Chapter Seventeen

Mallory

We got up a while ago and fixed something to eat.

Neither of us was particularly hungry and, to be honest, I think we'd both have preferred to stay in bed, but it was getting late and we needed to eat, so Cooper made some scrambled eggs, I fixed some toast and between us we made coffee. Naturally, neither of us got dressed, and his kitchen isn't the biggest space in the world, separated from the rest of his living room by a breakfast bar, so there was plenty of touching involved, which made up for no longer lying in his arms.

It would have been impossible not to touch, even if his kitchen had been enormous, because Cooper with no clothes on is just too tempting for words. Every part of him is perfectly formed, and that seems to bring out the wild side in me. At least it makes me wilder than I've ever imagined I could be.

And I like that.

I like the way he makes me feel, and the confidence he gives me to be myself. I guess that's why I was able to say all those things to him… to open up and be so vocal about how it all felt. It's probably also why I was able to let him watch me play with my vibrator – rather than just dreaming about it – and why I let him do that thing with his thumb.

And not regret a second of it.

It felt so good, and although we're both tired, I can't wait to do it all again… including the thing he did with his thumb.

I've never even contemplated anything like that before, but it felt like the most natural thing in the world, and now I want more.

I want everything…

"Are you done?" Cooper says, looking down at my half-finished plate of food.

"I think so." I swallow down the last of my coffee. "It was lovely, but…"

"But you're not hungry?" he says, taking his dish and mine to the sink. He hasn't eaten all of his, either, and he turns back to me, folding his arms across his expansive chest and giving me a sexy smile.

"Not for food."

"You want more?"

"Of you. Yes."

He chuckles, coming over and lifting me from the stool I've been perched on, up into his arms.

"You might have to give me a while longer," he says, waiting for me to wrap my arms and legs around him before carrying me back into the bedroom.

"What for?"

He looks down, shaking his head at me as he drops me onto the mattress.

"I explained this earlier. I'm nearly thirty-eight… remember? There's such a thing as recovery time."

"You think?"

I glance at his semi-hard cock and he follows the line of my gaze. "Okay, it's going better than I expected, but…"

"We probably shouldn't do anything too ambitious when we've just eaten?"

"Precisely."

He gets onto the mattress beside me, leaning back against the propped-up pillows, and I sidle up next to him as he puts his arm around me, resting my head on his chest. Although my eyes are naturally drawn to his impressive cock, I let them wander around the room, taking in the neutral decor, the posts on the four corners of his gigantic bed, the white linen, which we've messed up a little, and the seascapes that adorn the walls. The paintings are huge and I glance around at them.

"They're very relaxing," I say, tilting my head so I can see them all.

"The paintings?" he says and I nod. "I know. I commissioned them."

"You did?"

"Yeah. There's an artist who lives here in the town. He's young, but very talented and I asked him to paint some seascapes for me, based on one of his that I'd seen before. Needless to say, this was before I met Meredith…" He stops talking and places his finger beneath my chin, raising my head until I'm looking up into his concerned eyes. "Sorry. Do you mind me talking about her?"

"It's not the first time her name has come up this evening."

He frowns. "No, but it couldn't be avoided earlier. Now… well, it hardly seems fair for me to talk about her when we're lying in bed together, just making conversation." He has a point and I lower my eyes, even though he's still holding my chin, so I can't move my head. "Hey… look at me." I do as he says, and he leans in, kissing the tip of my nose, and then my forehead. "This is my first experience of this kind of thing. I've never cared about anyone enough to worry about my past, or theirs, or what either of us might think about it."

"And you care now?"

"Yes. Don't you?" I nod my head and he sighs, like that meant something, and kisses my forehead again, then locks his eyes with mine. "Remember… she's history. They all are."

"So is Jonah," I say, smiling, and he nods his head, then releases my chin, letting me rest on his chest again. "You were telling me about the paintings," I say and I feel his chest expand and contract as he takes a breath. "Did Meredith like them when she finally got to see them?" It seems safer if I mention her name, rather than Cooper feeling guilty about it… no matter how much I hate the memory of everything they did together.

"No, she couldn't stand them," he says, shaking his head. "She said they were boring, and dull, and old-fashioned."

"Well… I like them."

He chuckles. "So do I. But she definitely didn't. Her feelings about them were so strong, one day she brought over a few paintings of her own and replaced my seascapes with her abstracts."

