AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He broke the silence, saying, “We could get a memorial for her if you’d like.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I let more silence pass and then said, “He did it to me on purpose, you know? To hurt me.”
“What do you mean?”
“None of the other girls ever got pregnant. We were on injections at Rothbart’s. He randomly stopped mine when I became numb to the beatings and sexual assaults. I feel like I’m grieving over so much right now. Including us. And it hurts, Remi.”
“You don’t have to do it alone, Cat. We don’t have to be over. We’re not over. I’ll never accept that. I’ll never walk away.”
“Do you think we’re still capable of being happy?”
“Happy or not, Cat. I need to be with you.” He twisted onto his side, holding my face close, continuously wiping tears. “I won’t ignore your boundaries. But I’ll never sign divorce papers.”
“Maybe I don’t want you to.”
“What do you want?”
My voice shattered into a thousand pieces. “To be happy. My life might not be that long.”
“Don’t say that. You could break records.”
“Well, whether I live one or fifty-one years, I want to enjoy my time. The past hurts too much to dwell on it, and while it’ll be really hard to work through everything, I’ve already lost so much. I’m not ready to lose you, too.”
“I’ll never be ready.”
“I kinda feel I won’t either. I can’t forget the last few weeks, even after remembering our first few weeks. Look ahead, not back, right?”
Remi had a pained expression on his face. I knew the reason he lived by that mantra. The past was an awful, painful place that he might never be ready to face. The future gave him hope.
I’d share his mantra.
He nodded, strands of his uncut hair falling into his eyes.
“You need a trim.”
“I know. Those so-called fans will probably have something to say about that, too.”
“Yeah.” I brushed his hair back, my hand leaving his ear for a second. “They’ll probably say you look hot.”
A smile lifted his lips, and something depressive fought to pull them back down—the words about to leave his mouth. “Stay off social media, Cat. Those worthless opinions stem from bitter people who are unhappy in their own lives. Believe me, it’s not a you problem. It’s a them problem. And they have that same problem with many other people. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes.” He tugged me closer, our bodies melding completely, and my heart calmed at last.
“I kinda wish I could, too. You act like the sun shines out of my ass.”
“Well, I’d have said your smile, soul, or something. I’ve heard what comes out of your ass while you sleep at night.”
Pink tinted my cheeks. I felt it there as I pushed myself away from him. My mouth fell open in shame, unsure if I should protest my innocence or apologize because I could be guilty. My hand left his ear to shove at his chest, and we both ended up laughing.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” He held up a hand in defense.
I watched his full lips curve and enjoyed the sight of his happiness.
I leaned in. A single touch of my lips, the softest kiss just next to his mouth, before I pulled back.
A big hand redirected me, pulling my face back to his. His mouth landed on mine, sucking the fullness of my bottom lip into his mouth. I crossed my legs, ignoring the flutter between them.
His tongue teased the seam of my lips. I opened for him, letting his tongue massage mine, letting the moment make him grow harder against my leg. His closed eyes fluttered, fighting the urge to rock against me as we kissed.
Pulling back, I turned away from his glossed lips and heavy breathing.
