Back With Me: A With Me in Seattle Universe Novel (Lady Boss Press Presents: With Me in Seattle Universe)

by K. L. Humphreys

  "I'll see you there," he says and turns away. Thankfully, the rest of the team dispersed and I feel relief that I don't have to talk about me and Payton.

  "Come on, Casanova," Cas yells and Tate chuckles.

  I sigh, another eight hours before Payton lands in London.

  Chapter 16

  ONE MONTH LATER

  Payton

  "You're home!" Dahlia squeals as she engulfs me in her arms. "You look good," she says as she releases me. "Don't think I missed the pictures of you and Silas." She gives me a worried look and I sigh, I should have known this was coming.

  "Bianca, I'm so glad that you're here," she says as she pulls Bianca in for a hug. "Your room is ready, you two have to share, I'm sure you don't mind."

  I smile, "No, we've shared rooms before." When we were first starting out, whenever Bianca and I were on a shoot together, we'd always end up sharing a room, it's how we became fast friends.

  "Good." She claps her hands, "Go on and get set up. The kids will be home soon and I can't wait to see their faces when they see you."

  Walking up to my old room, I have a sense of nostalgia hit me. It's been a long time since I've been here. Glancing at the bed, I remember the heartache and pain I felt while I cried myself to sleep. Losing Mom, Dad, and then Silas was too much for me. If it weren't for Dahlia, I'm not sure what would have happened. She's kept me grounded, the love I have for her is unconditional, just as she gave me. She's held us all together, when she could have walked away.

  "You okay?" Bianca asks. She's another person who has been by my side throughout it all.

  I nod, "Yeah, just thinking about how much has changed."

  "It's good though, you're a different person than you were back then. You're stronger, better, and more resilient than you were." She sits on one of the single beds, "What's really going on in your head?"

  I sit down on the other bed and sigh, "I love Silas, that has never been a question, but it's hard. We've been through a hell of a lot. This past month has been different. I'm worried about what he's thinking and feeling. I've not had to do this in a long time. I feel as though I'm drowning, I miss him. What's happening?"

  "It's normal to feel this way," she tells me with a small smile. "You two have been through a lot. So the feelings are stronger than they ever have been. You miss him, because you've just got him back."

  I hang my head. "I feel out of sorts, like I'm torn between my job and him. I want to be with him, but I don't want to go back to giving up everything in order for him to have everything."

  "You've said it yourself, you're able to survive without having Silas. You have us, your family and really that's all we need to survive. But being with Silas makes you happy. You just have to find a way that neither of you are giving up anything in order to be together."

  And that therein lies the problem. Silas is settled in Seattle, that's been his dream since as long as I can remember. I don't really have a home, I spend my time moving between countries. Whenever I'm home in the US, it's not for very long. If we do this, be together, can our relationship survive me being gone for that long?

  The front door opens and pulls me out of my thoughts. "Aunt Dahlia!" Sebastian's voice is high pitched and full of happiness.

  "Well hello, my little monster, how was school today?" she asks and it's not for the first time that I realize just how lucky we all are to have her in our lives.

  "Good," Sebastian replies.

  "Tyler, what about you?" Dahlia asks.

  I bite back a smile when I hear Tyler's grunt in response.

  "How was your day, Dahlia?" Mary asks and God, she's so sweet. She's grown so much since I left.

  "It was good, I've got a few surprises for all of you," Dahlia says and I glance at Bianca and grin.

  "What surprises?" Mary demands. That girl hates not knowing what's happening. When we were growing up, she'd always find the Christmas presents and open them just so she'd know what she had.

  "Shall we?" I ask Bee and she smiles as she gets to her feet.

  "Pay?" Tyler gasps as I walk down the stairs, "Bee?"

  "Hey," I reply softly and I'm tackled as soon as I hit the bottom step. His arms coming around me and holding onto my waist, hugging me tightly. Bianca skirts around us and goes to see the others. "I've missed you," I whisper, as I hold him close. "How have you been? Are you okay?"

