I wake up to ringing of my phone.

"Hello?" I ask my voice literally almost gone.

I barely slept last night. I fully collapsed for sleep an hour and twenty minutes ago. And its nine in the morning now.

"Happy Birthday!" They yell. I smile.

I can make out Charlotte, Tyler and my son from the loud voices.

"Thank you so much." I say and they all send their best wishes.

Charlotte is left speaking to me.

"So, how are you?" She asks. There is mischief in her voice.

I stare at Nate's naked back as he sleeps peacefully.

"I'm fine. How are you?" I ask smiling to myself.

Oh I'm more than fine.

"I'm good. So you're just fine?" She asks

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"My mom's friend Sarah, who is also our neighbour, called to ask me to stop screaming 'Nathan' . That it had been going on since eleven until two when she called me.

Now for a moment, I asked myself. Who could be calling Nathan's name and why at night. But the rasp of your voice this early morning says it all. So spill. Did you do it?" She asks.

I flush. Nathan's arm worsens this when it snakes around my waist.

"Yes." I say shyly. She squeals.

"Oh, I'm super excited for you girl! I cant wait for you to tell me." She says.

After our salutations, I end the call.

And I head right back to sleep in Nathan's arms.

A few moments later I drift into deep sleep. That's until I reach over to the place that was occupied by Nathan moments ago and I find  nothing,  I bolt up and I almost run downstairs .

I find him. He is on my stove moving ever so elegantly. His back is naked just like last night.

I blush at the thought of last night.

"Good Morning. "I greet him. He turns around and smiles.

"Good morning baby." He says. He kisses my forehead.

He pushes me gently to the barstool behind me.

"Happy birthday baby." He says putting waffles onto a plate.

I bite into them and I moan. This tastes amazing.

I look up to find him staring hungrily at me.  I cough and he turns to clear his working space.

"I went to the store to get some stuff today. And if it's okay with you I asked Charlotte to stay one more day there." He says. If I didnt know him properly, I'd say he is shy.

"Its absolutely fine with me. Hmm." I say chewing the waffles. This is some good breakfast.

"What do you want to do?" He asks.

I smile.

"Well usually, I wake up. Make a single cupcake or two once Ethan started knowing sweet things. Plant a candle and make a wish. Then I head to work. When I come home I'd be too tired to do anything." I say smiling when I can finally put another waffle into my mouth.

"That's not what I asked now is it babuschka? " He asks speaking a foreign language again.

I stare at his mouth. He licks his lips intentionally knowing that I'm staring at his lips.

I visibly shiver. Those lips are enchanted.

"I-uhh, I just want to stay home." I tell him. He nods.

"Yea, sounds good. I saw some of my books stacked in your shelf. I could read something to you." He offers. I nod.

In record time we find ourselves cuddles up in my fleece throw that I stole from his house.

Man I stole a lot of things from that man.

But anyway, he has Only Time Will Tell in his arms , he surprises me when he covers my body with his arms and he opens to the last page I read.

Chapter Seven. Harry Clifton's POV.

"The school tuck shop was open between four and six every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon‐" he begins reading.

His voice sounding like a Marvin Gaye song. Lolling me and causing my mind to swirl.

I've never noticed how velvety his voice is, and there's a rasp hiding behind the voice. Words tumble out of his mouth like butter on hot toast.

My heart hammers angrily against my rib cage, I barely hear his words. I'm staring at his face as he speaks.

How could it all go from a morning where I was hoping Jeremy would remember that it's my birthday , to wish me a happy birthday, to kiss me and tell me that he loves me.

To me being here, with Nathan feeling absolutely special.

"As Harry ogled the Emporium's treasures, he heard Gile's voice and noticed that he was a few places ahead of him in the queue. He was just about to hail his friend when he saw Giles remove a bar of chocolate  from a shelf and slip it in his trousers.

Are you listening Gem?" He asks smiling.

"Yes I'm listening." I say.

"Okay, then if you were youd know that Jeffrey Archer said you need to kiss me." He says smiling.

I chuckle but do it anyway.

Soon we find ourselves preparing lunch. With the food done, we prepare brownies as our dessert. With extra chocolate as per Nathan's request.

I smile to myself. He reminds me of my dad.

After lunch, well basically it was almost dinner as when we were done eating the sun was dipping onto the mountain tops and bleeding orange into the sky, we stand out by the backyard.

The record plays Tamia's Who Do You Tell. He holds me in his arms as he sways me from left to right.

"You look like a duck when you do that." He says when he sees that I'm about to cry.

I playfully glare at him which causes his eyes to gleam with amusement.

"A very cute duck." He says chuckling.

The song ends and For You starts playing.

He holds me closer as we sway left and right. The sun is completely down and the sky is adorned by stars.

A small smile plays on my lips.

"What are you smiling about?" He asks removing the curl that has escaped to my forehead.

"This. It reminds me of my parents. Every Sunday evening they would dance in the backyard. Right after we had had my mother's dessert.

They loved each other Nate. So much that it made me love love. Irregardless how much Jeremy hurt me, there is absolutely no way I could ever hate love." I tell him.

Getting lost in the molten gold of his eyes.

"My parents were madly inlove as well. When I was five, my mom would come back home from work.

My mom was a waitress and worked night shifts. She'd leave right after dinner and come back just in time for breakfast.

My dad made the best breakfast ever,  and right after that we held hands and prayed." He says smiling.

"It's not romantic as your parents but for me, I idolised their love. I thought that the way they put God first would make them watertight .

But because theirs didnt work out,  not once did I ever give up on my own." He says smiling.

My phone rings. Its Charlotte.

"Hey." I greet putting her on speaker.

She sighs.

"Are you with Nathan?" She asks.

"Yes." Its Nathan who answers now.

"Hold her." She demands.

I sink into his embrace and wait for Charlotte to speak.

"Ethan is missing." She says and literally fall apart.