AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fifty-Four
Caleb
21 years old
“I’m nervous,” Briar mumbles to herself from the driver’s seat.
I reach over with my good arm and touch her leg. “Why are you nervous? They’re going to love you.”
She shrugs while chewing on her bottom lip. “I still blame myself for what happened. And I think they should blame me, too.”
I squeeze her leg. “Stop it. It’s not your fault. Besides, you were at the hospital longer than anyone. I’m sure my mother already loves you.”
With a sigh, she forces a smile. Then she leans over the center console and presses her lips to mine.
It’s been two weeks since the incident and Briar has hardly left my side. I never pressed charges against Sean or his friends. They don’t matter to me. Seeing them punished for what happened won’t erase anything we did or justify our sins.
“You know,” I mumble against her lips. Pulling away, I stare into her eyes. “We haven’t really made things official between us.”
Her brows pinch inward. “What are you talking about?”
“I haven’t even asked you to be my girlfriend yet.”
Her pearly white teeth shine as she grins with a blush to her cheeks. “I’m not your girlfriend,” she replies. “Remember?”
It’s my turn to look confused. She runs her fingers along my jaw and holds my face as she brings my lips back to hers.
“I thought we already settled this in the hospital. I’m your wife.”
My lips stretch into a smile. I know she’s just playing, and I love that that story is part of our history now. And at this moment, we both know without a doubt in our hearts that Briar will be my wife someday. There is this certainty between us. This is it. We are forever.
“That’s right,” I reply, kissing her back. “You’re already my wife.”
* * *
Present Day
Briar stares up at me lovingly from the bath as I sit on the edge of the tub.
“You’re so amazing,” I whisper, stroking her hair.
She smiles to herself. “Why? Because I can take two men?”
“No,” I reply with a shake of my head. “Because you let us love you and because you’ve stuck by me through so much, even when I wasn’t a very good husband.”
“You were a good?—”
“No, I wasn’t,” I say. I won’t let her spare me from what I need to own up to. “I didn’t know how to let you in. I was so afraid of losing you that I thought I had to bear everything on my own. I wanted to protect you, and all I really did was shut you out. I’m sorry.”
Her expression softens as she stares up at me. “I love that you always try to protect me. It makes me feel like I’m never alone, and with everything we’re going to have to face in the future, I love that I feel safe with you.”
Leaning down, I press my lips to hers. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she replies with a smile.
Letting Briar enjoy the rest of her bath, I go in search of Dean. After getting himself cleaned up and dressed, he disappeared and I don’t like the idea of him feeling left out or being alone.
When I finally find him, he’s sitting on the edge of the pool in his underwear, staring at the water. I walk up quietly and sit beside him without a word.
