“Well, rest assured, Clinton, I don’t give a flying fuck what you do at school. This is going to be for putting ideas into my wife’s head. For trying to take her from me, you pointless little bastard. She’s mine, and you will do nothing more with her. Do you understand?”
As he tossed me to the floor, I closed my eyes. And the last thing I remembered was his foot jammed into my lower back. I let the tears fall as my happy place swept me away. Back into the arms of Rae. I saw her face smiling at me, felt her lips pressing against my cheeks. Her soft fingertips brushed my tears away, making me smile. Making me feel better about things.
Making me feel loved.
“Come. Follow me.”
Her voice filled my ears. Drowning out my father’s rage. I felt my body being tossed around, but I didn’t register the pain. Only the intensity. Only the pressure. Like my body had been filled with morphine and was numb from head to toe. Rae took my hands and pulled me into a beautiful wildflower meadow. Fraught with colors that warmed my soul. Yellows and pinks and blues. Purples and reds and so much green. A sparkling lake with fish jumping out caught my eye. And as the wooded landscape backdropped all around the meadow, a cabin magically appeared.
A cabin, in the middle of a meadow, situated on a crystal clear lake. A massive three-story behemoth, with a wrap-around porch. It was gorgeous. It called to me as Rae pulled me closer. She pulled me past the lake. Past the fish that called to my fingertips. To my hungry stomach. She pulled me up the porch steps and inside, showing me its glorious majesty.
And it left me stunned.
“Welcome home, handsome.”
Rae kissed my cheek, and I knew this had to be heaven. She threaded her fingers within mine and guided me through the cabin. The massive kitchen with marble countertops. The roaring fireplace with microfiber furniture, ready for me to flop against. She walked me up the stairs, showing me the bedrooms. The bathrooms. The hallways and the library.
Until finally she stopped at what looked like an office.
“What is this place, Rae?”
She giggled. “You’ve been gone too long, sweetheart. I take it the book tour went well?”
I paused. “Book tour?”
“Yeah. For your latest novel. Are you feeling all right?”
I blinked. “Yes. No. I’m fine. Sorry. I guess I have been away too long.”
“You got any ideas for your next book? Or are you taking some time off to hunt?”
“To hunt.”
“Yeah. And fish! Though, if you ask me, we don’t have anywhere else to put any more meat. The deep freezer in the basement’s already full.”
I stared at Rae, dumbfounded. I had no idea what the fuck she was talking about. And yet, I wanted to. It all sounded magical. Like utter perfection. Her, in this house that was clearly ours. With a lake to fish in and woods to hunt in and food to feed ourselves with and money from books I wrote to keep us afloat. I smiled as I wrapped her up in my arms. I walked her into the wall as her giggles filled the space around us. My lips pressed against hers and I drank her in. The sweet concoction of her tongue as it slid across the roof of my mouth.
“Mmm, I guess things did go well on this latest book tour.”
I nodded softly. “And oh, how I missed you.”
We sank to the floor of my office space and I kissed her body, peeling her clothes back and sucking marks against her skin that I wanted to see for the rest of my life. She scratched her nails along my back as I pounded into her, diving deeper into the life I wanted. The life I needed. The life that ripped me away from my current reality. The image shook from time to time, and I tried to keep it still. I lost myself in her curves and buried myself between her legs. I took her from room to room, marking the house with her scent as she fell weak against me.
And I found myself hoping to never wake up from this amazing dream.
Even if it killed me to stay there.
24
Raelynn
Clint’s text made me fucking sick. I couldn't concentrate for the rest of the time I was in classes. Allison and I went around to his teachers after school, explaining to them that he had a family emergency he was dealing with. That he needed his homework. Tests. Any reading assignments he might have missed. Pop quizzes he needed to take. The teachers seemed less inclined to work with him after today’s little spat, and I wanted to slap them all. How dare they judge him when they didn’t know shit about him?
Still, they gave us what we needed.
Michael jogged up to us. “All right. I’ve got the money out of his locker. I don’t feel comfortable keeping it there. Should I take it and stash it at my place?”
I nodded. “If you could, please. I don’t know when he’s going to be able to get it, but I want it somewhere safe that isn’t here until he can get back to it.”