Real Girl (Aston Creek High 4)

“You’re really sure about this?” I question, wrapping my legs around his waist as he walks back toward the couch. “You’re officially on a college team?”

He nods, pressing his lips to mine for a brief second. “It’s too fucking late now,” he laughs. “I just told the best fucking coach in the league that I’m on his team. I’d be fucking stupid to go back on that.”

I shake my head, unable to wipe the smile off my face. “I can’t believe you waited this long to accept.”

“I had to know you were okay,” he murmurs. “How would I have played knowing you were there, married to that man with Lucien breathing down your back?”

“You would have sucked it up because you know that’s what I would have wanted for you, but it doesn’t matter now. Everything worked out for the best. We’re all safe now and you’re free to go and be the NBA star you were always meant to be.”

“But what about you?” he questions, pushing hair back off my face to see my eyes better. “What are you going to do? Don’t get me wrong, I love you and think you’re incredible, but I doubt the school is going to have much to say on your grades. You might only just scrape by. You missed a lot of exams.”

I shake my head, smiling softly, realizing I still haven’t shared this with him. “You don’t have to worry about me,” I tell him. “I’ve been doing some thinking. I don’t want to go to college and even if I did, it’s too late for me…”

“It’s not too late,” he says. “You could do your senior year again, bring your grades back up and go to college after that. Maybe you could apply to Lakeside and we could be together there.”

“As tempting as that sounds, no. That’s not what I want to do.”

Slade’s eyes narrow as I see Shay step into the kitchen entryway, leaning up against the wall, wanting to hear what I have to say. I give her a beaming smile, knowing that what I’m about to tell her is going to make her proud.

I look back at Slade. “I’m not even going to pretend that I know how to make this happen or where to even begin, but I want to use the money that’s coming from Marcus and dedicate it to building women’s shelters and rescues all over the country. I don’t want anyone else to have to suffer through what I went through at the hands of a man and I want to offer them somewhere safe that they can go to start rebuilding their lives. I don’t know, maybe we can work together with the government and offer these women new identities, work with the police and give them intel on women who need to be rescued from dangerous situations. We can offer counseling, somewhere safe to move onto when they’re ready, protection…I don’t know. There’s so much I have to research, but that’s where I’m at. That’s what I want to do with my life.”

Slade grins and before I can even suck in a breath, he crushes his lips against mine, kissing me deeply. “You’re so fucking incredible,” he murmurs. “Most people would break after all the shit you’ve been through, but you’ve come out so much stronger and ready to stick it to all the evil fuckers in the world.”

“What good am I if I don’t at least try?” I question. “If I sit back and do nothing while letting other women suffer when there’s a way that I can help them, then that makes me just as bad as Lucien and Marcus. I want to be good; I want to do better.”

“You are,” he murmurs, kissing me again. “And I’m going to be there the whole way, right by your side. Anything you need, I’ll make it happen.”

I smile down at him as Shay comes up to the back of the couch, leaning over it to squeeze my shoulder. “I’m so proud of you, Sky,” she whispers. “Your parents would be so amazed by the woman you’ve become.” Tears spring from my eyes as she continues. “This is a huge thing you’re wanting to take on and I don’t doubt that at times it’s going to be incredibly hard, but if anyone can do it, it’s you.”

“You really think?”

“I know, sweetheart. Look how much you’ve already accomplished,” she boasts with a proud, momma-bear smile. “Just tell me when you’re ready to get started and I’ll help you set up some meetings and get this thing off the ground. You’re going to make an incredible name for yourself and this time, it’s not going to be as Lucien Valentine’s adopted daughter or the socialite wife of Marcus Mahoney. You’re Skylah Daniels, daughter of Rochelle and Jacob, a survivor and natural-born leader.”