Always & Forever (Nick & Bailey #2)

43. Nick

Last time. Last time. Last time.

Those words keep repeating themselves in his brain, but he pushes them away every time. They can't be true.

With the way Bailey is clinging to him—legs wrapped around his waist, nails digging into his back, teeth biting into his shoulder to stifle her screams—as he connects their bodies over and over, she can't really be done with him.

He'll get her back. She's pissed at him right now. And he deserves it. But that won't last forever.

"I love you," he groans into the crook of her neck. He is so out of breath that he can barely speak.

"Don't, Nick. Don't do thaaat." The last word stretches as he brings her to her brink, again. It's the third time she's come since they started.

He wants her to remember this. When she's by herself, missing him, he wants her to think about this. Which is why he's been holding back his own orgasm with his entire strength.

He knows he's about to lose the fight, though, as the pressure in his lower torso becomes unbearable, and his entire body shakes as he finishes inside of her.

He rests his head between her breasts and savors the feeling of her soft, warm, sweaty skin on his cheek. He's trying to catch his breath and is unable to move any further. They are still on the floor—neither of them wanted to waist time moving to the bed.

He's so tired—he hasn't slept for more than a few hours in the last two days—but he refuses to fall asleep. If this is, in fact, the last time they are together—which it is not!—he doesn't want to spend it sleeping.

He wants to spend it listening to her heartbeat as it slowly begins to return to a normal rate. He wants to trace his fingers along her hip and abdomen. He wants to run his hands down her thighs, caressing her, reminding her that she's the most beautiful creature to ever walk this planet.

Neither of them says a word, even though there is still so much to say. They just continue to lie in their dreamlike euphoria. Once they move, things will have to be done. For now, they just lie here together.

Nick starts to feel his eyes closing, unable to fight his exhaustion any longer. "I love you, Bailey," he whispers, sleepily.

Say it, he begs her silently. Say 'always'. If she says it, he knows things will be alright. They'll be fine. He'll be fine. Please say it.

She doesn't. Instead, she takes a deep breath, her chest rising and falling beneath him. "I think it's time for you to go, Nick."

He feels his heart shattering. He feels his body decomposing. He feels his eyes instantly fill with moisture. But he can't allow himself to cry anymore. He doesn't want Bailey to remember him like that. She didn't even cry at all.

She asked him to leave, so that's what he does. She stays lying on the floor, covered with a thin blanket that she pulled from her bed. She watches him as he gets dressed.

It would be too painful to look directly at her, so he doesn't. He simply walks away.

When he reaches the hallway and is out of sight, he places his hand on the wall to steady himself. Will this be the last time he steps foot in this house? The house and the family that have become his home. Could they really be gone forever?

The whole family sans Bailey saw him when he arrived. Ian gave him a look that let Nick know exactly where he stood, and their parents just looked sad.

He takes a few deep breaths while standing just outside Bailey's room and puts one foot in front of the other because that's all he can do.

*I'm sorry for the short chapter, but it had to be done. The next update will be out tomorrow to make up for it! The next chapter has been in my mind since the beginning of the first book, so it's kind of surreal to me that I'm actually putting my thoughts on paper after all this time!

Once again, thank you thank you thank you for reading, and I hope you are enjoying it! Please vote if you are!*