Ch. 3 (PG-13, S): A Second Chance at Love

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"Fire & Ice" (Revised for Wattpad), Ch. 3 (PG-13, S): A Second Chance at Love, August 05, 2015 Gratiana Lovelace

(An original story copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace, 2015; all rights reserved)

[From time to time, I will illustrate my story with images of actors representing my dream cast--including Richard Armitage as Thomas Kane and Anne Hathaway as Caroline Walters, and others as noted in the image credits.] [(1) "Fire & Ice" story logo]

Author's Mature Content Note: "Fire & Ice" is romantic thriller story with mature themes (D for drama, S for sensuality, and V for violence) of love and relationships. Most chapters will be PG or PG-13. However, if you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide, then please do not read that chapter. This is my disclaimer.

Author's Recap from the previous chapter:  Thomas perceiving that Caroline's son Trevor Thomas Walters is also his son, his mind is reeling--uncertainty, excitement, and love comingle in his thoughts. This night will reveal the future path of their lives as Thomas and Caroline have the most important conversation of their lives.

"Fire & Ice" (Revised for Wattpad), Ch. 3 (PG-13, S): A Second Chance at Love

Neither Thomas nor Caroline knows what to say to each other about the unspoken revelation that Caroline's son Trevor is Thomas' son, too. But, they each know that they don't want a repeat of the recriminations that broke them apart. Caroline [(2) ] hesitantly hopeful and Thomas subdued about the revelation that he has a son with her, sit on the couch facing each other—with Caroline sitting to Thomas' [left]--for the most important conversation of their lives.

After several awkward moments, Thomas breaks the silence by haltingly asking the hopeful question that his heart wants most answered.

Thomas: "Caroline... Trevor... he's ... ours , ... isn't he?" Thomas knows in his heart that Trevor is his son, but he needs to hear Caroline say it as confirmation.

Caroline: "Yes, Thomas. Trevor is your son." She says as calmly as she can. Thomas smiles lovingly at her and takes her uninjured hand in his. "Our son's full legal name is Trevor Thomas Walters Kane." Thomas closes his eyes and brings his hand up to his chin in shock as he processes the now confirmed fact that he has a son—a child born of his and Caroline's past love. Then Caroline continues. "I found out I was pregnant before we broke up and I was overjoyed! I was going to tell you that night ... the night you accused me of..." Caroline's voice trails away as she tries not to let the emotions she is feeling—love, loss, betrayal, anguish, and hope--overcome her. " But, I never got the chance and we broke up. I thought if I told you then that I was pregnant, you'd just think that he belonged to someone else. But, as I became more pregnant and I could feel our son moving inside me--and then when he was born—I tried to contact you again, several times, to tell you. But, you would never return my phone calls. And, I didn't think this was something that I could put in a letter." Caroline waits for Thomas to respond—wondering if Thomas will want to be a part of Trevor's life, and maybe be a part of her life.

Thomas: Then looking at Caroline soulfully, Thomas tries to make amends. "Caroline, I'm so sorry. I know now I was wrong and that you hadn't cheated on me. I found out a year after we broke up that Paul Foster had told lies about you to me to separate us--because he wanted you for himself. Needless to say, he and I are no longer friends. Then after I found out, I wanted to find you, but I didn't think that you would take me back. ... I didn't think that I deserved to be taken back. I had betrayed our love by not trusting it—by not trusting you."

Caroline: "We loved each other then. Why didn't you trust me, Thomas? Why didn't you believe me when I said I was faithful to you?" She asks a tad accusatorially. It is a question she has agonized over for four years.

Thomas: "I guess, I didn't feel worthy of you, of your love. And Foster fed on my insecurities." In part, Thomas had become a special field operative in the first place for its solitary life--him not thinking that he would ever find love. And then he met Caroline and they fell in love--his first real love, his only love. Thomas was ill equipped to embrace their relationship fully, expecting that his foibles would irritate her and push her away--especially when they moved in together and she found out how truly untidy a person he was. "In the end, my betrayal of you proved that I wasn't worthy of you."

