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tching me.
“What are you doing here? How did you find me?” I whisper.
“I got in touch with your mother because I need to talk to you,” he says.
“You talked to my mother?” I ask, covering my face.
“She’s lovely,” he says.
I remove my hands and lift my eyebrow. “You’re full of shit.”
He smirks, nodding. “Oh yeah, I totally am. Can I come in?”
I look behind me and blow out a breath. No more hiding. “Yeah,” I say, pushing the screen door open.
When he steps inside, he doesn’t even look around. He keeps his focus on me. I look down at the crappy floor before lifting my watery eyes to him. “I’m sorry, Braden.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance to talk. I’d like to hear you out now,” he says.
I wring my hands together and bite my lip. “I did come out to California to meet Blake and get in with him, Jax, and Kallie. But, within the first few days, I knew I walked into something so much more than I was expecting. I didn’t know how close everyone was. I didn’t realize the love and support you all had. Once I not only saw it but felt it, I didn’t want to be there for any other reason. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than modeling or wealth. I wanted to be a part of a huge extended family. And I was. You all accepted me without question, and it changed me. But nothing changed me as much as you. When I first saw you, I wanted you, but when I got to know you, I realized I needed you. Once I had you, I fell in love with you. I never had any intentions of hurting you or anyone else. I didn’t tell you why I came because it didn’t matter anymore. It wasn’t the reason I was there. I was there because I found family, acceptance, and the love of my life.”
The tears are running down my face as my eyes bounce between his. I want him to hold his arms open and hold me close. I want to feel his lips pressed against mine. I want him to forgive me and give me another chance. But he hasn’t even moved, so I think this is a final goodbye.
He scrubs his face and I notice the fading of the cuts on his knuckles. I assume it’s from that night and my stomach turns. In a flash, he has me in his arms and he crashes his lips against mine. The second our tongues collide I let out a soft moan. He sinks his fingers into my hair and deepens the kiss. It’s all-consuming and I melt into him.
When he pulls away, he wipes the tears that run down my cheeks. “I’m sorry I reacted the way I did. I should’ve given you a chance to explain everything. I heard you lied, and I couldn’t handle it. I wanted you to say it wasn’t true and when you didn’t, I lost it. But I got my ass handed to me by everyone and it was clear that I was in the wrong. If I had given you a chance, you would’ve told me the truth and I’m fucking sorry I didn’t do that. I’ve been miserable without you. The girls keep asking for you.”
“You won?” I interrupt.
“Yeah baby, I won. But I also lost because you left. Come back, McKinley. Move in with me and the girls,” he says, searching my eyes.
“Really?”
He smiles and places his hands on my cheeks. “I want to go to sleep with you every night. I want to wake up to you every morning. I want to love you for the rest of my life.” He kisses my lips and sighs. “I love you, McKinley. Please, come home.”
I jump into his arms and wrap myself around him. Tears of relief swim in my eyes as I bury my face into his neck. “Take me home, Braden.”
Life is so unexpected. You can hope for something and find something else completely that changes your world. Braden did that for me and I will spend the rest of my life doing it for him.
Epilogue
One Year Later
Braden
* * *
“Girls, we’re gonna be late if you don’t hurry up,” I yell.
Tiffany comes running down the hallway, smiling with excitement. “I’m ready.”
“Where’s your sister?”
She shrugs her little shoulders and I sigh. Both girls have really gotten close to McKinley. They are just as miserable as me when she’s not around. But Dawn idolizes her. Which also means that she is now constantly trying to do her hair and makeup so that she looks more like McKinley.
I was a little annoyed, but McKinley explained that all little girls do this. They want to grow up and be a part of the adult fun. That didn’t help at all. I’m not ready for my girls to grow up and definitely not ready for any kind of adult fun. After laughing, she assured me that everything will be fine. She’s been helping Dawn by putting on small amounts of makeup, explaining that less is more. I like that approach.
Unfortunately, McKinley isn’t home. She’s been gone for almost a week on a shoot. It’s tough on all of us when she’s gone. She’s the heart of our home. She keeps us all going. But she’s coming home tonight, and I’ve got a surprise. Which is exactly why I need Dawn to hurry up.