"Couldn't you stop her?"

"I wasn't here. She'd insisted I should go grocery shopping, and that she didn't want to come with me. I—I wasn't entirely comfortable leaving her here by herself, but…" His voice fades and I look up at him.

"Did you have a premonition about what she might do?" I ask, smiling.

"Not in the slightest. It's just that this is my space, and while I didn't mind her coming over, I didn't like the idea of her making herself too comfortable."

"I see," I murmur, wondering if he's trying to tell me something. I'm too scared to ask, so I get us back to the story. "So, what did she do in your absence?"

"She'd obviously kept the paintings hidden in her car, and once I'd gone out, she brought them in and transformed my bedroom."

"Why? I mean, couldn't she just allow for a difference in tastes, and live with your seascapes while she was here?"

"No. It wasn't just about the seascapes, you see. She'd given me a picture a few months before so I could hang it in the living room… only I'd hung it upside down."

"That's easily done with Meredith's paintings, though, isn't it?"

He laughs, making both of our bodies shake. "Yeah, it is, but at the time, it caused an enormous fight between us."

"What happened when you got back from the grocery store and found she'd hung her paintings in here?"

I look up in time to see him shaking his head. "She was so pleased with what she'd done, but I wasn't. I hated it."

"Did you tell her?"

"Of course. I couldn't live with it like it was, and I wasn't about to take the paintings down every Sunday night when she left, and put them up again every Friday before she got here. Aside from the fact I knew I'd hang them the wrong way, I didn't have the time or the energy. So, I told her I couldn't live with it like that. I like things calm and peaceful, and she'd turned my bedroom into a maelstrom of clashing colors. It was hideous."

"Did you use the word ‘hideous'?" I ask, trying not to smile.

"I think I might have done. I remember I told her it was my apartment, and I'd choose how to decorate it."

"How did she take it?"

"She took down her paintings and slammed out, taking them with her, thank God. It took her two days to call me."

"You didn't call her?"

"No. Whenever we fought, she was always the one to call me."

"Because you were too arrogant to pick up the phone?"

"Partly," he says, smiling, and I smile back, admiring his honesty. "But it was also because she was the one who did the storming out, and because she was usually the one in the wrong."

"Surely if you'd screwed up, though, you'd have gone after her and apologized, wouldn't you?"

"No. I didn't care enough to make the effort… and yes, I know that sounds conceited, but I've realized over the last few days how little she meant to me."

He stares into my eyes and I stare back, remembering how he came to my apartment on the day of the Fall Festival… how he apologized, and said he wanted to make it up to me by taking me to dinner. A smile forms on my lips, unbidden, and I move a little closer to him, tracing a line of kisses across his chest.

I wanted to be the exception, and I guess I was… even if it didn't feel that way at the time.

I glance down, amazed by how big his cock looks from this angle, but before I can reach down to touch, he grabs me and pulls me up his body, moving me on top of him.

"Am I crushing you?" I ask, and he frowns.

"Crushing me?"

"Well… crushing a vital part of you."

He smiles. "Possibly, but I'm not complaining." He moves his hands down, resting them on my ass and I lean in and kiss him, squealing when he rolls us, so he's on top.

He doesn't break the kiss… not for a while, anyway, but when he does, he kneels up and reaches over the bed, grabbing my vibrator and holding it in his hand.

"Does this do anything else?" he asks, with that wicked smile on his lips.

I want to tease him… to ask if he's recovered enough to find out, but his hard-on is a big enough clue that such questions are superfluous, so I sit up and point to the power button.

"It has other settings, if you just keep pressing that, once it's turned on."

He keeps his eyes fixed on mine and presses the button once, the vibrator sparking to life. Then he presses it again, and the power ratchets up a notch. He raises his eyebrows at me, then puts it on the mattress and tips me back, parting my legs, but then moving to one side and kneeling. My head is in one corner of the bed and as he shifts down slightly, he says, "Hold on to the post behind you."

I tilt my head, looking back up, and see the bedpost, grabbing hold of it. "Why?" I ask, even though I've already done as he suggested.

"Because I wanna do something with you, and it'll be safer and easier if you can keep still, and not thrash around too much."

My body sings with anticipation, but I don't want to ask what he's got in mind. I want to be surprised, and I nod my head, clamping my hands even tighter around the bedpost, and taking a deep breath.

