Forever Us (Always and Forever 4)

She stares with knowing eyes, looking through me like I’m a glass house. “Don’t play silly. Talk it out with me. I know you’re a mess up here.” She taps two fingers gently against my temple.

“You ever want something so bad you almost think it’s unattainable?”

Shayla nods, looking down and briskly touching her flat stomach. “I’ve been there before, yeah.”

I place my hand over her stomach and let her feel that quick lash of pain. She may have two beautiful babies, but her health dwindled shortly after, and though she never really tells me about it, I know it affects her.

“But this isn’t about me. You think Lana is the unattainable?”

“Yes.”

“But you said you guys are finally on the express train with a one way ticket to happy town.” She smirks, running her nurturing, delicate palm over my cheek.

“We are, but aren’t we always? I can’t tell if this is a sweet dream or beautiful nightmare, Shay. We have spent years going back and forth. We’ve talked about marriage, and multiple times we agreed it’s what we wanted, but there was never any fucking follow-up.”

“Sure, but Kingston, this is way different. This is the end. Every other chapter has been read. Can’t you see that?” I drop my head in my hands and my stomach about loses its contents.

Standing fast to keep the bile from rising, I take ragged breaths, sucking in more air than my lungs have the capacity to take. The room feels terrifyingly small, and my large frame only compliments that tight feeling.

“Kingston, bubba, relax.”

I realize my breathing is heavy, loud enough to sound out of control.

“I can’t. She’s my everything. Is all this shit enough?” I gesture to the space around us.

“Yes, it’s more than enough. Don’t you know anything about our girl?” she questions, and I give a little nod. “She is a minimalist. She just wants the people she loves, nothing else. She doesn’t need flashy. She needs passion, and bubba, look at you.” Dragging her hand up and down in front of me, she points out, “You’re bleeding passion right now.”

I release a small but relieving breath. A smirk tugs at my lip as I think about my girl and her ways.

“Fuck, you’re right. I need to get my shit together. It’s her and me, right?”

“Right,” she reassures.

“Our hearts are fucking aligned. I feel it.” I grip my chest, and I swear I can feel Lana doing the same thing.

“Besides, if she says no, I will be right there, smacking her right on the ass and getting her head back in the game.” She winks, and I physically relax, my hand still on my heart.

“Who saw the day you would be the one taking care of me

?” I pull her in, digging her head into my chest, drawing comfort from her.

“Oh, bubba, I’ve been taking care of your knucklehead for forever. Keeping you out of jail, from being expelled, from letting too much shit come out of your mouth.” We both laugh and I don’t argue; she does have a point.

“True, but don’t tell anyone. You’ll ruin my street cred.”

“Of course.” She pinches my side and I laugh, feeling pounds lighter. All I needed was my sister, my little logical thinker.

“We need to set up and get you guys out of here. Let’s get to it.”

I get to make Lana James mine tonight. Fuck, I love the sound of her full name on my eager tongue. We’ve been fire and ice, thunder and lightening, heaven and hell at times, and now we are the origin where every part of who we are meets in the center and becomes one. I’ve waited years—nearly a lifetime—to make Lana my queen for forever. The thousand forevers were not wasted.

“Promise me forever. One where we’re together. Promise me forever,” I whisper the song Kingston wrote for me in the dim light of Princeton’s room. My pointer finger lazily trails up and down the bridge of my son’s nose, his eyes fluttering shut with the motion. He fascinates me as I look over the angel in my arms, the very reason I am here. The ultimate emblem of the love I have for my king.

Sometimes I grow overwhelmed with sudden emotions that swallow me up. I never knew what love could truly mean until I was stronger, healed, and surrounded by key components in my life that exuded that love. Prince, Kingston, our new little one, and every other person who molded the love I feel in my heart.

“You should be heading out, baby. Kingston is expecting you,” my mama whispers, entering the room.

Keeping my eyes on Prince, I answer by way of a subtle nod. Leaning down, I kiss my son’s forehead. “I love you, forever,” I murmur against his soft skin. Closing my eyes, I take one last cherished moment with him before laying him in his crib and joining my mother. Turning the dim light off, we step into the hall and crack the door, my eyes watching him till they can’t anymore. “I know. I was supposed to leave ten minutes ago, but I couldn’t help it. He’s so perfect.” I gesture to the room behind us as we head downstairs.