Never forget you

Chapter 44: Knight

She trusted me.

She.

Trusted.

Me.

My heart kicked up speed the second I watched her get into the passenger side leaving me no other choice but to get in the driver seat. The keys were already in the ignition since we were in such a haste to get out. I smiled the entire drive back to her house, constantly glancing over at her the whole way back. She fell asleep, her head rested back into the seat directed toward me and it gave me a feeling I never felt before. My insides warmed, wrapped in a blanket of this feeling of safety, security, rightness.

Us. We were right. We were meant to be. We're supposed to be. And in that moment I felt it completely. I could stay there and just look at her, be with her, for the rest of my life.

I pulled into her driveway, hitting the button on the top of her visor to open the garage before pulling up and parking the car. Skye was still knocked out cold when I lifted her from the car, wrapped her arms around my neck and carried her upstairs to her room. Her aunt was no where to be seen and I figured she was still at work. So instead I laid down next to Skye, after ridding us of our shoes, and pulled her back directly into my chest. She let out a low moan of approval and I feel asleep to the sound of her breathing.

The sound of a door creaking opened had me blinking my eyes opened. The sound of the rain coming down outside almost drowned out the footsteps but I heard them. Peeling myself away from Skye's body I looked over my shoulder to see Lacey staring at us as we lay there, tangled together in her bed. Skye had turned, her head nestled into my chest while her arm gripped around my waist and he leg wrapped around mine.

Frozen, I blinked a few times not sure how I was supposed to react. Most parents would be screaming and yelling waking up their daughter if they found a guy in their bed. Scolding me and threatening me to get out and never come back but Lacey simply stepped into the room leaving the door opened before sliding her back down the wall and curling her self into a ball to hold her knees as she watched us.

It was so quiet, no noise but the sound of our breathing and the rain from outside so when Lacey let out a deep breath I couldn't even act like I missed up. My eyes glanced over to her and for a split second I saw all the hurt there. The pain laced behind her blue eyes. She looked up at me as I stroked Skye's back with my fingers.

"She's better when you're around."

I quirked my eyebrow, not understanding what she was talking about. Lacey's eyes bounced back and forth between mine before she focused back on her niece.

"Ever since she came her-moved in with me-she's been having nightmares. She thinks I don't know but I hear her small screams and cries. Hear her up in the middle of the night to go grab some water and then go back to bed. It's always worse when it's raining outside and when there's a storm it kills me to leave her alone."

Lacey's eyes build with unshed tears and a small ache builds in my chest. I grip onto Skye's body bringing her closer to me without rustling her too much.

"When she lost her mom I know it was tough. It nearly destroyed me and I know that if it hadn't been for Skye it would have killed Will, too, but she was his rock. He stayed strong for her and was the best dad anyone could have ever hoped for." A tear fell down her cheek and she swiped it away as she stared at her niece sleeping on me. "I wish I could have been there for her more but I was so wrapped up in my own pain of losing my family that I forgot about what she-what they-must have been going through. Will still sent me photos and updates. We skyped and everything but it wasn't the same. I wasn't there. And then I got the phone call...," her voice hiccupped a little before she cleared her throat and I felt the pain of her words. She looked up at me and I met her watering eyes. "Did she tell you what happened?" I nodded, she let out a small breath of relief that she didn't have to relive it. "So you know it was during a bad storm." It wasn't a question but I nodded again. Lacey met my eyes once more. "She's lost so much already. Don't be another thing."

I swallowed meeting Lacey's eyes and giving her a tight nod while holding onto to Skye like I never wanted to let her go. "She's never going to lose me. Even when she thought she did I was always here. Always hers."

Lacey nodded, looking down and wiping her nose with the scrubs on her legs. "You know...I come check on her every night when I get home from work. Play with her hair and just stare at her for a bit before I go to sleep. She reminds me so much of her mom." She whispers out the words so low I'm not sure I'm meant to hear them but they still bring a smile to my ears.

Skye nuzzles closer to me, her hand sliding under my shirt so she can feel the warmth of my back. I look down to see if she's awake but she's still dead to the wind. Her body is moving unconsciously as she glides her fingers up and down my tattoos and my heart skips at beat at the wonderful sensation. Smiling down at her I kiss her forehead when I hear Lacey say, "Fair warning. You hurt her...again...and I'll hurt you worse."

I chuckle lightly against Skye's forehead before turning to her aunt. Nodding I say, "I think she'd beat you to it but I understand." Staring her straight in the eyes so she knows I'm serious I say, "I don't ever want to hurt her. Not on purpose. She means more to me than you'll ever know."

Lacey watches me for a minute. Really sussing me out before she nods. "I can see that." She looks at her niece, smiles and then gets up from the floor leaving the room and letting the door close with a quiet click.

I kissed Skye once more getting settled in next to her. Enjoying the comfort of having her in my arms. I close my eyes relishing in the feeling of her. Of us. This is the beginning of something so much greater with us. And it's all going to start with our first date. I smile at the thought of what were going to do. Letting out a small sigh of content I promise her and myself that this time around there is no leaving. No running away. I'm hers. Always.