by Kayla Oliver
Mom takes over. “We’re not upset at you for trusting him. We’re upset at him for betraying that trust and trying to harm you.”
Relief. That’s what I feel. Relief that they understand. But I’m not about to let all the responsibility fall on Arlo’s shoulders like that.
“I let him take the pictures,” I say, my cheeks stinging red. “I’m responsible for that.”
Mom nods. “But did you give him permission to make them public?” she asks, and I shake my head no.
“Okay, then,” she says. “It’s behind us. We’re glad to see you.”
Dad nods and adds, “And we hope next time you’ll trust us to understand rather than hiding from us too. If Cliff hadn’t told us you were safe weeks ago, we’d be ripping our hair out.”
I glance over my shoulder at Cliff, both mad and relieved. It’s a strange mix. “Who didn’t you tell?” I say, unable to keep the jab to myself, and I see his eyes narrow.
“Arlo,” he says simply, and I feel a grin coming. Smart-ass.
I turn back to my parents and move in closer to hug them again. My mom is quick to change the subject. “So who’s this guy?”
“Some jerk that keeps following me,” I joke, and she laughs. “No, seriously, he’s amazing,” I say, keeping my voice low.
“I figured that,” Mom says. “You’ll have to tell me everything one of these days, okay?”
I nod. “We’re going to go,” Dad says. “We don’t want anyone to follow us out here, so we’re keeping it short. We love you, honey. Don’t be a stranger.”
I nod and stand up. They rise and I hug them again, so glad that everything is working out okay.
Cliff was right. But I’m not about to let him off the hook that easily.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Cliff
After her parents have left, I struggle. Is it too soon to ask? She’s mad at me right now, so I know that I need to give her some breathing room. But that meeting couldn’t have gone any better at all.
And I’ve got other news for her.
I find her in the kitchen, stewing at the table. She’s chewing her lip and glaring at me, but I walk right up and sit across from her. “I know who turned you in,” I say, and she stares at me, all her anger gone.
“Who?” she asks, breathless as she studies my face as if looking for clues.
Chris. I found out from Zac after he booked the bastard for stealing someone’s credit card and using it to shop after they’d stayed at the shitty motel he manages.
“Remember that first motel you stayed at?” I ask, and her head drops.
“Oh, no,” she whispers. “How did he find out I’d gone with you?” she asks, her voice miserable.
“That was my fault,” I say, and she looks up at me in shock. “I’m sorry,” I say, but she’s shaking her head no like she doesn’t believe it. “I called and asked for you. Not by name, but as that blonde. And he remembered that. And when he figured out who you were, he put two and two together.” I curse myself for being so stupid. I’d made such a glaring error. And she’d paid the price for it.
“You couldn’t have known,” she says, and I shrug.
“I screwed up and I’m sorry.” But she’s moving in front of me, pulling her chair with her as she takes my face in her hands and looks me deep in the eyes.
“You’re perfect,” she whispers, before placing her lips on mine.
I feel an internal tug. Not just my body begging for hers, but like my very soul is searching for hers. And I know that my mom was right. She’s the one. This is the right time.
I mean, not right this second. I need to plan something. Something romantic. Something beautiful. I’m not just going to throw the ring at her face and demand she marry me. Although, that might work. I don’t know.
She breaks the gentle kiss and whispers against my lips. “You promised me you’d go fishing…”
And I realize I love her. More than I ever thought possible. She’s mine. The one that’s just right for me. My mother is a wise woman, and I trust her. And I trust my gut.
“I really want fish for dinner,” she says, and I groan.
“I can think of something I want for dinner,” I say, nibbling on her lips.
“Seriously,” she says with a grin as she pulls back out of reach, “I’m hungry. Now let’s go.”
I give in and follow her out on the dock. And we sit and fish, laugh and joke, talk about everything and nothing and catch fish. It’s the perfect ending to a wonderful day. And I decide I want more endings like this. I want to wake up beside her every morning and fall asleep beside her every night.