"Your breasts look amazing when you're lying like that," he says, gazing down at them, a little distracted, before he smiles, his eyes feasting on me, roaming downward to my parted legs, and finally returning to my face. Without saying a word, he raises his right hand, and using his middle finger, traces a line around each of my nipples, making me shudder. He smiles, his finger never leaving my skin as he creates tiny circles, making his way up to my neck, then to my chin, and finally to my lips. I open them and he dips his finger inside, his eyes widening as he watches me suck on that single digit, taking it deep into my mouth. He doesn't move his finger at all, but just leaves it there, letting me devour it, until he pulls it out, then shifts a little further down the bed. "Pull your legs up," he says and I follow his instructions, raising my legs off of the bed, which makes him smile and nod his head as he reaches down, and with that same finger, makes circles once again… only this time around my anus.

"Oh… yes."

"You want more?"

"You know I do. Don't tease me. Please…"

He inserts his finger, and I gasp, letting out a sigh of satisfaction.

"You like that?"

I've noticed that he keeps asking me that, but now isn't the time to question why.

"I love it," I say instead.

"That's a relief."

"It is?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean you want to use more than just your finger… or your thumb?" I ask, glancing down at his erect cock… because now feels like the perfect time for that particular question.

"Yes, it does. I'll confess it was the thought of fucking your ass that made me come every time I jerked off. And I've never come so hard in my life… until tonight." I can't help smiling, and he smiles back. "If you don't wanna go that far, though, we don't have to."

"It's not something I've done before. I—I mean, how on earth is something as big as your cock supposed to fit inside me?"

"We'll work up to it, if you're sure you wanna try."

"I do."

His smile becomes a grin, and he nods his head. I'm bursting with anticipation now, and as though he can sense it, he pushes his finger even deeper inside me, and inserts his forefinger into my vagina.

"Your pussy's dripping, babe." He picks up the vibrator, which is still buzzing beside me, and surprises me by raising it to my lips. "Suck," he whispers, inserting it into my mouth, and I do, his eyes widening, although he doesn't delay for too long, and retracts it again, touching it to my clit. I scream, incapable of saying anything coherent, my body bucking and writhing. "You look so fucking glorious with my fingers inside you," he says. "I can't wait for the day when I can fuck your ass."

I tremble at the thought as his fingers delve deeper, working harder, and I know I can't take much more. It's a sensory overload; one to which I have to surrender. Except I'm scared that if I give in to this, I'll be lost forever. I need something to ground me, something real and tangible. I let go of the bedpost with my right hand and reach down, grabbing Cooper's cock. He jumps and I look up at him.

"I—I need this."

"It's yours, baby." He nods his head, and at the same time, presses on the power button of the vibrator, making it buzz even harder against me. It's too much. I'm aware of spikes of pleasure stabbing at me, of my body bending and twisting into them, and of screaming Cooper's name, but it's all lost in the seething mass of this newest delight. I can't breathe… can't think. All I can do is feel. Not just overwhelming pleasure, but consuming passion and never-ending love, although I can't say the words aloud because my voice won't work.

"Mallory?" My name comes to me out of the mist. "Mallory, babe, are you okay?"

I can hear the concern in his voice and nod my head, aware the vibrations have stopped. My body is calming, my heart rate slowing, and I open my eyes to see Cooper looking down at me, his eyes filled with worry.

"I'm fine," I whisper, finding my voice.

"You're more than fine." His face clears and he smiles. "You're fucking spectacular. I didn't know anyone could come like that."

"Neither did I."

"Just hold still for a second," he says. I hadn't been aware I was moving, but I guess my arms and legs are twitching slightly, now I come to think about it, and I attempt to stop them, feeling him pull his fingers from me, and being very gentle about it. I'm still gripping his cock, and I relax my hand just slightly.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" I ask, and he smiles.

"No." I release him and he leans in, his lips beside my ear. "Give me two minutes. Don't fall asleep without me."

I shake my head, and feel the bed dip. He's gone, and I'm suddenly aware of how tired I am. My limbs are heavy, and I can barely keep my eyes open. It's the most lovely feeling. All I need is someone to share it with.

"Still with me?"

Cooper climbs into bed behind me, pulling my body into his and wrapping me in his arms.

