“I guess we’re done.” Katelin sighed and collapsed on the couch, after she and Nick had placed all of the presents under the tree. She glanced at her watch. It was almost two-thirty in the morning. No doubt the children would have them up at the crack of dawn.

“Looks that way,” Nick replied, staring at the tree. It was lit up with tiny white lights, presents for their children piled underneath of it. “I think we did good.”

“Yeah,” Katelin whispered, stifling a yawn.

“You should go to bed,” Nick commented, sitting down next to her on the couch. “It’s pretty late and you look exhausted.”

“I know,” she laughed, lightly. “I just can’t find the energy to move just yet.”

Nick stood up and reached out for her hands. “Come on.” He pulled her up. “You need to sleep.”

She giggled lighlty as he pushed her towards the stairs, his hand on the small of her back. For a fleeting moment, it was as if nothing had changed. This used to be a regular routine. Katelin dozing on the couch and Nick practically having to drag her up the stairs. Except tonight it would be different. When they reached the top of the stairs, Nick would turn and go towards one of the guestrooms while Katelin made her way to the bedroom that they once shared but now she slept in alone.

She was in the bathroom washing her face. As soon as the soap was washed off she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked absolutely awful. When had she let herself become so pale and drawn? Her eyes had permanent circles under them, she thought. It was awful. No wonder Nick didn’t want her anymore. He was a celebrity. Needing to be on the arm of someone glamorous. She was far from glamorous. Sighing, she threw the towel on the counter after she had dried her face and made her way over to the door. She flicked off the bathroom light and opened the door, completely surprised to find Nick sitting on their bed, twirling her diamond and sapphire anniversary ring between his fingers. “What are you doing?” she whispered.

“I saw this on your finger tonight,” he told her, still staring at the ring. “I’m kind of surprised you still wear it. Actually, I’m surprised you still wear any of your rings.”

Katelin didn’t really have anything to say. Of course she hadn’t taken her wedding ring off. Or her engagement ring. That would be like admitting that it was finally over. That there was no turning back. And still, after all of this time, deep down she refused to believe that. Until those divorced papers were signed, there was still a glimmer of hope, no matter how faint it was. “You still have yours on,” she pointed out, softly.

“I can’t take it off,” he replied, quietly. “I’ve tried, believe me. But I just can’t do it. It would be like finally admitting that this is over.”

Katelin was surprised. He had said exactly what she had been thinking. How did he manage to do that? “But it is over, Nick. Remember? You said it yourself.”

“I know I did.” He looked up to meet her eyes, not at all surprised to find them brimming with tears. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him and burying his face into her stomach. Katelin, unconsciously, reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. She was so confused at what he was doing. Sometimes he barely even looked at her, let alone speak to her. And then other times he was like this. Making her think that maybe they could fix whatever was wrong between them.

Nick, surprised to feel her fingers, softly, weaving their way through his short blond locks, looked up at her face, trying to read what was in her eyes. For the first time in months, he thought he saw love. Wanting. Slowly, he stood up, causing her hands to slide slowly down his shoulders. “What are you doing, Nick?” she whispered. He didn’t answer. Instead, he slipped his finger under her chin and lifted her face towards his. Slowly, his head bent towards hers, his lips gently brushing over hers at first. Realizing that she hadn’t pushed him away, he carefully applied more pressure, using his tongue to gently pry her lips apart. The kiss, that began very gentle, quickly escalated to a point of passion and wanting.

Katelin was the first to pull away, staring at him through confused eyes. “Why” was the only thing thing that she could think of saying.

Nick’s hand came up to brush her blond hair out of her face. “I don’t know, Kate. All I know is that I don’t want to stop.”

Katelin was quiet for a minute. The silence in the room was eerily thick as Nick hoped and prayed that she wouldn’t turn him away. She had every right to. He had no right to waltz in here and pretend that everything was back to normal. But he didn’t know if he could handle it. He wanted her so bad at the moment. No, he needed to be with her. It had been so long. Nick leaned down again and began placing feather-light kisses all over her face. “Tell me to stop, Kate,” he whispered. “If you don’t want this, I’ll stop and walk out of this room. But not unless you don’t want this.” He captured her lips again, pulling away slightly after a minute. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No.” She finally succumbed to him. She knew she could never resist him. He knew she could never resist him. As soon as their lips met again, Katelin’s arms immediately went around his neck, wanting to be as close to him as humanly possible. It had been way too long. Nick’s arms, in return, slipped around her waist and began to slip up the back of her tank top, needing to feel her bare skin under his finger tips. He slowly began to back up, falling backwards as soon as he hit the edge of the bed, causing her to fall on top of him. He pulled away for a second and stared into her blue eyes. No words were exchanged. No words were needed. Each knew what the other was feeling. Each were feeling the same thing. They needed this.

