Chapter 42 - WESTLEY
I knew Maevyn’s past was going to be more troubled than my own, full of heaviness, but I could never have imagined this.
The things she’s been through from such a young age, the loneliness and fear, were all she had known for so long before she clawed herself out of it with a bravery that astounds me.
“I think that’s why I’ve always let people’s judgement get to me.
When they looked at me, I knew what they were thinking: she’s so young, she’s on her own, she couldn’t possibly know what she’s doing.
Those were already things I was stressing over.
Because they were right—I was young, and I didn’t know what I was doing.
I wasn’t ready to be a mum. Not then. It wasn’t until I met Presley that I learnt how to cut out the noise and pretend it didn’t matter to me.
But deep down, I just wanted someone to come along and make me feel less alone.
Less like the entire world was on my shoulders. Less afraid.”
I tug on her hand, pulling her onto my lap and cupping her cheek. “You’re not alone, Maevyn. Not anymore.”
“Crystal,” she murmurs.
I tilt my head in question.
“My real name is Crystal Holt. My parents are Helene and Russell, and I grew up in the Cliffside trailer park in Port Yarra.” She huffs out a little laugh, finger tracing circles over my chest.
My arms wrap around her tight, holding until I’m certain she can’t feel the weight of her anguish anymore.
“I’m scared of how Aurora will react,” she says quietly, the warmth of her breath tickling my neck as her head rests on my shoulder.
“She doesn’t know I’m her sister, and I know I need to tell her.
I convinced myself I was waiting until she was old enough to handle it, but in reality, I’m just so terrified of her being mad at me for taking a decision away from her.
I don’t want her to try to find them. For years, I wondered if what I did was the right thing.
I don’t want her to tell me I was wrong. ”
“It’s not possible, baby.” With a hand on her chin, I guide her eyes to mine. “She loves you more than anything. She’s going to be so grateful that you loved her enough to do everything in your power to protect her and give her a better life.”
She sighs, her weight sinking into me as the tension bleeds out. “You really think so?”
I nod, placing a kiss on the tip of her nose. “If you want, I can be there with you when you do.”
Her fingertips trail up and down my forearm.
“Mae, I swear to you. I will never let anything happen to you. I will spend my life making sure you never spend another second knowing what it’s like to feel scared, alone, or unloved.”
“And I’ll never be convinced that I didn’t somehow look at the stars every night wishing for something better, and every time, they only moved me closer to you. You’re my biggest dream come true, Westley Andrews.”
Cupping her cheek in my palm, I pull her lips to mine, hoping she can feel all the ways I’m so grateful for her, but also how devoted I am to her. I’ll never give her a chance to know what it’s like to walk through life alone again.
I pull back, nipping her lips once more before I settle into holding her, wrapping her tight in my arms, where I always want to keep her.
“I’m tired of being scared, West,” she says, the earlier heaviness replaced with something more resolute. “It’s exhausting feeling like you’re constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, like you can never stop to catch your breath.”
“Who says you can’t stop?”
“That’s just what life has always been. Watching the stars is the only time I feel myself slow down enough to take that breath, feel that weight come off my shoulders because there’s no one to hide from, not even myself.”
“What about when you’re with me?”
She looks up at me with eyes I want to get lost in forever. “Every day used to feel like I was running away. With you, it feels like I’m running forward, chasing something good.”
“I want to be everything good in your life, Maevyn.”
She smiles. “You already are.”
It settles something inside me when I feel her let out a content sigh, her body leaning against mine as if she trusts me to bear the weight of everything she holds inside.
I want to be every reason she feels safe and loved.
I want to give her a place where she feels like she can have anything her heart desires, no matter how big or small, mundane or daring.
“I got you something.” I tap on her thigh, encouraging her to stand so I can grab the item from my car. “I was planning to do this the night after the hospital, and then—”
“Then I fucked up?” Maevyn follows behind me, stopping at the back of the ute, propping her forearms over the tray as she avoids the glare I throw her way.
“You didn’t fuck up,” I say, reaching for the paper bag on my passenger seat then coming back to her side. I bend down so I can catch her eyes. “You were scared. I knew that then.” Softening my tone I brush my thumb over her bottom lip. “I understand even better now.”
She gives me a watery smile, and I wink at her before unlocking the back panel of the tray. I put the bag down then grab Maevyn at the waist, lifting her onto the end while I stay standing between her open thighs.
I reach for the paper bag, opening another smaller bag inside that’s marked with Maevyn’s name, keeping it hidden from her so she can’t see that I’ve tampered with the outcomes of the messages. She’ll figure it out in a moment, but I still want the element of surprise for a little longer.
Maevyn gasps when I hand her the fortune cookie. “Don’t let Aurora know we did this without her.”
“There’s one for her too, but I’ll give it to her later.”
Maevyn smiles, hands at the ready on her cookie while I retrieve mine. “Do you promise to abide by the fortune bestowed upon you?”
“I do. And you?”
“I swear,” she says with a grin, and we both crack the shells open.
I watch as she stares, stunned, down at her message. “What does it say?”