And the idea comes to me. I know how to propose to her.
When we’ve caught enough fish, we take our catch inside and I get ready to clean them. At the sink beside me, she begins to clean some. Side by side we gut the fish, and she tells me she wants to make them because this is something she’s good at cooking.
I tell her she can make these, and then we’ll make them my way next and decide which way we like them better.
When they’re clean, I sit down and watch her move around the kitchen, cooking and making salad to go with the fish. “I think you pretended to suck at cooking all that time so I’d cook,” I tease, and she gives me a look and grin that tells me that I’m only slightly wrong.
“Maybe,” she says slyly, and I laugh at her.
When the food is ready, I set the table and we sit down to eat the baked fish. It falls right off the bones and flakes beautifully and tastes amazing. She tears hers apart and spreads it over her salad, and I snag a bite as she grins at me.
“I’ll stab you,” she says, her fork poised and ready as I pop the bite in my mouth.
“Worth it,” I say around the mouthful and begin to mix mine like she’s doing. While we eat, we talk and exchange memories. She talks about my dad and how both our parents would get along amazingly.
And when we’re done eating, we move into the bedroom. After we’ve brushed our teeth and gotten ready for bed, we sit and talk some more, laughing and joking. Until I’ve had enough. I lean in and kiss her, and she responds, her whole body moving with me as she shoves me back and climbs up on me, straddling my hips.
With her on top of me, I just enjoy as she explores me, her hands lifting my shirt and tracing the lean lines of my body as her gaze follows. She finds a scar, and her eyes meet mine, questioning.
“Sometimes my job is dangerous,” I say and relay the story. I’d been younger then, and stupid.
She seems to understand, and I smile as she kisses the scar like she can heal it with her lips. She proceeds to kiss me here and there, where she finds scars, over tight muscles, wherever she pleases.
Her fingers ease the soreness in me, and I relax, loving her gentle caresses. And when she kisses my lips, I’m ready for her. Ready to make love to her. Because I’ve fucked her, sure. But I want to love her, savor her, enjoy her. And I want to do it slowly.
And every part of her will feel my lips and tongue by the time the night is over. Because I’m not going to be done with her until the sun comes up.
No, scratch that. I’m not going to be done with her ever.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Addie
Another whole day passes and I wish I could live like this with him forever. This easy love and joy, humor and conversations. We make love at night, and enjoy the days.
Today we’d gone kayaking and he showed me a clearing on the other side of the water, and we’d seen so many deer I’d been shocked. This place really is a sanctuary, not just for me, but for the wildlife.
We’d made love beside the water before heading back home in the kayaks.
I get the feeling that there’s something he wants to ask me, but he keeps hesitating. And I keep avoiding any serious conversation because I’m scared that this time is going to come to an end.
I’m just not ready for it to end yet.
I want to stay here forever, with him.
Ma
ybe that’s crazy. But it’s how I feel. And I have no idea how to tell him that. In all the conversations we’ve had, we’ve been so careful to avoid talking about the future.
I step into the shower, feeling the hot water rinsing the grime of the day—and the outdoor sex—from my body, and I wash my hair, feeling less and less like a dirty monster and more and more human with every passing second.
I’d hoped Cliff would come join me, but he’d said he was putting things away and told me to go shower or take a bath.
I’d decided I could go for a long, hot shower. Then Cliff comes in and opens the shower door to give me a quick kiss. “Take your time,” he says. “I’m making dinner.”
I nod. “I’ll miss you,” I say, planting another kiss on his lips.
He hesitates and kisses me again. I smile and push him away. “Go make food. I’ll be out in a while.”
When he goes, I grab the body sponge and the rose-scented shower gel he’d found for me. Scrubbing every inch of my body down, I take some time to just enjoy this moment. It feels good to just take care of my skin, and when my hand crosses my chest, I think about how Cliff touches me and my cheeks sting pink.
