Conversations In the Storm

Chapter Five - She Needs Us Daddy

Was it foolish to have hoped for this in some small way over the last weeks? Caroline had desperately dreamed that he would do exactly this, admit his mistake and ask to take her back. Sure, it was romantic that it happened here, under candlelight.

So then was it incredibly petty that she didn't like the idea of forgiving him? Perhaps. But nonetheless she knew she couldn't do it. As much as she hated the idea of talking through it all, she knew they hadn't talked nearly enough.

She gently pushed back and his hands fell away as she rose and touched her fingertips to her lower lip.

"Nick, tell me something. And be brutally honest, don't spare my feelings. Stupid thing to worry about, given the circumstances. But just tell me the truth."

She tucked the hair behind her ears several times and returned to her place on the floor, reaching again for the wine glass. His eyes were alight with heat, confusion and hurt that she had pulled away, and she could swear that she saw the longing in his face as well. And it helped, it definitely helped to know that the feelings were there. But his declaration and his soft kisses hadn't erased anything. It hadn't erased his accusations or the pain he had inflicted on her. And suddenly she wanted to know why. She hadn't thought it mattered, but it did. She had to know one way or the other, no matter how painful the result.

"Did you really think that I didn't love you? That I was only in it for the kids?"

"Care..."

"No, I need to understand."

She held her hand up, stopping him from interrupting again. Her teeth were gritted as she continued.

"You said that I changed when I met your kids. We were together for eight months, Nick. I met your kids right at the start. Did you feel this way the whole time we were together, that I was only interested in slipping into a ready-made family?"

"Of course not."

"Then why would you all of a sudden think it now? What changed that made you think I was only after a family?"

"It wasn't as simple as that!"

"Please just make it that simple."

Caroline flinched at the flicker outside the windows and braced.

Then they both jumped as his phone rang again.

Nick stared at her for a long time before glancing at the screen of his phone.

Tapping the 'answer' icon, he lifted the phone to his ear.

"Hi, Sophia? Everything alright?"

She turned away, taking the opportunity to pull herself together.

The kiss had rattled her more than she cared to admit. Of course, she had always known that he was skillful when it came to making a woman melt. But the world's best kisser could easily be resisted. The thing that made a kiss hard to pull away from was your response, and her response was dictated by the fact that she wasn't nearly over him.

An eight month relationship. That's all it was. She knew people who had been together twice that time, and hadn't had as much trouble getting over the break-up afterwards. Was she really so starved for affection that she still pined for him, after swearing to hate him? A mere couple of hours in his presence, and she was melting for him all over again. She hated herself for being so weak.

When she looked up again, Nick seemed pensive as he listened to his sister. His eyes met hers and he gestured towards the bedroom with a question creasing his forehead. Caroline nodded, and he rose to his feet, grabbing the torch and using it to light his way to the room. She heard the door click closed behind him and she sighed loudly, refilling her wine glass yet again.