I LIVE THIS, I BREATHE THIS, YOU CRAVE IT

CHAPTER 2: Blast From the Past

We spent a good amount of time in the tub the night before we crawled into bed after drying off. Not bothering with clothes, we fell asleep naked, wrapped in each other's arms. Skin-to-skin was my favorite way to sleep with Rhea. It was like her heartbeat was my lullaby. Her steady breathing gently rocked me to sleep with every inhale and exhale as I held her in my arms. The smell of her shampoo reminded me of home. We didn't always get time to relax in each other's company, so when we did, we seized every moment. No matter how small. I snuggled her closer to me. She'd fallen asleep on my chest, our legs intertwined. She must've felt me shift because her arm that was draped around me suddenly tightened. I checked to see if I had woken her up, but she was sound asleep. Strands of hair had fallen into her face during the night, so I reached up and cleared them away from her beautiful face. I could see the start of a bruise blooming on her cheekbone from last night and lightly stroked my thumb over it as a silent apology. After I checked the time on my phone, I saw I still had a few hours until we had to leave for the airport to get back to Florida. I decided to just lay in bed and let her sleep a while longer before I woke her up. I was grateful I woke up in time because we had forgotten to set an alarm the night before so I set one just in case I nodded off again. Which is exactly what happened. I only nodded off for about a half hour, though.

When I woke up again, Rhea was still knocked out, snoring softly. I laughed to myself. She was always a heavy sleeper. It was almost as if she were comatose. During that half hour, she had shifted off of me, except for one arm that was draped over my lower stomach. I considered waking her up, but considering what I put her through last night, she deserved the extra sleep. I slipped out from under her arm and quickly put a pillow under it so that she was comfortable and looked at the clock.

5:53 AM

I walked quietly over to my suitcase that was lying open on the ground next to the bed and rummaged through it. I found just what I was looking for, my favorite hoodie (which happened to be one of Rhea's) and a pair of sweatpants. I grabbed a pair of socks as well. I didn't bother with a bra because the sweater was big enough for my chest to not be on display and I wanted to be comfortable for the flight.

Once I was dressed, I went to the bathroom to fix my hair and get ready for the day. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and then I began to put on some light makeup. I learned my lesson about leaving the house looking like I just got out of bed. Nothing is worse than a fan asking for a picture when you look like a troll doll. After filling in my eyebrows and putting on a bit of mascara, I threw my hair up into a cute messy bun and decided I looked decent enough to be in public.

When I walked out of the bathroom, I was greeted by a conscious Rhea lying back on the bed. The covers had been kicked off and she was scrolling through her phone. Again, I couldn't help but stare. Her toned stomach, her lean legs covered with black-inked art. Her tattoos only added to her beauty. The fact that she turned her skin into a canvas only added to the masterpiece that is Rhea Ripley. Her biceps flexed slightly as she held her phone close to her face. Her breasts lay soft and slightly to the sides of her chest, the metal bars through her nipples glinting in the newly risen sun that was peaking through the hotel curtains. Her bed-messy hair lay askew over her forehead, framing her features perfectly. Her full lips, her high cheekbones, her gorgeous blue eyes.

I had to mentally force myself to move before she noticed me staring creepily at her from the shadows. This woman would be the death of me I swear. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding as I approached the bed. Those sparkling eyes looked up from her phone when she saw me and her face lit up with a smile.

"You gotta get ready, babe. The flight is in three hours," I said as I plopped down on the bed with her.

She silently wrapped her arms around my chest and buried her face in my hoodie. Her leg draped over mine and I wrapped my arms around her in turn, resting my chin on her head. "I know but it'll be so nice to be home. In our bed. With the dogs."