In fact, it was getting more difficult to go to sleep without him.
Since we’d worked things out he’d brought up living together a few more times, but I always shot him down. It wouldn’t take much more convincing on his part for me to give in.
The fact of the matter was, I wasn’t scared anymore.
Jude told me he wanted it all with me—a future filled with marriage and babies.
I used to never imagine my future, but now I did, and it included Jude as my husband and a dark haired baby boy.
One day.
One day soon.
???
I sat straight up, staring around the dark room.
Wait?
??
Dark. Room.
“Oh, shit.”
My eyes darted to the clock and widened at the time.
“Jude,” I groaned, pushing his shoulder.
“Hmmm?” He hummed in his sleep. He cracked one eye open. “What?”
“We were supposed to be having dinner with my dad an hour ago!” I slid from the bed, frantically searching for my clothes. “We slept too long!”
“Fuck,” he growled hotly, rubbing the heels of his hands against his eyes. “I’m sorry, Tate.”
“Don’t say you’re sorry!” I cried, grabbing my shorts off the floor. “Just get out of bed and get dressed. I have to call him and tell him we’re coming.”
“Oh, we came alright,” he smirked.
“Jude!” I picked his shirt up and threw it at his head, where he sat on the edge, deliciously rumpled.
He laughed as he put his shirt on. “It’s true,” he shrugged.
Once we were dressed we did our best to fix our rumpled appearance, but it was futile. It would take my dad two seconds to figure out what we’d been up to. I only hoped he didn’t comment on it. I wasn’t sure I could handle the embarrassment right now.
Since I’d driven here by myself we had to take separate cars to my house.
I used the time to try to calm down. I told myself repeatedly that everything would be okay, but so far I didn’t believe my own words.
It might’ve been better if Jude and I could’ve ridden together. I was sure he’d have done a far better job at making me feel better, because my self-imposed pep talk wasn’t working.
When we got to my house I was shaking like a leaf.
“Everything’s going to be fine, Tatum,” I told myself one last time before pushing my stiff body out of the car.
Jude met me and took my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Everything is going to be fine.” They were the same words I’d just told myself but they sounded more believable coming from his mouth.
Jude paused at the front door and gave me time to catch my breath.