Living with the Lockhart Boys [Completed]

Chapter Twenty One- I love you.

Theo's Point of View

 

As I pulled up in the drive, I looked across at my sleeping girlfriend. I rolled my eyes and picked her up, carrying her into the house.

"Theo?" Mum asked, poking her head out of the kitchen door. "What are you doing?"

"I’m really sorry, but I had to do something," I whispered, looking pointedly at Cherry.

"Is this your girlfriend?"

I smiled proudly. "Man I hope so."

"Take her upstairs, I’m just heading out, so you guys will have some privacy when sleeping beauty here wakes up," she said, smiling kindly.

I looked down at Cherry. A red curl fell across her face and I brushed it away with my lips. "Sleeping beauty," I murmured. "That she is."

I carried her upstairs and placed her down on my bed. I lay down next to her and she instinctively curled into my side, whimpering slightly. I held her tight, trying to hug away her nightmares, but she started crying in her sleep.

I shook her gently and her eyes snapped open.

"You okay?" I asked her.

She nodded numbly.

"What was the nightmare about?"

"Car crash," she mumbled.

"Baby," I murmured into her hair as I crushed her against my chest. Her tears soaked my shirt, but I didn’t care for as long as she wasn’t pushing me away.

"Why won’t you let me go?" She whispered. "It’s so much easier to walk away when you don’t chase me."

"I’ll always chase you Cher-bear," I murmured.

She sniffed. "Cher-bear? Really?"

"Don’t change the subject," I said firmly.

"I don’t like the subject," she insisted.

I took hold of her shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"I love you," I told her.

Her hands flew up to her ears like before. "Lalalalalala!"

I grabbed her hands and held them tightly between us.

"I love you," I said again.

"Shut up!"

"No, Cher-bear, I love you."

"Just stop it!"

"I can’t stop it, I love you! And I know you love me and I know you’re scared, but please don’t push me away, please."

"I’m not scared!" She said stubbornly.

"You are scared. You’ve lost everyone you’ve ever loved in one way or another, and you’re scared you’re gonna lose me, but I’m not going anywhere Cher-bear, I promise I’m not going anywhere."

"You’ll get bored," she whispered hoarsely, tears streaming down her face.

"I will not get bored of you," I growled.

"You don’t want me," she whimpered.

I pushed her down on the bed and lay on top of her, keeping most of my weight on my hands as I leant forward to whisper in her ear.

"If you don’t believe me I’ll kiss you until you’re breathless to prove it to you, and if that doesn’t work I’ll make love to you until you can’t see straight for ecstasy because I love you Cherry Parker, and I’ll walk over hot coals to make you see that, we clear?"

"But we’ve n-never had s-sex," she stammered.

"And we’re never going to have sex, it’ll always be making love, because I love you, and I know you love me too," I murmured.

She shook her head, more in disbelief than in denial.

"Say it," I told her.

"No," she whispered, barely audible.

I kissed her hard for a few minutes, and when I pulled back she was gasping slightly, and her eyes were glassy.

"Say it," I demanded.

She shook her head again.

"Cherry Parker, stop being a stubborn little fool and tell me you love me, or you really are gonna lose me," I warned her.

Her eyes watered and she sat up, looking me in the eye. I saw her resolve breaking and she smiled weakly.

"I love you," she mumbled.

I smirked. "Can’t hear ya."

"I love you," she said, louder this time, smiling brightly. She was beautiful when she smiled.

"Say it again," I told her happily.

She clamboured into my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"I, love, you," she murmured between short, sweet kisses.

I sighed, happy. "I love you too."

She snorted. "I kind of gathered that."

Her face fell suddenly and she squirmed away from me.

"What’s wrong?" I asked, worried.

"I did something really bad," she whispered.

I stroked her face. "What did you do?"

"I…I slept with Sam," she admitted.

My heart stopped beating for a moment, then picked back up to a frenzied beat as fury raced through me.

"When!?"

"L-last night. When you left."

I sighed and pulled her back into my lap. She stared up at me, her tear-brimmed eyes wide with surprise.

"You’re not mad?"

"Oh, I’m mad," I assured her. "You have some grovelling to do."

"But you’re hugging me…"

"Well, yeah, I feel bad."

"You feel bad?" She asked, looking shocked.

"Mhmm. I should’ve realized the truth last night instead of just storming off. I practically pushed you into his arms," I mumbled.

"So you’re not gonna dump me?"

I shook my head in disbelief. "Don’t be freaking stupid. Everyone makes mistakes, Cher-bear."

"But I kissed Devon too…"

"Are you trying to make my angry?" I growled, pressing my mouth at the soft spot under her ear.

She smirked. "Well, you are really hot when you’re angry, but no… I just don’t want to be happy, and then for you to remember and dump me. I’d rather you do it now."

"Nah. You’re gonna be stuck with me for a long time, Cher-bear," I promised.

She nodded and stayed quiet for a long time, thinking about something.

When she finally looked up at me, she flushed.

"What is it?" I asked, stroking her pink cheek.

"Can we… m-make love now?" She asked, looking incredibly adorable as she went pinker. I chuckled and pulled her head down to kiss her.

"Thought you’d never ask," I murmured through our kiss as I lay her down.