Always and Forever

Chapter 2

LIAM

Saturday morning, we were woken up by Emily a good half hour earlier than usual, so the morning sexy time Hannah and I were already starting to get used to was cut short. I supposed this was what life with a toddler was like, though I had to admit, it was a little more of an adjustment for me, since, before this week, it'd been Hannah who had always gotten up with Emily. Until we'd started spending our nights together, I'd had no idea what mornings with Emily were like. It was a learning experience, and one I was actually excited for.

Everything had changed over the last few days, and it was terrifying but exhilarating at the same time. When Emily and Hannah had first come to live with me, it'd been a big adjustment for all three of us, but we'd gotten through it with relative ease, considering all of our lives had been completely uprooted. This was just the next step, and I had to say, I was enjoying the hell out of it. We were becoming a family, and now that I'd chosen to embrace this, there was nothing I wanted more.

The fear of losing it all was still there and stronger than ever, because the love I felt for Hannah had surpassed anything I'd ever felt before. If I ever lost her again, I wouldn't be able to survive. But that was the thing: after experiencing life without her once, even for only a week, I'd decided that my sister was right—it wasn't worth it to throw it all away, just because of a possibility of suffering, when the certainty of this all-consuming love and companionship was right here in the form of a beautiful redhead who somehow loved me, even after I'd hurt her in the worst way. I was pretty sure I'd never forgive myself for as long as I lived for what I'd done to her, but I'd enjoy doing everything I could to try to make it up to her.

We'd taken turns looking after Emily and getting ready for our day today. Hannah had showered while I'd gotten Emily dressed, and now I was just heading downstairs after my own shower as Hannah worked on breakfast. She was standing at the stove with her back to me, scrambling up some eggs for the both of us, and I smiled at the picture of sheer domesticity that she and Emily made. Honestly, I didn't think I could be any happier right now. I kissed the top of Emily's head as she sat eating her peanut butter toast, and then I moved in behind Hannah. "Mm, these eggs smell almost as good as you do," I murmured into her ear, resting my hands on her hips and then sliding them around her waist. I held her close against me as I leaned down to nuzzle her neck.

She jumped a little in surprise, letting out a little gasp and stiffening up for a moment before relaxing under my touch, and then she tilted her head to the side to give me better access to the smooth skin there. "You startled me," she said, a little breathless, and I could hear tension in her voice, even as her body relaxed against mine.

My mouth paused in its exploration of her earlobe, and I tightened my arms around her as I leaned to the side so I could see her face. She looked nervous as she flipped the eggs in the pan.

"What's wrong, Sunshine?" I kissed her shoulder, trying to comfort her, to ease her tension. I could see she was trying to hide her nerves, but I knew her expressions and body language better than I thought even she did. She wasn't fooling me.

She didn't respond for a moment, turning off the stove and setting the pan of cooked eggs on an unused burner. I didn't say anything, just waited patiently for her to speak. She chewed her lip, and I was starting to grow a little concerned when she finally took a deep breath.

"I don't know if I want to go to the market today," she said quietly, glancing at me timidly out of the corner of her eye.

"Because of Nate?" I asked gently, though I already knew the answer. When she nodded, I turned her around in my arms and brought my hand up to cup her face, my thumb caressing her cheek. "I promise you I won't let him hurt you. Okay? I'll make sure he stays away from you."