by Reid, B. B.
Ever’s gaze lingered on the broken snow globe before shifting to me on the bed with my knees now to my chest. “I’d ask if you were okay but…”
A laugh-barked from my raw throat and I cried even harder. “I-I’ll c-clean it up. I pro-promise.”
I had no idea if he understood me or not, but in a flash, he was next to me, pulling me into his lap before my next sob was free.
“Falling is easy,” he said. “Sometimes it’s even painless. It’s getting up and walking away that cripples us.”
“I’m not broken,” I angrily cried into his shoulder. I hated the thought of anyone believing me weak. “I’ll be okay. I just…” I suddenly looked up and found him watching me patiently. “You didn’t mean me.”
His lips twitched, but he said nothing.
“But I was the one who walked away,” I argued.
“Were you?”
I scoffed and released his shirt I’d balled in my fist, before climbing out of his lap. The asshole was making it hard to be selfish and think of only my feelings. Didn’t I at least have the right to mourn what could have been?
He chuckled at my attitude and stood from the bed.
“Take a ride with me.”
I blinked, wondering if he’d smacked his head or something. “It’s Valentine’s Day. Shouldn’t you be with Four somewhere celebrating?”
“Later.”
I looked out the window and frowned seeing nothing but darkness staring back at me. It didn’t get much later than that.
Pulling me to my feet, Ever tossed me the hoodie I left at the foot of the bed.
“If it’s another party, I’ll pass.”
One thing the elites of Blackwood Keep knew how to do was have a good time. We’d partied nonstop throughout their winter vacation, and I had a feeling they were attempting to keep me distracted.
A lot of good it did.
The moment I was alone, all bets were off, and I was right back where I started.
I hadn’t heard from Wren. Had no idea if he was even still alive. Fox was still out there, after all. Weakened but not beaten.
“No one told you to take all those shots.”
“Ah, but that’s what made it so much fun.” I followed him outside to the G-Wagon and awkwardly waited as he transferred the dozen yellow roses from the passenger seat to the back seat. “Seriously, don’t you have somewhere to be? You’re dressed for a date, and there’s no way I’m dating you.” In addition to my immense respect for Four, I knew there was no way he’d let me get away with half the shit I pulled with Wren. Hot or not, Four could have that headache.
“Jesus, you really are a pita.”
“Like a loaf of bread?”
“Like a pain in the ass.” He helped me inside the truck before rounding the front and hopping into the driver’s seat.
Ten minutes later, he drove us through a large cul-de-sac. He hadn’t offered much in the way of conversation mostly because he’d been texting furiously every chance he got, and I spent the entire ride trying to figure out his nervous energy. Every so often, he’d strangle the steering wheel, glance at me, and then quickly focus on the road before I could ask questions.
At least he wasn’t stingy with his radio like Jamie.
Banks was just beginning to croon ‘Under the Table’ when Ever turned into a cul-de-sac with tall houses lining each side of the street. Three months ago, I would have been in awe, but after living in a mansion and seeing all the luxury hidden within that sleepy town, I was only mildly impressed.
Until I saw it.
The wide navy blue two-story at the end with white trim and a charcoal roof.
Just beyond the stone archway was the front door, which was painted black with a large glass window cut to resemble a snowflake. I could only imagine all the natural sunlight the huge windows allowed in during the day. It was the perfect setting for capturing beautiful moments.
The front yard, small but immaculate, had a single large tree towering high over the house and a wide paved driveway leading to a garage.
I hoped whoever called this place home shared it with a family. It was the perfect size to offer space without feeling alone. Because the memories, the laughter, and the tears would be hard to miss.
It wasn’t just a dream. It was my dream.
I’d spent too much time trying to find my place in someone else’s.
“Who lives here?”
My door opened before he could answer, but judging by the secretive twinkle in his eyes, he hadn’t planned to anyway. Shivering at the sudden blast of cold air, I turned to confront the culprit and found Vaughn standing there with his hand out.
Waiting.
I hesitated only a moment before accepting his hand. My heart was already beating fast, and I had no idea why. I allowed Vaughn to help me from the truck, and once my feet touched the floor, Tyra appeared out of nowhere, dressed to impress in a light pink dress, and carrying a small wicker basket filled with red rose petals. She smiled at me, and I offered her a trembling one in return.
My gut, which was currently somersaulting all over the place, told me I wouldn’t get answers if I asked for them, so when she started walking tossing rose petals on her way, I followed her. The moment I stepped onto the path, the lanterns lining the sides lit up one by one until I found Jamie standing at the bottom of the porch steps holding a guitar.
Our eyes met and his fingers began to move, creating a tune that was light and full at the same time. It was familiar, and I didn’t realize why until Barbie appeared from behind the archway and began to sing.
“Wise men say…”
My heart started pounding so hard that it nearly drowned out the rest of the song.
I knew without a doubt what—or rather who—was waiting for me.
The front door slowly opened, but all I could see were more petals flooding a seemingly empty foyer. Instead of the lanterns, however, candles led the way up the stairs directly across from the door.
I looked back feeling unsure.
