Chapter Eighty-Two

Chapter Eighty-Two
Everett

Aubrey shaking me and calling my name abruptly wakes me from sleep. Last night was her first official night living here, and I couldn’t be happier. However, I start to panic as she wakes me. What if she has changed her mind?

“Aubrey, what is wrong?”

I glance over and see her sitting on the edge of the bed. “They found him, Everett. He’s been arrested for attempted armed robbery. He’ll go to jail, not just for that but also for breaking and entering, harassment, and stalking me. He’ll be gone, and I’ll never have to deal with him again,” she says, tears of happiness running down her face.

They got the bastard! About time. Now he can rot in jail. I hope he dies in there!

I hug her tightly. “Thank God, you don’t need to worry about him anymore. You are safe. You will always be safe. He will get what is coming to him. He will get exactly what he deserves,” I say.

“Yes, he will. Now, we can truly begin our lives without the concern that he might appear at any moment. I am finally free from him, Everett," she whimpers.

“Yes, you are, angel.” I smile and kiss the top of her head.

Aubrey pulls away and jumps to her feet, beaming. I can tell, just by looking at her, that having him locked up feels like a weight lifted. Yes, she will still carry the trauma of what he did to her, but now she can work through it without worrying about him ever again. Maybe one day she will tell me everything that happened. Maybe I will tell her everything that happened, too, but we have the rest of our lives to do that.

“I made breakfast to celebrate my first official night here. Come on. Oh, and Mimosas.” She giggles.

Aubrey tugs at my arm, urging me to get out of bed. I laugh and reach for my joggers, slipping them on before I climb out of bed. She skips her way to the kitchen, dragging me with her. I like seeing her so happy; it makes me happy too. All I want is for her to be happy! She deserves it after everything. I plan to give her the best life I can.

I expect her to stop in the kitchen, but she continues, taking me outside into the yard. She has a blanket set up on the grass next to the pool with food, coffee, juice and mimosas. There is everything from freshly baked muffins, I can smell them, to bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, fruit and whatever else. It must have taken her forever.

“How long have you been up?”

“A couple of hours. We have a lot to celebrate, and I couldn’t think of a better way than to be out in the sunshine. Please, sit, my love.”

“You should have woken me up. I would have helped.”

Aubrey shakes her head. “No, this is my way of saying thank you for letting me move into your beautiful home and for giving me a safe place.”

I reach for her and pull her against me. “It is our home, angel. Not just mine. I will always be a safe place for you. I promise.”

I kiss her gently. Aubrey smiles into my lips, wrapping her arms around my neck and returning the kiss. It’s brief before we pull away from each other.

Aubrey keeps herself close to me. “I love you.”

I plant a soft kiss on her forehead. “I love you too.”

With a bright smile and one last peck on my lips, Aubrey sits down, and I follow. Everything looks and smells wonderful. She has put so much effort into this. She truly is incredible.

Aubrey passes me a glass, takes one herself, and she raises her. “To us and whatever the future holds. I’m eager to discover it. I look forward to seeing what life has planned for us, my love.”

“You and me, both. I love you so much. I am more than ready to find out.”

We clink our glasses and share another kiss before starting on the food. I sip my drink and put it down, leaning back on my hands as I watch Aubrey happily eat, glancing around the garden. Her smile never fades, not even for a moment, which makes me smile as well.

I still don’t understand what I did in my life to deserve her. We didn't start well—I used and hurt her. It was never my intention to fall in love with her or to spend my life with her. I'm grateful she gave me another chance because, without it, things would be very different now. I vow to do everything I can to never hurt her again and to make amends for my past mistakes. I once believed I wasn’t capable of love, thinking my heart was like stone and that no one could love me. But from the moment I saw Aubrey, that one split second changed everything. Now, I can’t imagine a day without her. When the time is right, I’ll ask her to marry me. We’ll grow old together and perhaps raise a family. Those thoughts once terrified me—I convinced myself I didn’t want or deserve them.

“You are staring. Why are you staring?” Her giggles snap me out of my thoughts.

“Because you are beautiful, and I love you, I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, baby girl.”

Aubrey crawls over to me and gets into my lap, wrapping her arms around me. “Forever is a long time. Are you certain you're ready for it?”

I nod and reply confidently, "I've never been more prepared for anything in my life. When the moment is right, I hope you'll become my wife and the mother of my children.”

“I would love that very much,” she coos and kisses me softly.

I hug her tightly to my chest. “Me too. Thank you for making me a better man, Aubrey, and for making me a better person,” I whisper.

She nuzzles her face into my neck. “You’ve always been a good man; your guard was up, that is all. Thank you for saving me and for showing me that love doesn’t need to be cruel and that not every man wants to hurt me,” she whispers into my neck.

“You saved yourself, sweetheart. You just need a little support to do so. I promise I will never hurt you."

“I believe you…”

Who knows what lies ahead for us? It won’t all be easy, but it will be worth it. Both of us have been through a lot, and that will only make us work harder to keep our relationship strong. Nothing or no one will get between us. We have a strong bond and connection, one that no one can break. I want it to always be that way.