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“You’re perfect, Avery. Fucking perfect. And I don’t care how long it takes me to show you that. I’ll take every minute of every day together, and I’ll show you how much you mean. But first, I need you to come for me, baby. Can you do that?”
His words unleash the torment from my body, and his eyes stay locked on mine while I feel body tighten and flex around him more and more with every thrust.
“Harder.” I gasp against his lips. “Please.”
That’s all I can manage, because he does exactly what I ask of him.
The next thrust takes him deeper into my body than the last, and he’s slowly grinding his pelvis against mine.
“Yes.” I moan. “Yes.”
I’m right there, and when his hand reaches down between our bodies, first grasping my hip and then pinching lightly, I’m done.
I scream as my body shatters around him.
He doesn’t muffle my cries with a kiss. Instead, I swear he’s smiling as his movements become erratic, followed by a groan that I can feel more than hear.
“I’m glad you almost arrested me.” I finally tell him later when we’re in bed. “I know I’m hard. And that I pushed you away. I just… I don’t want to take something away from you because you choose to be with me.”
“I choose you.” Carter brushes his fingers gently down my arm, his eyes dancing in the pale light of the moon and stars that shine through our bedroom windows. “Nothing else matters. I choose you every day with every breath in my body. You and Lucas are it for me. We don’t need any more. I don’t need anything but you. I’m not eloquent. I’m not good at speeches. I’m not good at any of it. But I can’t lose you. And I’m not going to let you go another moment with you thinking anything that isn’t true.”
“I choose you, too.” A smile on my lips, I curl into Carter’s body and listen to the steady rhythm of his heart beating.
EPILOGUE
CARTER
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Casey is staring at me like I’ve lost my goddamn mind.
I absolutely have, but that doesn’t mean shit because Avery deserves this.
After the shooting, Avery needed time to heal.
Now, she’s going back to school for work.
“Of course he’s sure,” Lucas pipes up from my side. “He’s never been more sure of anything in his entire life. At least that’s what he told Grammy last night when he asked her for-”
I cut him off with a glare. “Yes.”
“Well, at least one of us has a chance of figuring our shit out.” Casey grunts. “Do you think Cam’ll come back?”
“If Avery’s the one who asks him, yeah.”
“Okay, let’s do this.” Lucas claps his hands together. “I’m gonna miss my study session with Ciara for the math test if you don’t hurry it up, and I promised that I’d be there to help with flashcards.”
“You know what to do.” I wave him off and take my place in the currently empty gym, off to the side so no one will see me.
Lucas is off like a rocket, heading directly for the front office.
“Attention Birch Harbor Elementary. All students and staff, please report to the gym for our spirit-week assembly.”
“It’s not too late to chicken out.” Casey cracks his neck next to me. “You can move to Alaska, or California, and live a completely lonely life without the woman who drives you crazy.”
We both know I’m not going anywhere. I’ve never been more sure of a decision. Or my feelings.
I’m saved from actually having to answer him, though, when the doors swing open and all of the students start to come in. There’s enough noise that I feel like a stampede is going to take us down. Steps on the bleachers, laughter and shouting, plus the music that someone decided to play across the sound system while everyone got into place.
What feels like forever, but is actually less than five minutes, pass and I’m finally ready.