I’d been a virgin, sure, but now? Now I can’t get enough of him. It seems like everything we do leaves me wanting more. More experiences, more of him, more new things that make my heart pound.
As the water rinses the lather away, I wonder what’s going to happen next. I haven’t given myself the luxury of thinking to the future. Because it hasn’t felt like I’d get the future, to be honest. I’m a prisoner to Arlo’s lies.
Going out in the daylight feels like a death sentence. Not because I don’t think that Cliff couldn’t protect me or that I couldn’t protect myself, but because there’s just no way we could be on guard all the time. It would kill us.
Uneasy, I get out of the shower and dry off. Taking some time to blow-dry my hair, I realize the color is fading, lightening up a bit. The black is less harsh now, and my hair is starting to grow a little.
I don’t want to be scared anymore. I want to live my life, Arlo be damned.
With my hair dry, I get dressed and open the bathroom door. I don’t see Cliff, but I do see candles. One outside the door, then a couple down the stairs.
I realize he must have decided to make dinner romantic, and my heart melts. But to be safe, I blow out the candles as I follow them along the path he’d clearly made. I’d never forgive him if he burned this place down.
I follow the path to the front door, then along the porch, then down around the house. Then, I see the dock.
It’s lit with candles and I see Cliff, his eyes on me, a smile on his handsome face. And I’m struck. He’s so damn handsome. But it’s more than that. He’s put me first since day one. He’s always been there, welcoming, loving and kind even when I’ve been at my worst.
I walk out toward the dock, loving how the candles light him, and the water reflects the golden glow on either side. Past the dock, the water reflects the stars twinkling overhead.
It’s breathtaking.
And when Cliff takes me in his arms, I feel his lips on mine and know I’m home. His tongue presses to the seal of my lips, and I let him in, loving how serious the kiss feels.
When he backs off, I whisper, “So what’s for dinner?” I’m rewarded by his chuckle.
He takes my hand, and we walk to the table. There’s wine and plates with what looks like lamb and potatoes cooked to perfection. It smells amazing, and the view is incomparable.
I sit down, and he sits opposite me. I look at the dock, the candles illuminating the space in a beautiful yellow light, and the softness of it all. The water is still and calm, and there’s no breeze to speak of.
Everything is perfect.
“This is beautiful,” I breathe, and he stands up.
Confused, I wonder what he’s doing as he gets down on one knee before me. “I love you,” he says, taking my hand as my heart begins to pound painfully in my chest. “I’ll take you wherever you want to go,” he says, and I remember the words from the first time we’d really talked, when he’d been in his truck in the rain, rescuing me from that bus stop.
And my heart melts.
“Are you a cop?” I ask, my voice no more than a whisper.
“No,” he says, playing along.
And the important part, because so much has changed since that first day and the words hold more weight now. “You know who I am,” I whisper as he looks deep in the eyes.
“And I love you,” he says, and I feel tears stinging in my eyes. “Marry me, Madeline Bounder.”
He knows my full name. He knows everything. And he still wants to be with me, imperfections aside, ugly moments notwithstanding, he’s offering me unconditional love. And I want it. More than anything.
“Yes,” I whisper, and his smile steals the breath right out of my lungs. He pulls a ring from his pocket, and I gasp at the beauty of it. Two leaves of a band connect, and a rosebud opens to reveal a diamond. It’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen.
“It was my great-grandmother’s,” he says as he slips it on my ring finger. “My mother said it was time to pass it on, because she was certain I’d found the one.” His eyes meet mine. “She was right.” He brings my hand to his lips, and I can’t take my eyes off him.
“I love you,” I say, and his eyes light up. “Forever,” I add, needing him to know that this is perfection. And as the stars overhead twinkle and shine, I see the reflection of it all in his eyes and feel so very small, as the world swallows us in sparkling darkness with the gust of a breeze that snuffs the candles.
