Epilogue
10 months later
“O f course,” I smile at the woman wrangling two kids who hang off her legs. She gives me a worn-out smile.
“Thank you, and it’ll be ready in a couple days?” She asks.
“Yes, we will put it as a priority,” I promise her, accepting the keys she hands me.
“Great, thank you,” She replies, herding her kids out the door and to the truck that just pulled into the lot. A man jumps out and plucks one of the kids into his arms before he leans in and kisses her gently, and then gets her into the car while he deals with their children. It’s sweet to see and once they’re gone, I walk through the doors into the garage, finding River underneath the Plymouth. I swear that car always needs work.
“River,” I call and tap the toe of my shoe against his calf, bringing him out from beneath his car, “We need to get this one done ASAP.”
He stares up at me from the floor, flat on his back. There’s a smear of dirt on his cheek and his hands are covered too. This man never stays clean.
“I’ll get to it tomorrow,” He tells me, glancing outside where the sun has started to set. “Mind getting the shutters?” He asks me as he gets to his feet and takes the key from me, “Close them once I get it inside.”
I nod and head to the button that’ll shut it down for the night, waiting for him to bring the woman’s car inside. When it’s parked up, I push the button to close us in for the night.
I help River most days here at the garage, his business seemed to take off even further after everything happened ten months ago and he’s been swamped, he’s even had to hire several new guys and is opening a second location uptown. The development for the south side also started about two months ago, they’re beginning with the school and library and will work from there to get this side of town back to where it should be, and several more people came forward with donations to cover the cost of labor and materials.
My father and brother are both serving life in prison and my mother received ten years. I didn’t think she had anything to do with it but as it turns out she knew all about it and had even attempted to hide evidence. Their house was sold, all their materials either donated or sold too and a new Mayor for the town was voted in a month or so after the events that happened in the town square.
I’ve been in therapy for months, pulling apart my life from the seams so I can start to work on the trauma my family gave me. It’s been hard, long but I am free and I wouldn’t change it for the world. My mother tried to contact me once, but the message was left unread and to this day, it remains that way. I want nothing to do with them. As far as I am concerned, they no longer exist.
There’s still too much divide between the two sides of town but it’s gotten better, and no one has to live in fear of losing their livelihoods to greedy men.
River and I live permanently at my grandmother’s house, I’m not sure when he moved in, he just came over and then never left and he’s been proving to me every day that he’ll always show up.
My love only grows for him.
“We ready to head home?” I ask him, stretching my arms above my head. I am exhausted, along with working with him at the garage, mainly maintaining admin and appointments, I’ve started an online course to work toward a degree in English Literature although I still have no idea what I want to do.
For now, I’m studying and living a free life without the rules of my parents.
And River supports everything I do.
“Soon,” He promises, locking up the car before he picks up a rag and wipes his hands, walking toward me. “You look pretty today; did I tell you that?”
His eyes dip down me appreciatively, “Several times.” I reply with a smile.
“Mm,” He nods, stopping in front of me, his hand sliding around my back so he can pull me forward, my front pressed entirely against his and I can feel just how much he likes my outfit choice.
It’s started to warm up again after an incredibly harsh winter, so I’d pulled out one of my summer dresses, knowing how much he likes me in them.
Slowly, he starts to walk us backward, his eyes darkening, “What are you doing?” I breathe.
“I promised a long time ago I’d have you on the top of my Plymouth,” He rasps, “I think it’s time to pay up on that.”
“River,” I gasp just as my legs hit the car and he lifts me, my ass hitting the hood with a thud.
“I remember having you just like this,” His mouth finds my neck and any hesitancy leaves me, my skin pebbling with his touch. “You were so pretty, so shy.” His teeth graze down my throat and to my collar bone as his hands slip up my arms and to the thin straps of my dress. “I wanted nothing more than to fuck you against this car.”
My thighs part as he presses closer, “I wanted you to.” I admit.
“I know you did, princess,” He chuckles darkly, “Your pussy was so damn wet, are you wet for me now, baby?”
