I was at peace. Happy. I felt full, completed.

I ran my fingers through the mess of golden silk on top of my chest as I watched her eyes lashes fell down touching her cheeks the same I was connecting all the freckles on her face. Her mouth puckered out into a small pout as she slept and I swore it was the most adorable shit ever.

Madeline got it all from her mother.

My body stilled when she suddenly stirred in her sleep, burying her head deeper in my chest like she felt my gaze on her. I chuckled and planted a small kiss on her forehead earning a soft groan from her.

This was the kind of moment I never wanted to end. Pulling her closer to me, I sighed before closing my eyes again.

" Good morning. " her doe hazel eyes greeted me when I woke up for the second time.

She had her elbows on my chest supporting her chin as she watched me sleeping. I hummed back a good morning with a small smile on face, still feeling a bit tired.

" You're old now. " she mumbled.

" What? "

" Remember when you could go on and on without getting tired? We did it once and you looked like you're sick right now. "

" Oh really? " I cocked an eyebrow at her before rolling her over.

She nodded her head, trying to say something back when I watched her eyes rolled to the back of her head as I thrusted inside her in one swift move. Her hands flew into my head tugging my hair while her legs clung on to my back for dear life. I chuckled before leaning down to kiss her jaw.

Every thrusts into her felt like I was coming home. The warmth of her tight wall clenched around me. I grunted into her neck as a wave of pleasure hit me. My teeth nibbled her skin, mouth sucking, leaving marks. I smirked to myself in satisfaction admiring the love bites on her neck before lifting my head up to see her.

She was so fucking gorgeous. A beautiful goddess trembling, shaking, and squirming underneath of me where I wished she could stay forever, with me buried deep inside of her.

Her eyes hooded with lust desired and longed for what I had to offer, swollen lips formed into a shape of an O as her moans escaped from the back of her throat screaming my name while she dug her claws into the flesh of my back.

Breathless, I grunted before dropping my weight on her, our bodies still collided in one. I had my face buried between her breasts listening to the sound of her beating heart and shallow breath. She had her hand in my head, finger running through my slightly damped hair as we both stayed still, tangled between the sheet.

She was my aphrodisiac, the mother of my child, and the owner of my heart.

___________________

" I don't want to get hurt again, Nick. I survived last time but I'm not sure if I will be able to go through all that again. " I whispered honestly.

His body tensed on top of me as he tightened his arm around my stomach. I listened to his slow breath and felt his heart beating against mine. He ran his hand up and down my arm as he exhaled in my scent.

" Fuck. I'm sorry, Ana. I really am. I fucked up and I'm so fucking sorry. "

His voice raw and vulnerable, his hands shaking against my skin as his teeth clashed together and body flinched with every passing seconds, as memories came flashing back to him. He was sorry.

Trembling lips, he told me he knew he fucked up the moment he left me there alone in that basement. He was sorry for not listening to the explanation I could have offered, sorry that this was the way that we became.

I laced his fingers with mine silently telling him that it all would be better soon. I didn't know if better was even possible for us but right now I had faith in him, and in us. I brought his hand up to my lips, kissing his knuckles gently as he stared into spaces while showing me everything he was feeling.

And, I listened to every single words.

He apologized for not being there when I needed him the most, when Madeline needed her father. He should have been there. He hated himself for not finding out sooner, for being a coward who didn't know about his own daughter's existence.

Madeline was everything to me. She had my whole heart since the moment I found out about her. She was the first daughter I had ever have. I couldn't dream about my life without her, not being with her. I couldn't imagine the pain he had when he found out he lost the first years of his own daughter's life.

I wiped the tears off of his face. He smiled at me bringing my hand to his lips, more tears streaming down. Regrets and guilts glinted across his eyes as he looked at me. I could see he was at the edge of breaking and falling apart because unlike me he had kept it inside alone.

I had Madeline as my little light when he had no one to share his pain with other than hard liquor and cigarettes.

He blamed it all on himself.

I did too but not at the moment, not anymore. Not when he bared his soul out to me with such vulnerability. I was hurt but so was he, we broke each other.

We were both at fault. I betrayed his trust making me the poison to his heart while he let me down by not listening to me.

He didn't ask for my forgiveness because if it was him who had to make the choice, he wouldn't forgive himself either.

Instead he asked for a chance, one chance to make it all up for us, a chance to be a family. He was willing to do anything to cover the lost time, swearing on his life to try his best to deserve us.

" What an ill-fated relationship we had there. " I chuckled, wiping away my own tears.

He gave me a small smile before chuckling softly to himself. He had his palm on my face, spreading his warmth, calming my the chaos inside my mind. With the back of his hand, he caressed my face adoringly as we both stared at one another through teary eyes.

" I swear to god if you break my heart again-

He cut me off with a shit eating grin on his face. " I will be there with a hot glue gun in my hand ready to glue all the pieces back together. "

I narrowed my eyes at him, unimpressed, brushing his hand off of my face earning a small laugh.

" Do you want me to glue your mouth shut with that damn gun? " I rolled my eyes earning an raised eyebrow from him.

I was so going to get it later. Men and their stupid hatred for eye rolling.

" Break my heart. I will break your neck, buddy. " I smirked as he throw his head back laughing.

This dude must have thought I was joking.

I watched him with a smile on my face. Heart fluttered with happiness at the sound of his musical laughter. I felt at peace, completed.

I had thought about this moment countless times where we found each other again years later when we could explain to each other what really happened between us, both a little bit older, in a less fucked up place.

He would kiss the shit out of me and told me how desperately he had missed me, that he was still so in love with me, and then we could look back and laugh about how badly we fucked up each other, breaking our own hearts.

And, here we were just like I had imagined but a tad better.

He was the missing piece that wouldn't be lost ever again, I would make sure of it.

➺ ✿ ➻