Touch of Innocence

22

Hadley wrung her hands together in excited nervousness as Clay drove down the road toward the cabin they would be staying at for the next five days.

His hand was clamped around her thigh as he drove and she couldn't keep her eyes off his veiny forearms. Those veins were her weakness.

"Your heart sounds like it might break through your chest."

"I'm just nervous I think."

"Nervous about what?"

"You know what, Clay."

He squeezed her thigh. "Almost there."

When they pulled up to the A-frame cabin, a shrill of excitement ran throughout her body. She'd been looking forward to coming to this location for so long. It was even more beautiful in person than the pictures had shown.

The cabin was beautiful. It was small, built for a maximum of four people, but beautiful nonetheless. They were right off the shore of the lake. The large windows faced the water, giving them the most beautiful view of the crystal clear water. She wanted to collect a few of the black rocks that made up the lake bed to take back home with her.

"It's beautiful here," she said in awe as she scanned the area.

"It is," Clay agreed. Hadley didn't realize he was staring at her though. 

Clay carried their bags inside and after everything had been brought in, she took a tour of the cabin. It was gorgeous inside. She walked into their room first. She had to squeeze her legs closed as she looked at the bed and thought about what would happen there the next night.

The windows in their room faced the lake. The thought of looking out the window to that view after Clay ravages her had her heart racing.

"What do you want for dinner?" Clay asked when she walked back downstairs.

"Mmmh, I don't care. What do you want?"

"It's your birthday, Hadley. Everything about these next five days is all about you."

"Hmmm. I just want some pizza, I think." She saw a pizza shop a few minutes down the road from the resort.

Clay ordered their food and after they had finished eating, Hadley rested her head on his chest. "I wonder if my parents remember what tomorrow is."

"I hope they do."

"Why's that?" She asked.

"I hope they remember everything about you. I hope they remember your confused face when they dropped you off and drove away. I hope they remember your birthday. I hope you haunt them every day of their lives."

"I was meaning more of an "I regret leaving her" kind of way. Not so much a torturous kind of way," Hadley teased.

Clay stared down at her, his eyes not wavering from hers. "Do you wish things had turned out differently?"

She took a second to respond, trying to gather her words. "I don't. I wish that my parents had loved me, but I'm also so happy that I got to grow up with you. Not many people can say they've been with their mate since they were three."

Clay's hand combed through her hair as she spoke. "I wish they would have loved you as you deserved, Hadley."

"Then you wouldn't have met me until who even knows when," she pointed out.

"We still would've met. Our souls were destined to cross paths, but you deserved the love that your parents were too selfish to give you."

She sat up on her knees and straddled his lap. "I want you to know that you've given me everything, Clay. They were never there, but you were. My parents didn't give me their love, but you gave me yours, and that's all that matters to me."