Nick’s hands began to tug on the end of the shirt, pulling it up and over her head. He admired her half-naked body for a second before his lips attached to her neck. Katelin’s hands immediately began to pull on the edge of Nick’s tee-shirt, all of the sudden needing to feel his bare skin on hers. The shirt was quickly removed as their naked chests pressed together. Nick’s lips began to move lower, across her shoulder and then down to her chest. He slowly rolled them over so he was in the dominant position. His hands moved down to her breasts as he began to slowly massage them. A soft moan came from Katelin’s throat and Nick’s whole body tightened. No one had any idea what that sound did to him. Only from her.

His need for her grew as his hands moved to the waistband of her flannel pajama pants. He slid his hand just under the waist, softly tracing his fingers over the soft skin of her abdomen. Katelin emitted a soft sigh as her hands slid down Nick’s chest to his own sweat pants. “Take these off,” she breathed.

“Slow Kate,” Nick responded, just as breathlessly. “I want to take this slow.” Before she could respond, his mouth attached to her left breast and her answer was lost in a loud groan at the feeling of his tongue circling her. She couldn’t get enough. It had been way too long.

“Niiiiick.” Katelin was slowly losing control. “Enough of this, god damnit. I need you. Please.”

Nick’s heart swelled. He hadn’t heard this in so long. Her begging for him. Needing him. “God Kate. You have no idea. I need you so much. It’s always been you, baby. Always.” He slowly pulled her flannel pants down, her underwear soon following. His fingers drifted down towards her center, a gasp leaving her throat as soon as he came in contact with her. He inserted one inside and began to slowly move it in and out. Katelin whimpered, needing some sort of release. Nick responded by adding another one and then another. Her hips were slowly grinding against him. She desperately wanted him inside of her. Her cries began to escalate as she began to feel the beginnings of her release. “Nick…” she cried, almost losing control. “God Nick, I need you so bad. Please…” As soon as the words left her mouth, she found her release, crying out as her orgasm rocked her body. His fingers remained working inside of her until she began to calm down. Her breathing had slowed somewhat but her need for him at not at all dissipated. She yanked on his sweats, desperate to get them off of him. His boxers followed and soon their naked bodies were pressed up against each other.

“You’re so beautiful,” Nick whispered, positioning himself above her. “You have no idea how gorgeous you are, Kate. Especially right now.”

Katelin could do nothing but stare into his eyes as he entered her. She winced a little bit at the first contact. It had been so long since she had been intimate with anyone. “You okay?” he asked her, wiping a few strands of hair away from her drenched forehead. He hadn’t missed the expression on her face as he first entered her. But as soon as he was buried within her, he groaned. “God, you’re so tight baby. I’ve missed this so much. Missed you so much.”

Katelin didn’t offer a response. She lifted her head slightly, needing to feel his lips on hers as Nick began to thrust in and out of her. All that was heard were their cries of passion. Soft at first. Then louder as the time passed. Nick had picked up his pace and had wrapped Katelin’s legs around his waist, trying to be as far deep within her as possible. Katelin came first, Nick’s name echoing off the walls of the bedroom they had once shared. Her spasms around his length caused Nick to finally lose control and he spilled himself deep inside her, her name escaping his lips. He collapsed on top of her as their heavy breathing began to subside. Nick’s face was in the crook of her neck and he began to place light kisses on her skin.

“God Nick. I…” she began, quietly, her hand running through his hair.

“Shh…” Nick interrupted. “Don’t say anything.” He didn't want to ruin the moment with words. He leaned down and kissed her gently, his lips lingering above hers. “You know I’ll always love you.”

Nick rolled off of her and pulled her into his arms, spooning her from behind. Katelin wanted to scream. To cry out that she loved him too. She did. He had to have known that. But no words came out. Nick reached over and turned off the bedside lamp, darkness enveloping them. His arms went back around her and he pulled her back against his chest, placing a kiss on the top of her shoulder. Her silence did not go unnoticed by him and it confirmed everything.

Nobody wants to be lonely

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