Those shining, deep blue eyes of his that I had fallen in love with time and time again startled everything inside of my body and I was left completely baffled, staring back at him as he approached me.

"Surprised?" Nathan asked with a playful smirk, his stare sparkling into mine with what seemed like genuine happiness.

"Uh, yeah." I managed a small laugh to tumble past my lips as I tried to rein in any and all possibilities of what he was doing here, in this room, looking as gleeful as he did.

Wasn't he done with us?

His handsome head cocked to the side as his smile faltered slightly with it.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern etched in his voice.

"I..." I stumbled a bit through the thoughts in my mind, trying to decide what the correct response to his question would be.

"What are you doing here?" I inquired slowly, shaking my head lightly in confusion.

Nathan's head reared back a bit, his steps towards me stalled for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," I took in a deep breath, knowing I had to be careful with my next words. "I honestly haven't the faintest idea as to why you're here. I thought... you were done?"

Now it was his turn for his thick eyebrows to string together in question. "Done? Done with what?"

I paused, letting the brief constriction of my heart pass as I steered my gaze to the hotel floor.

"Me."

Movement in front of my vision caught my attention just quick enough for me to look back up before Nathans large hand slipped around my waist gently, bringing my body flush up against his. His other hand found its way to my chin, caressing his thumb over the skin until his entire hand was lost in my hair, enveloping the back of my neck completely in his calloused, warm hold.

My breath hitched in my throat as I felt his breath fan across my face, his lips just centimeters away from my own.

"Now where would you get an idea like that?" His mint breath flooded my senses and his deep, sensual tone seeped into my mind, confusing it and arousing it at the same time.

"You rejected my call," I answered in a pathetic, wisp of a voice, the feeling of Nathans toned body pressing up against mine causing any fluid thought to become lost to me.

The sensation of his fingers running across the small of my back gently came to a stop. My hooded eyes connected fully with his indecipherable ones.

"That's it?" he finally said, almost mockingly, making me suddenly realize how ignorant of a reason that truly was.

"Um...no. You never visited me in the hospital either and then when I called, you denied it so... I just assumed that it was all too much, understandably so." I finished talking in a rush of words, the awkwardness of our situation finally catching up with me as I tried to wriggle myself free of his grasp.

Nathan didn't seem all too pleased with that though as his arm tightened around my waist, pulling my body harder into his, causing a small gasp to push through my lips.

"I don't think so. I haven't seen, talked to, or gotten to hold you in over two weeks and the last time I did see you, you were bleeding and beaten. So if you don't mind, I'm going to hold you and I very well might not let go," he said matter of factually.

His words rendered me silent as well as halted my movements. Nathan's eyes bored into mine with an intensity like I hadn't been witness too before. His expression was steely and resolute and I knew that even if I wanted to argue, which I didn't, it would be a battle I would undoubtedly lose.

Slowly, I relaxed my body in his hold and let myself melt into the door behind me, his body coming with mine in the process.

Nathan's body was now pressed fully up against mine, which was sandwiched between him and the door behind me.

There was no escape and I'll be damned if a small part of me didn't leap for joy at that fact and relish in the undeniable connection between Nathan's firm body and my own.

"First off," Nathan spoke deeply as he concentrated on the piece of my hair that his fingers had found as they tenderly placed it behind my ear. "I did try and visit you in the hospital."

My eyes snapped to his with his reveal. His gaze stayed on my face though, sweeping over every piece of skin that was visible as if he was memorizing its very texture.

"Security wouldn't let me through. They said that they were already tied up dealing with the media trying to get in to see you that me being there too would have caused a frenzy. Apparently they didn't have enough staff to deal with that so they refused to let me through."

Hm...That actually makes a lot of sense.

"And about your call," he continued, barely taking a breath in between. "I had to change my number and didn't have a way to tell you until this very moment."

Finally, after what seemed like eons, sapphire eyes fixed on mine.

"That's why I didn't answer your call. Not because I denied it; because I never got it." He spoke with steady conviction and my mind and heart were readily accepting his answers as truths without question.

"Do you believe me?" Nathan inquired softly, his tone low and raspy.

Leisurely, I felt his hand cup my cheek in his hold lovingly, his eyes continued to stare into my heady ones.

"I need you to believe me. I don't know what else I can do to make you trust me again," he said, his eyes insistent on mine, all sense of sensuality lost within them as they took on all respects of seriousness. And the trace of hurt surrounding his features wasn't lost to me either.

He was afraid I still didn't trust him after what happened with Silvia. He was still hurt that I chose not to trust him when he had never given me a reason not to.