Thomas looks at Caroline yearningly, wanting to recapture the love that they shared so long ago, but not daring to hope that she will forgive him. He still doesn't feel worthy of her. And Caroline is wary about Thomas--not thinking him unworthy, but also feeling mistrustful of him. She cannot let him in to her life, only to be abandoned later by him. She has Trevor to [think] of now. Caroline replies to him with a stoic poise that she is far from feeling.

Caroline: "Thomas, I was... I still am very hurt by what happened between us. ... But, I hope that we can put that behind us for Trevor's sake. I have always hoped that Trevor would someday meet his Daddy—you, Thomas—and have you in his life. That's why I've kept you alive in Trevor's mind and heart with pretend notes and presents. So, whatever difficulties you and I might have personally, I hope we can still be good parents to Trevor together." Caroline musters all of her willpower to not break down in tears and kiss and embrace Thomas—her only love. But, she thinks too much time has passed and all that she can hope for is for Thomas to be in Trevor's life—even if Thomas will not be in her life except as a professional colleague.

Thomas: "Thank you for that, Caroline. I would like to be a part of Trevor's life." Thomas looks at Caroline and senses the invisible barriers that she has put up—that his betrayal of her helped build--and it makes him sad. Then Thomas [(3) ] says with trepidation--and with no expectation that Caroline will forgive him, let alone that she will take him back—but he has to tell her his feelings because he may never get another chance. "Caroline, ... I still love you. I always have. There has been no one in my life since you—at all. If there's a chance that we might be able to start fresh—to see where that takes us as a couple--I would like that very much. And, I want this not just for Trevor's sake, but for ours."

Caroline hears what her heart wants Thomas to say to her, but her rational mind tells her not to believe him. The trust that was shattered between them four years ago, cannot be easily mended. Then Caroline says quietly to Thomas honestly and without recrimination.

Caroline: "I don't know if we can recapture what we had Thomas. ..." But then, Caroline truthfully and searingly tells Thomas how much he has hurt her. "I loved you completely before—with my whole heart and soul— ... and you threw me away with your unfounded and hurtful accusations. ... I haven't been able to trust or to love anyone since then—since you. What if you change your mind and you decided that you don't love me afterall? I can't go through that again. I have Trevor to think of now." Caroline tears up and not being able to stop herself from crying, she buries her face in her uninjured right hand turning away from Thomas who is sitting to her left.

Thomas: "Caroline, I ..."

Moved by Caroline's anguish ... that he caused ... and wanting to comfort her, Thomas instinctively puts his arms behind her back and underneath her legs and he lifts her body up and places Caroline sitting sideways on his lap—as they used to do when they were together as lovers years ago. And Thomas gently holds Caroline in his arms in a loose embrace. At first, Caroline resists being held in his arms, but Thomas holds her in his embrace so gently, so tenderly, so lovingly, that Caroline then just lays against him and sobs into his neck as her arms go around Thomas' shoulders.

They sit like this for some time as Thomas tries to comfort Caroline as she continues sobbing. Thomas strokes Caroline's back comfortingly as he soothes her—telling her that he loves her and that he was wrong and that he is sorry. Then after sometime passes and Caroline's sobbing lessens to weeping and then to crying, Thomas kisses Caroline on her [left] cheek while her face is still buried in his neck.


[P] Caroline has wanted to be in Thomas' arms again for so long that she can't believe that she is in them now—as if they were still lovers as they used to be. Caroline has walled herself off from any loving emotions—except the love that she gives to and receives from Trevor—that she is afraid to let herself trust Thomas again. But, she melts in Thomas' arms now.

And then, Caroline leans back from Thomas kissing her cheek and she gazes soulfully into his eyes as her uninjured right hand caresses his left cheek. Then as if the last four years of betrayal and anguish and separation and loss have not happened, Thomas and Caroline lean in toward each other and kiss each other--at first shyly, then tenderly, then lovingly, then passionately [(4)]. It is as if their love has lain dormant—locked away and abandoned, but not forgotten—and then their love is given a second chance at life tonight.

Thomas: "I love you so, Caroline. I always have." He says holding her face in his hands.

Caroline: "Thomas, I love you so—you are my only love."

And, Thomas and Caroline kiss each other again, lovingly, tenderly, and sweetly.

