by Beck, J. L.
“What the hell are you doing here? God, I didn’t even think you had this much nerve,” Mia said. Her voice was cold and almost threatening. Maybe she would end up punching me, too. I’d let her. If she had to hit me a thousand times to listen to what I had to say, I’d let her do it.
“Don’t say anything. Just hear me out,” I said.
Mia rolled her eyes and added a scoff at the end. “Really? You think I want to hear anything you have to say?” Mia asked.
I ignored her question. “I know you think I kissed her, but I didn’t,” I spoke slowly and confidently, hoping my words would have maximum impact.” I pushed her away. I don’t care about her Mia. I never have. It’s always been you. Even when I left, it was you. I knew one day I would come back and make you mine again, even if you had a husband and kids. In my heart you would always remain mine.” The words poured from within me seeping into the space between us. I thought at any second Mia would interrupt me or just walk back into the cabin, closing the door behind her.
But she didn’t. She stood there and listened. Her features softened. I could see tears were beginning to well in her magical looking eyes. The pain in her face felt like a dagger in my chest, as if I was being torn up inside. I couldn’t stand to see her in pain.
“I don’t believe you,” Mia said. Her voice was full of emotion and tears, but she pushed her anger through practically gritting her teeth with each word.
“It’s the truth,” I said. “And no, I don’t have any proof. All I have is my word. I know my word hasn’t been worth much lately with you, but it’s all I’ve got. I have my word that I did not kiss Sofia today and my word that I only want to be with you. I am pleading with you to believe me. Do you really think I would do anything that stupid to jeopardize what I have now? I’ve got a family, Mia. I have the only woman I could ever love and our beautiful little girl. There is no way in hell I would ever do something stupid enough to jeopardize that. You have to believe me.”
Tears were streaming down Mia’s face now. She was biting her lip, trying to find the words, just trying to force them out of her mouth. She cleared her throat and her eyes glared daggers right at me. “I saw you though…” Mia croaked and the need to go to her was nearly overpowering me. “I saw the kiss, she… she kissed you Jake. I saw it with my own eyes.” The tears that fell from her eyes were because of me.
The pain that lingered in her heart was because of me. The insecurities she had were mine, and I needed to build her up. I needed her to see that she was the most beautiful thing to me. “That’s just it baby, she kissed me…” I couldn’t stop myself. I had to touch her. I moved up the steps and into her space, cradling one of her smooth cheeks in my hand. She smelt like heaven, and for the first time all day, I felt like I could breathe. I could see the light bulb go off inside her head. The dots were connecting.
“It hurt to see it though. It made me think things. I’m scared. You know that.” More tears fell and I stared down into her Emerald green eyes, wanting to take all the pain away.
“I love you Mia. You can run to the ends of the fucking Earth to get away from me, but I’ll still come for you. You’re my all, my every-fucking-thing and nothing, nor no one, will ever mean more to me than you and my daughter…” I couldn’t emphasize it enough.
A sob ripped from her throat and within seconds, she was leaning against my chest, her tears soaking into my t-shirt. “I hate you for hurting me,” she whispered so softly, I almost missed the words. She clung to me like I was a lifeline, telling me how much I had hurt her. Pouring every single emotion, she felt over the last four years into her words.
“I want to be angry, to hit you, to lash out at you, to run away, but I also want to hug you, kiss you, and tell you how much I love you. I’m conflicted with my emotions and it’s because of you…” Her small fist slammed into my chest, making my heartbeat faster.
“Give it to me baby. I deserve it. I deserve everything you have. It’s my fault. I accept that.” I poured everything out. I was breaking down in front of her and it was ok. I was not afraid to show her how much pain I was in because of what she was putting me through. And I welcomed it. It was my punishment and let it fit the crime a thousand times over. I was ok with all of it. I just wanted her to know, that she could hit me with everything she had but nothing would come close to the pain of her walking out of my life. Her sobs got louder, and Lola grew concerned as she watched us from inside the house, a frown marring her beautiful features.
“I’m no prince Mia, but I’m going to do whatever I can to treat you like the queen you are. I’ll protect you. Stand by you. I’ll be your strength. I’ll be whatever you need me to be, just let me be something for you, anything.” I couldn’t see through the tears that had started to form in my eyes.
I wrapped my arms around Mia so tight I was sure I was going to cut off air supply to her lungs.
“Just be my forever, and I’ll be yours too.”
And I would be until the day we died.
Epilogue
Mia
“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” Lola shouted a million times from her bedroom where her and her Daddy were painting a mural on her wall.
I hobbled up the stairs, nine months pregnant with our second daughter. Sweet Ellie. She would be here so soon… “Oh, my Gosh!” Tears welled in my eyes as I entered the bedroom, taking in the wall that they had spent the last week painting. It was a beautiful love story, of how we came together, fell apart, and came back together again.
It started with the boathouse and ended at the cabin where we came together as one all over again.
Sometimes, I was just utterly amazed by our journey. What a story. All great romances had a fantastic story, right? We’d always have ours to tell. The thought brought a smile to my face. It still does.
