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I wait for a reaction, but she just slowly opens her eyes. There's a flicker of tightness in them for a heartbeat, and then they relax as she realizes it's me, nothim.
“I’d marry you right now or in five years, whenever you’re ready. Just tell me when,” I affirm.
She smiles, a single tear escaping her eye, landing on her upper lip.
“I’m going to kiss you,” I whisper as I lean in closer and press my lips against hers. This time... well, my heart bursts with happiness because she kisses me back.
Not slowly. Not with fear.
It’s with passion and hunger.
Starvation.
“Please, Julian, I just want to feel you. Only you.” She begs me.
We tangle as we undress, my mind racing to stay coherent, though my body screams otherwise. I want to make sure she won’t regret this. So, I let her lead, ensuring this is truly what she wants.
Meanwhile, my cock is so hard it's verging on the need to seek medical attention. I need her.
“Please,” she begs, pulling me closer by the hips.“Don’t ask if I’m okay. I want you right now. Don’t deny me that.”
“I won’t,” I reply, my heart singing with those words.
Gently, I sink into her tight, warm walls clenching around me. Her eyes widen—a look of clarity and awakening. It's like she's seeing the world anew. The fog has cleared! Some of her darkness has been vanquished. This is a major turning point, and I know after today, although we still have battles to fight, the war is ours to claim.
Now I’m truly home. I'm making love to the woman I adore in our safe and secure house without any shadows surrounding us.
Chapter 58
Poppy
Christmas Eve the following year.
I can’t believe it’s been a little over a year since Andrew took his own life.
A year of mixed emotions: some filled with torment, others with sorrow, but, thankfully, many more brimming with happiness.
Julian is right; occasionally, something stupid triggers memories of Andrew. However, over time, these triggers have become less frequent and my reactions less intense.
I'm not going to say I'll never think of Andrew again. That would be a lie. Dr. Peterson has taught me to confront the truth. I know there will be times Andrew haunts me, like when I'm a mother and it's time to talk to my daughter about sex. There's no way not to think about Andrew when I'm thinking about my first time.
Where there is darkness, there's light. Julian will shine new memories over the bad ones.
He has.
That's a good life lesson to teach our future kids. No matter how deep the hole you're trapped in, you can always find enough rope to pull yourself out. Trust me, Amazon can supply rope by the hundreds of miles if you need it. Plus, they will ship it to you in two days. It's up to you to decide when to start climbing and when to allow someone else to help you climb and pull on that rope. It’s not going to be a fun climb; it’s going to be hard; you’ll stumble and fall back down a few feet.
Keep climbing. Fight.
Remember, there are others on the other side pulling that rope to get you out. One day, your fingers will reach the sunlight. One day, it will be all over. A new chapter can begin.
Julian parks the car along the gravel driveway, his fingers tapping an impatient rhythm on the steering wheel. His gaze drifts, settling on the expansive silhouette of his father’s grand ranch house framed against the setting sun. Shadows stretch long over the manicured lawns, and the house's windows reflect the dying light as evening begins to take hold. He sits motionless, caught between the urge to step out and the weight of old memories.
“Are you nervous?” I ask him, noticing the slight tension in his expression.
We’re having Christmas Eve dinner with his family and mine tonight. Henry flew in, and Harper was Kent’s date. However, the prospect of seeing Elsie again is making my usually unshakable man slightly jittery. I know he likes his father’s girlfriend. The problem is he’s scared to admit it because if he does, he thinks it will erase his mom.
I’ve never had to witness a parent falling in love again, especially with a different woman. It must be odd, but I know Julian and his brothers are happy to see their dad smiling again.