She chews her lip before answering. “‘If you’re still wondering what it’s like to fall in love, it’s all the days since I met you’.” Her bottom lip trembles as she looks up at me again. “You love me?”
I look down at the paper in my hands, holding it up as I read it aloud. “‘I’m hopelessly, unmistakably, and endlessly in love with you’.”
She tosses the paper down and throws herself into me, looping her hands around my neck. “I love you, too.” She smiles.
My hands fall to her hips as I lean forward and kiss her.
She doesn’t hesitate to kiss me back, and it has butterflies filling my stomach. Her hands come to my neck, twisting in the ends of my hair so she can hold me to her.
I kiss her slowly as my hands move to her thighs, exploring and mapping the feel of her skin until I reach her knees and tug her into me.
“Let me love you under the stars,” I say against her lips.
She nods, not breaking the kiss as her legs wrap around my waist.
My hands roam over her shoulders, pulling off the green shirt she stole from me, but I like it better on her. Slowly, I undress her, kissing every spot as it’s exposed until she’s lying naked in the bed of my ute, illuminated by nothing but the moon and a million scattered stars.
I take a moment to just look at her, so thankful that our paths crossed. It feels like fate delivered me my perfect partner, because I can’t imagine anyone else coming into my life and filling the empty spaces like Maevyn does.
My mouth moves down her body, tongue flicking over each pierced nipple, and my teeth nip at the underside of her breasts. She’s trembling by the time I gently guide her to her back so I can settle between her thighs, my hands holding her open as I stare down at her naked pussy.
I take my time caressing her skin and breathing her in, content to watch her as I decorate her with my kisses. Her eyes are closed, and her chest rises and falls with ease.
“Open your eyes, Mae,” I say, another kiss just above her clit this time.
Her eyes open, and she looks down at me, but I shake my head.
“Look up at the stars, baby.”
The moon is so bright, I can see the subtle sheen that fills her dark eyes. “You are my stars,” she whispers.
I smile as my tongue reaches out slowly, licking up her centre and flicking over her clit. Her eyes flutter closed on an inhale, but when I do it again, I see her open them and look up to the night sky.
I take my time to lavish her pussy with my mouth, while my hands roam over her hips and up her chest, getting my fill of the beautiful woman who slowly falls apart beneath me.
Her legs start to squirm, tightening around my head as her pussy chases my mouth, growing more desperate for release. Her breath starts to heave. I bring one hand up to her nipple, flicking over the barbell while my other hand splays over her stomach, thumb rubbing over her clit.
Maevyn groans as she brings one hand up to cover mine, where it plays with her nipple, and she buries the other in my hair, lovingly brushing through the strands.
My cock hardens in my pants as I bring Maevyn to pleasure, cos that’s all I need.
I moan as she tugs on my hair, and dip my tongue inside her cunt.
“Fuck, Westley.” Her back arches off the blanket as her legs shake and she grinds against my face, practically convulsing as she throws her head back and screams to the stars.
I lick her arousal clean from her skin, not wasting a drop of the pleasure she’s given me. Something primal burns my skin as I once again realise I’m the only person she’s let have her this way. I’ll treasure that trust ’til the day I die.
As she catches her breath I pull off my T-shirt and kick off my shoes and jeans. With a fist wrapped around my hard cock, my need burns brighter. I wait until her breathing calms down and her eyes find mine, then lift a finger, beckoning her to me.
She bites her lip, holding back a grin that’s both devious and enchanting as she comes to her knees and leans into me, her lips just a whisper away from mine.
As soon as I go to meet her, she pulls back with a smirk.
My wicked little trickster. I wrap an arm behind her back and scoop under her knees, whisking her off the car.
She squeals as her hands lock around my neck, then I place her on her feet, guiding her hands to lean down on the back of the tray so I can stand behind her, my chest pressing against her back.
“What do you think you’re playing at, Trickster?” I say, pulling her hair away from her neck and kissing her shoulder, then up the column of her throat.
She tilts her head with a moan as I keep kissing her. One hand holds her hip, and the other guides my cock into her from behind.
“Just want to drive you wild, Thief.” She sighs as I slowly push into her.
“What makes you think you don’t already do that by just existing?” I pull out and thrust back in.
Her head falls against my shoulder. My hand moves up her chest, wrapping around her throat, tilting her head back further until she’s looking at the stars once more.
I keep fucking her with the dedication she deserves, taking my time so she feels every inch of my cock as I make my home inside her. So she feels every beat of my heart as it presses against her back and every breath that mingles with hers, because I am forever bound to her.
“Can you count all the stars you see, baby?” Her hands cover mine, and it’s like her love is wrapping around my soul as we rock against each other.
“No,” she says on a gasp. “I’d be counting forever.”
“That’s how long I’ll love you.”
She turns her head, eyes glistening as she leans in and kisses me. I can taste her tears as they fall, and I continue to make love to her.
Her fingers lace through mine as she pulls my hand from her neck, pressing my palm to her chest.
I can feel her heart thrashing as she whispers against my lips, “Until my heart stops beating. That’s how long I’ll love you.”