"Just about." He feels so warm and cozy, and I snuggle against him.

"Happy?" he says, and I nod my head.

"I'm safe," I whisper, and he holds me tighter still.

I don't know if he realizes how big a deal this is for me, but I'm too tired to explain it, and I murmur something incoherent as he kisses my neck and I nestle in the sanctuary of his arms.

"You're not wearing a condom."

I'm surprised he needs reminding, but he stops, gazing down into my eyes, both of us breathing hard, the water from the shower flowing between us as Cooper leans in, resting his forehead against mine.

"Do you want me to go get one?"

I chuckle. "No. But be careful."

"Always," he says, raising my left leg a little higher as he starts to move again.

He brought me in here about twenty minutes ago, not long after we woke up, claiming this would be quicker than us showering separately, or me going upstairs to shower and get ready for work by myself. I'd made that suggestion a little half-heartedly, I'll admit, because it was the last thing I'd wanted, and while I'm not sure about his logic, either, I'm loving every second of this. There was something desperate about the way he pushed me up against the wall, raised my leg, hooking it over his arm, and entered me.

"You're so… fucking tight," he says, between groans.

"You're so fucking… big." He slams into me again, making me pause before saying that final word.

"You like my cock?"

"I love your cock."

"You want more?"

"Always."

He smiles, pulls out of me, and quickly spins me around before he bends me over at the waist. "Put your hands on the tiles." I do as he says, sensing I'm gonna need the support, as he kicks my feet a little further apart. I feel the head of his cock against my entrance, and then he flexes his hips, filling me.

"More, Cooper. Give me more." He moves harder and faster, and then I feel his thumb pressing against my anus and dipping inside. "That's it… right there. That's what I want."

"I know," he growls. "I know exactly what you want."

"I want to feel your dick where your thumb is, deep in my ass."

"Shit." He stills, and I feel his body trembling behind me. "You're gonna make me come."

"Then come."

"Not until you do."

"Then fuck me. Hard."

I hear him take a deep breath, and then another. Then he pulls out of me, taking a moment before he slams back in again, and I let out a groan of satisfaction. My body's on fire, and as he pushes his thumb a little deeper inside me, I feel the tension build, tearing at every nerve and muscle.

"Tell me you're close," he says.

"I am. I'm so close."

"Give yourself to me, babe. Come on my cock."

There's something about his words that pushes me to the brink, his actions doing the rest of the work and tipping me into a screaming orgasm.

"Yes! Yes! Fuck me… fuck my ass, Coop."

My words fill the space around us, although they mingle with a growing howl coming from deep inside him and just as I'm completely losing it, he pulls out of me, and I feel his hot come spurt over my ass and up my back.

I take a while to recover and I lean into the wall, resting my head on my hands, vaguely aware of water gushing over me, washing me clean. I moan softly as Cooper removes his thumb from me before he spins me around and pulls me into his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asks, and I nod my head. "We probably shouldn't keep taking risks like that," he says, with very little certainty in his voice, which makes me smile.

"I know. But you feel so good."

"So do you."

"And I still say it was worth it."

He lets out a sigh, his lips brushing over mine. "Every. Damn. Time."

He deepens the kiss, our tongues clashing, and I put my arms up onto his shoulders, our bodies molded. His cock is still hard and we grind our hips, both of us wanting more, it seems, although Cooper pulls back after a while and looks down into my eyes.

"As much as I'd like to stay here all day, duty calls."

"It does."

"Which means I need to feed you. Neither of us ate very much last night, and I think I've got a busy morning."

"You have."

He shuts off the water, handing me a towel and taking another for himself, which he wraps low around his hips before he fastens mine around me, just above my breasts.

"There." He kisses the tip of my nose and I smile up at him.

"I like your bathroom."

"Thanks. I had it remodeled a few years ago, which basically means I had the bath ripped out and a bigger shower put in."

I glance around at the white-tiled walls, the modern fittings, and the enormous shower we've just stepped out of, and smile up at him.

"And I'm eternally grateful for that," I say, and he nods.

"So am I."

I giggle, and he laughs, taking my hand and pulling me into his living room.

I haven't spent much time out here, other than when we prepared our meal last night, and ate it… although I was more interested in the company than my surroundings at the time. Now, in daylight, I can see the living room is simply furnished with a large couch, a couple of bookcases, and a wall-mounted television. The art on the walls is soothing, just like in the bedroom, and I turn to Cooper and smile.

