My future just kicked the ass of my past!
I take a sure, steady step toward Tyson, his words still fresh in my head. Tell me what you need and that's what I'll do. Everything from our chests down to our thighs is touching, but it's not enough. I need more—I'll always need more.
I waste no time throwing my arms over his shoulders, pulling him closer to me. Tyson doesn't miss a beat. His strong arms wrap around my back as he gathers me against his body. His beautiful face is buried in my neck, and when I feel his tears gather there, I squeeze him tighter.
"This is what I need, Ty. I need you. I've always needed you." My words are nothing but a jumbled mess mumbled against his shoulder, but I know he hears them. A deep sob roars from his mouth. He lifts me and when my feet leave the ground, I wrap my legs around his waist.
We stand there for several minutes, both of us crying. "I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. Please, please forgive me. If I could rewind time, I—"
Doesn't he know that I would never undo what happened? Because despite the crippling fear and unimaginable anger, the attack resulted in the one person who I truly could not live without—Max.
I pull back, gripping his cheeks in my hands. I wipe away his tears and give him a watery smile. "No," I whisper, shaking my head. "I wouldn't want you to rewind time because that night, as horrible as it was…that was the best night of my life." His head rears back, his face scrunched in confusion. He's giving me that are-you-smoking-crack look and I chuckle, losing a few more tears in the process.
"What happened to me that night," I say, pausing to wipe my face, "was hands-down the worst thing I've ever been through. But that night gave me Max." He drops his forehead to mine and I hope that's a sign he understands. "So you see, I don't want to rewind time. Max is my silver lining…he is what got me through this. That little guy is the best thing to ever happen to me, and I'd go through what I went through a million more times if it meant that in the end I was going to get Max."
Tyson captures my mouth with his, but this kiss is nothing like any kiss we’ve shared before. This kiss is wrapped in acceptance, forgiveness, and hope.
"You are the strongest, most amazing woman I've ever met," he mumbles against my lips.
"You forgot kind, beautiful, spectacular…” His mouth tilts over mine in another kiss, this one so powerful that my entire body trembles. When he finally pulls away, I'm left heaving and breathless. He rubs his nose against mine before kissing it softly.
His sweet breath fans my face when he talks. "I'm fairly certain the world hasn't yet discovered the word that best fits everything that you are, Harley." I smile against his mouth, kissing him again and again. I love that I can do that whenever the hell I want.
"You're perfect." His words are soft, firm, and they're the sweetest words I've ever heard. "I love you, Harley, so much." All of my thoughts come to a complete halt… What? He…what?
Is it impolite to beg—demand—he say it again?
"OH. MY. GOD," QUINN moans, licking the ice cream off her spoon like it’s a damn lollipop. Two teenage boys are sitting in the booth next to us and when I see one of them reach under the table, I decide I've had enough.
"Ouch! Damnit, Harley, that hurt," she scolds, bending down to rub her leg.
"Quinn, you just moaned 'Oh my God' with your head thrown back as you sucked on a spoon...in public." She stares at me, her face saying, 'And your point is?’
I shake my head, returning to my lunch. "Never mind."
She shrugs her shoulders and pops her spoon back in her mouth, completely oblivious. "So…spill it."
"Uh, spill what?" I ask, feigning ignorance.
"Oh, come on." She rolls her eyes. "It's been three weeks. I know you've done the deed and I want details," she says, singing the last word. "That hunk of a man of yours is fucking hot," she says, fanning herself with her napkin. "Like H-O-T, hot! His body is rockin' and please, please tell me he knows how to use it."
Well, shit. This is awkward. But I don't have any details to give. I want details…I really, really want lots and lots of details. But damnit, Max's vagina-blocking abilities seem to be getting stronger.
Quinn watches me, understanding flashing across her face. "Wait!" she says, putting her chocolate sundae down. How the hell she gets by with eating ice cream for lunch and still manages to look like she does, I'll never know.
"You haven't slept with him." I don't answer because it's not a question. She chuckles humorlessly and leans forward. "Why the hell haven't you slept with him?" Her face is serious. Quinn is actually concerned about my sex life.
I shrug my shoulder and pop a bite in my mouth. "I don't know. It just hasn't happened," I mumble.
She leans back, crossing her arms over her chest. Quinn can read people better than anyone I know and she can smell a lie from a mile away, which is how I know that I haven't gotten away with my little fib.
"Fine," I say, throwing a chunk of my bread at her face. She bats it away playfully before it can smack her in the head. "It's hard to get to that point when Max is around. When he's awake, we're always waiting for him to walk away so we can steal a kiss, and when he's asleep, we only make it so far before something happens to stop us."
"Interesting." She keeps lapping at her sundae before waving her spoon in a gesture that clearly indicates I should continue.
I sigh, pushing my half-eaten lunch to the side. "Okay. For example, the other night, Ty was watching TV so I decided to jump in the shower after I put Max to bed. Well, Tyson slipped into the bathroom, climbed into the shower with me and we started making out. His hands were everywhere and it felt so good
," I say, rolling my head back. "At least it did until Max started banging on the door, which thankfully Ty had locked on his way in. So there I was standing in the shower with Tyson's hand between my legs, two seconds away from—" I lean down and whisper, "—the best orgasm ever." I sit up and Quinn laughs. "The poor guy hadn't even been touched and there was Max, bangin’ on the door."