AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Good.” He draws back, holding my arms with his hands, and peers down into my eyes with a determined, watery gaze. “Because you and me, Liv, we’re end game. I think it’s time we stop pretending this is anything but forever.”
My stomach flips and hope has now spilled over from my heart to fill my chest. Still, I can’t allow myself to blindly accept what he says. Even though they were caused by misunderstandings and a lack of communication, I’ve been burned too many times. “We’ve barely been together for a week, Derek.”
“We were together for most of our lives,” he counters. “You were my best friend. The person who knew me better than I knew myself. Even if we never said it out loud, you’ve always been mine and I’ve always been yours. Or do you disagree?”
I search his eyes and see nothing but absolute sincerity shining back at me. “No,” I murmur. “I don’t disagree.”
“Good.” His hands slide down and grab mine. “No more secrets. No more wasted time. It’s you and me, Liv.”
“You and me,” I agree. Butterflies take flight in my stomach. “Until the end.”
Derek dips his head and seals the deal with a kiss, and I feel the finality of the agreement in the deepest part of my soul.
We still have things we need to work on. The heartbreak from losing our child and the lingering pain over our miscommunication these past years aren’t gone, but knowing that through it all we will be together makes those troubles seem manageable. We’ll heal together, and our relationship with grow deeper as a result.
And while the journey was painful, I wouldn’t change a thing about what led us to this moment. What Derek and I endured made us who we are, and it’ll shape who we become. I’m a big believer that things happen for a reason, and my reason is, andalways has been, that Derek Lawson is my soulmate. I’ve loved him my entire life, and now I get to love him the rest of it.
EPILOGUE
Derek
“That’s it,Cami. Smile for me,” I coo at the swaddled bundle in my arms. “Smile for your favorite uncle.”
“She’s not even six weeks old.” Heather pops up over my shoulder to look at our niece. She gently strokes her soft cheek. “Can babies even smile at this age?”
“Yes, but only because she’s passing gas,” Avery says, walking up with hearts in her eyes as she takes in the sight of her beautiful daughter. “Social smiles won’t happen for a couple weeks I think.”
Right on cue, my adorable niece lets one rip. “Ah!” I cry out. “That one sounded wet.”
The entire room erupts in laughter. Avery takes pity on me and holds out her arms to take Camila, Cami for short. I release my niece and watch my big sister hold her daughter with so much love it’s impossible not to smile. Avery had one hell of a pregnancy. She was hospitalized multiple times due to dehydration from excessive morning sickness, diagnosed as hyperemesis gravidarum. I had no idea such a thing existed, and it made me appreciate what women go through to bring new lifeinto the world that much more. It also makes me nervous for Olivia.
I look over at my pregnant fiancée. She sits on a cushioned stool at the island in Avery and Adam’s massive kitchen, speaking with my brother-in-law and Nero, Heather’s fiancé.
Nero Barresi is an intimidating man. When Avery was abducted all those years ago, he was one of the men who helped search for her after Adam called in some favors. I’m not certain, but I think Nero’s family has criminal ties. Though, according to Heather, Nero’s just a photographer for Worldwide Geographic. Deciding ignorance is bliss, I didn’t try to figure out if that was true or not. All that matters is he treats my sister well. Knowing Heather, she wouldn’t put up with anything less. And after seeing how his gaze softens every time he looks at my sister, I don’t think he’d do anything to hurt her.
The sound of silverware clinking against glass travels over the room. All eyes move to the source of the sound.
Adam stands by the breakfast table, holding a champagne flute up in the air. “Excuse me, everyone. I’d like to make a toast.”
Avery moves to stand by her husband. I watch my investor rest his hand on the small of her back and gaze down at his wife and daughter, looking like the happiest man in the world. “Thank you all for coming here to our sip and see to meet our daughter, Camila Leigh Moreno, named after her great-grandmother and her aunt.”
Heather lets loose a little hoot of celebration, and the room chuckles.
Smiling, Adam continues, “Growing up, I obviously had a family, but I never experienced the warmth and acceptance I have since meeting Avery. You, Lawsons, welcomed me with open arms. You showed me what unconditional love looks like, and I am beyond thrilled to know my daughter will grow upsurrounded by the same love and affection that shaped her mother into the kind, genuine, and wonderful woman she is.”
Avery sniffs and dabs the corner of her eye. Adam leans down to kiss her temple.
“A toast.” He straightens and lifts his glass towards my parents. “To the Lawsons. I think I can speak for each of us not born into the family.” He glances at Olivia and Nero. “Thank you for setting the bar so high for what a loving and supportive family should be. Cheers!”
Dad wraps his arm around Mom’s shoulder, and they watch the new parents with knowing smiles before sipping their drinks.
“Here, here,” Uncle Derek calls out. Aunt Chloe woos.
I lift my sparkling water in the air along with the rest of the room. I gave up drinking the moment Olivia saw the positive pregnancy test four months ago. At first, I just wanted to show her support since it would be at least nine months before she indulged in an adult beverage again. But now that I’ve been sober for months, I don’t think I’m going to resume drinking. I enjoy the mental clarity sobriety affords me, not to mention the benefit of not worrying about how it will interact with my latest anti-anxiety medication.
Besides, I’m so much happier since Olivia agreed to move to LA to be with me. Drinking to numb my loneliness and pain hasn’t been so tempting. Work is still stressful. That’s not going to change any time soon, not unless I want to step down as CEO. And while there are times when the memory of how Source Solution’s success contributed to Kyle’s downfall makes me question if that’s what I should do, the next successful product launch or innovative idea motivates me to push through.
I doubt there will ever come a time when I’m able to forget the impact our chosen career path had on Kyle. I’ll never not feel guilt when I think about how our success changed him, but Ido know that I can handle the struggles. Mentally, I’m stronger. Thanks to Dr. Cho, but also Olivia. She’s the shoulder I lean on whenever I start to feel overwhelmed. She grounds me and helps put my mind back on the right path.
