Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“What now?” Ryan asks. “What do we do?”
“Try to return to regular life. You’ll have police escorts for the time being until everything is finalized, but you did it. We did it. These bastards will think twice before making moves in this city again.”
Ethan seems far happier than the rest of us. That’s probably because he sees this purely from a cop’s perspective. All the civilians escaped, and the criminals are either dead or in jail. Plus, he’s not getting in trouble with his boss. That’s a win for him.
“Call me if you need anything,” Ethan says before he leaves.
Duke walks him to the door, leaving Rachael, Ryan, and me in the living room together. Rachael stands up, pacing as she often does. She glances at Ryan, at me, then looks at Ryan steadily when she stops walking.
“I hated you when you two were together. You know that, right?”
“Rach…”
“No, it’s okay,” Ryan says. “Yeah, I know that, Rachael, and I can’t blame you. I was a real piece of shit. I’ve got some issues to work through, but it’s no excuse.”
“He saved my life,” I remind Rachael, “and I’ve forgiven him.”
Ryan turns to me sharply. It still feels so weird that we were ever in a relationship together. It’s doubly strange because, at certain angles, I can see a younger version of Duke. In his eyes, the same determination to do better, be better. “You have?”
“Yes,” I say firmly. “All I want is to go on with my life. All I want is to be with Duke and be happy.”
“Be with… Dad?” Ryan swallows.
Uh oh. Don’t tell me he’s not going to give us his blessing. After everything, I just assumed that he would. I didn’t even ask him.
“Yes,” I say firmly. “I want to be with him.” I hesitate, wondering if I should go all the way, but I have to. “Forever,” I go on. “You might as well know that we’re in this for the long term, Ryan. We’re going to have a family together. I think—I hope—we’ll get married one day.”
“We are,” Duke says passionately from the doorway, looking dashing in his shirt, the top buttons undone, sleeves rolled up. Only the bandage on his head and the tiredness in his eyes show any sign of what happened. “We’re the real thing, Molly.”
Ryan stands, looks at me, then looks at his dad.
“What is it, son?” Duke asks.
“Just…” Ryan swallows. “Every time I look at her and you, Molly, it reminds me of the person I was. The asshole I was—the bully. I’m not sure I can get over that, but maybe I deserve to be reminded of it daily.” He shudders. “I’m sorry. I need to be alone.”
“Ryan—”
He cuts Duke off, walking quickly toward the door. “Please, Dad. Please, just leave me alone.”
“Wait,” Duke says.
Ryan stops and sighs. “What?”
“I need to know you’ll stay in the house.”
Ryan nods, seeming to understand. “I promise, Dad. I need some alone time, that’s all. I’m not going to do anything stupid.”
“Swear?”
“I swear, Dad.”
Duke nods. “Okay then. I’m trusting you.”
Ryan leaves the room. Duke watches him go, his expression tight, clenching his jaw. He looks at me with a heartbreaking quality in his eyes. There’s disappointment and a little anger mixed in there as if he’s wondering if this will ever end.
I stand up, walk over to him, wrap my arms around his body, and press against him. I hope he can feel every piece of comfort and support bubbling up inside me with all the certainty that this will work. After a pause, he wraps his arms around me.
Rachael stands and clears her throat. “I should get going.”
Letting Duke go, I quickly turn to her. “What? No way. Stay here, Rach. At least for today and tonight.”
Rachael glances at Duke. “I’m not sure…”
I look at Duke, giving him what I think of as the wife eyes. Looking at each other like this may be a small thing, but it makes me feel wildly intimate. It makes me feel like, one day, we’ll be so close we won’t even have to talk, bonded forever. Our intimacy will make it like we’re reading each other’s minds to other people.
Duke smiles at Rachael. Despite everything, it seems genuine, as if he’s pushing away the darkness and the pain. “Please, Rachael,” Duke says. “It’s no trouble at all, and selfishly, I’d like my woman to have her friend with her.”
My skin tingles when he says my woman, just like it did the first time we touched, just like it always will when we share any steaminess or love. Rachael smiles at me. She’s always wanted me to find somebody and be happy, and now I am. Now, I never have to doubt how significant this is—how significant we are.
“Please, Rach?” I say.
She smiles and nods. “Yeah, sure. Only if you don’t mind. The idea of being alone right now doesn’t exactly thrill me.”