I'm in Hate With You

IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE LAST TWO CHAPTERS, YOU SHOULD. LIKE, NOW.

I'd slept that night worse than I ever had in my entire life. It was awful. I was certain I hadn't been saying his name that night. At least, not out loud.

I got out of bed early; it must have been around six. I was in a rough day, I could tell that from the starting. Between tripping on the rug and nearly decapitating myself and walking into a wall, I was pretty much set up for a hell of a day.

I sat at the kitchen table, drumming my fingers in agony. How would I even begin to tell him how I felt ? Could I just kiss him and have him take the hint ? Would I have to give this long explanation as to why I loved him ?

I groaned. If there was a God, somewhere, he was not happy with me today. Torturing me and making me wait is not cool.

I felt like I needed to throw up. I was so nervous. I couldn't do this alone. Maybe I could call Abby and ask her to back me up...

I sighed, knowing that would never do. This was something I needed to do alone. I needed to be strong. To be courag-

Ya, so that didn't stop me from throwing up in the toilet like four different times. But, in my defense, I was pregnant, so that had to be an excuse for barfing.

I wanted him to wake up already and see the darling face I loved.

I tiptoed back into the bedroom. I looked at Daniel- my Daniel, sleeping peacefully with the white sheets tangled around him. He was so gorgeous.

I crawled back into bed again and scooted over to him carefully. I wrapped an arm around his waist and lied my face in the crook of his neck.

This made me feel better. Being next to him, touching him, was all I could ask for. I loved him, I was in love with him, and I was pretty sure I would be for the rest of my life.

It's funny, suddenly wanting to spend the rest of your life with your husband.

Daniel reacted as I silently hoped he would. He turned his body toward me and gripped me to him tightly at the waist. He buried his face in my hair and sighed: all in his sleep.

I wondered if that was good or bad. Maybe, he loved me and was subconsciously hugging me because he wanted to. Then again, maybe that was bad and he had no idea what he was doing and he never would have hugged me if he was awake.

At the moment, I didn't care. It would be okay. It would work out. Somehow.

* * * *

I awoke later to an empty bed, much to my disappointment. I sped out of the room and saw Daniel playing the guitar softly.

I leaned on the door frame and watched; I'd never knew he played. He was good, though, moving his long figures easily over the strings. He sang under his breath to an unknown song. I couldn't make out the words.

After a second or two, he looked up at me, half torn between smiling at me and looking guilty that I caught him playing. The result was an unattractive grimace.

"Relax," I told him. "You're good."

He shrugged and lied the Gibson on the couch. "Nice to see you awake, sleeping beauty," he said.

"What time is it ?" I questioned stupidly.

"Almost four," he replied.

I had slept until four after going back to bed at like, six !? I guess I had an excuse, considering I didn't sleep all night.

"What's wrong ?" Daniel asked me, looking me over. How did he know me so well ?

I sat down at the kitchen table. "I'm sorry," I mumbled softly.

Daniel sat across from me. "So for what ?"

"I'm so sorry," I repeated. "So sorry."

"Summer, what are you talking about ?" he demanded.

I refused to meet his eyes. "I lied. I lied so many times..."

"Summer, what the hell is wrong with you ?"

"I've lied so many times..."

"Summer ! Tell what you're talking about !"

"I..." I trailed off. This was so hard to say. "You were right Daniel."

"Which time ?" he joked.

I looked up and glared at him. "This is not funny," I told him.

"I'm serious. What am I right about ?"

"About..."

"Say it," he urged, grinning.

"I... erm..."

"Say it."

"I love..."

"Say it."

"YOUR DAD !" I exclaimed.

He glared at me. "Not funny. My father's not a cool guy. He moved to Miami after my mom died and married some blonde bimbo, leaving me the business."

"I'm sorry. But... ya, so you already know what I'm going to say, so I don't feel the need to say it," I relaxed. This was a little easier than I though.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied innocently.

"You..." I sighed. "All right, all right. I love you. I love everything about you." I stood up and began pacing. "I love the way you crinkle your nose when you're confused. I love when you're hair's all messy in the morning. I love when you're eyes get this evil little look to them. I love the way you hold me close to you when you sleep. I love the way you kiss me. I love how nice and full your lips are. I love it when you tease me constantly. I love it when you comfort me, because it feels real. And above all-" I took a deep breath. "I love it when you call me Summer."

I looked to Daniel, who looked like he'd just seen a ghost.

"So, you know, it's cool if you don't love me, or whatever. That's fine," I said, pulling myself up to sit at the counter. I grabbed a jar of peanut butter out of the cabinet above me and began eating it. Some old habits never change.

In four short months, I'd come to love Daniel, but I wondered if he loved me back. It was possible he did, it was possible he didn't. Whatever the case, I decided it wouldn't matter. We were already married anyway. There was no way for him to escape now. *insert evil laugh here*

"Listen, I'm sorry for, you know, pushing you into telling me. You would have come clean eventually," Daniel supposed.

"Seriously, it's okay," I assured him. "I feel like I've got a weight off my chest." I scooped more peanut butter in my mouth. It was good to be free.

"The reason I pushed you is because..."

Did I sense a love confession ? "Because ?" I urged.

"I love you too dammit." He stood up from his chair and walked to stand in front of me. "You're so damn stubborn, you know that ? It took you so long to admit what I had been feeling for months. But God, it was torture. Every morning, I'd want to wake up and kiss you even though you usually drool in your sleep."

"Hey ! That's not cool to discuss."

"Anyway, back to my love confession. So, ya, pretty much every time I saw you, it was, like, a slap in the face, because I thought you hated me. It was killing me, you know ? After we kissed the morning after the wedding, I was going nuts. I thought, maybe if I left you alone, you'd start liking me. But you were set on us going back to normal, which we did, for a while. God, I knew I couldn't be the only one thinking our hands fit together perfectly."

I laughed. "I know ! I was like, dude, they so fit. Not like I was going to say anything."

"I first realized it at-"

"The New Year's Eve Party," we said together.

"Ya, and you came after me, and I thought that deep down, maybe you liked me a little," he said.

I sighed. "I did. I just couldn't admit it to myself. I'm just mad that you knew I loved you and I didn't."

"Ya, well I can't help that I'm a genius."

I rolled my eyes. "You wish. But... I have a question."

"Yes ?"

"Why do you call me 'Summer' ?"

He smiled that gorgeous grin of his. "That's easy. Your smile... I don't know. It reminds me of the summer," he admitted.

I shook my head. "What do we do now ?" I asked.

"Well, I'm pretty sure we kiss and ride of into the sunset," he replied.

"Uh... How about just kiss."

I slid down from the counter and wrapped my arms around his neck. He leaned in and whispered, "I love you."

I smiled wryly. "I love you."

Smiling, he leaned in and kissed me.

This kiss was different than the others. It held more meaning, more passion. It felt like he wasn't rushed, because he had all the time in the world to do this.

I smiled into the kiss, knowing that it definitely wouldn't be the last.