A bone-quacking blast has me jolting into consciousness. Glancing around, I'm made aware of only one simple fact: the power's still out and so are our candles. I can feel Seth beside me and I'm pondering how in the world he was able to sleep through such ruckus when suddenly his hand slides over my arm. Guess he's not asleep after all.

There's a calmness around us even with the high level of noise battering the sky outside our home. The storm has calmed down somewhat, but it seems the thunder is playing a solo. The sky is rumbling like an old man's diaper after one too many prunes, and I'm wondering just how long we've been huddled here waiting this out. Let's just say, it's starting to grow tiresome.

"What time is it?" I ask, my voice penetrating the blackness around us like a needle to a piece of flimsy glass.

Seth moves around beside me for a moment before illuminating the room with his phone. He turns the screen toward me so I can read the time, and a sigh escapes my lips. It's only midnight. We've still got an entire night to get through. The worst part is, it's already starting to get chilly. Even the blankets aren't satisfying my needs anymore.

I stand, stretching my arms high above my head as I yawn. Everything in my body is tired. I think my heart is even exhausted. It's almost as if my pulse has slowed, growing lazy from working so hard to calm me down after being startled awake. I just want to drop into my warm blankets and let my head sink into my pillow as dreams devour my brain. But, with this earth-shattering thunder blasting its little heart out overhead, that won't be happening anytime soon.

"You think the worst of it is over?" I find myself asking as I glance into the darkness of the bathroom. I can make out shadows and objects now that the moon seems to have popped out from behind some clouds and is filtering in through the open door. It sort of adds another level of eeriness to the situation. Shadows are never welcoming.

"Eh," he says, his voice gravelly with tiredness. "It seems that way." He pauses for a moment, and I watch as he joins me in standing. "You wanna head to bed now?"

"Yes," I answer instantly. "Definitely yes."

He chuckles and as I turn to head towards the door, he snags me by the waist and pulls my back flush against his chest.

"You're ready to sleep this opportunity away so soon?" he questions, his mouth tickling the rim of my ear with each movement of his lips.

"Well," I say. "We were already sleeping it away. Might as well continue doing so in a place that's more comfortable."

"Good point."

And then he's releasing me as he reaches for one of the flashlights. Flicking it on, he points it towards the door and motions for me to take the lead. I grab the knob and then carefully swing it all the way open, loving the whining of the hinges as they creek to a stop.

This is one of those moments where I'd pretend that I was in a horror movie as I sneak around the house, eyes fluttering from dark crevice to window to hallway as I search for my ax-yielding intruder. Unfortunately, Seth is here, and I'm not sure if he'd be up for it.

"Wanna pretend like we're in a horror movie?" I find myself asking as I swivel around to glance at his reaction.

He's clearly surprised by my suggestion, one eyebrow quirked in question as he trains the flashlight on my face. I squint back at him, annoyed by the sudden brightness tearing at my poor darkness-desiring eyes.

"You know," he says, leaning his hip on the edge of the sink, "I've always been a little curious about this side of you."

"So you'll play?"

He nods, his lips lifting slightly into a grin. I don't know what it is about the expression on his face, but he almost looks like he's taking in my features, memorizing the smile on my face. It's like he wants to remember me this way and he's imprinting this moment into his mind forever. I'm not sure exactly what it is that he wants to remember, but I find myself squinting questioning eyes at him. I know he can sense my curiosity about his expression, but instead of answering, he just smiles deeper and pushes himself off the sink.

"Ready?" he asks, shining the flashlight on my face once again. I bat it away.

"You'll have to get rid of that?" I tell him, motioning to the light in his hand.

"Why?"

"Because," I sigh, disappointed by his lack of smarts right now. "It's like a freaking beacon. Do you want Bruce the Butcher to find us?"

He laughs again, and I lunge forward quickly, startling him with my sudden movement. With my swift ninja skills, I clumsily snatch the flashlight from Seth's hands, nearly dropping it in the process, and flick it off.

"He's coming," I whisper into the dark.

Seth doesn't respond, but I can hear his steady breathing behind me. A moment later, his chest smacks into my back and I stumble forward.

"Sorry," he says, and I have to turn quickly to shush him with a finger to his lips.

"You're horrible at this game," I say as I pivot back around and peer out into the living room.

The coast is clear. There are no looming shadows, or questionable noises coming from any part of the home. I take this as our chance to scamper across the room. I grab Seth's hand, and then without informing him of my plan, I dart out into the open belly of our house with Seth in toe. I hear the air leave his lungs, but aside from that, he remains quiet. I could pat him on the back for his good behavior. There's nothing more annoying than playing a game with someone who's unwilling to cooperate. Seth is definitely willing.

"What's that?" he suddenly asks, stopping me in my pursuit as he spins in a small circle, his eyes scanning his surroundings. "I heard something."

I gasp suddenly, pulling Seth over the side of the couch with me.

"I saw something," I whisper hoarsely. "Over there."

I point towards the hallway to our bedroom and then watch as Seth bravely pushes himself up just enough to peer over the edge of the couch. He searches with wide eyes for a moment and then shakes his head.

"I don't see anything," he tells me, settling down beside me as he rests his back against the sofa. "I'm going to go check it out."

"That's not a good idea," I warn, a genuine feeling of unease skittering into my chest. I'm aware that it's just a game, but the darkness has a way of making everything real. Right now, I'm almost convinced that Bruce the Butcher is actually lurking through our house, ready to hack our bodies up into stew the moment he gets a chance.

