it was around her shoulders. “I want you to hold me,” she insisted.
I laughed. “Demanding much? Alright, alright.” I squeezed her tight to my side, pressing another kiss to the top of her head. “Take as much time as you need to calm down, alright?” I said. “We can hang here all night if need be.”
“Okay.”
“And don’t worry. If you fall asleep. I can carry you back to bed.”
She did end up falling asleep on me not long after the movie started. It seemed that being around me calmed her down quite a bit, and I was grateful for that. I waited several more minutes to make sure that she was really fast asleep, and then I turned off the movie and carefully lifted her into my arms. Even in sleep, she was the loveliest thing that I had ever beheld. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful.
I smiled to myself as I carried her back up to my bedroom. I hadn’t felt like this in a very long time. Maybe I’d never felt like this with anyone before. She made me happy, and that was something I wanted to hold onto. It was a little bit frightening because I knew that there was a lot that I could lose if I pursued her, but I also knew that there was so much more that I could gain.
Wasn’t my happiness important, too? Shouldn’t I be allowed to think about that? Even if it might make things difficult for a while, even if it might make Sebastian feel like I had betrayed him or put Serenity in a strange position, didn’t I also deserve to be happy?
I certainly was happy with her. This I was convinced of as I lay down next to her and drew her into my arms once again, feeling my breathing settle into a steady rhythm. And I knew that she was happy with me. How quickly she fell asleep around me, the way that she calmed in my presence, how she looked at me, spoke to me, it all pointed to that truth.
Perhaps the two of us could be happy together. I wanted that. I craved it. And I would find a way to make it happen.
Chapter Thirteen
Serenity
Unfortunately, Grayson was called into work Sunday afternoon.
The two of us had a lovely breakfast together in bed and plans to spend the whole day together, reading and messing around and just enjoying each other’s company. But after lunch, Grayson got a call saying that there had been an emergency that needed his immediate attention. He told me that it pained him greatly to leave me and our plans, but that I was welcome to entertain myself for the rest of the day in whatever way I saw fit, and to call a cab if I needed to go anywhere and he would reimburse me.
Grayson had already paid me a good deal for my interning, and I didn’t feel bad about using that money as I had technically earned it. I still had some gift shopping that I wanted to do for my family and now I actually had money to get them some nice things, so I figured that I would take a taxi to one of the malls nearby. I got dressed in one of the sweaters that Grayson had bought for me, a pair of jeans, and some cute white boots, then called a taxi. It took a few minutes for it to get to Grayson’s house, so I read my book in the meantime and contemplated what I should look for to buy my family.
Books was always a good option, but it felt too safe at the moment. Maybe I could find some art or some more handmade things for my parents. They always liked knickknacks and things that they could put up around the house. And I could get Sebastian some decorations for his office, or maybe a nice new coat (though those kinds of things were always easier to buy when you had the person with you). I wanted to buy something for his girlfriend, too, as she was practically a part of the family already and I expected the two of them to get engaged fairly soon.
I was brought out of my reverie when the cab arrived at the mall. I thanked the driver and tipped him generously before heading into the mass of outdoor shops. I had no idea where I should even begin, there was so much to look at, and