  He nods, "It's just weird without you. I miss you," he confesses and my heart stutters, "Will you be coming home?"

  My heart clenches as my throat closes. I should have known that he wasn't doing okay. "I'll come home more often, I promise."

  He nods, the relief in his eyes is palpable. "Thank you."

  "Why didn't you tell me you were struggling?" I talk to him at least twice a week, sometimes, three times.

  "No one else is," he whispers as though he's ashamed.

  "That's not true, I struggled. I struggled for a long time. Sometimes I still do. But we're not alone, you have me and Dahlia." He tenses at Dahlia's name. I pull him with me back upstairs. "Hey, what's going on?" I ask once I close the door behind us.

  "She's not mom, she's not you."

  I sigh. "Do you want to live with me?" I ask wondering how I never saw this before.

  He shrugs, "I don't know her. She's nice, but she's not family."

  "She is family, Ty, she really is. She wasn't around a lot when we were growing up, but when she was, she gave us everything she had. Then when mom and dad died, she dropped everything for us. She never had to do that. She wanted us to have a home and a family."

  His jaw tightens, "Why did we have to leave?"

  "What's really going on Ty? You were happy when we got here, so what's changed?"

  "Everything!" he screams. "Everything has changed. You're gone, Mary and Sebastian love it here, it's as though everyone has forgotten mom and dad. No one talks about them anymore."

  "Oh, Ty," I whisper. "You can talk about them with me. I love remembering them. I love laughing at memories. While I'm here for Christmas, we'll talk, okay?"

  Relief washes through him and he finally smiles. "Yes."

  I pull him in for a hug again and squish him when I do. "Never be afraid to ask for anything. If I can, I'll do whatever it takes to do it for you."

  When I get downstairs, I'm given more hugs and showered in love. Dahlia gives me a grateful look and I need to talk to her later about her not telling me about how bad Ty had gotten.

  "We're having pizza for dinner," Dahlia announces and Bianca and I grin; pasta and bread are our downfall. We try and be healthy, but put bread or pasta in front of us and we'll binge until we're sick.

  "Tell me," Dahlia demands when the kids are watching TV. "How did you two get back together?"

  I smile, "We bumped into each other while Bee and I were in Seattle. We went to a nightclub to unwind and he was there. When we touched, it was as though the past three years hadn't happened. All the feelings came rushing back."

  She gives me a worried look, "Pay, I know that you love him. But, I want you to be careful, you've been hurt so many times before by him."

  I sigh, "I know, he tells me that it was all a misunderstanding."

  She raises her brow, "Do you believe him?"

  "I want to, I really do."

  She reaches for my hand. "Take things slow, don't rush into this. You've had your heart broken and it's not fully healed. The last thing I want is for you to have it broken again."

  "I know, we're taking things slow. The next three months we're not actually going to see each other. We've been calling and texting. It's hard."

  She squeezes my hand, "I'm happy if you are."

  I finally smile. "I am. I love Silas, I really do and being with him makes me happy."

  "Promise me, Pay, promise that you won't give up your life again."

  "That I can promise. I love my job and I love what I do. Silas and I are going to have to find a way for us to be together while doing what we both love."

  H
er shoulders release some of the tightness it had. "That's my girl." She grins, "You seem to know what you want this time around. I'm proud of you, Pay. You've made a good life."

  I return her smile, "I wouldn't have done this, if it weren't for you."

  "Bullshit," she replies. "Love you, Pay."

  "Love you too. What time are you getting up tomorrow?" I ask, wondering if I'm going to be able to sleep in?

  "Whenever your brothers and sister wake me."

  I laugh and hope to God, that this Christmas is going to be better than the last few.

  Chapter 17

  Payton

  My cell ringing rouses me from my sleep, Bianca groans from the opposite bed. I sigh as I flop over to my side and reach for my cell. I hide back my chuckle when Bee pulls the pillow over her head, "Hello," I grouch, wondering who the hell is calling so early.

  "Morning, baby, merry Christmas."

  Butterflies swarm in my stomach, God, his gravelly voice washes over me. I can hear Sebastian, Mary, and Dahlia downstairs and I wonder what time it is.

