I felt as if I was on the fucking road to nowhere. It felt like centuries before I could finally leave the hospital. Olivia and Opal said that they would help me find a new place to stay; until then, I had to move back into the condo I’d lived in with Claire. I did not appreciate the concept, but Opal reassured me that it would only be for a few weeks. The night before leaving the hospital, she helped me to get packed and ready to leave.

I could walk around, kind of. I still required a set of crutches, but my therapist told me it was just temporary. Temporary or not, I was still rather wobbly on my feet, and most tasks took way longer than I expected. I sighed in frustration as Opal zipped up my bag and sat on the edge of the bed. I slowly made my way to her and took a seat beside her.

“I hate being out of breath after barely doing anything,” I complained. She kissed me on the cheek and passed me a bottle of water.

“It will get better with time, Ethie.”

I smiled. In the recent weeks, she’d reverted to calling me by my childhood nickname, Ethie. For a reason I couldn’t explain, it always filled me with warmth. I took a sip of the water and groaned.

“Now I have to get changed for bed. This stuff takes way too long and way too much effort.” She laughed a bit and kissed my cheek.

“I’ll give you a hand then,” she told me and stood up.

As we finished the painstakingly long process of getting me changed and I crawled into bed, she sat back down next to me. I pulled her closer and into my embrace.

I closed my eyes as I delighted in the scent of her hair and the feel of her warm body against mine. She laughed a bit and snuggled up to me. My hand wandered around her hip and found its way under her shirt. She slapped my wrist gently.

“Behave. One more night, and we’ll be able to do whatever we want,” she told me with a kiss.

I groaned and looked at her. “But…” I began.

She giggled like a schoolgirl before shaking her head at me. “No ‘buts’. There’s very little privacy, and I don’t think it would be a good idea to go Game of Thrones on each other while I’m at my workplace,” she told me as she snuggled closer.

“Tease…” I muttered, but I understood her reasons.

She’d worked so hard for this internship, I would never forgive myself if she lost it because I couldn’t keep it in my pants for an extra night. Instead, we cuddled, kissed, and maybe, just maybe, I let my hands wander a bit more. It was an amazing feeling to have her in my arms again and laugh like we used to. We didn’t talk about the future, but we did talk about how much we cared about each other.

“I can’t wait to be with you properly,” I told her as I gently caressed her breast.

She smiled at me and looked into my eyes. I could see the desire in her gaze, and I was willing to beg her to take me here and now.

“And I’m looking forward to being with you…intimately.” She smiled and winked at me.

Seeing her so playful and relaxed made me feel like the luckiest man alive. I couldn’t believe that I had her again and how lucky I was for her to take me back. What I thought was the end of the world and the worst thing that ever happened to me, turned out to be the best gift that fate had ever given me.

My fears and insecurities about the future dissipated when I was in her arms. They melted away, and all I knew was that I wanted her in every sense. I couldn’t help but wonder as I looked at her again.

“What about us?” I asked quietly. I felt her tense in my arms.

She thought about it for a moment. “Don’t get me wrong, being here with you feels great. I’d like to keep it that way,” she replied softly.

I glanced at her. “But?” I asked nervously as I chewed my lip.

She frowned. “There is no’ but’, I just don’t want us getting our hopes up. A lot of things are uncertain right now, that’s all,” she told me as she ran her fingertips idly across my chest.

I took a deep breath, savoring the sensation, but trying not to get too lost in it. She was right; there were a lot of uncertainties. One thing, however, was certain to me. I wanted to rebuild the closeness we’d once had. I wanted to build a true and lasting relationship with her, and no one else. I sighed deeply.

“You’re right. We shouldn’t rush things,” I told her with a kiss.

She smiled and squeezed me a bit tighter, then relaxed. We stayed cuddled up until I began to drift off and Opal reluctantly peeled herself out of my embrace and, with one last kiss, left, promising to pick me up the next day. I fell asleep feeling hopeful and reassured. The future no longer seemed daunting. No matter what happened, I felt secure, knowing that I would have Opal by my side.