He tugs the straps down my arms and then pulls the neckline over my breasts, exposing me since I didn’t wear a bra with the outfit. He lets out a guttural groan, mouth latching onto one of my nipples, tongue swirling over the sensitive bud. My moan echoes through the garage and my hand tugs on his hair, not pulling but keeping him there. I feel his smile on my flesh and with his mouth on my breast, he dips his hand under my dress, swiping a single finger down the seam of me above the material of my panties.
“You want me to fuck you here, Marly?” He asks, tongue flicking against my nipple.
“Please,” I beg shamelessly.
“Good girl,” He comes away from me entirely and drops his eyes to where his hand is under my dress before he uses his other one to hike up the skirt to expose me. “Lay back Marly, show me what’s mine.”
I press my back to the hood of the car, River’s hands going to my underwear to pull them off before he presses my thighs apart. He groans when he touches me again, feeling how wet I am and my hips buck against him, his touch like electric.
“Always so responsive, baby,” He grins at me before he grasps my hips and tugs me until my ass is almost hanging off the front of the car, then he’s on his knees, his mouth working over me. I’ve never gotten used to it, but it might just be my favorite thing he does. His tongue flicks against my clit as he works two fingers inside, thrusting them slowly but deeply, knowing what I like. My body is his instrument, and he’s mastered how to play it.
“River,” I cry his name, feeling all my muscles bunch and tighten, the pleasure too much and not enough.
He keeps going, pushing me to the peak before I shatter for him, coming against his tongue and he still doesn’t stop, working me through the orgasm and tasting every second of it. When I feel like just a bag of bones, he stands, shoving at his overalls and then his pants until he has his cock in his hand, jerking it slowly.
“Fucking soaked, Marly,” He praises, “Spread your legs for me.”
I let my knees fall apart to give him room and his chin drops to his chest so he can watch as he notches the head of him inside of me, letting out a groan that whips more arousal through me.
“Fuck,” He hisses, “I can never get enough.”
“Please,” I plead.
“Please what, Marly?” He flicks his eyes to me, “Use your words, you know how I like to hear you beg.”
My jaw slackens as he pushes another couple inches inside but pulls back before he can fill me completely.
“Please, fuck me,” I give him what he wants and with it, he surges forward, filling me up in one deep, quick thrust. I cry out, my spine bowing off the hood of the car.
His fingers sink into the flesh at my hips, a little meatier now that my diet isn’t as restricted, and I love having a fuller body, partly because I love how his hands feel on me, how his fingers leave marks.
“That’s it, baby,” He praises, “Fuck you feel so good. You always feel so damn good.”
His hips move against me, cock sawing in and out and a new wave of pleasure zaps down my spine. He doesn’t stop, even when I begin to convulse around him, my cries turning louder, my muscles shaking.
And when my climax hits once more, I scream his name, feeling him follow me over the edge as his cock jerks inside of me.
He groans with his release, fingers biting just a little bit harder and once he’s spent, his breaths coming out rapidly, he collapses on top of me, holding his weight on his elbows where he nuzzles his face into my neck.
“So much better than I ever dreamed of it being,” He rasps.
I laugh and feel his body shiver. After a few moments, he lifts his weight onto his hands, his cock softening inside of me, my inner thighs wet with a mix of him and me.
“I love you,” He whispers.
My whole face lifts with my smile, “I know you do.”
Half his mouth lifts into a grin, “Marry me.”
“What?” I gasp.
“You’ve never been a Winchester, Marly,” He whispers, “You’ve always been a Sinclair, marry me. Please. Wear my ring and have my name. Be my wife.”
I blink, a war of emotions running through me, “Do you not think we’re a bit young for marriage?”
He scoffs, “My age has nothing to do with how I feel about you. I knew months ago I wanted you to be my wife.”
“Okay,” I breathe.
“Okay, as in, yes?” His eyes widen.
I laugh, “Yes, River.”
His mouth is on mine in the next second, “I have a ring,” He says, kissing the corner of my lips, “It’s at the house.”
“I don’t need a ring, just you.” I answer him.
“You have me,” He softens, “Always.”