"This is nice."

"It's basic, but it's all I've ever needed." He leads me into the kitchen and turns around to face me. "Are you a tea or coffee person first thing in the morning?"

"Coffee. I've never developed a taste for tea."

He smiles. "Neither have I."

I watch while he prepares the coffee, adding fresh grounds to the machine, topping up the water tank and turning it on, before he wanders to the refrigerator.

"I'd say we could have eggs, but we had those last night." He looks over at me. "How about pancakes?"

"Sounds amazing."

He grabs some milk and eggs, returning to me and nodding to the seats on the other side of the breakfast bar.

"Why don't you sit?"

"I can help if you like?"

"You're only wearing a towel."

"So are you."

"I know… and there isn't much space in here."

"I remember from last night."

"Exactly."

"Exactly what?"

He leans over, lowering his voice. "If you come around here, I'll be too tempted to bend you over the breakfast bar and fuck you."

I gasp and he chuckles, turning away to fetch a bowl, while I do as he suggests and take a seat. As much as I like his idea, I'm also hungry, and we're running out of time. Besides, I'm enjoying myself. It feels very domesticated to watch him cook… even if this is his space and I don't live here.

"Have you always said what you feel?" I ask, and he spins around, tilting his head at me.

"What I feel?" He looks confused and I have to smile.

"What you want, then. Have you always been able to just come out and say things like that?"

"Like wanting to bend you over and fuck you, you mean?"

"Yes."

"I guess so. I've always thought it was important to be honest… especially when it comes to sex. If you can't be open about sharing your body, or the person you're sharing it with, then what hope is there?" he says, whisking up the pancake batter in a large bowl while standing across from me.

"None, I suppose."

He smiles, fetching a pan from the cabinet next to the sink and putting it onto the hob.

"That's why I love the fact that you can tell me exactly what you want," he says, taking the bowl back with him.

"You don't mind?"

"No. I find it… refreshing."

He struggled to find that word, and although I appreciate that might be because he's concentrating on putting dollops of pancake batter into the pan, I wonder if there's more to it.

"Why refreshing? Meredith never held back, did she? Hell, I used to hear…" I stop talking, the memories flooding back, and he turns, the spoon still in his hand, although the smile has gone from his face.

"What did you hear?" he asks, sounding concerned, and I let out a sigh.

"Sometimes I'd hear her yelling for more," I whisper, and he shakes his head, puts the spoon down, and walks around to my side of the breakfast bar.

"I'm sorry," he says. "I wish you hadn't heard any of it, and I know it can't be easy for you. Hell… I struggled just imagining you with someone else." He shakes his head, looking so contrite, I have to stand, so I can put my arms around him.

"It's okay. You've said she's history, and I believe you."

"Thank you," he murmurs as he leans in and kisses me, then pulls back and gazes into my eyes. "Just so you know, it's refreshing because being asked for more is nice to hear, but it's open to interpretation. Being told exactly what you want… it's something else, babe. It means you trust me enough to be yourself, and not hold anything back."

I reach up and rest my hand on his chest. "Of course I do." He smiles and leans in, although I pull back before our lips meet. "Haven't you forgotten something?" He frowns, like he doesn't understand. "The pancakes?"

He dashes to the stove, pulling the pan off the heat. "That was close," he says and smiles at me before he returns his attention to our breakfast.

It doesn't take too long before he's created two neat stacks of pancakes, which he tops with blueberries, and sets on the breakfast bar, along with a jug of maple syrup and two steaming cups of coffee.

We eat, both of us hungry, although after a few mouthfuls, he turns to me.

"Were you always like this?" he asks.

"Like what?"

"Able to speak your mind… to say what you want. Were you like it with Jonah?"

"No. It must be something about you, and the things you do to me. You certainly bring out the wild side in me."

He smiles and nudges in to me. "That's good. I like the idea of being wild with you."

"So do I."

He gazes at me, and I stare back, unable to believe where we are, or that we got here so quickly. I love him so much, and I want to tell him… except now doesn't feel like the right time. Not when we're rushing through breakfast, and still have to get dressed for work.

"I'll have to head upstairs in a minute," I say, getting back to my pancakes.

"You will?"

