Shallow River

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“For what?”

“For reminding me of who I am.”

I’m worthy. I’m strong. I’m independent. And I’m a survivor.

Epilogue

River

TWO MONTHS LATER

“I THINK IT’S TOO soon for this,” I say, my eyes locked on Bilby as I pet him. He glances at me and jumps away. I think he just showed me his disagreement.

He’s recovered from the stint with Ryan. Mako and him have taken to each other. Constantly cuddling and butting heads. I think I’m Bilby’s second favorite now. It’s as annoying as it is cute.

“What is?” he asks.

I flick my pointer finger between myself and the living room.

“Staying here every night. Leaving clothes here. I’m practically living here now. I’m pretty sure it’s too soon. Are we even boyfriend and girlfriend? You never asked me, you know. You never asked me to move in, either. Are these things that we’re supposed to just assume, but never speak about? Are we not going to have an anniver—”

“Baby, please shut up,” he orders softly, his deep voice lower than usual. The sound has my core clenching with need. God, what his voice can do to me alone is wholly unnatural. And after the knife incident a couple months ago, my body has been more reactive to him than before. Mako’s kinkiness has opened a whole new door of desire for me.

My lips snap shut, tightening into a straight line. I’m nervous. I don’t know why I’m nervous, though.

Mako walks towards me. Or rather, he prowls towards me. He looks like a tiger stalking prey the way he approaches me. My breath catches and my nerves light up like fireworks. When Mako Fitzgerald turns all of his attention to me, I come alive.

“Do you want to be my girlfriend?” he asks, but not in the typical high school way, but rather, asking me what I want. He pulls my body to the edge of the couch and crouches before me, settling his hands on my bare thighs. Goosebumps pimple across my skin from the slide of his flesh on mine. I’m too enraptured by him to be embarrassed by my reaction.

He’s always giving me a choice. Always coercing me to voice my opinion and stand up for what I want. I’ve had my freewill and voice stolen from me since I could remember. Billy was the first, like a child ripping a voice box out of a doll. No one has ever let me have it back until Mako. It feels like breaking in new boots—it hurts and it’s uncomfortable, but once I’m used to it, I’ll feel secure and comfortable standing up for myself. Knowing that I’ll no longer get a slap to the face—or worse—because I spoke up.

“Yes,” I say finally. Mako doesn’t look surprised by my answer. I suppose putting a label on it doesn’t really change things between us. In these past two months, Mako and I have moved beyond just boyfriend and girlfriend anyway.

“Do you want to be here every night?” he asks again, his emerald green eyes growing more intense.

A single nod. “Yes,” I whisper.

“And if it becomes too much for you, then you’re welcome to leave,” he states bluntly. I don’t take offense. It’s exactly what I need to hear. “But I’ll admit, I won’t want you to.”

“Are you going to try and convince me to stay?”

“Yes,” he murmurs, sliding his hands up towards my shorts. My breath catches in my throat. “In the hopes you’ll pull a knife on me again.”

I roll my eyes, a small smile cracking my face. His words have their desired effect, nonetheless, causing my blood to heat despite my efforts to stay cool. I’m never cool when it comes to Mako, though. His presence eats up any semblance of control I possess, and feasts on it like a starving man. I’m unhinged around him, and I’ve never felt so fucking good.

“Maybe I should try to leave then,” I say around a gasp, when he bends down to place a chaste but electrifying kiss on my knee.

“Or maybe you could stay.” My attention is pulled away from his magnetic eyes when I feel something cool sliding on my ring finger. A gasp lodges in my throat when I look over and see a beautiful princess cut diamond ring nestled on my finger. My eyes widen and snap back to Mako’s. His eyes ensnare mine as he leans down and places another chaste kiss on my knee. “Maybe just for a little while?”

“I SWEAR ON ALL THAT is holy, I am so divorcing you, David. When this baby is out of me, it’s over,” Amelia seethes o

n her hospital bed. “This is all your fault. You insist on getting me knocked up and now I’m—ahhhhhh!” Her tirade is cut off by another contraction. She bares her clenched teeth, her face turning red from the pain.

David just sits there calmly and takes it. We both know Amelia doesn’t mean a damn thing coming out of her mouth. She was feeling him up on the ride to the hospital before the contractions started getting more intense and closer together.

She went from lovingly stroking his dick to wanting to rip it off in a matter of minutes. After Amelia was admitted and getting settled in, Amelia’s threats started. I cracked up when David subtly angled his lower half away from her.