30. Clementine

Clementine

The house was quieter than usual when I got home from my shift. Since returning to work over a month ago, Leyland waited up for me no matter the time. If it was a double shift, he made it his business to drive and pick me up.

With a sigh, I dropped my keys on the kitchen island. My bag slid from my shoulder, and I leaned against the counter, letting the exhaustion of the day seep into me.

It wasn’t just work that weighed me down today—it was the creeping doubt that had settled in my chest over the past few weeks. Leyland and I were connected, deeply so. I didn’t doubt his feelings for me. But something had shifted. He hadn’t touched me “that way” since coming home, and while his presence filled every room we shared, the absence of his hands on me lingered like a shadow.

I needed reassurance.

I needed that connection again; I missed that connection.

My eyes caught sight of the memory board as I straightened, its now familiar presence pulling me closer. It had changed from us weaving his dreams with reality to him adding little notes, pictures, and doodles.

A photograph from one of our early dates was pinned to the top corner today. The edges were slightly worn, but the smiles in the picture were as vivid as ever. Beside it was a scrap of paper with Leyland’s messy handwriting: You make mornings better, tiny. I love you.

There were fragments of us everywhere—pieces of our story etched into notes, photos, and even a dried flower from a walk in Zilker Park. These moments spoke of a bond that hadn’t faltered. Despite that, I found myself wondering if I changed in his eyes? Was he still drawn to me the way he once was?

Why did I feel jealous of this other version of me? It was so wrong.

Shaking the thought, I headed upstairs, the faint sound of running water guiding me toward the bathroom as I entered our bedroom.

Steam greeted me as I pushed open the door, the haze swirling like a cocoon in the dim light. I stood there for a moment, wanting to get in with him but feeling uncertain. I could just go shower in the guest bedroom, let the night pass like all the others, bury the doubt beneath layers of exhaustion.

But that wasn’t what I wanted.

Deep down, I knew he wouldn’t want that for me either.

Before I could second-guess myself, I peeled off my clothes, the cool air from the bedroom brushing over my skin in sharp contrast to the warmth ahead. I slid open the glass door and stepped inside.

Leyland turned at the sound, his dark eyes meeting mine through the mist. For a heartbeat, neither of us moved. His gaze traveled down my frame, slow and deliberate, before returning to my face. The hunger in his eyes was unmistakable, and with it, the doubts I’d carried unraveled like threads pulled from a seam.

“I’ve been neglecting you,” he murmured, his voice low and heavy with regret.

I barely had time to respond before his hands were on me, guiding me back against the cool shower wall. The heat of his body pressed into mine, his touch reverent yet possessive.

He always knew. I never had time to let things fester because he was my soulmate.

“Won’t ever happen again,” he whispered, his lips brushing against my ear as his fingers slowly pushed my legs apart.

The words were a promise, one I felt in the press of his hands, the fervor of his gaze, the way he claimed me as if to erase every moment of distance that had passed between us.

His lips captured mine, and it felt like he was making up for lost time. The kiss deepened as his hand slid up my thigh, finding its way to the ache that had been building inside me. My breath hitched, and his low groan sent a shiver down my spine.

“Tell me what you need,” he murmured against my lips, his forehead pressed to mine.

“You,” I breathed, my fingers gripping his neck and shoulder. “Always you.”

Leyland’s response was immediate, his hand sliding under my thigh to lift me as the other braced against the wall. I wrapped my legs around his waist, gasping as he shifted closer. The steam cocooned us, but it was the heat of him, the way he touched me like I was the only thing that mattered, that had me forgetting everything else.

He fucked me with purpose, his lips finding my neck as his hands anchored me in place. Every brush of his skin against mine, every whispered promise, drew me closer to the edge.

“I’ll never stop wanting you,” he murmured, his voice raw. “Never.”

His words shattered the last of my insecurities, and I gave myself over to the moment completely. Together, we found our rhythm, the space between us disappearing as he reminded me exactly what we were to each other.

Later, the room still heavy with the scent of us, my head rested against his chest—the rhythmic beat of his heart a soothing lullaby.

“I thought...” I began, my voice trailing off as I gathered the courage to continue. “I thought maybe you weren’t attracted to me anymore.”

His fingers stilled where they had been running through my curls. He dipped his head to look at me, his brows knitting together.

“I’m sorry I made you feel that way, tiny.”

Even though I felt small under the weight of my admission, his apology had been exactly what I needed.

“You just... you hadn’t touched me like this in a while. I thought maybe...”

“Never,” he cut in firmly, sitting up slightly to cup my face. “Baby, you are the most beautiful thing in my world. I know I’ve been distant compared to before my coma, but it’s not because of you. It’s because I’ve been in my head, trying to work through everything.”

I nodded, the sincerity in his voice and eyes chasing away the last of my insecurities.

“I just needed you to know,” I murmured, leaning into his touch. “Because we promised to air out our grievances, no matter what. Just… don’t ever stop touching me again, okay?”

He cupped my face, a little smile tugging at his lips that somehow spoke to my clit more than me.

“That’s a promise I can make and keep,” he replied, his voice softer now. “You’re everything to me, Clem. Always have been, always will be.”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Contentment settled over me.

He still wanted me, still loved and desired me.

And I would never doubt it again.