The Ending I Want

I don’t tell him that I don’t need the duck to remember him because I will always remember him. Even when I close my eyes for the very last time and go join my family, Liam will be the last thing I see.

Instead, I smile and swallow. I take the duck from him and hold it with Squishy to my chest.

“Ducky can be a friend for Squishy,” I tell Liam.

He laughs. “Ducky and Squishy. Has quite a ring to it. But not as good as Hunter and Boston sound together.” He puts his arm around my shoulder, as we start to walk back into the crowd at the carnival.

Hunter and Boston. Together.

If only.

Some things in life just aren’t meant to be forever.

Liam and I are one of those things.

I stayed at Liam’s place after the carnival. He woke me up in the morning, bright and early, to tell me that something had come up at work and he had to go into the office.

I was a little disappointed about not spending the day with him. I was kind of used to being around him.

But then he told me that he had booked me a spa day at my hotel—well, his hotel—and that it was his treat. I thanked him but told him that I’d pay for it myself.

He just smiled and said he’d have them add it to my bill to pay when I left the hotel.

He was so lying. He wouldn’t have them add it to my bill.

But I didn’t argue. I just got up, and he made eggs and toast for me before he left to go to the office.

Honestly, the guy is perfect. If I had a lifetime left, I’d be hanging on to him.

After breakfast, I headed back to my hotel. Liam had sent Paul back to drive me, which was sweet.

Then, I spent the day getting pampered. I had a massage, facial, and manicure and pedicure.

It was awesome.

I’d never had a spa day before, so I mentally added it to my list and ticked it off.

When I got back to my room, all relaxed and feeling pretty, a garment bag was lying on my bed, waiting for me, with a note on it from Liam.

It said I had to wear the dress—no arguments—to pack an overnight bag, as I’d be staying at his apartment, and that he’d be at the hotel to pick me up at seven thirty.

So bossy. But it’s one of the things I like about him. Liam knows what he wants, and he just goes for it.

I pulled open the zipper on the garment bag, and inside was a gorgeous long black dress that had diamantes covering the shoulder straps and a fitted diamante belt sitting just under my breasts. A pair of strappy high-heeled sandals were also included in the garment bag, too.

It was all very Pretty Woman. I did wonder if I could put it down as my romantic movie moment—except that I wasn’t a hooker.

So, I did as I had been told.

I applied my makeup and did my hair, styling it up into a pretty chignon with the help of a How to Do a Chignon YouTube video. Got to say, when I was finished, my hair was looking good, and I was feeling mighty proud of myself.

I put on my nicest and sexiest black underwear, and lastly, I slipped into the dress and shoes.

I looked in the mirror, and I barely recognized myself. I looked grown-up. And I felt like a movie star.

For that moment, I wasn’t Taylor Shaw, brain tumor girl.

I was Taylor Shaw…pretty woman.

Minus me being a hooker or snagging Richard Gere.

But I did have my own businessman, Liam Hunter, and that was way, way better.

Liam picked me up, as promised, at seven thirty. I loved the look on his face when he saw me wearing the dress. Like a kid in a candy store with a hundred dollar bill in his hand.

He had Paul drive us to an exclusive French restaurant in London. We ate crazy food, like escargot, and drank champagne all night. We had the best time just laughing and talking.

He didn’t push me to talk about my past. He just asked what I wanted for my future.

I didn’t have anything to tell him because I wouldn’t have a future.

So, I told him the things I used to want before losing my family.

I said that I was thinking about getting a master’s in English literature when I got back to Boston.

That took us onto talking about his college days.

Liam told me that he went to Cambridge, and he had a degree in business.

Then, he told me more about his companies and his business goals for the future.

But, honestly, it didn’t matter what he was talking about. I was just happy to listen to him. I could seriously listen to the man talk all night.

Partly because of his hot accent. But, mostly, I just liked listening to what he had to say.

I saw just how smart and driven and incredibly ambitious he is.

Listening to Liam talk about his company and his business plans for the future made me happy.

I knew I wouldn’t be here to see it all happen, but at least I knew that he’d be happy, doing what he loved.

I truly had the best night with him. But then again, every night…every moment spent with Liam was amazing.

I’m so thankful that I met him. I couldn’t imagine being here without him and completing my list without him. The thought of taking Liam out of the equation…makes the list seem dull.

He’s added color to my life. He’s brightened up the time I have left, and for that—though he’ll never know—I will be eternally grateful to him.

After we finished dinner and I was obscenely full and a little drunk, Paul drove us back to Liam’s apartment.

Liam and I just made it inside his apartment before we started having sex. It wasn’t like when we’d ended up doing it against his front door, but it was just as hot.

He carried me to the sofa, and I rode him to climax while still wearing my dress and heels.

After sex, he carried me to the bathroom. He set me down on my feet, took my dress off, and turned on the shower. We spent time washing each other. When the soap was all rinsed off of him, I got down on my knees, took his cock in my mouth, and let him fuck my mouth.