Twenty-Five
Susanna
Ten weeks after everything fell apart, I wake up and realize something has shifted.
The anger is gone. The hurt is still there, a dull ache that I'm not sure will ever fully disappear, but it's manageable now. Bearable.
And in its place is something else. Something that feels like hope.
Teller is still asleep beside me, his arm draped over my waist. I study his face in the early morning light—the strong jaw, the slight stubble, the way his lashes fan against his cheeks.
He's not perfect. He fucked up, badly. But he's trying. He's changed. And I believe him when he says he'll never hurt me like that again.
I believe in us again.
"You're staring," he mumbles, his eyes still closed.
"How do you know?"
"I can feel it." He opens his eyes and smiles at me. "Morning, beautiful."
"Morning."
He pulls me closer, and I can feel him hardening against my thigh. "Want to start the day off right?"
I laugh. "Is that all you think about?"
"When it comes to you? Pretty much." He kisses my neck. "Can you blame me? You're fucking irresistible."
"Flatterer."
"Truth-teller." His hand slides down my body, between my legs. "And you're already wet. So I think you want this as much as I do."
He's not wrong. I'm always ready for him these days. It's like my body has been starved for his touch and now can't get enough.
"Make love to me," I whisper.
"Always."
He rolls on top of me, settling between my thighs. There's no rush this time, no desperate urgency. Just slow, deep thrusts that make me feel every inch of him.
"I love you," he says, his eyes locked on mine. "I love you so much, Susanna."
"I love you too."
"I'm going to spend the rest of my life making you happy. Making sure you never doubt how much you mean to me."
"I know. I believe you."
He kisses me as he makes love to me, swallowing my moans. When I come, it's gentle and sweet, a warm wave of pleasure that washes over me. He follows soon after, groaning my name.
Afterward, we lie tangled together, neither of us wanting to move.
"Teller?"
"Yeah?"
"I forgive you."
He goes very still. "What?"
I prop myself up on my elbow to look at him. "I forgive you. For everything. I'm not saying I'll forget—I don't think I can. But I forgive you."
His eyes fill with tears. "Susanna—"
"You've proven yourself. You've changed. You've shown me every day for the past ten weeks that you're committed to us, to our marriage. And I believe you. I trust you again."
"Thank you," he chokes out. "Thank you, baby. I won't let you down. I swear to God, I won't."
"I know."
He pulls me into his arms and holds me tight, and I feel something inside me finally settle. Finally heal.
We're going to be okay. Better than okay.
We're going to be stronger than ever.