Chapter 23 Adeline
Adeline POV
"You think I’m perfect?" He shakes his head, letting out a dark, bitter laugh. "Adeline, I was a foster kid until I was ten. I was passed around three different homes. I stole food because I was hungry. I got into fights because I was angry at the world and at myself. I thought it was somehow my fault for having a shitty luck."
He steps into my space, grabbing my hands and pressing them against his chest. I can feel his heart hammering against my palms. "Richard polished me up. He put me in a suit and paid for my law school. But underneath this? I’m just as messy as you are. That’s why I recognized you on that track. That’s why I couldn't stay away, because deep down, you and I are the same."
"I thought I was protecting us," I whisper. "But I just ended up hurting you and us."
"You did, baby. I felt useless all over again." He releases my hands to cup my face, his thumbs brushing over my cheekbones. "It killed me, Adeline. Watching you look over your shoulder. Knowing there was a part of your life you locked me out of. I don't want the polished version of you. I want all the versions of you, both good and bad."
"You have it," I promise, gladly leaning into his touch that I've been deprived of for so long. "You have all of me, you do. I swear, no more secrets and no more hiding."
He searches my eyes, looking for any trace of deception. I make sure to show him how much open and honest I am at this moment. Slowly, the tension drains out of his shoulders, and he rests his forehead against mine, letting out a long, shuddering breath.
"I love you." He says, and my heart skips a bit. I can't believe he said it this time.
"I love you too," I breathe. "I love you so much it scares me."
"Good," he growls. "Be scared because I’m never letting you go again." With that, he drops a soft kiss on my lips. Greedily, I go for another kiss, and he allows me to deepen it. It was not like the heated kiss in the supply closet, it's a reassuring kiss. It’s an apology and a vow all wrapped in one.
He lifts me up effortlessly, and I wrap my legs around his waist. He carries me to the bed and lays me down on the sheets that smell like him. He's no longer angry, only desperate to feel my body against his. I claw at his shirt and silently order him to remove it. His hands are everywhere on my body, worshipping and possessing.
"You’re mine," he whispers against my skin, over and over again. "Mason doesn't exist. The past doesn't exist. Only this. I'm your now and your future."
I cling to him and allow him to ground me in the present with his hot, open-mouthed kisses. For the first time in three years, the shadow of Mason Bernard is truly gone. The fear of my father's image tainting my future is gone. There is only Percy. We don't try to take it further that night. We only kiss and kiss until both our lips are swollen and we are satisfied. As I fall asleep in his arms, I realize that I've found my home.
I wake up to the smell of coffee and pancakes, which makes me smile. The space beside me is empty. But the sheets are still warm, so I grab one of Percy’s shirts and wander out to the kitchen.
Percy is at the stove, skillfully flipping pancakes in sweatpants and a t-shirt. For some reason, the domesticity makes me smile. He looks up as I enter, and a slow, lazy smile spreads across his face.
"Morning, baby."
"Morning," I say, hopping up onto the counter. "You cook?"
"I have hidden talents." He plates the pancakes and brings them over to me, standing between my knees as I eat. "How did you sleep?"
"Better than I have in years."
He kisses my forehead. "Good, because I have news."
"What happened?"
"I checked my mail this morning," he says casually. "Mason’s accounts are frozen. The Bar Association has received the complaint, and my security team has retrieved the hard drives from his apartment. They found the folder, Adeline. It’s gone."
Relief washes over me so strongly it almost makes me dizzy. "It’s really over?"
"It is over, sweetheart. We can celebrate now."
"Thank you, Percy," I say sincerely. "No one has ever done this for me. No one's ever taken care of me this way."
"You're with me now, baby. You don't have to worry about anything." He says softly and kisses my lips.
When we finished eating breakfast, he decided that we should take the day off, and I didn't fight him on it. After the past few days at work spent looking over my shoulder, I was glad I could chill today.
He put on a show that we both don't concentrate on as we kiss and rub on each other. When he releases me to get a blanket, I decide to speak up when he comes back.
I wait until we're snuggled together again to make my point.
"Baby." He looks down at me suspiciously because I only call him that when I want something.
"What?"
"I want you to drop the embezzling charges against Mason."