The sound of the fire and the crickets were the only noises we could hear—with the exception of her tears.
“Mom, if you say no, I swear to god…”
“She won’t say no,” I said confidently. “I made it impossible.”
Her eyes softened further as more tears came. Then she gave me a nod.
A smile moved on to my lips, treasuring that answer, my eyes starting to glisten too because I finally did it…I got her. I got the love of my life to agree to spend her life with me—and I was the luckiest man on this planet.
Her answer came as a whisper, muffled by her audible tears. “Yes…I’ll marry you.”
28
Emerson
After Lizzie went to sleep, it was just the two of us in our bedroom.
Derek made a fire in the hearth, so the glow lit the room as we moved together beneath the sheets, quiet except for the deep sounds of our breathing, our bodies coming together perfectly, the bed not making a sound because all we needed to do was feel each other.
His ring felt so heavy on my hand, the metal digging into my skin when I sliced my nails into his back. Sometimes I would catch the light glimmering out of the corner of my eye, reflecting the fire that crackled and popped.
Even when it was long past midnight and we had plans first thing in the morning, we stayed awake, lying side by side as we looked at each other, our bodies close together, our eyes seeing each other in a whole new way.
This man would be my husband.
I would be Mrs. Dr. Derek Hamilton.
Quite the title.
His hand slid up to my hip and down to my waist, riding the curves until he cupped my ribs below my breast, like he was memorizing the shape of my body. “They aren’t just coming to celebrate Lizzie’s graduation. They’re coming to celebrate us.”
“You told them?”
“I told them before I asked.”
My eyes took him in with no emotion. “You knew I would say yes?”
“With a proposal like that, how could you say no?” He wore his handsome smile, his eyes kind and playful. He was the man I worked so hard to find, the man I worked so hard to make good once again. Now, he was here…permanently.
“You’re right.”
“Your parents are coming too. I thought they could get to know my family.”
“That’ll be nice.”
“I was a little apprehensive to ask your father, but you know what he said?”
I grinned because I could only imagine.
“He said, ‘My daughter is a grown-ass woman with a thirteen-year-old daughter. You don’t need to ask my permission.’”
I chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds like Dad.”
“I liked that answer.”
“Yeah, he’s great.” I knew my parents were unhappy with the way Derek had hurt me, but I was also glad they were willing to accept him and give him another chance.
“So…when did you want to get married?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I just got engaged.”
He chuckled. “Did you want to do a big wedding or just something small?”
“I don’t know as many people as you do, so probably something small.”
“Well, tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”
“Alright.”
“You guys wanna move in now?”
“You’re in a rush, huh?” I teased.
“My mom told me that the moment you ask someone to marry you, that’s when your life together begins. It doesn’t start the day you are husband and wife. My mom was living with my dad before they got married. It would be nice to see you guys every day.”
There was no doubt that forgiving him was the right decision. Now that he had his hold on me, had his ring on my finger, he wanted all of me, as much as he could get, as quickly as possible. I felt more loved than I ever had. “Your bed is really comfortable…”
His eyes lightened at my words. “And Lizzie’s bedroom can be waaaaay on the other side of the penthouse.”
I chuckled. “That would also be nice.”
“I can help Lizzie with her homework every day, you can help me with my writing while she’s watching TV, your parents or my parents can watch her on date nights, and we can sneak over to the hotel across the street…sounds pretty perfect.”
“Yeah, that does sound perfect.”
“I can buy your parents a place in the building, so they’ll be close by.”
“Oh god, no,” I said with a laugh. “You don’t need to do that, Derek.”
“Then where will they live? In that apartment?”
“Yeah. I can continue to take care of them on my salary.”
Derek’s eyes narrowed on my face, and he gave me a long, hard look. “Baby, come on.”
“Come on, what?”
“You know what I mean by that.”
“I don’t need you to take care of my parents—”
“They’re my parents too. What’s mine is yours, and vice versa. I don’t want there to continue to be a separation between us like that. I don’t want you to resist me. I don’t want us to be weird about money. I’ve always been annoyed with the women who want me for my money, and now you’re the first woman I actually want to want my money. Take it.”
“Derek…”
“You said yes. That means you agree to take all of me, my rockets, my graded papers all over the place, my stories…and my success. It all comes together in one package. You agreed to share your life with me, and in my life, I have money. So, you have money too. Alright?”
I inhaled a long, deep breath before I gave a nod.
“Great. Because I have another idea I want to run by you…”
“Okay.”
“And the only reason I’m bringing it up so soon is because the deadline to apply is next week.”
“Okay…”
“How do you feel about Lizzie going to private school?”
I gave him a blank stare because I’d never even considered it. “I…I don’t know. The thought has never crossed my mind, honestly.” Well, it did, but it was just so expensive that I couldn’t afford it. I chose to save my money for college instead.
“I’m not going to insult public school because Lizzie is doing just fine, but in my experience at private school, there were a lot more opportunities. Smaller classrooms, more hands-on instruction, more advanced programs, connections to the Ivy League schools…stuff like that.”
