The Dance Part 2

Chapter 296 Mending Fences

Morning came too soon for Matt as he sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed watching Jill sleep. He decided that in order to continue to move forward, he had to come clean about one issue. It was a conversation that he should have had before he bedded her the previous night but the time and distance had been too long for both of them. As she began to stir, he crawled back to her side propped up on one elbow.

"Good morning, lovely. Sleep well?"

Jill buried her face in her pillow and replied, "If that's what you call sleeping, I'm going to need a lot more."

Matt fiddled with the hair that covered Jill's face. He struggled to find the words he wanted to share. He adored her mussed hair look in the morning. He never truly realized how much he missed sleeping with her until they were seperated for weeks.

"Something on your mind?" Jill sensed he had something to share and brushed her hand over his cheek.

"I haven't been totally honest with you and I need to tell you something about me that I revealed in rehab. It's about Lila."

Without missing a beat, Jill replied, "I know, Matthew."

"You know what," he asked as he had never spoken the words aloud to anyone except his counselor.

"That you've loved her from afar."

"You know? How?"

"It's the way you always looked at her. Like something was unfinished between you and her." Matt hung his head in shame.

"I'm so sorry Jill." He exhaled deeply, disappointed in himself.

"And he know also."

"He, who?"

"Bam."

Matt was almost at a lack of words. "But neither of you ever said anything."

"Matt, we knew. Bam and I both sensed it. We knew you would never hurt us on purpose. Besides that, Lila only loves one man and that man will always be Bam."

Matt flopped down next to her staring at the ceiling. "You were always a good man to me. Attentive, caring, loving. And every night you came home to me, made love to me, and made a family with me. The love you have for me isn't perfect but it's enough. I want you to know I am good with the past. I don't want to relive it. I just want us to keep moving forward."

"You're forgiving me?" Matt asked sheepishly.

"There is nothing to forgive. You're here with me and that's all that ever mattered."

Jill was, by far the best, a better woman than he ever deserved. He had promised himself that he would make it up to her even if it took the rest of his life. No sooner did he steal another kiss from his wife, he heard the front door open, and a rush of feet climbing the stairs. Their bedroom door flew open as Colton and Lucas stormed in their room. His boys jumped on the bed overwhelming Matt with screams of happiness and laughter, thrilled to have him back home.

Matt gathered them up and began to head downstairs. "Meet ya' in the kitchen for breakfast?"

"Give me a few minutes and I'll be downstairs to make you guys waffles."

Jill relished the relative quietness of the room for a minute trying to gather her thoughts. She had a surprise of her own to share with her husband today.

Natasha Bedingfield-Pocket Full of Sunshine