Total pages in book: 195
Estimated words: 185573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 928(@200wpm)___ 742(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 185573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 928(@200wpm)___ 742(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
The vows we chose were simple. We promise to love, honor, and confide in each other. To navigate difficulties together. And to make as many new memories as we can for the rest of our lives. Madden also slips in a few lines about protecting me and sheltering me from any storms that may come our way. I know he means it. There will never be truer words spoken, or a man who loves as deeply as he does. Our love has withstood time, distance, war, blood, and betrayals by those with ill intent. But here and now, we have each other, and everything is in focus.
We’ll never lose sight of what’s important again, and our loyalty to each other will never bend or break. I feel it. He feels it. And when we exchange rings and the officiant finally announce us husband and wife, I’ve never known anything more real than his kiss.
“I fucking love you,” he growls against my lips as he tugs me closer.
“I love you too.”
Happy tears leak from my eyes, and this time, I don’t stop them. I kiss my husband as our friends cheer us on, and in that moment, everything is finally right in the world.
Because I have him.
Epilogue
Bianca
“Guilty on all charges.” Madden reads Lucian’s text out loud for the room. “Sentencing will come at a later date, but he thinks it’s safe to say Bethany will be in prison for the rest of her life.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, and Tori squeezes my hand before she pulls me in for a hug.
“We did it,” she says. “It’s over now.”
I smile at her, forcing a nod because I’m too emotional to speak. It’s been a long road to get here, but we can finally put this part of our lives behind us knowing Adam’s victims have at least some semblance of justice. And I can sleep peacefully knowing Bethany will never interfere in my life again.
In the end, I think both Tori and I found the process to be cathartic in some strange way. It’s given me the closure I needed to move on. And I think I can say the same is true for Madden.
When I look at him now, I can see the stress he’s carried leaving his body. He struggled with the notion of me testifying in the trial, convinced it could trigger another episode of memory loss. Those are fears I’m sure will probably never go away, but over time, as we’ve settled into our life together, they do get easier to manage.
I still see Dr. Woods every week to work through everything that’s happened, and it hasn’t been easy, but I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
Madden is my home. My safe place. My anchor in this world. He takes care of all of us. Me, Zoe, and now baby Wyatt, too. He came into this world screaming, and he found his own safe space against Madden’s chest. There was never a doubt in my mind he’d be a good father because he already was to Zoe but seeing his love for our kids unravels me every time. Sometimes, I don’t know how we got this lucky, and then I remember we walked through hell to find each other again. And I know we’d both do anything to protect what we have.
As I look around the room at the faces of the people who have become family to me, I’m overwhelmed by my gratitude for them. We’ve grown together in so many ways. We’ve been through things that have bonded us. And I know they have my back, just as I have theirs. I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
After we married, we agreed to cut the toxicity out of our lives, which included Stefan and Madden’s mom. As for my mom, we talk on the phone once a week, and she comes to visit occasionally, but things will never be the way they were before. I still haven’t fully forgiven her for pushing me into a relationship with Adam, but over time, we’ve learned to navigate our new normal. She understands now that I have boundaries I won’t allow her to violate, and her opinions on my life aren’t welcome.
This is how we stay happy. This is how we protect our peace.
“Hey, baby.” Madden comes up behind me and tucks my head beneath his chin as he wraps his arms around me. “You okay?”
“Better than I’ve ever been.” I lean into him with a contented sigh. “It’s over now.”
He kisses me on the cheek and then grazes his lips against my ear.
“I love you.”
His words send a shiver down my spine, the same way they always do. He tells me every day, just like he promised, and we never forget.
“I love you too.”
“I’m going to rail you tonight,” he rumbles as he nips at my neck. “If we didn’t have company, I’d have you bent over and full of my cock right now.”