***

Thomas and Caroline cling to each other on the couch after their lovely kisses give them each new hope of rekindling their love for one another. Both of them are crying now. Thomas wants to make love with Caroline tonight with all of his heart, but he knows that she is fragile—and he caused that. Just as his own heart is fragile from not trusting their love years ago—making Thomas feel unworthy of Caroline's love. Their love that Thomas had foolishly and carelessly broken cannot be mended quickly. But their broken love needs to be mended—for both Thomas' and Caroline's sakes.

Then Thomas kisses Caroline's inside wrist of her right hand that has been caressing his left cheek and then he intertwines the fingers of his left hand with her right hand and they gaze lovingly into each others' eyes. They do not speak for some time as their gazes search each others' hearts. For Thomas, he seeks forgiveness and redemption and love in Caroline's eyes. For Caroline, she seeks in Thomas' eyes the love that Thomas tore away from her--and she seeks Thomas' faith in her restored.

After a little while of companionable silence and cuddling, seeing that it is 11:00pm from the clock on the wall, Thomas says hesitantly.

Thomas: "Caroline, now that we've found each other again, I don't want to leave you tonight. ... But, I know that we have to take things slowly." Caroline hesitantly nods her head with lowered eyes--she is too overcome with emotion to speak. Then Thomas asks hopefully. "Can we at least lay in each others' arms and go to sleep together tonight? I promise, Caroline, we will just hold each other."

Caroline: Caroline looks with love and longing at Thomas for a few moments. "Yes, Thomas. I would like that."

Caroline stands up from his lap as they sit on the couch, and Thomas stands up also. She leads him into her bedroom. They each take turns visiting her bathroom to change and such. Caroline puts on her sleeveless flower print empire waisted soft stretch cotton nightgown that is pretty, but not particularly sexy. As a single Mom, Caroline has not had time to think about herself in that way—sexy—despite other men trying to approach her. Though she knows well that Thomas sleeps in the nude--as she used to before she had Trevor--Caroline gives Thomas some old cut off sweat pants and a t-shirt that she had of her brother's for him to put on to sleep in and he does so in her bathroom.

Then, they each slide into one side of her queen size bed—Caroline sleeping on the right side of the bed because of her injured left hand and not wanting Thomas to roll on it, and Thomas on the left side of the bed. However, these were also their usual sleeping positions when they lived together years ago as lovers. Thomas lays his left arm behind Caroline's head on her pillow and she nestles into his left side. Each of them thinks that this all seems so familiar--yet, it is all new again as well. They chat a bit before they drift off to sleep.

Thomas: Noticing she has been favoring her injured hand he kisses her forehead and asks. "Caroline, how is your hand feeling?"

Caroline: She demures about the physical discomfort she is feeling. "It has been throbbing a little so I took another OTC pain medicine and it's starting to feel a little better again."

Thomas: "We probably should have put your hand on ice as well as bandaging it. But...we've had a busy evening."

Caroline: "Yes, ... we have. That's an understatement."

Thomas: "Caroline, I know that we'll eventually tell little Trevor who I am—his Daddy. But since you know him best, I'll leave it up to you to decide when to do so. Just give me a little warning in case he has questions for me."

Caroline: She nods. "Well Thomas, I'll warn you now that Trevor likes to climb into bed with me on weekend mornings--to cuddle before we make breakfast and watch cartoons. So, be prepared to have a little visitor in the morning."

Thomas: Then sounding concerned, Thomas asks. "But Caroline, won't my still being here—and my being in your bed--scare Trevor?"

Caroline: "I don't think so. Though you're the first man who has visited our home, as you saw tonight when Trevor hugged you, Trevor is a pretty perceptive little boy. If I am okay with something or someone, then he is okay with it--or them." She smiles timidly.

Thomas: Thomas nods in understanding. "Alright. ... Good night Caroline. I love you." He leans in and kisses her sweetly on her lips and she responds sweetly to him.

Caroline: "Good night Thomas. I love you."

Then they close their eyes and drift into a grateful and loving sleep in each others' arms. Although they each awaken at some point throughout the night—Caroline to check on Trevor and such—they return to their sleepy cuddling embraces in each others' arms. Their sweet and chaste embracing as they slumber begins to heal their broken hearts as their bodies welcome this small act of tenderness toward and for one another.

