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“I love you, too, baby,” Grace says, holding him tighter. “I’m so glad you found a good girl who loves you back. All of your dreams are coming true. I’m so proud of you.”
He kisses her hair this time and whispers, “Thanks, Mom. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
From what Shawn had told me on one of our bus rides home, his mom had worked two jobs over the summer every year just to make sure she’d had enough money for him to play football. Her love and dedication for her son warms my heart, and seeing the two of them together brings more tears to my eyes.
She deserves a prize for bringing Shawn into this world and raising him to be a good man. He was a mess when we’d first met, but he was always the guy I know. Despite his many flaws, his perfections balance them out, making him the perfect man. Or at least perfect for me.
Ever since that fateful day at the masquerade party, I knew there was something special about Shawn. Luckily, I was right. My instincts steered me wrong in the past, but they were spot on when it came to my man.
“I’m so proud of you, Shawn.” I stand up on my tippy toes to kiss his cheek, and he lifts me up in the process, smacking a soft kiss on my lips.
“You are everything to me, Ella. I love you so fucking much.” He sets me down on the ground, now realizing he needs to get his ass up to that stage to claim his hat that says Philadelphia Eagles on the front.
“Get up on the stage before they change their minds,” I joke.
We both laugh for a second, before he turns on his heel and walks away from me. I cry even harder when he fixes the hat on his head and blows me a kiss. I love him so damn much I can’t even comprehend all the emotions that are running through my body.
Shawn was never afraid to be himself. He was never afraid to make mistakes, take chances, or go all in for something or someone he loves. As much as he claims I helped him, he inspired me to become a different person. Living a life of fear is not living. I had no idea I was dead, hollow, and barely living until Shawn had brought me back to life. He resurrected the girl trapped inside me.
Ella
Five months after the draft, Shawn is home for the weekend to play in the upcoming game against the Giants on Sunday.
I still know nothing about football, but what I do know is that Philadelphians hate this team, and by association, so do I, even though I could care less. I don’t get the whole rival thing or the intensity that Eagles fans have for their team. All I care is that my man gets some playing time and that his team wins the game. That’s about it.
But this weekend is sweet for us both, the cherry on top after waiting for our lives to begin. After months of Mrs. F’s lawyers fighting with Clarissa, I finally won the will contest. My father’s estate and everything Clarissa owns now belongs to me—including my house. Moving back, while I get to watch Bitch Mother hang her head in shame as she packs, gives me so much joy.
“You have five minutes,” I yell up the stairs with my hands on my hips. “Get your ass in gear, Clarissa! Chop, chop! The clock is ticking.”
Oh, how I have wanted to use her words against her so many times and didn’t have the strength to fight her. I was so weak before I’d met Shawn. After years of Clarissa holding me back and tearing me down, Shawn was the bright light in my dark tunnel. He was always there to lead the way. If someone had told me that in eight months I would be moving back to my parent’s house with the love of my life, I would have said they were crazy.
I was so defeated, left to feel as though I was worthless during Clarissa’s reign. Shawn built me back up and made me whole again. With Mrs. F’s help, I managed to buy back the shares of my father’s company that Clarissa had sold to investors. Still loyal to my father, the board had no problem making room for me. I’m not ready to run a company or chair a board, but Mrs. F sure as hell is with her tenacity. While I get my life back in order and learn the business, Mrs. F will attend the meetings and cast her vote on my behalf.
What I cared about most was getting my father’s company back, whether I was in a position of power or not. I’d rather see his Auntie Kay run his company than fight with his former business associates over things I have yet to understand. With time, I will be ready. Until then, I want to enjoy my new life, decorate my house, and make love to Shawn on every surface.
Shawn comes up from behind me and presses his lips to my neck, causing me to stir in his arms. His breath sends chills down my spine that goes straight to my core. Clarissa and her evil sidekicks need to get the hell out of my house so I can celebrate this moment with Shawn.
A few minutes later, Natasha comes down the stairs, dragging a suitcase behind her. The wheels bang against the wood with a thud that annoy me. I should say something. But, why bother? They’re doing a walk of shame out of my house and with their heads hung low. Over the years, they won a few battles, but I won the war, and they know it.
None of them says a word or even glances in my direction as they stomp out the front door with their bags. Shawn and I stand and watch as they walk to their cars. They linger around the three Mercedes they used to drive, cars that now belong to me. Without my father’s money, Clarissa couldn’t afford to hire a moving truck. Most of what she owed she had bought with my money. And my lawyer insisted I keep all of it.
Clarissa’s lawyer had begged for more. But she never opened her mouth. She stared across the table at me during the hearings with a look that could slice me in half. She always had this way of being menacing without speaking. Even as she exits the house, I still feel her chilly presence. A woman like Clarissa doesn’t need to be heard to be intimidating. I am no longer the scared girl who was too afraid to voice her opinions.
“How does it feel to be rid of them?” Shawn locks the door behind them and pulls me into his arms. “You’re finally done with Bitch Mother and her little dogs, too.”
I laugh at his stupidity and reach up to plant a kiss on his lips. Shawn is so damn tall that I have to grab hold of his thick arms and use them to stabilize myself.
“It feels amazing. If you hadn’t come into my life, who knows where I would be now? I would have lived here until graduation, kept my mouth shut and my head down until I could find a job that paid enough to afford an apartment. I doubt I would have met Mrs. F if I didn’t run out into the garden crying the night of the masquerade party. I wouldn’t have known my great aunt was living next door to me. A lot of things would not have happened if you didn’t come into my life when you did.”
“You overthink everything, my love. Let’s just live in this moment.”
“How about we use this moment to christen our new bedroom?” I wiggle my eyebrows at him. “We should probably, you know, test the headboard for safety.”
“That’s the best idea you’ve had all day.” Shawn lifts me up, as if I weigh nothing, and throws me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
He takes the stairs two at a time up to the third floor. I’d insisted that we claim the massive bedroom at the end of the hall. It has a large balcony, two walk-in closets, and a bathroom fit for a king. Why Clarissa and her girls hadn’t moved onto this floor had always shocked me. Instead, she’d slept in my parent’s old room, which annoyed me to no end. The third floor was always my haven, even when I felt as though I had nothing left.
We don’t speak another word until he sets me down on the floor in our bedroom.
