The next morning I woke up to a warm body next to me. Apparently, Kevin didn’t have a problem not sleeping in his own bed. His hair was a tussled mess and I hadn’t really noticed last night that he was slowly growing a beard. He shifted and tightened his arm around my waist. I had to admit to that it was nice to wake up next to someone in the morning. That it was nice to know that the person I was sharing intimate moments with wasn’t bailing out on me in the middle of the night.

He groaned, “Why are you staring at me?”

“Cause you are still here?”

His eyes opened slowly and he looked a bit embarrassed. “Oh yeah, I’m sorry. I worked a few extra hours I was tired.” He sat up and threw his long muscular legs over the bed, ready to get up.

“Wait!” I grabbed him by the arm. A really big and tight arm. “I didn’t say I had a problem with it. I was just a bit surprised that is all.”

“What Alex never stayed?”

My stomach somersaulted when I heard the question. He’d said the name so freely and I wasn’t used to it. “Um…you…”

“I might look stupid, Soph, but I’m definitely not. Plus, people always talk about it.”

“Oh.” I felt my cheeks warm up. I could already imagine how red they were. “I didn’t know anyone really knew.”

“The whole world knows. Now…the whole world knows that you left him and that your sleeping with me.” He shrugged and stood up.

God, every part of him was perfect.

I got back to the matter at hand. How the hell did everyone know that Kevin and I had…done anything. “How would they happen to know. You didn’t tell them, did you?”

He was busy buttoning his pants and glaring at me. “Yes, Sophia. I went around telling the whole station what a good lay you are. Christ! You are definitely used to jerks.”

I felt bad.

“You know, if it was up to me…I would make you my official girlfriend. But I wont bother asking, because it’s already obvious that this is going nowhere. I mean you still have feelings for him and it bothers you that I actually stay in your bed.”

I sat up and crawled on my knees to the end of the bed. He was putting his t-shirt back on. I signaled him over with my finger and he rolled his eyes. He still came towards me. I curled my fingers into his shirt and pulled him towards me. My face was leveled with his chest.

Kevin sighed loudly and stuffed his hands into his pant pockets. I raised the hand that had a grip on his shirt to expose his perfectly flat stomach. My mouth brushed against his skin and I felt him flinch.

He took a hold of my hands and pulled down his shirt. “I’m not big on people playing with my emotions.”

“I’m not…” at least I didn’t think I was.

This was all happening so fast. I was confused now. Fuck it, I decided to drop the topic. I got out of bed and quickly changed my clothes. The room was silent as we sat on opposite sides of my bed and pulled on our shoes. There was something I wanted to ask him, but I wasn’t sure if I had the right to anymore.

“Can I ask you a favor? As my partner…if you can.”

“Just spit it out.”

“I need to go see my sister today. I want to make sure that she’s actually doing good with this whole rehab thing, but I’m afraid to go alone.”

“Yeah sure.” That was my big answer and he walked out of my room.

After another argument in the kitchen, two cups of coffee and dropping off Hannah we were pulling into the parking lot of the rehab center. My stomach was in knots. You know, like when you’ve done something really bad and you know you are about to get caught.

We were officially not speaking, but I knew he was there if I needed him. I stood at the entrance and paused for a minute. There was a part of me that believed that Angie wouldn’t have a problem with me taking care of her daughter. Because she knew she had a problem and at the time she was an unfit mother. The other part of me knew Angie damn well and there was no way she would give into me being a guardian. I was the unfit one to her.

“Did you change your mind?” Kevin asked me holding the door open. “It’s ok if you did.”

I shook my head and bit the side of my lip. There was a sudden urge to cry. I was scared. “No. I’m doing this.” We entered the facility and requested a pass to visit Angie.

One of the nurses walked us down the long corridor towards the lobby and there she was my older sister. She looked bored and tired, but healthy. If that makes sense. A nurse spoke to her and she looked up to see Kevin and I standing there.

“I’m gonna wait outside.” Kevin whispered into my ear sending a hot rush through my body. I just nodded.

Angie looked disappointed it was me visiting, but she got up and headed towards me anyway. My heart was beating fast and my hands were sweaty; I thought that only happened to me when I was around Alex, but apparently it was anytime I got nervous.

“Hi.” She stated simply.

I smiled nervously, “Hi. How are you?”

“As good as I can be in here. What brings you around?”

“I just…I wanted to see how you are doing?”

Angie slid her finger under her nose. It was a junkie move, they all did it. I tried not to make it obvious that I knew that. So I fixed my eyes on the window behind her.

“It’s ok. I know you are assessing me right now. It’s your cop thing. But I’m fine, just so you know.”

“I’m not. I was…”

“Let’s cut the crap little sister. No one but mom and dad have visited me. So I know you want something and you don’t have to try with your stuttering self to tell me. Mom told me that you are doing great with Hannah and that you took responsibility for her. I appreciate it. And I’m ok with her staying with you…”

My heart leaped up into my throat with excitement. I couldn’t help the big smile on my face. “I promise to take good care of her.”

“It’s not like her father is going to man up and take responsibility. The bastard.”

I was a bit confused on where that comment had come from and was tempted to question her about the said father, instead I just nodded quietly. “Well, like I said, I’m going to do my best with her.”

There was a blank expression on her face as she nodded. “Don’t get too excited…three months go by really fast and right after I get out of this shit hole I want my daughter back. So don’t go thinking you can get all comfortable and motherly with her. If your clock is ticking so loudly…maybe you should have one of your own.”

I felt like smiling again, only because I know how Angie is. She’s a real bitch most the time. I didn’t want her words to hurt me, but they still did. I was getting too comfortable with Hannah being with me and I in some odd way wanted a baby of my own. Then again, how could I even think about having a baby when I wasn’t even sure which man I wanted to have one with.

She didn’t give me much of a chance to say anything else to her. She turned around and went back to sit down. I thanked the nurse and walked out of the lobby with a smile on my face. My smile widened as I caught a glimpse of Kevin standing against his car, arms crossed over his perfect chest.

“Must’ve gone good.” He smiled.

I smiled back. “Sorta! She was still a raging bitch…but she gave in.”

He slung an arm over my shoulders. “I told you everything would be ok. Now if only everything else could fall into place.”

My eyes rolled and I shrugged his arm off. “Don’t push it officer Richardson.” I smiled and hopped into his car. The more I thought about us as an item, the more I wanted to give into it.

Maybe I still had a chance for my life to be perfect…even if for just a moment.