The Surrogate

Trying

"Oh my god! Air con!" Holly lets out a moan of relieved happiness as she enters their suite while behind her Seb lets the door swing shut and is just happy to be away from the circuit and a pretty disastrous weekend.

They've arranged to meet Hayley, Britta and Mark downstairs in the hotel foyer in around two and a half hours time and besides packing their cases, he's hoping to get Holly to open up so that he can then try to persuade her to give things a proper chance between them.

She already knows what he's wanting to talk about and that's herself and her past and she's not ready to risk him turning on her when he finds out that she's had a child taken away and put in to care because she'd been on drugs. Instead she breaks out into random chatter, "one thing you'll get to know as the next few months go by is that I don't tolerate heat very well when I'm pregnant."

He drops his rucksack down on the floor, he'll need it to put a few essential items in for when he boards the plane later this evening, he knows that she's trying to avoid the conversation he wants to have with her but he remains patient and instead wanders over to her to pull her in for a hug. "I need this," he murmurs softly, "it's been a shit weekend."

She sighs contentedly, wrapping her arms around him while feeling her rounded belly pressing against his firm torso. Seb gives the best hugs, he hugs with his whole body, as if you're the most precious thing to him in the whole world in that moment. It's hugely comforting. "Want to lay on the bed and chat to your daughter?" she offers.

He keeps the side of his head lightly pressed to hers as he contemplates his answer, usually he wouldn't have to think about it but he knows this is her trying to swerve their chat again. Instead he asks her, "you still love me, don't you?"

It strikes at her heart, like he's just taken aim and hit the bullseye at the first attempt, "yeah, I still love you," she answers him honestly. It's impossible not to love this man but at the same time it's painful and she knows that's her own fault.

He leans back to look at her, still holding her, his hands on her waist which is slowly expanding as her tummy gets bigger. "I still love you," he admits, "and I can't let you go....not until I really have to."

"Seb, it's not me you should be....."

He takes the risk, wanting to show her how much he loves her, and cuts her off by claiming her lips with his own. He feels her respond, kissing him back as though it's a natural reaction. It soothes the ache in his soul that's been there permanently since he ended things, her kiss is comforting, taste sweet and familiar and it's also infinitely arousing as her tongue meets his between their lips.

She's the one to break the moment, pulling away and quietly uttering, "you should be with Hayley."

He wants to explode, she's just let him kiss her, they've just a shared a kiss like that and now she's saying he should be with his ex?! He shakes his head slowly, "I don't want Hayley, I want you."

"She's better for you than I am," she replies.

His thumbs are now stroking her waist and he looks down at her baby bump before returning his gaze to meet hers with a determined glint in his eyes, "I don't feel anything for Hayley, not in the way I do you and don't you think you should let me be the judge of that? Why are you making these decisions and not giving me a chance?"

"Because I know I'd be no good, you have to trust me on this," she insists.

He gently grasps her hips, his eyes unblinking as he stares into hers and urges her to change her mind, "and you have to trust me. I know you'd make a fantastic mother, you wouldn't go through five pregnancies if you didn't have a strong maternal instinct. We love each other Holly and I believe that can get us through anything. Fight for us Holly, fight for me."