Chapter 29 #2
Her eyes opened slightly, focusing on mine.
"And that doesn't make you bad for wanting it," I continued, my thumb stroking her temple. "It doesn't make you like him. It makes you human. It makes you someone who believes evil should have consequences. Just like your daddy does."
A tear slipped down her cheek, and she made a soft sound around my cock.
My throat tightened. "Do you know how much I love you, Marie?” The question came out heavy with emotion. "Do you know what you mean to me?”
More tears fell, and her whole body trembled. She nodded frantically, my cock still resting in her mouth. That sight did many unhelpful things to my self-control.
I leaned forward, cupping her face and easing myself from between her lips even as she resisted. "Come here, darling. Let me kiss you."
I caught her face in both hands and brought her mouth to mine, kissing her deeply. I coaxed her open with my tongue, deepening the kiss, then pulled back just enough to speak against her lips.
“Loving you is like watching the ocean at sunrise. It’s inevitable, the kind of beautiful that changes you just by witnessing it.”
I opened my eyes to gaze at her, at the beauty that chose me.
“You are brave and so impossibly strong. You survived hell and still had the courage to grab a stranger's suit and ask for help. I only wish I could be half the beautiful person you are, darling."
Her face crumpled, fresh tears spilling over. "You saved me," she choked out. "You're my anchor. You're everything. I love you so much it terrifies me."
"No." I shook my head, kissing her softly between words.
"You saved yourself, Marie. You got yourself to me.
I just listened to the lost little darling who was brave enough to ask for help.
" Another kiss, deeper. "And then I decided to keep you.
Not that I had a choice—you made it impossible not to love you. "
She sobbed against my mouth, her fingers digging into my wrists like I was the only thing keeping her tethered.
"You complete every part of me I ignored for years," I continued, my own voice roughening, my own eyes burning with tears.
"The parts that wanted softness. That wanted someone to come home to.
That wanted to love and be loved without conditions.
You gave me all of that just by existing, darling. Just by being mine."
“Me too,” she whispered brokenly. "I love you. Like the ocean loves the shore. Like I need air to breathe. I love you, Wade."
A tear slipped down my own cheek, unfamiliar and entirely because of her. I kissed my Marie again, tasting salt from both our tears.
"My darling,” I breathed against her lips. "My heart. My whole world."
We stayed like that, foreheads pressed together, kissing between silent tears, both of us naked, vulnerable, and completely whole. She'd saved herself, and in doing so, she'd saved the man who’d never needed saving before.
The pink pajamas were fuzzy and warm, with long sleeves and long pants that felt soft as a cloud. I'd picked them out from the pile of things we brought from Marie’s place, and now I was dressing her.
Marie was sitting on the edge of the bed in just a towel, her hair damp from the bath, watching me with those dark eyes as I knelt at her feet.
"Arms up, darling."
She lifted obediently, and I slipped the top over her head, guiding her hands through the sleeves. Then the pants, one leg at a time, my hands steadying her calves as she stepped into them.
“All warm now,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her skin before reaching for the fuzzy socks I'd set aside. Pink, of course. Everything was pink because it made her smile, and right now I'd paint the entire world that color if it meant keeping her happy.
Marie looked warm, protected, and safe in layers of softness that covered every inch of her. Exactly how I wanted her.
I stayed kneeling, my hands on her thighs, splaying wide over the soft fabric. I squeezed gently, rubbing slow, affectionate circles, and watched her melt a little under the touch.
Honey was curled up behind her on the bed, having missed Marie greatly. Her head was resting near her hip, tail thumping softly against the sheets every time Marie shifted.
I took a breath, choosing my words carefully.
"Darling," I started, careful and measured. “Regarding the visitor in my building,” I squeezed her thighs again, anchoring both of us. “Some part of you might need to see him.”
I watched her face, ensuring she was still comfortable.
“This is your chance to look him in the eye, knowing you're the one who put a knife in him, and know he can't ever hurt you again. If you want that, I'll take you there. I'll stand right beside you the entire time. This is your choice."
I expected that same hesitation from before, but instead, she nodded.
"I'll come with you,” and her voice was strong. “I trust you.”
Surprise hit me hard—the good kind that made pride swell so large. My fierce darling kept finding reserves of strength I didn't know existed.
“Are you sure?" I needed her to be absolutely certain. "You don't have to, darling. You don't owe him anything, especially not your presence."
"I know." She reached down, covering one of my hands with hers. "But I want to. I need to see that he can't touch me anymore. That he's the one who's powerless now." Her eyes met mine, clear and determined. "But only if you're there. Only if my daddy's with me."
My throat tightened. I brought her hand to my lips, kissed her knuckles, her palm, then her wrist where her pulse was fluttering.
"I'll be right beside you the entire time," I promised against her skin. "He won't touch you. He won't speak unless you want him to. And the second you want to leave, we leave. Understood?"
"Understood."
She'd been captive for five years, had been broken down, and rebuilt in the worst ways. She’d escaped, healed, and just hours ago walked into a room with her abuser and put a knife into him.
And now she was choosing to face him again. On her terms, with me at her side.
"You are the bravest person I've ever met," I breathed against her. "Do you know that? You are so strong, Marie. I am in awe of you every day.”
Her eyes welled up, but she smiled, small and wobbly. "I'm only strong because you made me feel safe enough to be."
"No, darling." I rose up on my knees, cupping her face in both hands. "You were always this strong. Now you can just use it.”
I kissed her then, soft and reverent and full of every ounce of pride and love I felt. She kissed me back, her hands coming up to grip my wrists, anchoring us together.
I rested my forehead against hers. "We'll go tonight, just you and me. When it's done, I’ll bring you home, put you in this bed, and hold you until you fall asleep. Does that sound good?"
"Yes, daddy."
"Good girl." I kissed her once more and stood, offering my hand. "Come on. Let's get you fed first. You're not facing him on an empty stomach."
She took my hand and let me pull her up, Honey immediately hopping down to follow at her heels.
As I led my darling downstairs to feed her before taking her to face her nightmare one last time, I felt nothing but absolute pride.
She was going to walk into that room and prove to herself, to me, to him, exactly who held the power now.
I would stand beside her, ready to destroy the world if anything went wrong, because that's what the woman I loved deserved. I gave her the choice, and then backed her no matter what she chose.