Chapter 98: The Promise of Tomorrow

As the sun came up, the curtains that were drawn let in a gentle orange hue into the room. Alex woke up to find Taylor gently moving in his arms, her eyes still half closed, but the memory of the previous night clear as day. She changed her position a little bit, looking up at Alex, who was fast asleep, with his arms wrapped around her, his face peaceful as he breathed in and out. Taylor observed her with a gentle smile on the lips, and an unusual warmth filled her breast. She tilted forward and softly kissed Alex on her shoulder, taking pleasure the heat of her skin on her lips. Alex moaned, and Taylor couldn’t understand what she said, but she smiled, feeling so much love for this girl. It was these kinds of moments that paid off all the effort that they offered to their love, their bond and how they complement each other. Still, despite the fact that Taylor enjoyed a quiet and comfortable nest with Alex, real life slowly started to intervene, and Taylor could not forget about the conflict with Mia. It put a dampener on her joy,, and she let out a gentle sigh before she leaned her head back against Alex. As to the ways in which they were going to manage this challenge, the realization hit them rather hard. How could she guard what they shared not to let the problems of their daughter Mia rip them apart? It took a few moments for Alex to wake up before she could sink deeper into her thoughts. She slowly awakened, yawned, and opened her eyes to glance down at Taylor with a smug smile on her face. Alex grumbled drowsily and weakly, “Good morning.” “Good morning,” Taylor replied. A smile from Alex always gave her the butterflies, and she could not help but feel this way. She stretched her hand and gently touched Alex’s forehead, moving a strand of hair that was falling on it. “Did you sleep well?” Alex nodded and reached up to cup Taylor’s face with her hand. “I did. How about you?” “I feel much better than I have in days,” Taylor said and removed her hands from Alex’s arms, only to place them on his chest. But then her face turned severe, more so than before. “Alex, there is something wrong with Mia.” Alex’s smile disappeared a bit, and she agreed. “Yeah, we do,” I said, “but I don’t want to go there just yet,” and she agreed, “Okay, let us just wallow in this a little longer.” Taylor paused for a moment and then agreed, relieved that he had a little time before he would have to face one of them again. She wrapped herself around Alex and snuggled in close to him, eradicating the last of the fear with the heat of his body. Indeed, they both just got naked and relaxed for a few minutes, with no words and no touch, just the presence of one another. It was Alex that spoke first after several minutes of silence. “I know, having Mia around makes things difficult, but we will sort it out, Taylor. No matter what she is into, we shall face it together. You and I have gone through a lot to let this pull us apart.” Taylor glanced up at Alex and felt a bittersweet feeling with joy overwhelm her. “Thank you, Alex, for understanding me. I was so afraid that this would be the end of our relationship."” Alex made a negative shake of her her face set. “Nothing is going to pull us apart, Taylor. Not if we continue to talk to each other and remain truthful to each other.” Drawing a deep breath, Taylor wiped the tears from her eyes, and this time they were tears of relief. “You don’t deserve me,” she said softly, her voice choked. “Yes, you do,” Alex answered her firmly, although her voice was still caring. “And I deserve you too,” he said softly. “We deserve each other, Taylor. Don’t ever forget it. ” Taylor simply nodded as she was left speechless to even try and explain to Alex just how much it meant to her to hear what she had said. Instead, she pulled closer and softly brushed her lips against Alex’s in an extended kiss that said all her words would not. Alex replied in the same manner, her hands going around Taylor and pulling her into a more intimate embrace and deepening the kiss. Yea, as their lips met, the rest of the world faded off, and they were left to exist in their own little universe. It was not a passionate kiss, but gentle and slow, more of a reminder of their love for each other. After they got off, they both struggled to catch their breath, and they stood with their foreheads touching, lost in each other for some time. Taylor leaned forward and whispered, “I love you, Alex.” “I love you too, Taylor,” Alex responded, and her voice was as tender as well. “More than anything.” They continued in the same position for a little while longer, embracing one another and basking in the glow of their affection. But as always, there came a time when the real world started to interfere, and Taylor realized that they could not escape it any longer. Unwillingly, she pulled her lips back and looked into Alex’s eyes. “Oh, you mean the girl you wanted to date?” “So what do we do about Mia?” Alex sighed and rubbed her head, thinking of what they had to do. “First of all, we have to learn more about what she is doing; we cannot make any decisions without knowing the whole story.” Taylor nodded in agreement. “I’ll sit her down and see if she will tell me what is really happening. I’ll try to understand what we can do for her without getting killed in the process.” “Whatever it is, we’ll handle it together,” Alex said, firmly grasping Taylor’s hand. “But Taylor, if it gets too dangerous, we need to know when to say enough is enough. We cannot allow her issues to become our issues.” “I know,” Taylor agreed, squeezing Alex’s hand. “But I also can’t just turn my back on her, not after everything we went through together. I owe her that much.” Alex nodded, her expression understanding. “I get it. Just promise me you’ll be careful, okay? I can’t lose you, Taylor.” “You won’t,” Taylor promised, her voice filled with determination. “We’ll get through this, Alex. Together.” Alex smiled, leaning in to kiss Taylor’s forehead. “Together,” she echoed, her voice soft but resolute. With that, they slowly got out of bed, the weight of the day ahead settling over them. Taylor’s mind was already racing with how to approach Mia and how to get her to open up about whatever trouble she was in. But despite the uncertainty that lay ahead, she felt a sense of calm knowing that Alex was by her side, ready to face whatever came their way. As they dressed and prepared to face the day, Taylor couldn’t help but feel a renewed sense of purpose. Whatever challenges awaited them, she knew that she and Alex could handle them. Their love was strong enough to weather any storm, and she was determined to protect what they had at all costs. But even as she steeled herself for the confrontation with Mia, a small part of her couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that things were about to get even more complicated. There was a sense of something looming on the horizon, something that could either bring them closer together or tear them apart. Taylor pushed the thought aside, focusing on the present moment and the love she shared with Alex. Whatever the future held, they would face it together. And with that resolve, she took Alex’s hand, ready to take the next step in their journey together.