With only the stars overhead and shining in the water around us for lighting, I kiss him.
Epilogue
Addie
“Happy anniversary!” It’s Zac’s voice, and I let him in with a grin. “Pregnancy looks good on you,” he says, and I blush as Cliff walks out.
“Thanks,” I say, and the men gruffly hug. My parents are about to leave with little Mona. It’s strange to think that after three years and a daughter later, Cliff and I are still in a place of joy and love.
Mona is only three and looking forward to her little brother. But this anniversary, we’re planning to be alone for the night and just enjoy ourselves once all our friends are done coming by to offer love and gifts.
And judging by the look Cliff’s giving me, he’s got some dirty ideas of what he wants to do tonight. I can’t wait. Having a two-year-old around the house means we get a lot less private time.
While I wouldn’t trade it for anything, I do miss the intimate moments with Cliff.
“You’re next,” I tell Zac, and he shakes his head at me.
“I’m never getting married,” he says, and Cliff gives him that look. You know the one, the look that says yeah, I said that too, and now look at me.
I shrug. “Just the prediction from the pregnant lady who’s called several big events over the last year.” Like his promotion to lieutenant. He makes a cross with his fingers and hisses at me, and I can’t help but laugh at his antics.
I’ve come to love all Cliff’s friends over the years. Camille and I have been exchanging baby tips and advice, and the kids get together for regular playdates.
Our lives are happy and full, and I can’t imagine things being any better. All the terrible events of the past seem like nothing now, just like his father had predicted all those years ago when we’d fished off the dock.
The whole thing had indeed blown over. Arlo had moved on and publically apologized for the harm he’d caused me. I’m not sure to what extent Cliff had a hand in that apology, and to this day he won’t tell me his involvement. But things started to get better.
Now, it feels more like the world sees me as a victim. All the ugly things people said had been replaced by hatred of Arlo, and lawyers had reminded the social media guardians that sharing pictures of people without their permission is not just morally wrong, but not exactly legal.
An
d while I hated that whole issue, I had seen a lot of people up in arms and going to bat for me and my privacy. It was like the world had come together to protect me, and while it was late coming, it was heartwarming.
And now, nobody bats an eyelash at me. I’m back to being a nobody. My fifteen minutes of fame are over, and good riddance. I see Dakin pull in and sigh. It feels like we’re never going to get rid of everyone so we can enjoy ourselves. I promise to get even with all my friends when it’s their turn.
Camille is quick to come give me a hug, and I hug her back. “You look so good!” she says, and I grin at her.
“Thanks,” I say. “I feel like a whale.”
She shakes her head. “You’re adorable.” The guys hug, and I sense Cliff’s at his breaking point. I feel bad for him. He’s had something planned, I know it, but he hasn’t had a chance. Everybody is cock blocking him today—it would be funny if I wasn’t so tired.
The baby isn’t due for another five months, but I’m just so tired.
“I’ll drag him off,” Camille says. “Happy anniversary!” I see her go grab Dakin and lead him back toward the car. I wave with a smile, and Zac finally decides to take off.
Cliff comes over with a smile on his face. “I made you something to eat,” he says, his hand capturing mine as he leads me up the stairs toward the bedroom.
“No need to eat at the table like civilized folks,” I joke, and he throws a look at me over his shoulder.
“Civilized?” he asks. “What’s that?”
“Oh, ha ha, you’re funny,” I say, rolling my eyes. In the bedroom I see the nightstand is covered in snacks. Feeling utterly exhausted, I climb in bed and lie down. And almost instantly, I feel sleepiness overcoming me.
“I love you,” Cliff says, handing me a little box. I take it and open it, smiling at him.
“I didn’t get you anything,” I say, feeling terrible that he’d done something for me and I hadn’t done anything for him. But he places a hand on my belly and says, “Trust me, you’re doing more than enough.”