From Hatred to Chaos to Love

C H A P T E R - T W E N T Y - F O U R

A groan left Alyssa Torres' mouth as she arched her back, stretching out her spine as much as she could without waking the man next to her.

She laid in that stretched-out position for a heartbeat before moving back into a comfortable position where her head was pressed against Kelly's chest.

His arm, which had been wrapped around her middle before she stretched, tightened around her once more, holding her body close to his.

She enjoyed the warmth that radiated from his bare chest.

When the two had first started sharing a bed, Kelly had always worn at least a tank top and a pair of sweats but now, once the two had gotten more comfortable together, he had downgraded to only a pair of boxers and once in a while, he would wear a pair of sweats over his boxers.

Alyssa pressed her face further into the man's toned and warm chest, the aroma and warmth that it radiated made the woman feel sleepy even if she had just woken up.

She stayed in that position for a few minutes until she had to get up and go to the bathroom.

The woman made the attempt to move from the man's grasp but his hold on her was stronger than it was when she'd stretched.

"Kells," she laughs as his hold keeps her on the bed and he gently moves his arm back, pushing her back into his chest.

In the time that she had turned to get out of the bed, Kelly had moved onto his side so when he pushed the woman back, she landed square against his chest and he could wrap his other arm around her middle.

"Stay with me," he mutters, resting his chin in the crook of her neck where her neck and shoulder met.

"I have to go pee," she laughs, trying to escape from his arms but he doesn't let her.

"Stay, baby girl, please," he whispers tiredly.

The smile drops from the woman's face.

Severide had never called her anything but her name or 'Princess'.

It could just be because he was tired but it was still bugging the woman.

"Okay," she mutters, leaning back into him and she could feel as he smiled.

Alyssa couldn't help but think that - while she laid in his arms - that he had called her 'baby girl'. Yes, Princess was sort of a romantic nickname but baby girl - baby girl was even more romantic than that. It was the sort of name that boyfriends called their girlfriends or husbands call their wives.

Once she was sure that the man was asleep, she carefully slides from his grasp and heads to the bathroom.

A few minutes later, she walks from the bathroom, adjusting Kelly's hoodie that she was wearing, and crawls back into bed with him, laying in the same position that she had slipped out of.

"You wanna talk about what happened back at your apartment?" Severide mutters a few moments later when he realizes that the woman wasn't falling back asleep.

Even though he was quite vague, Alyssa knew exactly what he was talking about.

He was talking about the moment that she'd collapsed to her knees in tears after seeing a belonging of Julian Black.

"No," she answers instantly, rather harsher than she meant it.

"Alyssa ... you broke down."

"I remember," she answers, still giving him more of an attitude than she actually tried to give him.

"Hey, lose the attitude, Princess, I'm trying to help you."

The woman bows her head.

"I'm sorry" she muttered the word so quietly that the hard Chicago rain from outside almost completely drowned her words out and if it weren't for the fact that they were inches apart, Kelly was sure that he wouldn't have heard it at all.