Chapter 31

When they arrived home, everyone went straight into their beds. It was a long exciting day and with how exhausted they were, they all went into a deep sleep quickly. However, Clarissa woke during the night in a sweat from a bad dream. She felt a feeling of loss and longing instantly, but she couldn’t remember what she dreamt. She knew enough to know that it was a nightmare though.

She removes the cover from over her body and swings her feet off the bed. She felt as if she couldn’t be alone and thought of which of her four kids she was going to bunk with tonight, but she soon realized that is not what her body had planned. She scurried across the hall and turned the handle to Jacob’s room door.

There was a small creaking sound when she slipped inside the dark room. Slowly she approached the queen size bed in the center of the room and ogled the outline of his body. He was shirtless while lying on his back, one of his arms resting behind his head and the other across his stomach. Just the sight of him helped ease her uneasiness. She had an intuition that she subconsciously remembered her dream and that it had something to do with Jacob and that’s why she felt the need to be with him.

Hesitantly she plays with her fingers and bites her lips but her mind didn’t seem to have the reins anymore. She nears his bed and crawls in with him even as she thought she shouldn’t. As soon as she lifted the blanket she felt what she needed, his warmth. She inserts herself in the crook of his arm and rests her cheek on his firm, hot chest.
Naturally, his arm comes from behind his head and stretches across her back pulling her closer and snuggling her in. His chest rises and falls with her scent and his other arm slowly inches it’s way to her waist.

Now feeling better, she goes back to sleep.

Not long after, Jacob opened his eyes and immediately he realized that his arms were filled and weight was on his chest. He expected it to be Emmie, but when he shifted his focus a warm sensation covered his heart, it was his own personal miracle. He was flabbergasted.
Clarissa lay perfectly content in his arms and it wasn't his imagination. He couldn’t remember the last time she reached for him in this way. It was a hopeless dream and when he absolutely least expected, it happened, she was in his arms desiring his comfort. Just thinking about the fact that she left her own bed to come into his, had his insides flipping like never before.
He gazes down at her resting beauty for sometime before kissing her temple and laying his cheek on her forehead. His lungs inflate themselves with deep breaths of her fragrance. It was almost indescribable how good he felt. Like relieved, relaxed, and comfortable all blended together. He won the jackpot tonight and he didn’t even play.

When Clarissa woke the next morning she was alone on the bed. She lifts herself slowly out of her daze and scans around the room. Jacob was standing looking in the mirror in front of the bed as he buttoned his shirt. She combs fingers through her hair. “What time is it?”

He turns and meets her eyes. “9:30.”

“You’re late.” She points out.

“Yeah.” He agrees and turns back to the mirror. He finishes buttoning his shirt and begins adjusting his collar. “What happened last night?”

“Oh…” She looks at her hands in her lap and clears her throat. “I had a bad dream…”

“What was it about?” He turns as he fixes his cuffs and grabs his blazer resting on the bed.

She shakes her head. “I can’t remember.”

After putting on his jacket, he shoves his hands into his pockets and closely inspects her. “You alright?” He asks softly.

She nods and glances down at her fiddling fingers again and then back up at him boring a hole through her soul with his blazing observation. “I’m sorry…” She apologizes “Probably shouldn’t have come here.”

He arches a brow. “You have nothing to be sorry about...and you know that.” Their gazes lingered on one another for some seconds before he checked his phone for the time. “I should get going.”

She nods.

Once he leaves, she lays back down and relishes at the moment. She knew that he got the kids ready and out the door while she slept and that there was breakfast made and put aside for her in the oven. She was sure the dishes were done and the kitchen was immaculately clean. She knew that he turned off his alarm and snuck out of the room this morning, careful not to wake her. She was so grateful for having the luxury of laying in bed. She was so grateful to have a man like Jacob in her life. She felt as if the stress she's been feeling for a long time had disintegrated. She didn’t know if it was the fact that the kids were more independent or if it was something else, but somehow she felt great.

It was only for a few minutes that she could rest because she remembered that she had to meet up with the event-planner she hired for her sister’s surprise baby shower.

~~~

Baylee and Nikolai have been spending much more time together. He came over twice this past week, cooked a special meal for her, and stayed for hours. He called every day, reminded her of her medications, and made sure she wasn’t out overworking herself.

She could feel the closeness that they once had growing again. When they were together it was like the rest of the world didn’t exist. She loved the way they could still make each other laugh. Some moments were like nothing had changed. She was getting more and more hopeful day by day. She could see crystal clear that one day he would forgive her.

As she leaned back in her recliner chair watching television she thought about the switch she had done. Marriage was a dreadful thought to her, but when she thought about the word marriage and put less meaning to the piece of paper the law required, and she replaced it with spending the rest of her life with Niko, it was so easy. It was so simple and yet all these years it was confusion and fear.

The doorbell rings. Niko called a while ago asking her what she wanted for dinner which meant he was coming over. “Chinese.” She replied.
She carefully rises from her seat and waddles her way to the door. She was getting rounder by the hour and starting to look like she swallowed a marble. “Hey.” She widened the door and greeted him with smiling eyes. He was dressed in a blue suit like he came from the office.

“We have to go now.” He responds as he steps in and shuts the door causing her to step back while unbalanced. He circles her body and pressed spread apart fingers on her back and he braces her from his sudden hovering.

All the hairs on her body stood up.

In the same vicinity near the closet, she had a long rectangular stool she used to sit while she put her shoes on. He sets her down on it and finds her flats laying close by. He lowers himself in front of her and without a second thought inserts the two shoes on her feet. “Come.” When he finishes he grabs her hand and assists her up and out the door.

“Where are we going?” She inquires once in his car.

“My apartment building.” He answers.

“Oh…” She shrugged in her mind. She guessed they were going to hang out at his place but when they arrived that’s not what happened.

He lightly rested his hand on her lower back as he guided her past the lobby and into a small hallway that led to a black door. He unlocks the door with a keycard and inside was the building's surveillance monitors. With a shift of his head, he dismisses the four-man team dressed in black suits who were doing their job. He then shuts the door and turns one of the swivel leather black chairs to offer her a seat. “Sit.”

“What are we doing here?” She asked as she slowly lowered herself on the comfy leather.

He spins her to face the dozens of screens monitoring every nook and cranny of the building.
“I called Lola over, she’s in my apartment.” He explains. “And Conner is on his way.”

“What?” She looks up at him confusingly. “So…”

“Look.” He points to the screen with the main doors. “Right on time.” Conner entered.

On the desk below their fingers was a multitude of glowing buttons. Niko takes a seat beside her and presses one of eight that was bright green. It turns red. “Watch there.” He points to one of the screens. He then presses six more of the glowing green buttons turning them red and closing seven of the eight elevator doors. They watched together as Conner had no choice but to enter into the lone working elevator. Niko quickly shuts the door before anyone else enters and sends him up to his floor. He then pulls out his phone and calls his sister. “Hey, can you come downstairs?”

“Sure…” She hangs up.

Baylee giggles as Conner presses buttons repeatedly in confusion. “This is so wrong but it feels so right.”

Lola appears on the screens walking through the halls. They watch as she reaches the elevators and presses the down button. Niko takes a deep breath and he presses yet another button leading to trapped Connor. With her head down she steps in.

Niko locks her in quickly.

Conner was shocked and he instantly realized that it was a setup. Lola lifts her head and uncontrollably she gasps. Her eyes widen and she spins around to see the door shut.
~~~~~~~~~

To be continued….😊