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“I have neither forgiven him nor forgotten what he did, but I can’t let it run my life anymore. I had to move on from it, just like I had to move past Will’s death. I couldn’t let it consume me.”
“Okay, but if he ever tries to contact you, you have to let me know right away. I will never let him near you; do you understand? This is not negotiable.”
I take pause at his overwhelmingly-protective gesture, and then I slowly nod in agreement. I have no desire to ever see Raymond Michaels, and it feels nice that he’s willing to intervene on my behalf, but the exchange feels odd and puts me on edge.
Pushing aside my unease, I rise up onto my tiptoes and kiss his cheek, taking in his unmistakable smell. The scent calms my nerves and I smile as I pull away.
“Come on, let’s go to bed. There has been enough discussion for tonight,” Brooks says as he kisses my palm. “The only place that I want to be is in bed, with you tucked tightly in my arms.”
I turn to look at my sisters, who whirl around in their chairs and pretend to be in a deep discussion, like they weren’t just spying on my intimate moment with Brooks. I just shake my head. “I’ll talk to you guys more in the morning.”
“Sure, sounds great,” Amanda says.
“It was great to meet you, Brooks,” Charlotte adds. Brooks nods in response, and we both give one last wave before heading through the doorway towards the stairs.
I stop before reaching the stairs, causing Brooks to yank backwards. “Give me a minute, I’ll be right back.
I turn and walk back into the kitchen, gaining the attention of both of my sisters. Charlotte rises from her seat as I cross the distance between us, and I firmly pull her into a warm embrace. “Thank you for coming here. I know that this wasn’t easy for you, and I know that it’s a shock to see a man here with me. But please know, Char, I appreciate that you did this.” I hang on tightly to her, and then give her an extra squeeze before pulling away. “Thank you for being my responsible big sister.”
I give Amanda a wink and make my way back out of the kitchen to find Brooks. Waiting for me where I left him, he leads me upstairs to my room. Once we are behind closed doors, he pulls back the duvet and neither of us bothers with truly readying ourselves for bed. Instead, Brooks strips us both, and we crawl under the covers. Instead of making love, though, Brooks gathers me in his arms and buries his head into my hair. I can feel his warm breath against my neck as he plants soft kisses behind my ear.
“I will never let anything or anyone hurt you, Vivian. I promise you, you are my everything,” he says, squeezing so tightly it becomes hard to breathe.
I wiggle out of his death grip and turn in his arms to look at his perplexed expression. I rub along the scowl lines that have entrenched themselves in his brow. “Shh,” I murmur, “everything is fine; no one is going to hurt me, not even you.”
He kisses my forehead, letting his lips linger. “Promise?” he asks his voice barely noticeable. He is looking for words of comfort.
I wrap my arms around him and let the darkness of the room and the warmth of Brooks’ body possesses me.
Brooks
Fear, an all-encompassing, suffocating, hide-in-the-dark kind of fear has consumed me. It has invaded my subconscious, and everything I find myself doing revolves around a name I thought I would never hear again, Raymond Michaels. I swore to myself and to Vivian I would keep her safe and that I would choose her. I intend to keep that vow, no matter the cost.
The weeks since Charlotte’s arrival have been uneventful in regard to the man that haunts my past. He has been quiet, and went about his new life with little concern for those lives that he impacted 23 years ago. I have kept close tabs on his activity, hiring a private investigator to track his every movement. I refuse to risk the consequences of an accidental meeting. It could cost me everything, and I won’t let him take it away, not again.
My hope has been that he’ll make a dire mistake that will violate his strict parole terms. Him being sent back to a maximum-security facility is more than I could wish for though, so until he fucks it up, like he typically does, I stand back and watch from afar.
She’s guarded. Vivian tries to act carefree and forgiving about the entire situation, but I can tell that it’s a facade. She worries constantly. She’s ventured into Mama Bear protector mode, but with a big giant smile and a sugary ‘I’m fine.’ I don’t buy it for a second.
I have sca
I’ve tried to set her mind at rest, but I’m extremely careful not to divulge too much. A detailed explanation would raise questions of history. She has never asked why I pushed her away ten years ago, and I have no intention of telling her. Her being in the dark about it keeps her safe. And, if she found out about the nightmare of my past, my biggest fear of losing her would more than likely become a reality.
There have only been a handful of times in my life when I wasn’t sure what the outcome would be. I am a driven man who goes after what he wants. With my business, if I want things done a certain way, or I need to coerce investors to see a project my way, I win. I always win. When it comes to Vivian, though, she’s a game-changer. She’s the curve ball when you have a full count and are expecting the fastball. I can’t predict how things will play out with her, and it drives me insane.
My auburn-haired beauty and her dusting of freckles bewitched me a decade ago, and I have spent the years since unsuccessfully attempting to expel her from my soul. In the short time since we have reco
Vivian is the only woman who I would ever consider marrying; all others have and would always be second-best. So, as I twirl the platinum and diamond ring between my fingers, my plan to make her mine grows. I’ve had the 1920s Pavé masterpiece for over a month. I found it through an antiques dealer that specializes in rare, high-end estate jewelry, and when I saw it, I knew it belonged on her delicate hand. I’ve had to contain myself from slipping it on her finger ever since, but I wanted to wait until Christmas. Since the news of Raymond Michaels hit our radars, though, I’ve had the constant nagging need to not only propose, but also marry her and make her officially, legally mine. I refuse to let her slip from my grasp again. She is mine, and I need it to be known, now more than ever.
My plan is to ask the kids this evening for permission, and then follow through with asking her over a trip to the mountains in two weeks. I know I’m gambling a lot on them not saying anything, but I feel like our kids need to be included in this. I’ve asked Katie to keep all of the kids, and I’ve let Amanda in on my intentions. She was actually supportive instead of serving me my balls–a favorite pastime she picked up from Jen. I reserved a cabin in Telluride for the weekend, and I have pla
When my phone buzzes, alerting me of an incoming message, I gently slide the miniature iceberg back into its box for safekeeping, and tuck it into my jacket pocket. Checking the screen, I see my lovely lady’s name and picture appear, provoking a grin I can’t even try to hide.