Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
“I’ve been thinking about that, too,” I admitted. “I don’t want us to live like this forever. Always waiting for the next fight or the next awkward silence. I want… more. To wake up next to you without feeling like we’re doing something wrong. To have a life that’s actually ours.”
He turned toward me, his gaze searching my face like it held the answers to all the questions he’d ever had. “You really see that with me? Even after everything?”
I nodded without hesitation. “Especially after everything. I don’t want the easy version of you… of this. I want all of it, even the rough edges, scars, and the man who stayed when it would’ve been easier to run. I want a future with you, Bastian. Here at the lake or somewhere else. I don’t care where as long as it’s with you.”
He let out a shaky breath and pulled me closer, resting his forehead against mine. “I want that, too,” he whispered. “More than anything. Even though I’m scared as hell, I want it.”
That night, we ended up in his bed. It started slow and quiet, full of all the fear and hope and love we couldn’t quite put into words yet. He touched me like he was afraid I might change my mind, kissing down my body until he reached my pussy. He licked me slow and deep, groaning against me like he needed the taste of me to survive. And when I came, shaking and moaning his name, he moved up and slid inside me in one smooth thrust, making love to me and telling me he’d never let me go.
“Fuck, I love you,” he breathed against my mouth as he rocked into me and came, his big body shuddering and tense as he filled me up. “Love knowing you’re mine even when the whole world thinks it’s wrong.”
We were both scared, and although our family was fractured, I was confident things would be okay.
They had to be.
We’d take one hard day at a time, but for the first time since the shit hit the fan, I was looking forward to a future with the only man I’d ever loved.
13
JULIET
We decided to leave. Together.
That decision didn’t come in one big dramatic moment. It built up over several exhausting days until we both knew it was the only thing that made sense.
We really tried to stay, but every time I walked through the main house, it didn’t feel like home anymore, not right now, not like this. My dad’s silence had become a living thing, so loud on its own that it was suffocating.
He’d go out on the boat early just to avoid seeing Bastian in the yard, and Mom tried to keep things civil, but I could see how worn down she was, caught between her husband and her daughter. The guilt of knowing I was making their already fragile marriage even harder sat like a rock in my stomach.
I packed light with just clothes for a couple of weeks, some toiletries, and a few things that were important to me. I wasn’t running. That’s what I told myself anyway. I was giving everyone breathing room and peace to figure this out on their own terms.
I stood in the kitchen while Mom was making tea and Dad was reading the paper.
“I…” I cleared my throat, my father not putting his paper down, my mother giving me a quick glance over her shoulder. “We’re going to stay at a cabin on the other side of town for a little while,” I started. “To give everyone some space.”
The words landed heavily in the room. Dad still didn’t look up, but I heard his teeth grind and saw his knuckles go white, but he stayed completely silent. The lack of response hurt more than yelling ever could.
My mom finally turned from the counter, her expression a complicated mix of sadness, worry, and reluctant understanding. She set her mug down and walked over to me, pulling me into a stiff but genuine hug. It was the first time she’d offered affection since everything happened, and I closed my eyes and absorbed the feeling.
“I don’t like this,” she whispered against my hair, her voice thick. “None of it feels right to me. But… I know you’re hurting, too. Just be careful, okay? And keep your phone on. If you need us, we're here.”
I nodded against her shoulder, tears stinging my eyes. “I love you both,” I managed to say, opening my eyes and looking at my dad. He was watching me, the most excruciating expression on his face. But still he said nothing.
“I’m sorry I made things so hard right now.”
I stood for another moment, hugging my mother because it had felt like a lifetime since I'd felt her embrace. I hoped my dad might say something, but when my mother pulled away and he still didn’t speak, I exhaled, nodded, and walked out of the kitchen, my chest tight.