“Please tell me those are happy tears, because if they aren’t I swear I’ll paint right over all of this right now.” Jake, my rugged, now husband, spoke up with a paintbrush in hand.
Our journey had been a rocky one, full of hills and jagged rocks, but we came out of it stronger and hand in hand.
“Please no, it’s…” There just were no words to describe the feelings I was feeling. He had all but painted our entire love story on our daughters’ bedroom wall, making it into a magical fairytale, which it was when you really thought about it. .
“Do you love it?” Lola gazed up at me her blue eyes sparkling with happiness.
“Yes! I love it, sweetheart!”
Jake stood, wrapping his arms around me. I smiled warmly at him and then rested my head softly on his shoulder for a moment. I was tired and my back ached. It was wonderful having him to lean on any time I needed to. We had come such a long way together. He pieced my broken heart back together when I was sure there was no piecing it back together.
“I didn’t do this to make you cry, baby…” He soothed, rubbing his hand down my back, resting in the perfect spot as if he knew exactly where the pain was. I melted into his touch. He was everything. Him, Lola, and Ellie were all I needed in this world.
And that included our families. We had told my parents everything when we returned from the cabin, making it known to everyone that Jake and I were together and Lola was his. There was no point in hiding anything anymore.
“I know you didn’t. I know you did it to show our daughter that even real love has its ups and downs.”
“Do you think Sissy will like it?” Lola asked admiring the wall they had painted.
I stared at it for a moment without answering. There was no doubt in my mind that Ellie would love it just as much as Lola. “I think she will love it, baby,” I answered, pulling away from Jake, while rubbing my belly.
Ellie kicked at the movement of my hand.
It was almost like she was answering with her own happiness. I admired my entire family in that moment; loving the story, we had woven together. Now we had something we could look at every night when we put our sweet little girl down to bed.
&n
bsp; “I love you, Mia. I love you so much,” Jake whispered into my ear, placing a kiss just below it. I melted into his kiss.
This was my happily ever after. My forever.
Looking back nine months before I often wondered what made me give in. Where did that feeling of total peace come from that had washed over me when Jake was practically on his knees begging me to listen to him. There was something in his pleas, a resonance in his cries that spoke to me on a level I couldn’t explain. I was so sure I’d seen what I thought I had. I was certain that my eyes had witnessed Jake kissing Sofia.
But what if I was wrong? That thought would not leave me from the moment I made the decision to close up the bakery, take Lola, and drive out to the cabin. That thought was always running in the back of my mind. What if I was wrong and I was throwing everything that could have been. Jake had made that choice once before and we’d both paid dearly for it. What if I was doing the same thing now? I’m human. I make mistakes. Was I making the worst mistake of my life right then? The worst mistake in Lola’s life?
I had to believe that Jake had changed. I had to believe that the new love we had, the love that was so perfect, was real. After everything Sofia had done to rip us apart why in the hell would Jake have had anything to do with her? It didn’t make sense.
I knew all this and yet I let my fear take control of my mind. Why? Maybe as some sort of protection from pain that may or may not have come in the future?
I looked at Jake who was in tears pleading with me to listen to him and I’d looked back at Lola watching with a heartbroken look on her little face in the doorway. I knew right then what the right choice was that I had to make.
I had chosen to forgive Jake. I had chosen to give us a real chance. But if I allowed my trust to remain shattered by past mistakes from years before then I had only given us half a chance to begin with.
I owed it to us to give us a real chance. I owed it to myself, to Jake, and most of all to our daughter. It was right when I opened my heart and let Jake in for good.
In the end, Love won. It always did.
THE END
About J.L. Beck
J.L. BECK IS THE Best Selling Author of A Kingpin Love Affair Series and The Bittersweet Series. She plays mother and wife by day and writer extraordinaire by night. When she’s not writing, reading, or doodling, you can find her watching The Vampire Diaries and The 100. She currently resides in the tiny town of Elroy in the state of Wisconsin with her husband of seven years and their three-year-old hellion.
J.L. Beck wants to hear from you. If you’re on social media feel free to send her a friend request.
JOIN SMUT QUEENS
You can also find her at all the other places below:
SIGN UP FOR HER NEWSLETTER
FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK
FOLLOW ON TWITTER
PIN WITH ME
FOLLOW ON IG
Newsletter: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/k4ordpbhzu
Join Smut Queens: http://bit.ly/2sWljZG
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJLBeck/
Twitter: :https://twitter.com/AuthorJLBeck
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorJLBeck
Instagram: https://instagram.com/authorjlbeck/
Follow her on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2srbge9
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2tOVZl8
Also by J.L. Beck
HIRED TO KILL
QUIVER FOR ME
Taking What's His (Bad Boy Alpha's #1)
The Billionaire's Nanny (A MFM Twin Brother Romance)
Bad Boy's In Blue (A MFM Romance)
Daddy's Best Friend (Daddy's Best Friend Romance)
Their Spoiled Princess (A MFM Romance)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SMUT BOOKS