Page 115 of Unforgivable
“Sweetheart, I made my peace with it,” I told him honestly, taking his clenched hand in mine and rubbing over the pulse point in his wrist. “I know you and Dad are upset for me, but don’t be. She’s pleading guilty and that will be a stain she can’t escape from. And at least she’s seeing the inside of a prison. That’s hella more than I ever expected to come of this. I was prepared for her to walk away from this scot-free, but Dad’s attorney worked his magic and now she’s facing actual consequences for what she did. I’m okay with it, truly.”
Rhys’ teeth sank into his bottom lip, abusing it as he wrestled with what I was saying. I reached over and tugged it free. I leaned into him, sucking on that pouty lip until it was swollen and red and Rhys whimpered for more. I released him and smiled when he tried to chase my mouth for another kiss. His eyes fluttered open, and he was so close I could see the ring of deep blue that melted into the pool of gray giving off that captivating violet hue. They were as entrancing as the man himself, and I could get lost in him for hours.
“I love you for caring so much about this, but please don’t dwell onit. We should take this as a win, even if it’s not the outcome we really wanted. You know villains don’t always get the ending they deserve,” I said, running my thumb gently across the curve of his lip.
“Sometimes they do…” Rhys whispered, looking intently at me. “I’m just gladmyvillain did.” He gave me a smug smirk that I couldn’t resist tasting. I dove back in, claiming his mouth roughly as our tongues fought for dominance. He moaned into the kiss, the sound going straight to my cock and I had to remind myself we were out in the open. Reluctantly, I released him and pulled back panting.
I grabbed his arm and tugged him toward me until he understood what I wanted. He maneuvered himself between my legs, his back meeting my chest as he reclined into me. He played with the fingers on my hand, tracing the lines in my palm in a way that could have put me to sleep.
“Do you think your mom is here with us?” Rhys asked in a thoughtful voice. My heart pinched in my chest that he thought of her like I did. I had wondered the same thing when we were up on the trail, if she was there to see the view. I couldn’t imagine my mom just hanging out in the clouds looking down on us. If anything, that crazy woman would have been making the climb with us, yelling at us to hurry up so we didn’t miss the first rays of light over the horizon, much like I’d done with Rhys. My eyes stung as my throat worked to swallow past the lump that formed thinking about her.
“Yeah…I think she is. She wouldn’t want to miss this, even if that meant crashing our romantic vacation,” I quipped, and Rhys snorted lightly.
“She did say to take her on some adventures. As far as she’s concerned, this is just you ponying up finally,” he responded playfully. I chuckled along with him, letting myself imagine that she was right beside us, commenting on the incredible scenery and how much she never wanted to leave. I closed my eyes and felt the wind whip around us a little more forcefully, letting out a tearful laugh thinking it was her way of agreeing with Rhys.
“Well, I hope for her sake she makes herself scarce when we get back to our AirBnB, or she’s going to be scarred for eternity with what I have planned for you,” I teased, and Rhys gasped dramatically at my lewd comment.
“Callum Hawkins, do not talk about our sex life with your mother around! She’s going to think I’m a floozy and not good enough for herson,” he said, sounding appalled. I rolled my eyes and dug my fingers into his side, drawing a screaming laugh out of him. He started hitting my arms, begging me to stop, but I didn’t let up until his pale skin was flushed red and he had the biggest smile on his face.
Rhys was twisted halfway in my arms, leaning heavily into my shoulder and catching his breath. I reached up to cup his cheek, and his breath caught when he met my gaze. “You are way too good for her son. But I promise you, I will work to be worthy of you the rest of our lives, Sweetness.”
“The rest of our lives, huh? You really think I’ll stick around that long?” Rhys smirked at me.
“Well, I’m gonna marry you someday, so I say make your peace with it,” I retorted, leaning back on my hands and giving him a cocky smile.
“Wow. Not at all presumptuous, are we? What if I say no? I’ll more than likely grow sick of you before then.”
I tilted my head, humming like I was thinking over his threat. “Hmm, that would pose an issue…for a lesser man. I’m quite confident that I’d just charm you all over again and we both know I’m capable of it. Even when I was a colossal dick, you couldn’t resist me.”
Rhys scoffed loudly, tossing his head back dramatically. “Oh please, you overestimate how much I like you. Let’s be honest, I’m basically a step away from Stockholm Syndrome since you made me move in with you. I constantly think to myself I should run away and escape to safer ground.”
I barked out a laugh, loving the easy banter that had been there from the beginning with us. “Made you move in?That’s an interesting way to rewrite history, Evans. And I hate to tell you, but you’re overlooking one crucial flaw in your escape plan there.”
“Do tell. What flaw am I missing?”
I gripped his chin firmly, bringing his sweet face close to mine until I could feel his breath puff against my skin. “I’d follow you. There’s no world in which I can let you go. There’s nowhere you could go that I wouldn’t follow you, Sweetness. I’ll always find you.”
His pupils dilated and I watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed with his rough swallow. “Why does that sound like a threat? Please tell me you get that it sounds like a threat…” he sassed, and I couldn’t resist licking a soft stripe along the bottom curve of his lip. His tiny whimper heated my blood and I smiled wickedly.
“Not a threat. Just a promise. I’ll always be yours, sweetheart. And one day, I plan to make you the happiest man alive and marry you. No need to thank me.” A light laugh escaped from him, widening my own smile at the beautiful sound. His own face brightened with a soft smile that had my heart thumping a little harder.
“Thank you for bringing me here, Cal,” Rhys said, his eyes going glassy with tears. “Just being with you like this, right here, it’s perfect. I am so thankful for the life we have together. I love you more than words can say.” His lips stole mine, his kiss igniting my blood and piercing me to my core. I kissed him back languidly, taking my time to explore him and the connection we had. I felt it in the deepest parts of me, transcending all reason and sense. I was never able to explain it, but the truth of it was rooted in my very being that I had waited for Rhys my whole life. There was no reality that could exist where we didn’t belong to each other. Call it fate, serendipity, or something else, but he was the soul I was destined to find.
When we parted, we stayed there for a while longer, Rhys curled into my embrace. We just sat there and enjoyed the view, soaking in this little piece of our forever.
RHYS’ EPILOGUE
THREE & A HALF YEARS LATER
Istood in front of the floor length mirror, staring at my reflection as a hundred thoughts raced through my head. I was a mess of nerves and anxiety, but underneath that was an unrelenting excitement for what was about to happen.
“It’s such a crime that it would take me nearly three hours to make myself presentable, but in forty-five minutes, you look ready for a runway. God, I hate you men sometimes,” Aly complained, doing a final check of my hair and light makeup before stepping back to admire her handiwork. Fin came up behind me to smooth down my tux jacket and make sure I didn’t have any unwanted fuzz or lint that stuck to me.
“She’s right though. You look amazing, and your man is going to lose his sexy little mind when he sees you. Too bad none of us will be there to see it because you justhadto decide on private first looks. Ugh, what a waste. Remember, if he cries you have to tell me because Micah then owes me money!” Fin said, looking at me with crazed eyes in the mirror’s reflection.
“You’re losing that bet, Finlay! There’s no way in hell Hawk is going to cry. I’m almost convinced he had his tear ducts removed just to be more of a badass,” Micah yelled out from the other side of thegroom suite. He was pouring us all glasses of champagne before the wedding planner came and grabbed me. “Aha! Here we are. A toast to our sweet Rhys.”
Micah, Fin, and Aly gathered around me in a circle, all of us raising our glasses in the center. “May you and Callum lead a life full of laughter, happiness, and love that lasts until the world ends,” Micah said with a bright smile.