A mother wanted the best for her kids, especially when it came to education. That sounded like a dream come true, with some stipulations. “Aren’t private school kids…a little stuck-up?”
“Am I stuck-up?” he asked with a smile. “Dex? Daisy?”
“No, but your parents are probably the reason for that.”
“And we’ll be the reason Lizzie doesn’t get stuck-up. Honestly, she’ll be fine. She went to public school first, and she’s very down-to-earth. I wouldn’t worry about that.”
“Well, how much does it cost?”
All he did was stare at me.
“I’m just saying—”
“This is your daughter, and I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do, but if private school is something that you really want, let’s not talk about money. I want the best for Lizzie.”
“Don’t they only take the super-smart kids?”
“I’m telling you, Lizzie is very smart.”
“I know that, and I appreciate your belief in her, but in terms of standardized testing, she’s just not going to compete with the Derek Hamiltons over there. I don’t want to get her excited, only to watch her get rejected. She’s sensitive…it’ll hurt her.”
“Don’t worry about that. She’ll get in.”
“How?”
He gave a slight shrug. “Well, I’m Derek Hamilton…one of their most famous students.”
“But if she takes a spot when another student deserved it more—”
“They won’t give her someone else’s spot. They’ll ju
st make room for her. Don’t worry about that. They have a lot of integrity and would never take away a kid’s place like that. So…it sounds like your answer is yes.”
“I guess it is.”
He smiled. “Great. I wanted it to be Lizzie’s graduation present at the party.”
“You think she’ll be excited about it?”
“Absolutely. Lizzie is very ambitious. I think she’ll be thrilled.”
Yeah, she probably would be. She would be excited to attend Derek’s old school, to tell the other kids she knew Derek Hamilton. I’d never seen her work so hard for her future until she met Derek, and now I couldn’t imagine the places she would go with him to help her. “Thank you…for everything.”
His eyes softened.
“For being so good to my little girl.” I loved her so much, and it was such a blessing to find a man who would love her too, who would look after her, whom I could trust to take care of her if I wasn’t around.
“Thank you for letting me have a relationship with her. I know I was apprehensive at first, but she’s been one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. When we met, I didn’t know I could love one person, but you taught me I could love two.”
“Derek…” I cupped his face and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
He pulled me close and hugged me, held me against his warm body in an affectionate squeeze.
“Well, it’s late… We should probably get some sleep before the party tomorrow.” I pulled away and looked over his shoulder to the clock on the nightstand, seeing that it was 3:52 in the morning. Now I knew why I was so tired.
He stared at me like he wasn’t tired at all. “If you think I’m going to let you sleep, you don’t know me very well…”
At midday, people started to file in.
First, it was Cleo, Deacon, and Daisy, and they were so excited to celebrate with me. Cleo immediately looked at the ring on my left hand. “Oh my god, it’s so beautiful. Perfect for a beautiful woman.” She kissed me on the cheek. “Welcome to the family, Mrs. Hamilton.”
“Thank you.” I smiled softly, loving the way that name fit me so well.
Deacon hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek too. “Thank you for not giving up on my son.”
“I never will.”
He smiled before he patted me on the shoulder and joined Cleo in greeting Derek.
Daisy came next. “I bet you he ran off to get that ring after he saw you in that dress.” She smiled before she gave me a strong hug. “Because, girl, you looked like fire.”
“Thanks, Daisy.”
She winked before she walked farther into the house.
I turned to look at Derek with his family.
Deacon embraced his son tightly and cupped the back of his head. “Proud of you, little man.”
Cleo hugged him and didn’t let go. “I love you, honey. So happy for you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Lizzie walked up. “Hey, what about me?”
Deacon chuckled then turned around to greet her. “There she is. Lizzie, congrats on graduation.” He hugged her then patted her on the back. “You’ve already grown into such a wonderful young lady.”
“A beautiful young lady.” Cleo hugged her tightly. “We’ve got a lot of presents for you.”
“Yes!” Lizzie hugged her before she stepped back. “Derek and my mom are getting married!”
“Yes.” Cleo smiled. “We heard.”
“That means you guys are like my grandparents, right?” Lizzie asked.
Deacon and Cleo both smiled so brightly, as if nothing made them happier than having their first grandchild, even if she wasn’t Derek’s.
“Yes.” Cleo hugged her, and so did Deacon. “We are.”
My parents came in next, and I was so happy to see how excited my mom was. She threw her purse on the table and dashed in to grab my left hand. “Emmy, it’s gorgeous. Look at that thing!” She turned my wrist to watch it reflect the light. “Hon, look at this ring.”
Dad came over and whistled. “That wasn’t cheap. Looks like this guy likes you a lot, Emmy.”
I smiled. “Yeah, I think he does.”
Ryan and Camille came in afterward. Ryan moved to me and wrapped his arms around me. “Hey, looks like you’re gonna be my best-friend-in-law. That’s a thing, right?”
Camille hugged me. “She’s one of us now. I think you’re so great for Derek. It’s nice to see him happy.”