My gaze landed on Jamie, but his attention, even as he continued to play, was locked on Barbie. She didn’t even notice the emotion, stripped of mistrust and anger, spilling from his gaze, her eyes closed as she sang, completely unaware. Her voice, deep and soothing, had him locked in a trance as she gave it her all.
Since I had arrived alone with Ever, it was my guess she had come here with Jamie, and judging by the way she was dressed in the freezing cold—tiny pink shorts and a thin cream camisole—she had been pulled from her bed in a rush.
Or, knowing Jamie, unwillingly.
Finally, I looked to Ever, who was leaning against the passenger door of his G-Wagon with his feet crossed. The soft smile he gave somehow gave me courage, and with my heart in my throat, I stepped inside the candlelit house.
The moment I cleared the door, I felt someone at my side. Four looked absolutely stunning in a red dress of floral lace with a high round neckline, cap sleeves, and a skirt that flared below the waist and stopped inches above her knees. On her feet were patent leather ballet flats, and around her ankle was a thin gold anklet, which I’d never seen before, with the words ‘My Wild’ connecting the links.
I realized she must have been the one to open the door and had hidden behind it to stay out of sight. So much for that, I thought when she pressed a kiss to my cheek and winked before ducking out the door. I watched through the glass as she ran to Ever. He stood up straight in time to catch her in his arms and kiss her deeply.
A bolt of longing shot through me, leaving behind a gaping hole that I knew only Wren could fill.
My legs threatened to give out as I started up the stairs and saw the framed black and white photos of varying sizes filling the wall. Each memory was more precious than the last. They told the story of Wren and me from the harrowing start to its heartbreaking finish.
I’d left them behind hoping to make new ones when I ran from the Hendersons what seemed like a lifetime ago. How were they here? Had he ri
sked going back for them? Sadness crept in knowing the Hendersons were long gone, and I wouldn’t be able to say a proper goodbye—or thank them.
Following the rose petals to the top of the stairs and through an open set of black barn doors, I paused.
Shock.
Disappointment.
Confusion.
I felt it all as I took in the furnished bedroom.
Straight ahead, floating in the middle of the room was a single heart-shaped balloon and tied to it, a small slip of paper. I approached on cautious feet and seized the note.
He’d only written two words.
Two small words that squeezed my heart until it shattered, much like the snow globe had.
Welcome home.
My next breath snagged. With my throat burning and a hot river flowing over my cheeks, I crushed the paper in my fist.
I didn’t want it. Not without Wren.
Why couldn’t he see that? Why wasn’t he here?
Anger overtook me, and I spun around, ready to find a match and burn this house to the ground when I stopped, a gasp frozen on my lips.
Wren was standing in the open doorway, hands shoved in his pockets, looking very much afraid.
“You don’t like it?”
The words “I love it” threatened to spill, but I swallowed them back down. He didn’t deserve praise. “Where have you been?” I cried instead.
He winced, and I wanted to go to him, to tell him that I forgave him, now and forever. I didn’t. “I didn’t want to face you again empty-handed.”
I stared back at him in disbelief. “So you think you can buy me?”
“Of course not.” He took a step closer. “You were an orphan because of me. You lost your home because of me. This was the only way I could give at least one of those things back.”
I took a deep breath as another tear fell. “Wrong again, Wren. You once told me that my home was with you, and I believed you.”
“Because it’s true,” he growled.
“Then why did you leave? Why did you leave me homeless all over again?” My entire body started to tremble then my legs buckled.
“God, baby.” He rushed to catch me before I fell and carried me to the large bed with a sheer gray canopy falling from the ceiling and tied off at each corner. It was perfect.
I immediately melted into the comfy mattress underneath me and inhaled his tantalizing scent as he hovered above me. God, I hate him.
“I suck at this,” he admitted after a long silence.
My tears continued to leak through when I closed my eyes and fought the laugh that was bubbling up. “Yeah, no kidding,” I mumbled.
When I opened my eyes, I saw him biting his bottom lip to keep from laughing. “So am I welcome?”
I shrugged, pretending that my stomach wasn’t tightening with hunger for him. “It’s your house.”
“Not according to the deed.”
I blinked once before I spoke in a shaky tone. “You really bought this for me? How?”
“I had help,” he admitted cryptically. His expression darkened before he shook it off. “But none of that matters now. I just hope you like Blackwood Keep because we’re here to stay.”
I loved it, but I couldn’t help but wonder if we had run far enough away from Fox’s reach. “What about Fox?”
“We’re the last of his worries now, Lou. The best he can hope for is prison.”
“I don’t understand…”
He shook his head and bent down to kiss me. “Later.”
Sitting up, he pulled me with him then dug into his pocket.
My breath caught in my throat. Sitting in his palm was the mood ring I’d left in his car when I thought I’d walked away from him for good.
Meeting my gaze, he let me read every single page I’d written on his heart. “Three years ago today… you became my onus, my light… and I’m hoping… starting now… you’ll just be mine?”
Seizing my left hand, he slipped the ring on my finger, and we both watched as it turned a startling violet. However, I didn’t need a mood ring to tell me I was in love. I had my heart beating wildly for him.
