secrets

thirty-one

-ADELE-
______

And just like that, we're home.

Home.

Back to the place where Simon and I have completely fallen in love, where he has healed every single broken piece of my soul, where we have made love and promised each other to always be together.

It's also the place where we have told and kept many secrets, some of them even being made by us.

As I step out of the steaming shower, I brush through my hair and tie a bathrobe around my bare body. When I open the door, I see Simon's back.

His back is one of my favorite parts of him. Slowly, I walk up to him and wrap my arms around his shoulders, leaning my head against his strong smooth back.

"Hey, beautiful." He says, and I can feel the vibration of his gloriously deep voice. It relaxes me in a way that nothing else can.

"Hi, baby." I say, my face still pressed against him, taking in his clean scent.

With his shirt in his hand, he turns around to face me, kissing my forehead and holding me close. Feeling his arms around me never fails to make it seem as if nothing will ever hurt me.

And ever since his arms first held me, nothing has.

In a comfortable silence, we stand just like that. His arms around me, my arms around him. I can hear his heart beating, his breathing relaxed.

Eventually, he kisses the top of my head and says, "Are you ready for bed?"

I nod, suddenly filled with immense happiness over the fact that we're back in our own bed. It's a simple thing, but to me, it's the world.

Before I close my eyes, I move closer to Simon. Our bodies face each other, our lips dangerously close.

Our faces grow closer and closer until our lips are together. I will never get over the feeling of his soft, big, magical lips on mine and the way he seems to make me forget about everything but him. We gently press our foreheads together after I break off the kiss.

"I love you, Simon. With every part of me, I love you. I love your face, your body, your heart, your soul, your sense of humor, your imperfections, your hair, and the way you make me feel like I'm the only woman you've known."

With the moonlight coming in from outside, I can see him smile and his face glow. It's a beautiful sight, one that I take a mental picture of and seal in my heart forever.

"I love you too, Adele. Everything about you, inside and out. You make me complete, baby." He says, placing his face inside my neck and taking a deep breath then kissing my cheek. "Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight." I say, closing my eyes, comforted by the fact that I'm in my own familiar bed in the safest place I know: Simon's embrace.

______

"Do you like secrets?" I ask Simon that night as we sit on the couch and watch a romance film.

"I like making them." He smiles. "And I like the mystery behind a good secret."

I nod in agreement. It seems as though our relationship is built on being secretive, but that makes it all the more exciting to me.

Suddenly, Simon sits up straight and says, "Follow me."

I laugh in surprise as he leads me outside to the pool, standing on the edge. "You're not serious." I say, looking at my black slip dress that I would hate to get wet.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He asks, not concerned about the fact that both of us are dry and dressed and I want to keep it that way.

"Simon, it's 11 at night and we're not in swimsuits!"

"It's not illegal to swim in your clothes, Adele. Come on, it will be fun."

I mutter under my breath, stepping next to him on the edge of the pool, amused by the insanity of this.

He smiles and holds onto my hand. "Let's jump in 3, 2," Before he evens gets to one, he jumps and takes me with him.

For a second, I'm annoyed because my dress is now soaked and my hair is too, but then I realize I'm with the love of my life and there's so much beauty in this exact moment.

I brush my hair out of my face, adjusting to the cold temperature of the water. Simon laughs as I hug myself to keep warm, swimming towards me and holding me against him. "See? Wasn't that fun?" He says, a huge smile of pure joy on his face.

I nod. "You know what would make it more fun?" I slowly wrap my legs around his waist.

"What's that?"

"If you did something similar to this." I say, looking him in the eye for a burning moment before pressing my lips against his and roaming my hands around his toned chest.

He kisses me back passionately, taking over and roaming his own hands under my dress.

We spend a while kissing and studying the shape of each other's bodies, even though we know every detail. As always, I lose myself in the feeling he gives me and the fact that he is the only one in the world who can make me feel this in love and happy.

He's the exact man I want to spend every single day with for the rest of my life, the one who has my heart and my love like no one else does.

When he eventually breaks the kiss off, he holds my hand as we step out of the pool and back inside.

Once we shower, we find ourselves back in each other's arms on the couch, enjoying the peace surrounding us.

Suddenly, he smiles and looks at my face. His expression looks as though he's seeing something so wonderful he can't speak.

"You're so, so beautiful, Adele." He says after a while, still looking so content and joyous. It makes my heart melt.

"You're so, so handsome and kind, Simon." I say.

"Can I take you on a date tomorrow? To the movies? The same one where I fell in love with you for the first time?"

"Will it be another private showing?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way for you." He smiles, giving me a gentle kiss.

"I'd be honored then, baby." I say.

If it's a private showing, maybe I can tell him the only secret I've been keeping from him. A secret that he will love more than anything.