The Summer Bride (TSBS-1) COMPLETED

Chapter Twenty-Three

True love doesn't happen right away; it's an ever-growing process. It develops after you've gone through many ups and downs, when you've suffered together, cried together, laughed together.
- Ricardo Montalban

Claire Bishop

It warm and hard.

When my mind and body became aware of my surroundings, I realised the surface my face laid on was warm and hard with thumping sound coming behind it. The weight coiled around my waist radiated heat and instantly my eyes opened to the glass windows, now covered with shades, barricading the bright sunshine.

I leaned up my head to take a good look at the heater under me. Tyler! Sleeping with me on the same bed! My racing mind screeched to a halt when I noticed his face, his really appealing sleeping face. Even while sleeping, he had a stoic face.

Ignoring my better judgement, I raised my hand and touched his chin with one finger, making sure he really was asleep and not pretending. When there was no reaction, I glided my palm over his smooth skin. His cheekbones so defined and his lips...so soft. Even I had cracks most of the times on my lips but not his. They were as smooth as a baby's lips.

Unknowingly, my fingers drifted to them and I could feel the air as he breathed. That stopped my further exploration. What was I doing? Here he was sleeping peacefully and I was feeling him?

Shaking off the pervert-ness, I carefully untucked his hand from my waist and sat up. The bed sprung up as it lost my weight but still, Tyler slept through it. He must have been very tired. When did he sleep anyway? When did he get onto the bed? It was probably very late.

My eyes scanned him, resting perfectly still with a slight tilt of his head on the soft pillow. That was when his bare chest caught my eye. My eyes widened at the defined lines of his muscles. My head was on that?  God must have helped him because if I saw that while I was still in bed with him, I would've jumped him. No questions asked!

As I turned away from the mouthwatering view and took a small step, I felt the pressure of my bladder instantly and without further delay, I found myself in Tyler's giant bathroom. Seeing the clean and beautiful bathroom, I hesitated to even use it but then my bladder pushed through its demand. Doing my business, I washed my hands and brushed my teeth after finding a spare toothbrush in one of the cabinets.

Looking at the mirror, I realised if Lydia saw me then I would scare the poor little girl. My hair was a mess, my makeup smudged from not washing it before sleeping. I sniffed myself and made a quick decision to shower but I needed clothes. Walking into Tyler's closet, I hoped he wouldn't mind sparing a T-shirt and shorts.

For a full half an hour, I took advantage of the bathroom hardwares. While stepping into the shower stall, I tried not to get lured by the large jacuzzi on the side. After stepping out to the bedroom, clean and fresh in Tyler's comfy clothes, I stopped to gaze at the man sleeping in the king sized bed.

Yesterday was mayhem. I didn't know how the situation reversed that quickly. One moment there were smiles and laughs then in another, there were tears and hiccups. I wouldn't put the whole blame on Tyler but I would definitely say that most of it was his fault.

If he would just share what was eating him alive from deep inside, I could have grasped the situation more clearly. Tyler was not a man to talk, not a man to even smile. I knew these had to do with Laura, his late wife.

But I wasn't giving up. I would be patient and assure this man that he would always find me here, waiting for him because this turning point in my life was all because of him and a great part of my heart would never let me part with him. He was the best thing that ever happened to me so far. He and Lydia. I wouldn't give them up for anything.