Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
QUENTIN
A nora’s soft snores filled the bedroom as she cuddled against my chest. After taking a shower and me making her orgasm twice, she fell asleep instantly.
But, unlike her, I couldn’t quiet my thoughts to sleep.
I kept replaying the night in my mind, especially our confession of love to each other. I never wanted to forget the way she sounded when she spoke those words that I never would have thought I’d be lucky enough to receive from another human who wasn’t family.
I never thought that anyone could love my dark soul and all the secrets and tidbits that came with it. But Anora could look past it all and see me for who I truly was: a broken man grieving his sister and doing the only thing he could to make the voices in his head quiet.
I would cherish her and all she was forever. I already had an endless list of things I wanted to do and share with her. We were just getting started and had barely scratched the surface of our adventure together.
With snippets of our future flashing before my eyes—of Anora in a white dress; of her belly swollen with our child—I fell asleep and felt peace for the first time in years.
* * *
“Birds flying high, you know how I feel. Sun in the sky, you know how I feel.”
The sound of Anora’s singing coming from the kitchen and filtering down the hallway had to be one of the best ways I’d ever woken up. Not to mention the smell of her undoubtedly delicious cooking filling my nose.
This was something I could absolutely, without a doubt, get used to.
Except I planned to buy her a house in the mountains, like I knew she wanted, where we would be surrounded by nothing but nature and each other.
We’d woken in the wee hours of the morning and made love, taking our time and soaking in each other. We swapped hopes and dreams until she’d fallen back asleep, and I could have listened to her forever. She wasn’t afraid to go after what she wanted in life, and I admired that about her.
If she wanted to live in a rural cottage in the mountains away from the filth of Portland, then I was more than happy to go along with it.
I grabbed a T-shirt from my closet and a pair of sweatpants from my dresser before padding down to the kitchen, confirming a half-naked Anora stood at the stove.
“What do you think you’re doing, little moon?” I said as I snuck up behind her, wrapped my hands around her waist, and took in the smell of my shampoo wafting from her hair.
Another thing I could get used to: her smelling of me and wearing my clothes. I felt possessive in this moment, wanting everyone else to know she was mine.
I wasn’t obsessed enough to brand her or something insane but giving her my last name would be enough to keep my possessive side at bay.
“Making breakfast as a thank-you for completely obliterating me multiple times last night,” she teased as I tickled her neck with my beard scruff. She flipped a pancake in the pan in front of her.
“And again this morning,” I added proudly.
“If you make me burn this food, I will end you,” she said, trying and failing to sound stern as I continued to tickle her neck, and a giggle escaped her.
“Thank you,” I said against her skin.
“For what?” she questioned, finishing up breakfast and gathering everything to bring it to the dining room table.
I followed behind with our drinks. “This is the lightest I have felt in the longest time,” I said truthfully. My soul felt so much peace that it was almost overwhelming. “You’ve saved me in more ways than you can ever imagine.”
“Quentin.” She barely said my name without her voice breaking, and I watched her eyes glisten with unshed tears.
“Don’t you dare cry on my bacon, Anora,” I said to try to lighten the mood, causing her to laugh and wipe her eyes.
“I love you,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. “Always and forever.”
I spanked her ass in response before turning to scoop some food onto my plate.
A sudden dark thought crept into my mind, because of course nothing good lasts long.
Happiness had always felt temporary to me. When it comes along, you think it’ll be a permanent fixture in your life. But in reality, the universe is just waiting to pull the rug from underneath you.
* * *
“So, when are you popping the question?” Joey asked later that day as we sat in front of the TV with takeout food and sports playing on the screen.
“I’ll be popping you in the face if you don’t mind your own,” I mumbled, regretting telling him about my night and latest development with Anora.
Rory had texted Anora after breakfast and said she desperately needed a girls’ day, after which we could all have a double date this evening. It took some convincing on Rory’s side of things, and I knew she was still a little pissed at me for hurting Anora, but I planned to make up for it. She was important to the woman I loved, and the brother I never had.
Only a few hours had passed since we parted, and I already missed her presence. I had suggested an easy, chill lunch and hangout with Joey, followed by dinner with the girls at the hibachi grill in town. I wanted to celebrate my relationship with Anora and finally feel like a normal person in front of my roommate and his girlfriend.
Rory probably thought I was the flakiest and grumpiest son of a bitch she’d ever met. I never intended to be, but with everything I was trying to handle in my life, I barely slept and spent little time in the apartment.
Hopefully, Anora had said some good things about me to change her mind.
I’d been extra on edge waiting to hear back from Brendan ever since he’d sent me a cryptic text message about needing to talk as soon as possible.
“Touchy touchy,” Joey said, raising his hands in the air in mock surrender.
“I could ask you when you’re going to pop the question,” I threw back at him.
He said nothing, but the smirk on his face told me all I needed to know. He and Rory were two sides of the same coin. It wouldn’t surprise me if they ended up eloping behind our backs and telling us after the fact.
“Have you heard from the girls at all today?” Joey asked, changing the subject rather quickly. “Rory normally gives me a play-by-play when we are apart.”
I laughed at his attempt to be put out, but Joey’s smile betrayed his true feelings.
“Not since Anora left this morning on a mission of Rory’s doing,” I replied, wondering why he was asking. I wouldn’t admit my dependence on Anora to his face, and I knew he wouldn’t either, so we were both dancing around the fact that we missed our girlfriends.
“Speaking of the devil,” Joey laughed, his phone vibrating on the coffee table. He swiped up to open his phone and immediately his face drained of color.
“Quentin,” he rasped.
An icy pit formed in my stomach at the fear on his face.
Nothing ever rattled Joey. If he was affected this deeply, then it couldn’t be good.
He wordlessly handed me his phone, pulling up his message thread with Rory.
Rory
I need your help.
Anora and I were shopping at the mall and I turned my back for a moment and she was gone.
She’s not answering her phone, and I can’t find her anywhere.
Joey, I’m scared.
His phone began to ring in my hand, and I didn’t even get the chance to answer it before another text came through.
Rory
ANSWER YOUR FUCKING PHONE.
I thrust Joey’s phone into his lap and was speed-dialing Brendan before I even had the chance to blink—I was pissed at myself for blowing him off and not getting back to him sooner, grinding my teeth together and hoping this was just some misunderstanding.
But I knew in my heart of hearts that it wasn’t.
It was karma finally catching up to me and all of my wrongdoings, and Anora had gotten caught in the middle of it.