Babies' Secret: My Ex Wants Me Back!-Chapter 63: Family Trip III

Chapter 63 - Family Trip III

Aaron gingerly carried Katherine back to the campsite, his arms wrapped tightly around her soaked body as the cold air whooshed lightly, making her shiver in his arms, and he tightened his hands harder.

Her weight was light for him in his arms—so delicate and gentle—but the knot in his chest didn’t loosen, not even when he gently placed her down after they arrived inside the tent.

Aaron turned his back for her to change out of her wet outfit, and Aaron did the same, stripping off his drenched shirt and wringing water from his pants. His fingers trembled slightly, and his hands were white and wrinkled from the wetness.

He laid out a dry sleeping bag beside the small fire pit and helped Katherine settle into it carefully. The spare hoodie he gave her practically swallowed her, its sleeves dangling past her fingers inside the goodies.

Katherine pulled the fabric tighter to her nose, burying her face in its warmth and scent. Her lips were bluish—purplish? Pale and dry as her cheeks were slightly flushed from cold, and she blinked slowly like she was fighting exhaustion.

The twins were snuggled in their sleeping bags, whispering quietly as their worried eyes darted between their mother and Aaron, but he offered them a nod of reassurance.

Aaron crouched and added more sticks to the small fire for warmth as the orange glow in the tent gently cast shadows across Katherine’s face.

He moved quickly to make tea, pouring hot water into the thermos he’d packed earlier. He handed her the cup silently, watching her wrap her cold fingers around it like it was the last source of heat in the world.

"You’re worse than Mathew," she whispered, her voice hoarse as she sneezed again. Her nose scrunched, and a weak smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

Aaron frowned in displeasure and didn’t smile back. He furrowed his brow because the name tasted bitter on his lips, and his chest twitched in annoyance at the thought as he swallowed the questions in his throat. freeweɓnovel-cøm

Had Mathew watched her nearly drown before or seen her through the see-through cloth from the drenchedness? He bit his lips, the thought still tasting sour on his tongue.

"You could’ve drowned," he muttered in a monotone voice. His eyes were on the fire, but his thoughts weren’t. He was still trapped in the terror, helplessness, and panic he felt earlier—that he could have lost her again—and he didn’t want to feel that wretched feeling again.

"But I didn’t," Katherine replied softly, taking a sip of the tea as she sniffled again, the steam escaping from the cup and hitting her nose gently.

Aaron sat beside her without a word, his leg brushing hers through the sleeping bag. "You scared me," he said finally, his voice rough as he reached out, pulling her gently into a side hug, careful not to hit the cup in her hands.

Katherine’s hand found his wrist, her touch soft and grounding. "I know."

Their eyes met—briefly yet with intensity. No words passed between them for a few seconds, and only the crackle of the fire and the rustle of leaves from outside filled the silence. Both were in their own world, all else forgotten.

"You shouldn’t have jumped in like that," she murmured, her fingers brushing the edge of the thermos cup as she took another sip.

Aaron turned to face her fully, his eyes staring deep into hers. "You were drowning, babe," he said quietly, the term of endearment slipping out naturally. "Because there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do to keep you safe."

The air between them thickened. The warmth in the tent felt cozy—like something deeper and more tender.

Katherine looked down, the words sinking into her like rain soaking dry ground. Her chest rose and fell unevenly.

"Even after everything?" she asked finally, her voice small, her throat tightening around the question. It carried weight—six years of pain, of silence, of betrayal.

Aaron reached out, his hand cupping her face gently. His thumb brushed against her cheek, now warm from the fire. "Especially after everything," he said softly, his voice carrying the sincerity in his eyes.

Her lashes fluttered at his touch, her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but the words never came out.

"Aaron..." she breathed out like a whispered prayer.

Aaron leaned in slowly, deliberately and gingerly, his eyes locked on hers for permission. When she didn’t pull away, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead instead of her lips. He didn’t know if she wanted that yet. His lips lingered much longer on her forehead.

"I meant what I said," he whispered, lips brushing her skin. "I never stopped loving you."

Katherine let her eyes fall shut, letting herself soak into his closeness and warmth. Her chest rose with a shaky inhale.

"I know," she murmured, her voice barely audible—but Aaron held it. Katherine didn’t say it not because she doubted him or was surprised, but because she knew deep inside her—buried in her—that he still loved her. Her heart thumped loudly; she could literally hear it in her head when she acknowledged it.

Katherine moved closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder as Aaron wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to his side. The sleeping bag rustled as she burrowed in, and he adjusted the hoodie’s hood over her head, fingers lingering.

Neither of them said anything after that, because there was nothing else to say.

The evening quieted around them, the fire crackled gently, and Katherine’s breathing evened out as she slipped into sleep, tucked into Aaron’s side. He remained awake a little longer, his fingers tracing idle patterns on her sleeve as he stared into the flames.

He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. But tonight—this moment that he had her—he wouldn’t let go.

He sent a quick silent prayer to the One in heaven to make this moment continue sailing smoothly forever, and then pulled her closer, burying his nose in her hair.

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