Wildest Dreams
Mine
A few hours later I'm sitting on the couch in the living room, my feet propped on the coffe table in front of me with a very worn out Cash sound asleep on my chest. I stare out the window in front of me in silence, the only sound are Cash's quiet snores as he dreams. My mind is strangely clear after all that happened this afternoon, and a dull numbness has taken over my body.
After a few more quiet moments, I hear the sound of Matt coming down the stairs. He peeks his head around the corner, paint staining his white cut off Tshirt and hair. I hold a finger to my lips to warn him to be quiet, and he comes around to the chair just a few feet from the couch, his elbows on his knees.
"How's it going up there?" I whisper out in reference to him getting started painting Cash's bedroom.
"Fine. About halfway done." The look in his eyes tells me he didn't come down to talk about his DIY project. My gaze falls back to the window and I hear Matt sigh. "You know we have to talk about this." I motion towards the sleeping child on my lap and shrug.
"Lay down some blankets over there." Matt stands from the chair and pulls a few of the throws from the couch and builds a makeshift bed on the floor with a few pillows. I'm reminded of the shopping trip we took to pick out the living room decor years ago. It had been a disaster. Matt and I never did agree on much, but when it came to accents for our home, you'd think we would have broken up over it.
Matt comes over and very carefully lifts his son out of my arms and carries him over to the blankets and lays him down. A whine escapes Cash's lips as his face scrunches up like he's going to start crying, but he turns over on his side, snuggles into the blankets, and is quiet once more.
I stand from the couch and make my way into the dining room and sit at the table, not really sure what to say about any of this.
Could I take the easy way out and beg Matt to pay Chris just to be done with it? Yes. Would Matt probably do it for the sake of our family? Most likely. But that feels wrong in more ways than one.
Matt sits down across from me, his intense stare I'm not use to anymore never relenting.
"What are we going to do?" He asks and I shrug my shoulders in reply.
"I owe him nothing. Not after the hell he put me through."
"But if it's going to keep you safe-"
"I can't ask you to pay him the money he wants." I cut him off.
"It's not about the money. Mariah, I have plenty of money and if that's what it takes then it's as good as done."
"No. No, Matt. Paying him off is giving him his way. I won't let you do that for me." Matt is quiet for a second before reaching across the table and taking my hands in his.
"I don't want this to cause a fight between us. We are just starting to move forward. Please don't let this affect the progress we are making. I'll pay him because I love you and I want him out of your life for good." I try to pull my hands away but he stops me. "I love you, Mariah."
I look into his eyes and I know nothing has ever been more true.
"Let me handle this. Let me show you what you mean to me. Let me take care of you like I'm suppose to."
"Fine." He stands up from the table, his face still as serious as ever.
"Then it's done. No more conversations with him. When he calls I'll answer."
"Whatever you want, Matthew." He comes over to my side of the table and pulls me to my feet.
"I love you, Mariah Haner, and I never want to go a single day without being able to say that to you." He presses his lips to mine and any fight I had left in me is gone. I wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss, wanting nothing more than to feel wanted by him.
Matt pushes me backwards until I run into the dining room table and he lifts me onto it with hesitation. His hands move from my hips to underneath my shirt and he pulls it up and over my head in no more than a second, leaving me in just a see through black lace bra. He pulls away from me just enough to be able to look down at the newly exposed skin. He lets out a breath as his hand reaches behind me to unhook the thin material. It drops to the table and I'm reaching to pull the white tshirt from his body.
Once his tattooed chest is exposed to me my lips connect with the "Thicker than Water" tattoo written just below his neck. Matt's hands move down my back sending chills down my spine, his lips attaching to my shoulder. I can feel a grin on his lips as goosebumps appear all down my arms at his touch. He teeth bite into the sensitive skin between my neck and shoulder blade and a gasp escapes my lips.
At that moment I hear a soft cry coming from the living room and I'm brought back down to reality. Matt pulls away from me, his hands losening their grip on me.
"Mama." I hear my son cry from the next room. "Mama!" This time louder. I let out a shaky breath as Matt steps back. I grab the shirt that he had been wearing moments before and slip it over my head before hopping down from the table. Before I make it a step, Matt grabs my arm and pulls me back into him.
"You're mine after he goes to sleep tonight." He whispers in my ear as he bites my earlobe.
