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Now I risk losing everything. I don’t regret killing Claire’s mom. She deserved to die, for more than one reason, but the most important being that she threatened my butterfly’s life.
I can’t take the silence any longer and slip out of the car, jogging around to the passenger side door. Claire doesn’t flinch or even move as I snake an arm under her knees and another behind her neck and pick her up. I tuck her against my chest, expecting her to sob at any second.
I’m not sure how, but I get us inside the house and close the door. I carry her up to our bedroom, turn on the light, and place her on the bed, not releasing her for even a second as I do.
“I’m sorry for what I did. I’m sorry for hurting you.” I’ll spend the rest of my life apologizing to her if I have to.
She lifts her head and whispers, “I’m not.””
I’m so shocked by the words, I almost think she didn’t say them at all.
“Why? That was your mother, and I’ve taken both parents from you. I’m… I’m sorry for bringing you into this fucked up world.”
Claire pulls away and cups me by the cheek. Her hand is tiny and fragile like glass. Tears glisten in her eyes. Fuck, I don’t know what I’m going to do if they fall.
“I’m not sorry I met you that day years ago, Lucca, and I’m not sorry that you killed my father or that you killed my mother. They were never my parents, maybe by birth and blood, but physically and emotionally, they were nothing. Blood doesn’t make you family, and I’m the one that’s sorry. I should have realized this before today. Tracy and Steven are my real parents. All you did was kill two people who didn’t deserve to live.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for…”
Claire cuts me off, “I do. I hurt Steven and Tracy. I hurt you, and I’m sorry it took me so long to understand what I have right in front of me. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize I love you. That I’ve always loved you. I wanted to hurt you the same way you hurt me. I felt abandoned every time you left, even though I knew you were just trying to protect me.”
“Fuck.” I squeeze my eyes shut. “I wouldn’t blame you for hating me, Claire, not after everything that I’ve put you through.”
“Shut up, stupid. I love you,” she says, and her lips find mine in the dark, sealing her fate for life. She loves me, and I love her, which means I’m never letting her go.
I pull back from the kiss, my cock swelling in my dress slacks. I want to fuck her right now, but it’s not really a good time.
“I hope you know what this means.” I smile.
“That we can get a dog?” She smirks.
“No… I mean, yeah, I guess, but that’s not what it means. It means you’re mine, forever. Do you want that? To be mine forever?”
“Hmmm, let me think about it.” She giggles, and the sound warms me all over. “Of course, that’s what I want. I think I’ve loved you since the day I met you.”
“Good, because you’ll never be rid of me. No matter where you run, I will find you. Mine. Forever. Always.”
Epilogue
Claire
Time feels different once you find the things that bring you joy in life. That night in the alley changed my life forever. It made me see what was right in front of me, made me realize I had everything I could’ve ever wanted. All I had to do was open my eyes.
It didn’t take long at all for me to meet the man known as Julian. Intense, dark, and brooding Julian. He was the reason we were on the run for such a long time and why Lucca had to hide me. He was also the one and only reason Lucca found me, so while tragic events that involved him ripped us apart, he brought us back together again.
Lucca grips my hand beneath the table while Elena, Julian’s beautiful wife, presents the cupcakes she made for dessert. I know if they can be happy and have children in this world, surely we can, too.
Elena beams as she grabs a cupcake from the tray and peels the liner back. “Claire, you must try the chocolate ones. I put little chocolates inside that practically melt in your mouth when you bite into them.”
I smile and help myself to one, letting go of Lucca’s hand to do so.
“Yes, Elena has become quite the cook, but only after burning the house down a time or two.” Julian snickers before taking a drink of his bourbon. Elena glares at him over her shoulder.
“I love cooking too. Maybe we could get together and have an evening of baking?” Fallon, Markus’s wife, suggests.
