Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 54383 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54383 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
I named her after the flowers you always gave me.
I Wish I Would’ve Told You,
Scarlett
55
ME
Days later, when I open the door to check my mail, I find Easton standing on my porch.
He’s glaring at me like no time has passed since our last argument.
“Is now a bad time?” he asks.
“Yes.” I start to shut the door, but he overpowers me and holds it open.
Stepping inside, he looks around the living room. He says nothing for several seconds, and then suddenly, he crashes his lips against mine.
The force of his kiss knocks me back against the wall.
“Easton—”
“I didn’t come here to talk.” He bites down on my bottom lip and I moan at the mix of pain and pleasure, at the familiar feeling of his mouth against mine.
None of the fantasies I’ve had at night can compare or do the reality justice.
He slides a hand under my dress and I spread my legs.
Pushing the lace to the side, he whispers, “Fuck, Scarlett…You’re still so fucking wet for me.”
“Yes…”
He presses his thumb against my clit and deepens our kiss, tasting me again and again. As if it’s been far too long.
Unzipping his pants, he pulls out his cock and rubs it against me.
“Wrap your leg around my waist,” he commands.
I oblige and he slides inside me all at once, filling me and making me feel whole again, fucking me against the wall.
I melt into him like no time has passed, like things never got fucked up between us.
His eyes remain on mine with every deep thrust, and he serves me angry kisses between breaths.
“This is still mine,” he rasps. “And you’re still so fucking tight…”
I dig my nails into his neck as he picks up his tempo, and I stop trying to keep up.
He pushes me to the edge, denying me again and again until he has no choice but to let me come.
Then he reaches his own release seconds later.
His eyes are still full of anger when he pulls out of me.
He zips up his pants and leaves without another word.
56
ME
The following morning
“Delivery for this address.” The UPS driver holds out a signature pad. “Can you sign this for me?”
“Yes.” I scribble my name and he whistles to someone in the truck before walking away.
For the next several minutes, he and the other worker place box after box in my living room, all of them addressed to “Rose Rush, Your Father Loves You.”
I close the door after they place the final box in the corner, but they ring the doorbell again.
“Yes?” I say.
“We forgot one.” The driver hands me a bouquet of pink and white roses.
The tag hanging from their stems reads, “I Wish You Would’ve Told Me Too…”
57
ME
“Get that out of your mouth, Rose!” I grab a laptop charger from her lips as she giggles. “That’s not for eating!”
“It’s also not a real one, remember?” Tully smiles from the doorway. “I made that one out of fabric. The prong is made out of twine and glitter.”
“So, that makes it okay to put in her mouth, Aunt Tully?”
“It does.” She walks over to Rose and scoops her into her arms. “Let’s go to Aunt Tully’s room and get more things to make Mommy mad.”
I toss the fake charger into a basket and straighten up the room. Rose has torn through all the gifts Easton sent her, and I know they’ll return to the middle of the floor tomorrow.
As I’m picking up a set of oversized legos, I hear a sound that brings my world to a halt.
Tap! Tap! Tappp!
I rush over to the window, but Easton isn’t there.
Tap! Tap! Tapppp!
It’s coming from downstairs…
I rush down the steps and open the door.
Easton is standing on the front porch, a pink teddy bear in hand.
“Hi,” I say.
“Hello, Scarlett.”
“I got all your gifts.”
“Only one of those was for you.” He smiles. “Does Rose like them?”
“Yes.”
“Can I see her today?”
“You can see her whenever you want.”
He steps forward, closing the gap between us. “Can I ask you a hypothetical question?”
I nod.
“If the love of your life got out of prison early and came to understand why you held a secret from him, and admitted that you were right for not inflicting more pain on him, would you agree to starting things over?”
“That’s not how the questions work,” I say. “You’re supposed to give me the options.”
“I’m hoping there’s only one…” He kisses my lips. “I love you, Scarlett…I’ve never stopped, and I thought about you every day.”
“I love you too, Easton.” I feel a lump rising up my throat. “I would never willingly hurt you, and I swear—”
“It’s in the past.” He ends my sentence with a kiss. “Can we please start over? This time the right way?”
“I would like that.”
“Me too,” he says. “Can you introduce me to my daughter now?”
EPILOGUE
SEVERAL MONTHS LATER
ME
Dear Tully,
I’m glad that we’re the best of friends again, and I will do everything I can to make sure that never changes.