CHAPTER 77: LOVE AND PROMISES
LOVE AND PROMISES
Diana squeezed his hand. "I love you, James", she said softly, her voice laced with affection.
"And I'm willing to wait until you're comfortable saying it back, even though I know you're just bidding your time unnecessarily, and dragging your feet." Diana finished, rolling her eyes.
James threw back his head and laughed, a rich sound that washed over Diana. "What happened to waiting for me to say it first?"
Diana smiled and pinched his neck. "I'm hungry, hubby. You left your wife and your baby starving for a very long time," she whined.
James smiled and pulled her close. "Well, how do I make it up to you two?"
"We want food," she said as her stomach growled in perfect timing.
James chuckled and lifted her up, her legs wrapped around his waist, and gently sat her on the bed. He dialed Harry's number.
Harry, deep in sleep after returning from the bar, grumbled as he answered. "What is it now, James?"
"My wife says she's hungry. Get your people to bring her something to eat, fast."
Harry removed the phone from his ear and stared at it. Before he could say more, the call ended. He rolled his eyes and got out of bed.
James joined Diana on the bed and drew her closer. "So, what kind of abilities are these?"
"Well, whatever chemical they injected in us made us stronger, faster, and more sensitive to everything around us. But my unique ability is that I can hear things most people wouldn't, within a certain range. If the person is far, I won't be able to hear, but if I'm within 500 meters or closer, I can hear them."
"So within this range, you can hear practically everything?"
"Yeah," James responded.
"Well then, I'll try not to gossip about you when you're around," He laughed, brushing a kiss against her hair.
Conversation flowed smoothly between them, a comfortable rhythm settling in.
Thirty minutes later, a cart of food was wheeled into the room. They laid the food out on the table, and Diana dug in voraciously.
"Well, you've developed quite the appetite, huh, babe?" James teased.
"Yeah, well, all thanks to your child, your little miracle" Diana responded.
"To my child, huh?" James questioned, a wave of emotion washing over him.
"Mhm hmm," Diana responded again and winked.
After eating, Diana relaxed on his chest. Her voice was soft as she spoke. "Can you promise me one thing, though?" she asked.
"What?" James questioned.
"Promise not to go that long without talking to me again."
James held her close, the weight of his secrets pressing down on him. He couldn't imagine a world without Diana, but the truth about his past was a tangled web he wasn't sure he could untangle. "I promise," James agreed quickly.
Diana smiled and quickly drifted off to sleep. James stroked her back gently and sighed. He didn't think he would ever meet a woman who loved him as much as Diana, who was even willing to give up their child because of him. He had been told he would never find a woman who could love him for what he was. Or maybe she was just biding her time before she finally left him.
Pushing the thought away, James focused on the gentle rise and fall of Diana's chest. He concluded then that no matter what, he would savor this moment, for however long it lasted. He leaned down and kissed her hair, filled with contentment.
"I promise," he whispered, vowing to himself to find a way to be worthy of her love. He closed his eyes, the image of Diana peacefulness in sleep a balm to his troubled soul.