And being the sole reason for the man I love's hurt was something I was sick and tired of having on my hands and ultimately I was disappointed in myself for causing it as many times as I had.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled as I pried myself out of his grip. Both of his hands came together to clamp down on my waist, preventing me from moving any further.

"Please?" I whispered, the emotions coursing through my body stealing most of my voice away.

A few silent seconds passed before, almost resentfully so, both of his hands opened around my waist, letting me skirt around him and walk further into the room, my thoughts consuming me and my emotions beginning to spin over into overdrive.

"What? You still don't trust me?" Nathan asked bitterly, pain pushing forward his harsh tone as he turned further into the room to face me.

"No, I do!"

"Then why did you just run away?"

"Because I have to, Nathan! I have to! I can't keep hurting you like this," I cried out, my feelings bursting through the seams of my fragile mind.

"I'm bad for you." Tears flooded my eyes; my fingers wiping away a few that dared escape their enclosure.

"Bad for me? That's bullshit and you know it," Nathan spat as he crossed both of his arms over his chest defiantly.

"How is that bullshit?!" I questioned, my eyes wide with disbelief at his blatant disregard for the truth. "Within the three months that I've been in your life, I've ruined it! I've ruined your reputation, possibly cost you your dream job, put your life in danger, and got you arrested!"

"None of that matters! All that matters is you!"

Then, before I could register what was happening, Nathans tall frame stalked over to mine purposefully, his eyes ablaze with passion. Both of his hands gripped the sides of my face, bringing our stares straight up to the others.

"All that's ever mattered since I've known you is you. You've changed everything in my life. My outlook, my attitude, my priorities...my heart. And yes, some of the things that have happened have been less then fortunate but when the end result is you... then it's all worth it."

My heart was pounding against my chest, echoing into my ears as he spoke. One of his thumbs gently brushed out and moved over my cheek rhythmically, soothing me with his tender touch.

"I would do anything, go through hell and back if it meant I could have you. You are my everything, Alex and without you in my life... I'm nothing. I'm a shell of who I used to be. You've brought so much light and meaning and happiness into my life... and I don't wanna lose that. I don't wanna lose you." He spoke with such veracity and such love emitting from his gaze that I could have easily forgotten every protest from my mind and just given into his touch and devoted words without thought.

But I knew that this was my time to be selfless and let him go; let him find a woman who wouldn't hurt him repeatedly and cause him so much anguish like I had.

"Maybe losing me is what you'll need to be happy again," I whispered with a somber shake of my head.

"Jesus Christ, you don't get it!" Nathan cursed out and removed his hands from my face, turning his back to me and walking away.

"No, I do get it, Nathan! I really do," I retorted as I walked towards him a few feet. "But what you don't get it that I can't do that to you anymore. I can't! I refuse to do this to you anymore! I have only caused you pain and so much shit to go wrong in your life and I can't stand it! It makes me hate myself sometimes...knowing that I hurt you and continue to hurt you," I broke off, a small sob ripping through my throat as hot tears began to slip down my cheeks.

"I hate hurting you," I cried, my voice catching as I spoke. My heart clenched painfully as I stared at his unwavering broad frame, still turned away from me, not giving away any signs of how he was feeling.

I took in an uneven breath and released it as I turned towards the door.

This was it.

Each step was agonizing but I knew this was for the best. Not for me, but for him. Once I was gone from his life, he could get it back on track as much as possible and attempt to go back to a life of normalcy.

I reached for the door handle, placed my hand on the cold metal, and turned.

"The only way you could hurt me now is if you leave this room."

My body slumped against the door in defeat. My forehead knocked up against the door as more tears flowed down my face. I released the door handle and pressed my fist up against the wooded door frame, clenching my fist tightly, feeling my nails digging into my flesh in the process.

"I can't win," I muttered under my breath, pushing my fist into the door frame as hard as I possibly could, un-containable anxiety coursing through my veins.

"What was that?" I heard Nathan question from behind me.

"I said I can't win," I pushed out through clenched teeth, my voice strained with emotion.

"Alex," Nathan sighed dejectedly. "Look at me."

I stayed where I was.

"Look at me," he ordered, his voice deep and demanding. Yet, somehow, I still ignored him and stayed put, my mind racing with pessimistic thoughts.

Suddenly, a large hand gripped at my waist and the room spun around me until Nathan's domineering presence stood before me and his hands grasped onto both sides of my waist and pushed me up against the door, my back knocking against it forcefully but not hard enough to hurt.

Oh shit.

"You still have a problem following rules, Ms. Merrick." Nathan's low, erotic tone sent shivers through my body and heat began to pool in my stomach.

Subconsciously, my breathing began to speed up, my chest heaving slightly with unforeseen lust.

"Now, why did you say you can't win?" Nathan asked, his hot breath fanning across my lips.

