"It smells so incredible. Seriously, our neighbors are undoubtedly jealous right now." He let out a low chuckle as he took the seat next to mine.
"Hardly, my dear." I pressed a kiss to his lips.
"Thank you, baby."
We ate happily in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. It wasn't until I took a bite that I realized how hungry I truly was. I never stopped for lunch, and this tasted like Heaven. Richard finished his slices first, and without hesitation began to clean the dinner mess.
Even with my mouth full of food I tried to stop him. "Don't you dare clean! You made me this beautiful dinner. I'll get it all later."
He smiled and shook his head. "It's merely a habit, darling. So, how was your day? Did you and Amy have a nice chat?" Richard knew Amy was my therapist that I met with every Friday and have been for the past six or so years. That remained the extent of our conversation about it. We never talked about what was said or why I continued to go. Part of me felt as if I should offer up more about it, but when the time came my answers all remained the same.
"It went well. Amy seems to be doing good … so that's good," I answered lamely.
"Good," he replied with a nod as he continued washing the dishes. One of these days I swore I would tell him more. Maybe when I actually understood the situation myself and could tell Amy why I held that hour appointment every week. Once I understood-I would talk about it.
"Then I stopped by the salon to check on things, and Kacie sort of took my hair hostage." He cast a glance over to me.
"She did a great job, but it isn't hard to make you look beautiful."
I hopped off the stool and walked over to him, lacing my arms around his waist. My cheek rested against his back and I heaved a big sigh, breathing in the scent of his woodsy cologne.
"What would I do without you?"
Richard's soft chuckle rumbled against my face. "You're mistaken, Grey. It is me who would be lost without you."
"I doubt it," I whispered.
"How about we just never part so we don't ever have to find out?"
His words struck a chord in my heart, jogging a moment I thought I had forgotten completely. My eyes squeezed shut as the memory took over.
The sun was just beginning to peek around the curtains, casting an angelic glow upon Stefan's face. My head rest against his stomach as my fingers traced the delicious lines of his chest. His eyes were closed, but from the way he was breathing I knew he was still awake. It had been a little more than twelve hours since we said 'I do' and I still couldn't grasp the thought. This perfect man with his incredibly intense blue eyes, soft lips and a heart of gold that he hid from the rest of the world was mine.
How on Earth had I been so lucky? It didn't matter that we were young, because I felt it in my soul-Stefan Harrison was the man I was made for. Our hearts were pieces of a puzzle, and no one else could fit together the way we did.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked, daring to break the silence.
Stefan gave a contented sigh before opening his eyes to gaze lovingly at me. "Just thinking how perfect this moment is. How incredibly perfect you are." I smiled up at him. "I don't deserve you Grey, but I'll never stop proving to you that you are everything to me."
My hand clutched onto my heart as his beautiful words sank in. "Oh, Stefan … "
"I don't know what I'd do without you, Greyson Rose. I could never imagine waking up each morning without you next to me."
I sat up and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. A smile formed over my lips as I stared into his stoically stunning face.
"Well, how about you just never leave, and then you will never have to wake up a single day away from me."
Stefan smiled back and pressed his forehead down to mine.
"I'm not going anywhere, baby."
Fresh tears rolled from my eyes and stained the back of Richard's shirt.
"I'm not going anywhere, baby," I whispered much too low for Richard's ears, while my arms squeezed him even tighter.
The rest of the evening before Richard left for his shift at the hospital was torture. I spent it trying to not look like I was on the verge of tears. I knew Richard's worry would sky rocket if he thought something was wrong. Especially if he would be spending the next thirty hours out saving lives. That left me altering between either babbling ceaselessly about nothing or sitting in my favorite chair, staring out the window. It was difficult to say which one worried him more. I promised myself that I would make it up to him later. Then just when I thought I couldn't feel any worse about myself, Richard drew me a bath. Candles, a glass of wine, bubbles and a stack of my bridal magazines that I had accumulated over the past few months.