I let him have this moment.
I let him… feel.
His pain bled into me, and I closed my eyes. The tears fell anyway, only to be washed away by the thundering rain.
Maddox didn’t move from his father’s fresh grave for a long time. When he finally stood up again, he stumbled, and I reached for him.
He wrapped around me, and I held him. He buried his face in my neck, and he shuddered in my arms. We were both drenched, both shivering, but I didn’t care.
I didn’t how we made it back home, but we did. Everything was a blur, the world swaying, back and forth, in front of my vision.
I helped Maddox out of his wet clothes and joined him in bed, both of us desperately chasing for warmth under the blankets.
His cold lips found mine, and I let him take this kiss. Soft. Tender. Sweet.
It wasn’t desperate or crazed. Maddox kissed me like he wanted to taste me forever. My lips fused with his, and my arms curled around the back of his head, as he rolled over, pinning me under him.
Maddox settled between my thighs.
Kiss. I love you.
Kiss. I’m never going to leave you.
Kiss. I promise.
Kiss. Pinky swear.
Kiss. Forever, baby.
I wordlessly whispered all my promises to him, through our kisses.
Maddox tenderly traced my scars, before he cupped my breast and caressed my nipple. I gasped into his mouth and pushed my knees up, wrapping my thighs around his hips, so that we were aligned, right where I wanted him. Our lips parted, our eyes met – his pupils dark and dilated – and Maddox slowly filled me.
It was exquisitely slow and painfully passionate.
I ached at the tenderness in his eyes. I hurt at the adoration on his face.
He was bare and transparent. Maddox tore me into tatters and shreds, before putting me back together.
His fingers curled around mine, before he pinned my hands on either side of my head. He started thrusting in and out. His thick length stretched me, and my moans spilled from my lips, as he filled me with slow, deep strokes, our gasp and moans filling the room.
My body flushed, and fire spread through my veins. Maddox twitched and jerked, as he grew closer to his release. My muscles tensed, until I was tight as a bowstring, hanging on the precipice of my orgasm.
His forehead touched mine, and my eyes fluttered close, as we found our release. He filled me to the brim, as my muscles slowly eased, and I grew lax in his embrace.
Maddox rolled us over, so I was laying on his chest, but our bodies stayed connected. I loved the feel of him inside of me.
His head thudded against my ear, and I smiled, feeling at peace. This was… home. Maddox kept me anchored to him with a firm arm around my hips. We fit perfectly together; the top of my head under his chin and my smaller body over his much larger one.
My fingers feathered across his chest. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.”
Maddox hummed under his breath, his hand drawing circles along my back. “You were.”
Brows furrowing, I peeked up at him. “Huh?”
His lips quirked with a smile. “You were always with me.”
Maddox brushed his finger over our dreamcatcher across my neck. “I had this in my pocket all the time, so you were always with me, Lila. Whenever it all felt too much, I’d reach inside my pocket and feel the necklace. Even though I had been so angry with you, this dreamcatcher still brough me… peace.”
“I never left you,” I whispered.
“No,” he agreed. “You never did. You were always right fucking here.”
My lips brushed across his chest, over his beating heart. “I love you.”
This was my first time saying it out loud. But Maddox already knew that… without me having to say those words.
He chuckled. “I know.”
I tweaked his nipple. “Say it back.”
“I love you, my beautiful, absolutely insane, little dragon.”
Oh, these butterflies.
“My Lila,” he rasped in my ear.
Always his.
Forever his.
One year later
“We did it!” I ran to Maddox. I jumped in his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist. We laughed, as he dipped me and planted a loud, wet kiss on my lips.
“You’re messing up my lipstick!”
“Fuck it,” he growled, kissing me deeper.
While all our friends graduated a year before us, Maddox and I were now – finally – graduates.
“Sweet Jesus! You guys need to stop with all this PDA,” Riley hollered.
“At least let them today,” Grayson said.
“I’ve seen Maddox and Lila do worse,” Colton laughed, referring to the time he walked in on us fucking two weeks ago.
I rolled my eyes and wiggled, letting Maddox know I wanted to be let down. He reluctantly let go, and I settled on my feet again. Our friends and family were all here, and I just couldn’t be any happier…