Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66697 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66697 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
I felt high as a kite on the sound of all the cheerful noise. This was raw, dirty, beautiful joy and it was mine. Ours. All of us. This club was out of their Goddamn minds. And I loved every single one of them.
The only thing missing from my happiness was Mercy. She’d sent a letter two days after she’d left. She was safe and appreciated our help, but she had other work to do. She’d left a phone number and told me not to worry, she had our numbers if she needed us. Yeah. Not cryptic at all.
Tonio didn’t let me down at first. He held me tight, pressed to his chest, his arms wrapped around me like he’d never let go. I didn’t want him to. The crowd swept around us, bodies jostling, men and women cheering.
All around us, everyone in my life who truly mattered partied and celebrated with me and Tonio. I looked around at the smiling faces and thanked my lucky stars I’d found Tonio.
And so the evening went. We ate too much. We danced too much. I personally ate way too many burnt marshmallows. But the best part about the whole affair? Spending time with Tonio when he actually looked like he had as much joy in his heart as I did.
“You’re beautiful. You’ll always be beautiful to me no matter what.” Antonio looked down at me and smiled as he started swaying with me when someone started up some music. “But I think we should set a date before you get too big to fit in the dress you want.”
I actually barked out a laugh. The audacity of the man! But it was rather funny. “Very romantic there, big guy.”
“Don’t care. I want you happy with the wedding and that means whatever dress you want. But I’m not waiting for this. I’ve already waited too long as it is.” He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine. “I’m not waiting to make you my wife. I love you,” Tonio said, his voice low and filled with emotion.
“I love you too,” I replied, feeling the weight of his words in my chest.
As the night wore on, the celebration continued in full swing. The air was filled with laughter, music, and the sweet scent of burning wood from the bonfire outside. Tonio and I found a quiet moment amidst the chaos, stealing away to a secluded spot where we could catch our breath.
He held me close, his gaze tender and filled with a depth of emotion that took my breath away. “I never thought I’d find someone like you, someone who understands me in ways I never knew possible,” Tonio whispered, his voice a gentle reassurance in the midst of the revelry.
I looked up at him, my heart swelling with love. “I feel the same way, Tonio. You’ve shown me a kind of love I never knew existed.”
In that moment, surrounded by the warmth of his embrace and the love of our friends, I knew that this was where I belonged. With Tonio, with the club, with all the misfits and outcasts who had become my family.
And as the night drew to a close, with the stars shining brightly overhead and the sounds of joy still echoing around us, I knew that this was just the beginning of our journey together. No matter what the future held, I was ready to face it with Tonio by my side. Our love was a fierce, unyielding force that could conquer anything that came our way.
With a final kiss shared under the moonlit sky, we rejoined the party, hand in hand, ready to embrace whatever adventures lay ahead. The night was ours, and the future was bright with promise. And as we danced into the night, surrounded by the love and laughter of our chosen family, I knew we were truly home.