Chapter Sixteen
Joaquim
#anoldiebutagoodie
The meal was spent in a whirl of awkward silence. I had to convey to Brent what I wanted and why I wanted it.
There was no other choice for me.
After dinner, we decided to go to the movies and see whatever was playing.
“A Walk in the Park. I love that movie.”
“Me, too. The old movies are the best.” Brent had eaten almost all of his food at the diner, and it made me happy. Seeing my mate full of nourishing food for him and our babe satisfied me like nothing else.
“Wanna sit in the back and make out?” I put my arm around his shoulder, followed by a nibble on his earlobe.
“You have no idea.”
We passed the snack bar and even though I’d just eaten, the aroma of popcorn filled my nose and stirred my already-full stomach.
“Do you want popcorn?” I asked. “Anything? I can’t believe we are here, and you’re pregnant, and I don’t even know what you like to eat at the movies. We moved a little backward, didn’t we?”
Brent frowned. “I’m sorry.”
My alpha instinct was to take him by the shoulders and make him know in every way possible that he’d given me everything that night and didn’t even know it. There was no reason in the wide world for him to be sorry—ever.
“Let’s go sit down. We have a few minutes before the movie starts.”
The theater smelled like stale popcorn and maybe a little like nacho cheese, but that’s what theaters were supposed to smell like, in my opinion.
“Come on, Brent, all the way in the back.”
While we walked up the stairs, I stayed behind him. Even the stairs were a danger to my mate and child.
I was a walking, talking, protective mess.
We sat in red seats that folded down with a creak. The before-movie commercials hadn’t even started.
“Brent, can we talk or more to the point, can I talk?”
He nodded, that frown in full force again.
“You’ve said you were sorry and some other things today that have made me think you’re confused or frustrated.. I want to straighten things out before feelings get hurt. That’s the way I am, by the way, I face things head-on before they get out of control.”
I waited to finish until a teen with a goofy hat on came in, decided he wasn’t sweeping up the mess from the last movie, and leave again.
“Brent, this may be too soon for you, but I have to say my piece. I’ve traveled as a nurse for three reasons. One, I’m pretty damned good at it, and I love helping people. Two, I had nothing else anchoring me to one place. And that’s why, when I finally found you, even before I knew about our baby...Brent, you already had me anchored that night. I am anchored to you, heart and soul. So, staying here and helping you through school and finding work wherever I can, well, that still satisfies my desire to be a nurse, but more importantly…” I took his hands and gave him a peck on the lips just because I could. “I’m staying here because this is where my family is. You, this baby, we are a family now, at least, we are for me. When I called Kayson and told him who I was, he asked me one question. Do you know what that was?”
He shook his head, tears welling in the corners of his eyes.
“He asked me if I was in love with you. And my answer came without hesitation and without knowing about this absolute treasure that you have in your belly. I think I’ve loved you since I saw you up on that balcony in New Orleans. You took my breath away then, and I don’t feel like I’ve breathed since. I want this. I want this baby. I want Mapleville or wherever you decide to live because my home is you. Wherever you are, there I am, too.”
I hadn’t meant to give him a sermon on my love, but after I’d said my piece, I didn’t regret a word.
I took my heart out and gave it to him.
Now it was his decision what to do with it.
“I don’t…” Brent sputtered but then the lights went out and the movie started after the heavy red curtains moved out of the way.
“Don’t say anything. Let’s just watch the movie. Also, if you don’t want me to cop a feel, speak your piece now.”
He said nothing, but a smile grew on his face while a few tears escaped. After sniffing a little, he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, letting his lips linger.
I only lasted about ten minutes before I couldn’t stand not to be touching him. My hand trailed along his thigh, softly exploring all his curves and valleys. I moved the armrest between us so nothing stood between his body and mine as the lust built in my core, demanding to be quenched by my mate’s touch.
“Are you watching?” I asked, whispering in his ear.
“Nope. Not a single second,” he whispered back.
“Then get over here.”
In the flickering light from the black-and-white movie, his lips met mine. The last two times I’d really kissed Brent, we were desperate, on the edge of needful with our lips and our physical movements. But, this time was different. Our first touch was gentle, barely a feather of a touch of his lips on mine. When he kissed me again, he allowed me to lead, increasing and decreasing pressure according to the sounds coming from my mate. They fueled me on. I reveled in kissing him like this, learning what he liked—what made him moan or thread his fingers through the back of my hair.
Learning Brent was the one journey I’d been denied of.
We slowed down and settled back tin our seats after a while, but our hands were still tangled.
“Jay?” he loud-whispered.
“Yeah?”
“I want this, too.”