"I have to," he says dramatically, turning and pulling me into his warm arms. I hadn't even realized how cold I was until I felt the contrast of his skin against my own. I could almost give up on playing our little game right now in exchange for a few minutes of snuggle time, but I don't.

"If I'm not back in five minutes," he says, taking my face in his hands, "then run."

He puts extra emphasis on the word 'run' as if he's trying his best to make the moment even more creepy than it already is. The sound of loud whispers in a still environment is always creepy, so he definitely succeeds in sending a chill up my spine. Plus, he's a freakishly amazing actor, so it's not hard to imagine that this is real.

I just nod my head at his demand, and then watch as he drops his hands from my face and turns to dash across the room. Just before he can escape my presence, I snag his fingers between my own, forcing him back towards me. His eyes search mine in the faint light of the moon, and just as his forehead crinkles in question, I pull him forward until his lips meet mine.

It's a rushed kiss, but it's passionate nonetheless. I can feel Seth reacting, and I get the sense that he's prepared to ditch the game in exchange for a little more lip-locking, but before either of us can get too swallowed up with desire, I push him away.

"Be careful," I murmur, eyes blazing with worry.

He doesn't argue, but instead just nods once and disappears into the shadows. I just sit there, gazing into the darkness as the minutes tick by. I'm waiting for something, and I'm not even sure what it is, but when a cry of agony suddenly slithers down the hallway, I'm racing for our bedroom before I can even think twice.

This is just a game.

Just a game.

A game.

I chant these words over and over as my feet carry me down the hall and through the door to our room. The moment I enter, I'm hit with the blatant horror of silence. It's so real. The quiet is so eery and wretched that I fear for what my eyes will find.

And then a hand is sliding up my side as my body is pulled tight to a hard abdomen. Shivers erupt along my flesh when the hand returns to my waist again, only this time it bypasses my shirt to skim the naked skin of my stomach.

My head is spinning. The sensations whirling beneath my chest are battling each other for attention. I can't tell if I'm trembling in fear or with desire. Either way, I don't push the hands away... because I know these hands.

They're rough but tender, strong but careful, eager yet patient.

I lean my head back on Seth's muscular chest as his lips trail kisses down the side of my neck. Warmth chases each of his kisses, leaving pools of heat in their wake. My body is on fire, but I'm still reluctant about deepening the moment.

Why am I hesitating?

The moment the thought enters my mind, I have an answer.

This can't happen right now because I can't stand the thought of it not meaning something to Seth. Clearly, he cares for me, but does he care enough to enjoy this kind of physical interaction in the same way that I will?

"I can't do this," I mutter into the desire-filled air around us.

"What?" he says, pulling his lips from my neck and turning me to face him. "Why?"

I don't answer. I can't answer. I'm not even sure what I'm thinking right now, or why I feel the need to pull away. I guess it comes down to the fact that I want to feel wanted in every way possible when the time does happen. My heart wants to feel wanted, and right now, it doesn't. Sure, my body feels desired, but my heart feels abandoned, and it's more painful than pleasurable to think about pursuing intimacy with someone who doesn't return your affection.

"I know you want this," he says, his voice soft—tender. He strokes my cheek with his thumb and then tilts my chin up to get a better look at my face.

"Of course, I want this," I admit, "but you once said you didn't want to use me, and now I understand why." I pull my chin away from his grasp and look down at the floor between our feet. "It hurts to know that I have entirely different reasons for wanting this than you do."

"What does that mean?" he questions, his voice hard—almost angry.

I don't respond right away, and as the seconds tick by, I grow less and less sure of myself. Part of me just wants to give in, but another part of me feels like we're so close to making this real and I'm not ready to give in prematurely.

"Why have you been treating me so well?" I abruptly ask, almost confusing myself with the question. "Why do you insist on doting on me when you feel nothing?"

"Because I do feel something," he argues. "I care about you, Mercy. Can you really not see that?"

"That's not the point!" I shoot back, my voice stern, anger edging its way into my blood. "I can see that you care. That's obvious. What doesn't make sense is the fact that you're so good to me. You treat me like any wife would want to be treated. You act like you love me, but you refuse to say it."

"I'm not acting," he says, gripping my shoulders gently as he forces me to focus on his words. "I'd never pretend to care about you. That would have no purpose whatsoever. I genuinely care about you. I want to be with you. I want our marriage to grow and become even more beautiful. I want us to need each other and crave each other."

"How can you say things like that?"

"Say things like what?" He's clearly getting frustrated now, his voice tense. His hands fly away from my shoulders as he flings them to the side in exasperation.

"How can you say that you want all those things, and not love me!" There are tears in my voice, but I refuse to let them crawl to my tear ducts. I just keep swallowing, hoping they'll retreat, but they don't.

"Mercy!" Seth's voice is angry, and I can sense that he's trying to control himself as he clenches his fingers into his palms.

"Just tell me," I shout back, tired of not knowing where his head's at. I'm tired of not understanding his lack of feelings towards me. "Why don't you love me?"

"I do love you!"

The lights flicker back on, and I'm frozen in place. Our bedroom light isn't on, but there's enough light pouring in from the hallway for me to see Seth's reaction to his own words. I can see everything clearly written into the lines of his face as he stares back at me. There's shock blazing in his eyes and anger sown into his tight shoulders, but there's something else in his expression that I never thought I'd see again.

"I do love you," he says softly, his face morphing from fury to yearning within seconds. "I've never stopped, and I never plan to."

And then he's kicking the door shut as he picks me up by the waist and slides my body over the comforter of our bed.

If I thought this was going to be an unforgettable memory before, then Seth does a sensational job of ensuring that it will now be the most unforgettable night of my life.