Wren couldn’t give me back my parents, and he couldn’t turn back the clock three years and decide not to lie to me, but with this ring, this home, and his open heart, he was asking for the chance to start over again. It was the only way to make it right, the only way to piece us both back together again.
I wanted to hate him, to hurt him by denying him my heart, but I knew neither of us would survive it. Love couldn’t exist without forgiveness.
So with one word, I set us both free.
“Yes.”
“Slow down.”
I moaned as I shook my head and sped up. The sound of him sliding in and out of me intensified, and I could feel his heart racing under my hands. We had our eyes closed tightly, our heads thrown back, too lost in the sensations we created to care about our surroundings.
Because I couldn’t be bothered to wait until we returned home for my riding lesson, we’d climbed into the back seat of Paula right there in the store parking lot. Unfortunately, the ‘lesson’ quickly turned into me taking control, leaving Wren to find the will to shake free of the fog he was in long enough to take it back.
The windows had long ago fogged up, keeping anyone from seeing us, although the rocking car probably gave them a good idea of what we were up to.
I’d been perfectly okay going without food, but Wren insisted we shop for groceries, so I made sure to pick up enough to last us the next month or two. Seeing Wren push that damn cart around, looking so domesticated, was what had driven me crazy in the first place.
We’d been going at it all night, barely taking a breath as we made up the time we’d spent apart. I never wanted to go that long without him again. He might as well save space for me in his suitcase if he ever had to take a trip. It felt like someone had taken a goddamn lung. I didn’t breathe the same.
“You’re going to hurt yourself,” Wren weakly warned.
I didn’t care. I wanted it to hurt. It was a fitting punishment for needing it this bad and never getting enough. It had to be wrong, right? The deaconesses at the Hendersons’ house of worship would certainly think so. The first women’s seminar Mrs. H had forced me to attend was the last after my brazen comments turned every single one of those ladies a deep shade of red.
I was naked from the waist down, my shirt and bra bunched above my breasts while Wren’s sweatpants pooled around his thighs. Our hurried state of undress was as far from proper as it got. Smiling, I planted my hands on Wren’s knees and leaned back as I moved up and down on his cock. The new position created friction on my overeager clit that would have had me coming in seconds if Wren hadn’t intervened.
Sitting up, he clutched me tighter as he rapidly lifted his hips meeting me halfway and bringing tears to my eyes. “Why are you crying?” he taunted as he pounded me from below. “You wanted this, right? You wanted my cock? Huh? Answer me.”
I tried to be a big girl, but I found myself wailing at the top of my lungs. I wasn’t even sure what I babbled to him, but without an ounce of remorse, he viciously grabbed my messy bun and licked a trail up my neck until he reached my ear where he whispered, “And it’s all yours.”
I desperately tried to regain control, but he only sped up his strokes until it became clear that top or bottom, Wren would always reign. Unfortunately, by the time I finally submitted and allowed him to fully have his way, we were both too far gone to stop.
The cry I let out when I came caused the scandalized shopper passing by to gasp and shout, “Oh my goodness!” I listened to her hurried footsteps carrying her away and grinned.
Our eyes slowly drifted open at the same time, and with one look, we both knew neither of us was done. The sweat and sex clogging the air in the enclosed space made it hard to catch our breath, so neither of us bothered to speak. Shifting my weight, I realized he was still hard and frowned.
“You didn’t come?”
“You ready to do what you’re told?” he shot back. I whimpered my response. “Good. Now walk before you run.” He grabbed onto my hips and started a slow pace that was sure to torture me. “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You promise?”
The nipple he’d only just drawn between his lips fell free. “Promise?” he echoed. His eyes were a glittering blue as he stared up at me. “That’s a warning, Lou. Learn the difference.”
I rose up and moaned, feeling every inch of him as I sank back down on him so slowly he groaned as his eyes nearly rolled back. This could work. Leaning down, I kissed him. “I love you too, bestie.”
AFTER TWO WEEKS OF SECLUSION, I snuck out of the house, leaving Lou alone in our bed. That didn’t stop me from itching to get back to her as I sat next to my father in Thomas McNamara’s office.
I wasn’t sure when Thomas had figured out who I was, but it saved me the trouble of convincing him when I confronted him a few months ago. Coming clean was the only way I could think to keep Lou safe in Blackwood Keep while I got my shit together. To my surprise, however, Thomas had not only figured out who I was but he also knew that my father was still alive. Even though he owed me nothing, it was hard not to feel resentment toward him for taking part in my father’s lies rather than seeking me out.
The only reason I even agreed to this meeting was that both men had helped me secure the home I now shared with Lou, which was the least either of them could have done. My father had forked over the cash thinking it would buy my forgiveness while Thomas handled the legalities.
I’d been locked in this office with both men for over an hour now while my father poured all of his dirty deeds on the table, including the real reason my mother had died, which wasn’t because of my father’s infidelity as Fox had claimed. Finding out that my father never loved my mother or even cared enough to make her his woman stung, but like all the other hurt he’d caused me, I brushed it off.