Where You Are

Wrexham

Birgitta

The next morning poured rain. I could hear it pounding on the roof before I even opened my eyes.

And I discovered I was on the very edge of the bed. I was so surprised, I rolled right out.

'What are you doing down there?' Jesse asked groggily from the bed.

'Me?' I answered, still getting my bearings. I usually needed a few minutes to be awake enough to be coherent in the mornings. Had that really just happened? Was I really in a heap, tangled in blankets, on the floor? 'Why are you all the way over here? This is a huge bed!'

'There's nothing over there,' he grimaced. 'You're over here.'

'Not anymore!' I laughed and then stood up and stretched.

'I'm sorry, I just wanted to hold you,' he said with puppy dog eyes. 'Now come on, get back in bed. I'm not ready to get up yet,' he scooched back and patted the empty space beside him.

I didn't need to be convinced.

I'd had to fight hard to stay awake the night before until Jesse returned from the shower. He wasn't long, but I was so pleasantly tired and the bed so warm and cosy, it was difficult to keep my eyes open.

I couldn't remember ever sleeping so soundly. When Jesse came back and snuggled into bed with me, I was asleep within minutes. The dark morning and sound of rain on the roof was soothing, too. It was hard to wake up.

'Happy we did that hike yesterday,' Jesse said, wrapping an arm around my waist the second I was back in bed.

I'd put a clean pair of underwear and a shirt on before falling asleep. Jesse had just come to bed with underwear on. I wondered if that was how he usually slept. This was how I usually slept, even if he'd had his hands under my shirt the entire night. I didn't hate that, though.

We were definitely getting more and more comfortable around each other. It was such a weird feeling to be myself around someone and not worry what they were thinking. But refreshing. Like I could breathe and relax and say what was on my mind.

You're perfect.

No one had ever told me that before. Jesse's words echoed in my mind all night long. I was perfect, just the way I was. Was he even real? How had I stumbled into someone so amazing? Or was it just pillow talk?

'Mmm,' I mumbled back to him, running my hands absently up and down his bare back.

'What do you want to do today?' He asked.

'I don't know,' I said. 'You know the area better than I do.'

'Not that well,' he admitted. 'A lot of the things I had in mind are outdoors.'

'Is it supposed to rain all day?' I asked him.

'Think so,' he replied.

We were quiet again. He adjusted his hips a bit closer to me and I couldn't help my contented smile.

'You could teach me how to do something,' he suggested.

'Like what?' I said with a small smile.

'Well, I seem to recall you promising to teach me how to ice skate,' he said with a silly grin.

'I remember,' I laughed. 'Why do you want to learn how to ice skate? I'm not a very good teacher.'

'I just think it would be fun,' he said. 'Don't you?'

'You say that now,' I warned him. 'You'll probably spent a lot of time on your ass.'

'I don't mind,' he assured me.