The Right One

Thirty three

Following the events of the previous day, Hope would not have thought it possible for her to wake up the next morning feeling as peaceful as she did, but that was exactly what she woke up feeling. Curled up next to Raymond, his presence next to her brought her a sense of comfort and security that she hardly felt anywhere else. It just served to reiterate the fact that he was her happy place and she was more than content with it.

He'd told her he loved her. Hope felt a smile spreading across her face at the thought. If anyone had told her few months ago that she and Raymond would be where they were right then, she would have outright laughed at them. It still felt unbelievable sometimes when she thought about it. She'd just never thought them possible. Even with her crush on him, it'd just seemed highly unlikely, but it was real and if she could have her way, she would shut the rest of the world out forever and just stay right there in the bubble she was in.

Her moment of daydreaming was however cut short when she felt soft lips grazing her forehead.

"Hi."

She tilted her face upwards and was met with Raymond's smiling face. She just loved looking at that face. "Hi. Good morning."

"Morning, love."

Love. There was no getting over that.

"I didn't think you were awake yet," Hope stated, turning more on her side so she could address him properly.

"I've been awake for a while now. You looked so peaceful and I didn't want to do anything that might wake you."

"Awww, isn't that so thoughtful?" She cooed teasingly, although her heart swelled at the gesture.

He rolled his eyes, catching her tease. "Also, I discovered a new hobby and I wanted to take my time exploring it."

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

The second a wide grin sprang up on his face, she just knew he was going to say something ridiculous. "I just discovered I love watching you sleep. You snore like a horse."

Hope gasped, appalled. Did he just say that? "I.Do.Not.Snore!"

"Oh yes, you do," he countered, expression deadpan.

"I do not!" Hope replied, indignant.

"Mm. Whatever you say then," he conceded, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"I really do not. You and I both know that I do not snore." And she really didn't. Hope was sure she didn't so she knew he was only teasing her but . . . The effrontery!

"Yes, yes! I've heard you. You do not snore. Absolutely not. Got it."

There went that smile again; the one that always sent her heart in a frenzy. He was bound to give her an heart attack at the rate he was going. She coughed to hide the big smile creeping up on her face. She was supposed to be offended, not smiling.

He let out a hearty laugh, knowing exactly what she was trying to do. Hope ignored him, determined not to let him get the better of her. Her efforts to get off the bed were quickly thwarted by his strong hold on her. The laugh eventually faded and his face took on a more serious expression as his fingers crept into her hair. "How are you feeling?"

Hope huffed out a breath, her thoughts wandering in the direction she didn't want them to. "Now that I've had a good night right, I do feel better than I did yesterday, but as for what to make of this whole situation, I'm not sure, to be honest. Everything's all jumbled up in my head and it just feels like a whole lot of mess in there."

He nodded, his face communicating his empathy and understanding. "I can only imagine how that feels, but you'll be fine."

"Yeah, I will."