"I'm yours always, Matt. Haven't you realized that?" I whisper back before kissing his lips softly and stepping away from him to calm our sleepy son.
After a few more quiet moments, I hear the sound of Matt coming down the stairs. He peeks his head around the corner, paint staining his white cut off Tshirt and hair. I hold a finger to my lips to warn him to be quiet, and he comes around to the chair just a few feet from the couch, his elbows on his knees.
"How's it going up there?" I whisper out in reference to him getting started painting Cash's bedroom.
"Fine. About halfway done." The look in his eyes tells me he didn't come down to talk about his DIY project. My gaze falls back to the window and I hear Matt sigh. "You know we have to talk about this." I motion towards the sleeping child on my lap and shrug.
"Lay down some blankets over there." Matt stands from the chair and pulls a few of the throws from the couch and builds a makeshift bed on the floor with a few pillows. I'm reminded of the shopping trip we took to pick out the living room decor years ago. It had been a disaster. Matt and I never did agree on much, but when it came to accents for our home, you'd think we would have broken up over it.
Matt comes over and very carefully lifts his son out of my arms and carries him over to the blankets and lays him down. A whine escapes Cash's lips as his face scrunches up like he's going to start crying, but he turns over on his side, snuggles into the blankets, and is quiet once more.
I stand from the couch and make my way into the dining room and sit at the table, not really sure what to say about any of this.
Could I take the easy way out and beg Matt to pay Chris just to be done with it? Yes. Would Matt probably do it for the sake of our family? Most likely. But that feels wrong in more ways than one.
Matt sits down across from me, his intense stare I'm not use to anymore never relenting.
"What are we going to do?" He asks and I shrug my shoulders in reply.
"I owe him nothing. Not after the hell he put me through."
"But if it's going to keep you safe-"
"I can't ask you to pay him the money he wants." I cut him off.
"It's not about the money. Mariah, I have plenty of money and if that's what it takes then it's as good as done."
"No. No, Matt. Paying him off is giving him his way. I won't let you do that for me." Matt is quiet for a second before reaching across the table and taking my hands in his.
"I don't want this to cause a fight between us. We are just starting to move forward. Please don't let this affect the progress we are making. I'll pay him because I love you and I want him out of your life for good." I try to pull my hands away but he stops me. "I love you, Mariah."
I look into his eyes and I know nothing has ever been more true.
"Let me handle this. Let me show you what you mean to me. Let me take care of you like I'm suppose to."
"Fine." He stands up from the table, his face still as serious as ever.
"Then it's done. No more conversations with him. When he calls I'll answer."
"Whatever you want, Matthew." He comes over to my side of the table and pulls me to my feet.
"I love you, Mariah Haner, and I never want to go a single day without being able to say that to you." He presses his lips to mine and any fight I had left in me is gone. I wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss, wanting nothing more than to feel wanted by him.
Matt pushes me backwards until I run into the dining room table and he lifts me onto it with hesitation. His hands move from my hips to underneath my shirt and he pulls it up and over my head in no more than a second, leaving me in just a see through black lace bra. He pulls away from me just enough to be able to look down at the newly exposed skin. He lets out a breath as his hand reaches behind me to unhook the thin material. It drops to the table and I'm reaching to pull the white tshirt from his body.
Once his tattooed chest is exposed to me my lips connect with the "Thicker than Water" tattoo written just below his neck. Matt's hands move down my back sending chills down my spine, his lips attaching to my shoulder. I can feel a grin on his lips as goosebumps appear all down my arms at his touch. He teeth bite into the sensitive skin between my neck and shoulder blade and a gasp escapes my lips.
At that moment I hear a soft cry coming from the living room and I'm brought back down to reality. Matt pulls away from me, his hands losening their grip on me.
"Mama." I hear my son cry from the next room. "Mama!" This time louder. I let out a shaky breath as Matt steps back. I grab the shirt that he had been wearing moments before and slip it over my head before hopping down from the table. Before I make it a step, Matt grabs my arm and pulls me back into him.
"You're mine after he goes to sleep tonight." He whispers in my ear as he bites my earlobe.
"I'm yours always, Matt. Haven't you realized that?" I whisper back before kissing his lips softly and stepping away from him to calm our sleepy son.