Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 105301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
“We don’t need to go out to celebrate.”
Waking up in the morning is the worst thing to happen to me. My head hurts, I feel sick and my back is sweaty from where Nathan is crushing me, breathing vodka fumes into my face. He’s using my cheek to cushion his cheek and my back to cushion his body.
“Get off,” I grumble, elbowing him in the ribs. “I’m going to puke.”
He immediately hops up and follows close behind as I rush into the bathroom. Counting to three, I inhale deep and expel the remains of last night from my stomach. It aches. I need water.
Nathan, sensing this, rushes away after tying my hair back and returns with a fresh bottle of water.
“Little sips,” he whispers, helping me into a sitting position.
“Why did I drink so much?” I flush the toilet and lean back against the wall. Nathan crouches in front of me, looking a bit unsteady himself. “It’s all such a blur.”
“You had fun.” He responds, smiling warmly.
“Maybe too much.”
“No such thing.”
I recall trying to get him to tie me to the bed. I also recall him tripping on the blanket I kicked onto the floor and falling into a heap. My lips tip up with a smile. “You were also drunk.”
“I think I still am.” He flashes his eyes at me and holds out a hand for me to take. “Come on: teeth, shower and let’s face the day.”
“The kids.”
“No need.” He kisses my neck and places my toothbrush into my hand. “Sasha took them to breakfast with Tommy. Apparently she likes to eat away her hangover.”
“What time is it?”
“Almost eleven.”
“I am the worst hostess ever.”
He kisses my neck again. “And the sexiest.” Then he orders, “Teeth.”
“Yes, boss.”
Did we make friends last night? I can’t recall much beyond the first three drinks and trying to have sex with him. He didn’t though, forever the gentleman even when plastered on vodka. I’m such a harlot. If I keep giving Nathan mixed signals he’s never going to recover or pay attention to the actual issues at hand. I also can’t just throw him out now; that would be entirely unfair.
“We will talk when we’re feeling better,” Nathan whispers, seeing my internal struggles through my eyes reflected in the mirror. Before guiding me into the shower, he kisses my cheek and breathes in my ear, “I love you. Forever. Whatever decision you make with regard to me and our future, I’ll always love and cherish you and I always only ever want your happiness.”
Holy crap. I’m a puddle. He always says the right things, usually at the wrong time, but he says them and I have no doubts that he means them.
Instead of responding, I climb into the shower. When I finish I check my phone ready to text Sasha but she beats me to it by walking through the door with my babies in tow.
“Wing A WOSES!” Dillan screeches so loudly I hear glass crack.
“POSES A PO!” Emily joins in.
“A TISSUE A TISSUE!” Tommy chants with them, just as loud and irritating. Sasha looks on cloud nine and I can already see her planning the birth of their first child. I just hope she waits a while longer before the squawking of a new-born can be heard in her home.
“We all fall down,” I finish.
Nathan steps into the hall and scoops both kids up, one on each arm. How he has the strength for that I have no idea; I’m barely hanging on.
“I hope you don’t mind but we’re going to go and do a bit of sightseeing,” Sasha politely tells me.
“Of course! You don’t have to spend all of your time here.”
“We’ll be back in a few hours.”
“It’s fine,” I reassure her because it really is. There’s nothing worse than being tied down and made to feel guilty over wanting to do your own thing. I know that feeling all too well. “Go and explore.”
“Are you sure?”
“Go,” I laugh, shoving her to the door. “I’ll have a small, non-fancy cake ready for when you return to replace the one I dropped.”
“You dropped one?” Nathan enquires. I nod and give him a look that says I’ll tell him about it later.
What exactly I’ll tell him I don’t know.
Sasha leaves soon after, taking Tommy and Emily with her because Emily will sleep through the entire outing in her pram anyway, whereas Dillan will run them ragged. Still, it’s nice to get some alone time with my boys. They’re wrestling already and the draft from behind Sasha has yet to leave.
“ROAAARRRR!” Nathan roars and an excited Dillan giggles loudly.
“Oh no, a scary monster,” I feign fear and hide with Dillan behind the chair. “Whatever will we do?”
Dillan hides his pudgy face in the crook of my neck, still giggling so violently his body is shaking. Nathan snatches him from me and, still growling, begins to chomp on every chubby area of our little boy. I sit back, smiling at the sight of their happiness. Why must relationships be so complex?