  "Merry Christmas, Si." I whisper, not wanting to wake Bianca. I pull my cell from my face and glance at the time. It's almost eight. "You're awake early."

  I hear him yawn, "Yeah, baby, I wanted to be the first person you spoke to this morning."

  I close my eyes and let his words wash over me, God, he's amazing. "I miss you."

  Bianca turns over and smiles at me, before climbing out of bed and leaving the room. She throws a wink over her shoulder. God, I love her, she's the best.

  "Baby, you have no idea," he rumbles and I feel his words throughout my body. "The next three months are going to be torture."

  I groan, just thinking about the next three months without him is hell. "Tell me about it. We have to keep busy otherwise we'll go crazy."

  He chuckles, "Baby, I'm pretty sure that you're busier than me. After all, you're booked up solid. My girl's in demand." There's pride in his voice causing me to smile. "After Milan, you're mine." It's a promise, one that I intend to make him keep.

  "Good, I'm renting a house and we're locking ourselves in," I tell him and just thinking about it makes my heart race.

  He makes a noise that's a cross between a groan and a whimper. "Fuck, baby. I'm hard as stone."

  I whimper. "Silas..." He can't say that to me. My nipples pebble beneath my silk camisole and heat pools between my legs.

  "Damn. Tell me, baby, how wet are you?" His tone is lower, more huskier than before with lust coating it.

  "Soaked," I whisper as my hand slips underneath my shorts, "Si..." I need him.

  "I've got you, baby." It's a tortured whisper. "Put one finger in your pussy," he instructs and I instantly do it, pushing my head back against the pillow as I do. "That's it, I can hear you."

  "Hold on," I tell him as I quickly slip out of bed and rush to lock my bedroom door. The last thing I need is someone walking in and catching us in the act. Thank God that Bee left, this would have been uncomfortable to say the least. Once I'm done, I slip out of my shorts and camisole, leaving me completely naked. "I want to see you." I whisper, as I tease my erected nipple.

  I hear rustling and I smile, he's getting naked. Good. I need to see all of him. That night in the alleyway wasn't nearly enough and I didn't get a chance to see him.

  My phone buzzes with the notification to switch to video and I hit accept instantly. His face pops onto the screen and I smile. This has already started out to be the best Christmas ever.

  His eyes gaze over my body as his jerks. I bite my lip when I realize what he's doing. "Show me?" I ask as my hand moves down between my legs.

  "We'll be doing this for the next three months, baby," he promises me. "You're fucking perfect. The fact that you want to watch, just proves it. Show me that pretty pussy, baby?" he asks, his hand moving fast as it slides up and down his cock, I can see the pre-cum glistening.

  I bring my phone so that the camera is directed at my pussy. My finger slips into the wet heat and I moan, throwing my head back, and pushing my breasts forward. I imagine that Silas is here with me, that it's his finger that is thrusting into me.

  "Baby, you have no idea how fucking sexy you look right now. That pretty pink pussy is so wet. It's begging to be fucked."

  Hearing his words spur me on and I moan loudly. "Fuck, Pay," he growls, his tone sends tingles throughout my body. "Baby, touch your clit."

  I know by the way he's breathing has deepened and the way his hand is moving faster he's close to the edge. My finger moves out of my pussy and toward the hard nub, my body shivers when I touch it.

  "That's it, baby, how close are you?" he asks, his movements wild.

  "So close." I gasp as my orgasm starts to build.

  "Good, fuck, come baby," he demands. When I press against my clit, I detonate, I bite my lip to stop the moan from escaping. "Payton," he growls and I manage to get myself together in time to watch as he pumps himself one last time before cum spurts from his cock and lands on his stomach and hand.

  "Best Christmas ever," I say and he laughs as he cleans himself. "The next three months are going to be hard but, Silas, I believe that we can get through it." I have to believe that, otherwise, what are we doing?

  I reach for my pajamas and quickly pull them on. I lie back on the bed and look at him. He makes my heart pitter patter, no matter what, Silas is the man for me.