"I just," I swallowed, finding that my mouth was suddenly extremely parched. "I just want you to be happy and I know that me leaving would do that for you... but you won't let me do the one thing in my power to give you the happiness you deserve."

My tongue peeked out to dampen my lips. Nathans eyes followed the movement.

"All I want to do is make you happy; make your life easier by leaving it and you won't let me. So that's why I can't win." I finished, my breathing intensified as I kept my eyes on Nathans, whose stare was still fixed on my lips as he watched them move as I spoke, lust growing prevalent in his ocean blue eyes.

"Nathan," I called out softly. His eyes snapped up to mine, his hold on my waist tightening, his fingers gripping into my shirt.

"I want you."

A strangled moan slipped through my lips and my core began to throb at his words, my head dropping back against the door behind us in insurmountable foreshadowed pleasure.

"I want all of you, Alex. Forever and always." His head came forward, his soft brunette locks brushing against the side of my face as he brought his lips right up next to my ear.

"You are the one thing that makes me happy. You think you being out of my life would make me happy when that is possibly the thing that would make me most miserable," he said as his lips skimmed over my ear only to come down further to plant a soft, warm, sensual kiss on the tender spot under my ear.

"If you want me to be happy... then say you'll be with me. Tell me that you want me as badly," he pushed his hips against mine, letting me feel his hard erection pressing against my pelvis. "as I want you."

I audibly gasped at the feeling, my hormones switching into overdrive as Nathan continued his erotic assault and devoted confession.

"Tell me you love me as much as I love you. Which I don't think is really possible considering how much I love you." Nathan's face came into my view; his eyes clear with passion and love.

"I love you so fucking much I can't even begin to put it into words. You don't have to say it right now if you don't want to but-"

"I do." I cut him off. "I love you, I'm in love with you, and I want you... all of the above."

"Then don't leave."

The battle inside of me continued to rage, not quite to relent to Nathan's sweet words and tender, addictive touch.

"I'm so fucked up, Nathan and... I'm scared. I'm so scared of hurting you again or breaking your heart because you're so perfect and so amazing and I don't want to ever be the person to bring you down or hurt you like I have this past month." I dropped off into a soft whisper, holding Nathan's stare as I spoke, gauging his reaction.

"You wanna know something?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I'm scared too."

I felt my heart sink into the pit of my stomach as my head dropped, my eyes squeezing shut as I tried to control the hurt washing through me.

I knew it.

The touch of warm fingers on the bottom of my chin brought me out of my downward spiral and forced my head back up, connecting my eyes with his bright ones.

"But not for the reason you think. I'm scared of losing you again. Never have I felt more helpless then when I saw you on that floor, bloody and suffocating. And when you passed out... the thought that you might not wake back up... that's not a feeling I ever want to experience again."

One of his hands moved up to cup the side of my face once more, his eyes swimming with grief.

"I'll go through a million fights, arrests, and jobs before I ever have to feel like that again. Now more than ever I know, after everything we've been through, that I need you. I can't live without you, Alex."

My heart contracted in my chest as his eyes welled with tears of his own and I could practically see the memories of that day flashing through his mind.

"I just thought I was doing what was best for you if I left... I was just trying not to be selfish." I said in a strained voice, resting my head into Nathans hand that was caressing my cheek, every bit of resolve I had, slowly breaking.

Nathan's lips lifted up into the sweetest of smiles and his eyes filled with a certain fondness.

"Being selfish can actually have some of the best results. I know I was when I started dating my student and it was hands down the best decision I've ever made."

This caused a smile to rise on my lips that matched his and I knew that any fight I had left in me was dispelled and if Nathan truly wanted to be with me, with no regard to the past events, then I was unconditionally his for as long as he would have me.

"So I'll leave it up to you then. Someone told me recently to stop making decisions for people and I think she was onto something," I said as I recalled Mrs. Smith and I's talk in her classroom a few days ago.

I took a deep breath and steadied my gaze on Nathan's.

"If you want me, I'm yours. Forever and always."

Nathan's expression became a mixture of elation and hunger all at once as he tightened his arms grip around my waist.

"Trust me. I want you."

And then his lips pressed onto mine.

THEY MADE UP! Finally! And now get ready all of my sexy readers for a steamy chapter next ;) 

SO what did you think? Could you see where Alex was coming from or did you just want her to shut up and kiss him? lol I know I was thinking that at points while writing but she had to do that and say those things... she's been through a lot and truly thought that she would be doing the right thing. But thankfully Nathan talked her out of it! lol I love him! *sighs*

Anyways! Please tell me what you thought and vote if you loved it and are happy they are back together!  :) Love you guys so much!