turning, just peaceful rest.

Parker

No, no, no, no, no. Why her? Poor girl, that was all I could think. She didn't deserve any of that. I just couldn't help wondering if I... no. Never mind, I was not prepared to think that. I looked down to her sleeping peacefully in my arms, I could feel her soft skin against mine and I could hear her soft breathing. I felt my heart melt. Yep, I was in deep trouble. I wasn't getting out of this one.

I was planning to carry her to the guest room before I went to bed, but as I lost myself in thought it became later and later. I got used to her in my arms, cosily snuggled together and I did not want to let go. Instead, I carefully replaced myself with a couple of cushions and allowed Riley to lean against them. I hopped up and got a blanket from across the room, quickly flicking the light switch as I walked back. I pulled the cushions away and leant back onto the sofa. I wrapped the blanket around her. It definitely felt right. In the darkness with only the gentle glow from the fire place, our touch was like a drug, warm, cosy, and safe. I could feel my lips slightly curl upwards as I also slowly drifted off to sleep.