Page 80 of Dark Consequences

Suddenly, the door bangs open, and a team of nurses and doctors rushes in. They freeze when they see the sight before them. Lily squeaks and tries to move away, but my arm prevents her. I’m still buried in her and have no desire to move. In fact, I’m almost ready for round two.

However, I don’t care much for their eyes on Lily while she’s on my lap. Even if she’s clothed. So I reach for the blanket and toss it over us.

“Can I help you?” I ask nonchalantly, as if striking up a normal conversation with a girl impaled on my cock is an everyday thing.

One nurse steps forward, her face beet red. “We got an alert that your heart rate was high.”

“Oh my God,” I hear Lily groan into my chest. “I forgot about the pulse monitor.”

With a soft chuckle, I set my hand on her hair and say to the waiting medical team, “For good reason. But as you can see, all is fine. In fact, why don’t you ignore that alert for the rest of the night? I plan to do some cardio.”

38

Lily

New Year’s Eve

The sun is setting, casting a golden glow over the beach as it dips below the distant horizon. It’s the last sunset of the year and it feels almost symbolic and therapeutic in a way. It feels like I’m closing the door on a past life and starting a fresh chapter. The pain of the past six years will linger, but I’m confident they will eventually fade to a dull ache. So when the sun comes up tomorrow, it will rise on a whole new year and a completely different life for both Mei and me.

The squeal of a child’s laughter rings out, and I turn my gaze to watch my daughter run along the water’s edge with Raphael. Pretending she’s so much faster than him, he chases her with a mischievous grin. It’s a picture of such happiness and joy that I wish I could freeze time.

The resilience of children is truly incredible. Less than a week ago, she was drugged, abducted, and thrown into the ocean by her own father, despite knowing she can’t swim. She should be terrified of the water, yet here she is, running through it without a care in the world.

I’m thankful that she’s young and that with time, the memories will fade, but I’m not as lucky. The memory of almost losing her still haunts me, and last night I found myself sneaking into her room and waking up next to her this morning.

According to Raphael, Emilia is officially back home in Italy. I’m glad because if I ever see her again, I can’t guarantee how I will react. There is no way I can ever forgive someone for drugging a fellow woman and knowingly delivering her back into the hands of her abuser. The smell of hot chocolate still sends my heart racing, reminding me of that powerless feeling caused by the drug. I never want to feel like that again.

Raphael says healing will take time and I know it will.

One day at a time. One happy memory at a time.

I'll get there.

Mei stops, bends down, and collects a shell from the sand. She shows it to Raphael, who takes it and examines it in the fading sunlight. From where I sit on the sand with a towel under me, I can’t hear their conversation, but whatever it is has my kid smiling from ear to ear, and that’s all I care about.

Farther down the beach, Michael and Rose stand with Liam at the shoreline. He’s far too young to stand on his own, so Rose supports him by holding his arms up. He’s kicking at the sand and squeals when the cold water splashes his ankles.

I won’t lie. Seeing a baby is making my ovaries ache. And it doesn’t help when Raphael tosses me his insanely ridiculous sexy grin or when I watch his muscles move while doing the most basic things. Like breakfast yesterday. He was just flipping an omelet, and I about jumped his bones.

Having my IUD removed may have something to do with my desire for a baby and crazy sex drive. My hormones have been in overdrive ever since, and it’s only been a few days. I also haven’t told Raphael. I want it to be a surprise. But he’ll find out tonight. I have something special in mind.

Raphael’s shoulder is healing wonderfully. He no longer needs to wear the sling at night when sleeping, but I still make him wear it during the day. Even though he’s not fond of it, a few orgasms have a way of making his annoyance over the handicap disappear.

“May I sit with you, Lily?”

I look up to see Alice smiling down at me. “Of course.”

Scooting over to give her some room, she sits beside me and stretches out her legs with a sigh of contentment. For a few seconds, we’re quiet and simply enjoying the other’s presence.

“I’m not sure if you know or not, but I am not the boys’ biological mother.” Alice reveals that truth bomb so conversationally, it’s like she’s commenting on the weather. “She passed shortly after they were born from delivery complications. I was brought in to help take care of them because Dante was overwhelmed with twin infants.”

“I didn’t know. The way you act around each other. I wouldn’t have guessed it.”

Alice smiles, her eyes on Michael and Raphael. “To me, they are my boys, and I am their mother. Family isn’t always blood-related.”

I peer out at Raphael and Mei. They’re playing a game with the waves. Running out when the tide rescinds and then rushing back to the shore before the water can touch them. I can see their future together in an instant. Her first day of school, her first dance, her first boyfriend and the inevitable heartbreak that will follow, to her prom, and finally walking her down the aisle.

Xiao’s DNA can make up half of who she is genetically, but again, I consider the idea of nature versus nurture. The idea that a person’s behavior is shaped by either nature, like their physical makeup, or nurture, referring to the influence of the world around them on their behavior. As a doctor, I believe it’s a mix of both. I believe that every person is capable of good and bad. And the way they’re raised, the world they live in, will dictate which side prevails.

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