“And it’s really nice to see him pull his head out of his ass,” Ryan said. “Really nice.”
I chuckled. “How was Italy?”
“Oh, it was so great,” Camille said. “We went to the Vatican and went to a couple wineries—”
“We did it everywhere,” Ryan said. “We got it on, Italian-style.”
Camille rolled her eyes. “We did sight-seeing and stuff too—”
“But we mainly did it,” Ryan said. “Like, all the time.”
“Would you shut up?” she snapped. “She doesn’t want to hear about us having sex on our honeymoon.”
“Why not?” Ryan asked. “She’s going to have sex on her honeymoon.”
Camille looked at me and shook her head. “I’m sorry that my husband has no manners.”
“You like that I don’t have manners.” He reached down and grabbed her ass and made her jump.
She slapped his wrist. “There’s a kid here.”
“So?” He grabbed her boob next. “She’s not looking.”
Camille grabbed Ryan by the wrist and tugged him aside. “Congratulations, Emerson. On Derek and your daughter.” She pulled him over to Derek, and they embraced him.
I liked Ryan and Camille a lot. They were fun and good friends to Derek. I was happy that I would see them a lot more often now.
The next person who walked in the door was Dex. He had a bag over his shoulder like he’d just gotten into town. He was in jeans and a shirt, having broad shoulders and the same stature as his older brother. He dropped his bag on the table in the entryway and approached me. “Hey, it’s my favorite person in the world.”
“Your favorite?” I asked in surprise.
“Yeah. You made my brother happy.” He nodded toward Derek then turned to me. “So, you made me happy.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave me a one-armed hug. “It says a lot about you that you were able to forgive Derek for all that… You’re great for him.”
“He’s great too, Dex.”
“I know. But he’s better now. That’s how you know you found the right person, when they make you better. At least, that’s what my dad says.” He looked down at my left hand. “Wow, that’s nice. Derek sent me a picture, but it looks stunning in person.”
“Thank you.”
Dex looked at me again, wearing a kind smile, the same smile his father wore. “Your daughter graduated eighth grade?”
“She did.”
“Congratulations. Only four more years, and she’ll be gone…crazy.”
“I know, it’s been hitting me hard lately.”
“When Derek moved out, my parents were devastated, And when I moved out, Daisy told me they were devastated, so it never gets easier. I wish I could tell you that it did, but it doesn’t.”
“Thanks for keeping it real.”
He chuckled. “Anytime.”
“So, you came all the way here to celebrate?”
“Just a couple of trains and a few Uber rides, but it was totally worth it. I’ve got to head back on Sunday because I have a surgery on Monday. But I’m not going to miss this. After everything that happened with my mom, I’ve come to realize that it doesn’t matter how busy you are, you make time for stuff. If you don’t, what’s the point?”
“True.”
“And now that you’re family, hit me up if you ever need anything. I’m always here, even if you get a weird ache and just want free medical advice.”
“Thank you, Dex.”
When Daisy saw her brother, she quickly came over. “Dex!” She
moved into his chest and hugged him tightly, closing her eyes as she squeezed him. “I can’t believe you made it down.”
“Like I’d miss this for anything. Somehow, Derek got a bombshell to agree to marry him. I had to see it for myself to believe it.”
She chuckled. “I know, right?” She pulled away and squeezed his arms. “How’s your doctor shit?”
“Doctor shit? That’s what you call it?”
“Hey, I say the same thing to Dad.”
It was amusing to watch them interact. Derek seemed to be closer to Dex than he was to Daisy, and Daisy seemed to be closer to Dex than she was to Derek. There were quite a few years of separation between them, so it made sense that Daisy wasn’t as close to Derek. They had to be at least ten years apart.
Another couple walked through the door, and this time, I did a double take because I couldn’t believe it was him. I had no idea they’d been invited.
Kevin walked in holding hands with a blond woman. It was the same woman he’d had with him at the rehearsal dinner. She was in a summer dress with a floppy hat, and he was in shorts and a tee. They both looked apprehensive when they stepped inside, unsure if their reception would be warm.
All I could do was stare because I couldn’t believe Derek had asked them to come.
Most of the voices in the room went quiet when they realized Kevin was there.
I turned to look at Derek, to see what he would do.
Derek stared at him for a few seconds, his features still like a photograph. Then he left his parents and walked across the room, past me, and walked up to Kevin. “Hey, glad you could make it.”
The hard lines on Kevin’s face immediately slackened when he saw the way Derek greeted him, welcomed him into this important moment of his life…even though the last time he was engaged, it was ruined. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
Derek hesitated before he moved in and gave him a hug.
Kevin hugged him back and closed his eyes, his palm resting against Derek’s shoulder blades.
When Derek pulled away, he turned to Kevin’s fiancée. “You must be Beatrice.”
“Yes.” She smiled and extended her hand. “It’s so great to meet you. Kevin has told me a lot about you.”
The Boy Who Has No Redemption (Soulless Book 8) Page 24