***

Around 4:00am Saturday morning, Caroline rises to visit the bathroom and take more pain medicine and then she goes to check on Trevor again. While she is gone, Thomas stirs and seeing that Caroline is not there and the bathroom light is off, he surmises that she is checking on Trevor. Thomas visits the bathroom himself. As he walks back to the bed, Caroline returns from Trevor's room. They smile sleepily at each other and embrace—enjoying the comfort of this small intimacy. Thomas moves Caroline's hair away from her face and he looks at her intently. Caroline's upturned face looks at Thomas adoringly [(5)].

As both of them lock their eyes in a loving gaze at each other, Thomas leans down and gives Caroline a soft kiss on her lips. It is a trembling kiss—full of love and hope, but tinged with uncertainty. Thomas promised Caroline that they would just hold each other tonight—and he cannot break his promise to her now as a first test of his renewed fidelity. But, Caroline did not make that promise and she returns his kiss with a passion that she has long kept hidden away from her own heart. Thomas responds to Caroline's passionate kisses with his own passion as they wrap their arms around each other. Thomas wants to make love with Caroline so much, but he knows that he has to let her guide him to what she wants.

Thomas: As they pull back from their embracing and kissing, he says tentatively. "Caroline, I ..." Thomas searches Caroline's face for his answer, but he is uncertain ... until she lifts starts to lift his t-shirt up and off his body and she leans in and kisses his chest, then she says.

Caroline: "I love you Thomas. Make love with me."

Thomas: "I love you Caroline. Make love with me." Thomas finishes removing his t shirt [(6)].

Then their lips and arms kiss and embrace each other wholly and completely. Thomas lifts Caroline's nightgown over her head and she is naked before him. Thomas thinks that Caroline is even more beautiful now—as the mother of his son. Thomas removes his cutoff sweat pants and he is naked before Caroline. Caroline gazes at the body of her lover, Thomas--the body that she used to know so well. They look at each other lovingly and longingly.

It has been over four years since they have been with each other—since they have made love. But, now their bodies yearn for each others' touch and their loving passions cannot be denied any longer. Thomas picks Caroline up in his arms and lays her in the middle of the bed sheets and then he slides into bed next to her. Caroline and Thomas turn on their sides facing each other, intertwining their bodies and legs so that not even a whisper can come between them.

Yet, they are also somewhat shy in their initial caresses as they begin to make love with each other. It almost feels like their first time making love together for each of them—because, of course, it is, as they start their life together anew. Thomas kisses and caresses Caroline's lips and neck and womanly curves.  And Caroline thrills to Thomas' intimate touches on her body, his respectfulness restraining him until her murmurs and sighs convey to him that she welcomes his loving ministrations. And Caroline marvels at the hard sinews of the muscular planes of her Thomas' shoulders and clavicle--the handsomeness of his taut physique--as her uninjured right hand lightly caresses him, sending shivers of pleasure through each of them.

Caroline wraps her arms and legs around Thomas as he gently moves his body on top of hers--taking care not to put his full muscular weight upon her slight frame. Thomas and Caroline feel as if their fractured worlds have finally put the broken pieces back together as they joyfully, sensually, lovingly, and rapturously join their bodies together in their lovemaking.

Again, and again, and again, and again Thomas and Caroline kiss and caress and join their bodies together in love and in lust. Their loving urgency is unbridled now as each of them seeks to fulfill their own and their lover's desires. Their years of strain apart from each other fall away, and they love each other wholly and completely now. And Thomas and Caroline do fulfill their loving desires as their bodies tremble in blissful ecstasy and love and hope at their new beginning together as heartfelt loves. Afterward, Thomas and Caroline lay on their sides facing each—their bodies still intertwined, their eyes brimming with tears of joy—sweetly cuddling and kissing each other before they fall into a peaceful, restful, and loving sleep in each others' arms.

Thomas and Caroline have found and claimed each other again in their loving hearts. This time, they will love each other forever--until they draw their last breaths. They resolve that nothing and no one will ever part them again. And their little son Trevor will cement their new family

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