  "Hell yes," he says instantly and I smile. "Trust me, Payton, me and you, we're meant to be. We can withstand anything that's thrown at us. I'll be here waiting for your pretty ass to land when you come back from Milan."

  "I'll be watching all your games. Even if I have to record them."

  He rewards me with the biggest smile I think I've ever seen him have. "Fuck, I love you. I've been so tempted to fly out to Portland, but we're leaving tomorrow."

  I give him a reassuring smile. "It'll be harder when we're together to say goodbye." I know that for a fact, we reunited for an hour and I feel as though I'm missing a huge part of me. Us being together more than that, it would be impossible for us to part.

  "I know, but as soon as your ass is home, I'm not letting you up out of the bed for days."

  I giggle, it sounds like perfection. "Is Cas with you today?" I ask swiftly changing the subject.

  He frowns, "He is, why?"

  There's the possessiveness coming through. "Because he has your present from me."

  The frown disappears and is replaced by sheer disbelief. "You got me a present, baby?"

  I nod, I actually went a little overboard this Christmas. This year has been really good for me and I've earned more money than I need. So I splurged on those that I love. That includes Silas. It was hard getting his present within the short time frame, but money talks and I added an extra incentive for the guy and he had it delivered last night. Thankfully, Cas was there to intercept, having gotten his number from Tate, who is also in on the surprise.

  "What is it?" He's like a child, worse than Mary.

  "Why don't you go find out? Call me later?" I ask and his eyes soften and my heart melts. That look is reserved just for me, he's been giving it to me since we were kids. "Love you."

  "Yeah, baby, I'll call you later. I love you too."

  I blow him a kiss and go to hang up when his words stop me. "Dahlia has your present, baby."

  I blink. "What?"

  He grins, "You're not the only one with an inside man. Go and spend some time with your family. Love you, baby."

  "Love you, Si," I whisper as tears fill my eyes. I hate saying goodbye, but I know that it's not for forever, just for a little while.

  Once I’m off the phone I reach into my purse and pull out the bag. I quickly make my way to the bathroom and do my thing. I sigh as I watch the timer on my phone count down. Three minutes feels like a lifetime.

  Beep, beep.

  It’s time. I glance at the white stick and gasp. With a shaky hand I reach for it. Those pink lines are so bright and blinding.
r />   I’m pregnant.

  Merry Christmas to me.

  "Present time!" Dahlia calls out after we've all eaten breakfast. She's kept that tradition from my parents, well hers. Growing up, Grandma always made her kids breakfast before they opened their presents, and mom did it with us and Dahlia has followed suit. It's so that everyone would be awake to watch the others open their presents.

  I’ve not told anyone my news yet, I think I’m still in shock. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I mean, Silas and I are still trying to figure everything out. We’re going to be apart for the next three months. This is going to be a crazy ride, that’s for sure. But one thing I do know is, I’m keeping my baby.

  Sebastian rushes into the sitting room and dives for the Christmas tree. There's been even more presents added to it since I went to bed. Jesus, Dahlia went overboard.

  I sit on the armchair and curl my legs underneath me. I love this, watching as everyone opens their presents, the sheer look of happiness on their faces, there's nothing better.

  The kids tear into their presents, there's a lot of oohs and ahhs, even Tyler managed to get an “Oh my God” out. He's happier today, a lot less stressed and I'm glad that we had our talk last night.

  "Okay, my turn," I say once the presents are gone and only mine, Bianca's, and Dahlia's are left. I get to my feet and walk to my hiding place, an ottoman that's by the door.

  I hand out the presents and sit back and watch as they open them. "Seriously?" Tyler asks as he looks at the PlayStation that I got for him. He had the old version and there was never any money to update it.

  "Seriously," I whisper as he wraps his arms around me and holds on tight. "Merry Christmas, Ty."

  He quickly pulls away from me and reaches under the tree, pulling out a card and handing it to me. "Merry Christmas, Payton." He goes back to his seat on the sofa and starts to unbox his PlayStation.