"Of course. I need clean clothes, and I've gotta feed Saffron."

"Oh. I see."

"Besides, you've got an early patient today."

"Have I?"

I smile at him. "Yes, you have. Mrs. Brennan's coming in at eight-thirty. It's already…" I glance at the clock on his microwave. "Shit… it's already eight-fifteen, Coop."

We both drop our forks and leap to our feet. "I should be downstairs by now," he says.

"Where are my clothes?"

"Who knows?" We both stop and he pulls me into his arms. "Does it matter?"

"Probably not. I'll just grab my vibrator, and…"

"Why? You won't be needing it before tonight, will you?"

"No. But are we coming here again tonight?"

He smiles. "We are. You're coming on my tongue, on my fingers… on my cock, and I'm coming anywhere I can." I chuckle and he pulls the towel from my body, his hands wandering over my bare skin. "Now… go get dressed, before I'm tempted to fuck your ass." I yelp, unable to help myself, but before I can reply with something suitably sassy, he pulls me closer still, frowning down at me. "You haven't changed your mind about that, have you?"

"No."

"Only you were screaming at me in the shower that you wanted my dick in your ass and how much you wanted me to fuck you, and I thought…"

"I know what you thought, and you were right. I haven't changed my mind, Coop. The only reason I was a little surprised just then was because you said we were gonna work up to it."

"We are," he says, the smile returning to his lips, and his eyes sparkling. "But you have the most perfect ass." He kneads it with his hands, just to prove the point. "And there's only so much a guy like me can take."

"A guy like you?" I say, squirming in to him.

"Yeah. A guy who has a thing for fucking perfect asses."

I lean back in his arms. "So, it wouldn't be a first for you?"

"No. Does that bother you?"

We've become unintentionally serious, but I sense he needs an answer.

"In this instance, I think it's best that at least one of us knows what they're doing."

He leans in, kissing my lips just briefly. "Trust me, babe. I know what I'm doing. And I really can't wait to do it with you."

"Glad to hear it."

He smiles and I stand on my tiptoes, kissing him a little harder before I step back. He lets me, both of us aware that time is moving on.

"I'll see you downstairs," he says as I head for the door, grabbing my clothes from the floor, where we left them last night, then I stand on the threshold and look back at him. He's still wearing his towel, tented at the front, his erection quite obvious and distracting, and I let my eyes linger for a second or two.

"You don't mind me running around naked anymore?"

"I didn't mind last night, and I don't mind now… just so long as no-one else gets to see you."

"No-one will. I promise."

"Good."

I giggle and he laughs, and I turn and run, heading for the stairs.

I've left his door open, but I can't imagine he'll worry… or have time to do anything about it. We've both got less than ten minutes to get ready, and I let myself into my apartment, startling the cat, who jumps up from her seat on the couch. I don't know what's shocked her more… my sudden appearance, or that I'm not wearing anything. Either way, she soon puts her issues aside and wanders straight to the kitchen, meowing until I join her.

"Okay. I get the message. You're hungry." I dump my clothes in the washing machine, then fix her some food, putting it down, and stroking her head. "I'd love to stay and talk, but I don't have time."

She doesn't seem to care, and ignores me as I rush around the apartment, braiding my hair, getting dressed, and fixing my makeup… all in record time.

Saffron is still eating, and doesn't even raise her head when I call out, "Goodbye," to her and let myself back out into the hall.

As I pass Cooper's door, I notice it's closed now, and I can't help smiling to myself… not just because of the memories of everything we've done together since we went in there last night, but also because it feels like we've really started something.

I sigh and wonder if we should talk about it, or whether this is one of those times when words aren't necessary… not because actions speak louder, but because sometimes things don't need to be said to be understood.

And I think we understand each other.

I make it to my desk, still thinking that through, and check the time as I switch on my computer. There are still a couple of minutes to spare and I note that the keys are in the door already, wandering over to unlock it and pull up the blind. I can hear Cooper in his surgery, and Greta, too, which means he must have let her in before I got down here, and as I sit behind my desk, getting ready for my day, I can't help wondering why everything feels so normal.

It shouldn't.

It should feel extraordinary, and I wish he'd come out here and say something… anything, to make me feel like last night wasn't a dream.

Because it's starting to feel like I imagined the whole thing and that words aren't just necessary. They're essential.