Page 34 of Winter Memories

As he crawls over my body, my world rights itself in a way I haven’t experienced in far too long. Maybe I did need to leave, maybe it’s not a regret I should continue to hold onto, but that doesn’t matter anymore. Only this matters.

Being with Fletcher is where I was always meant to be and I’m home now.

As he slides his length inside of me, my body arches up against him and I wrap my body around him. “Fuck,” he groans, the strain clear to see in the cords of his neck as he tips his head upward, “you always feel so fucking good, Shooting Star.”

When his eyes come down and meet mine, he starts to move. Every glide of his hips is slow and measured. This is so much more this time as we make love staring into each other’s eyes.

Every time he fills me has me writhing underneath him, my body begging and pleading for more. I circle my hips, seeking the friction I desperately need. Fletcher’s chest rubbing against the hard peaks of my nipples has me moaning and digging my nails into his back.

“I love you,” I moan, my soul lighting up as pleasure starts to overtake me and I get lost in a fog of lust and love.

Being with Fletcher is everything. Everything I missed. Everything I’ve been dreaming about.

I might have left Wintervale because I thought I was following my dreams, but I know now that this man is the only dream that matters. All I want to do is build the life we used to whisper about together.

It’s so close I can almost touch it.

And I desperately want it.

“I love you, Eden,” he groans and starts to move faster and harder.

Our moans and groans fill the room along with the way our skin is slapping together as passion takes over. When we tip over the edge, we do it together. I can feel every hot jet of his cum filling me as my walls beg for more of him.

“Move in with me,” Fletcher plants, “both of you. I want you here; I want all of it. This is our home, it always was.”

I blink up at the man above me, his weight welcome and comforting. My chest is heaving and I’m still a little fuzzy as I float in the aftershocks of our mutual orgasm.

“Yes,” I whisper, knowing there is no better place for us than right here.

Fletcher’s eyes light up and warmth spreads through me. No matter what regrets I have, one thing I’ll never regret is giving my neighbor, a boy who was my friend before anything else, my heart. He’s kept it safe for me. Time and distance were never going to be enough to keep us apart.

CHAPTER 14

FLETCHER

Even though I’ve known Walter my entire life and have never been scared of the man, I’m a little afraid right now. This is different, it’s much bigger. He might not have kicked up a fuss about Eden agreeing to move in with me next door at Limitless, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stand back and give me his blessing for what I’m about to ask him today.

I made sure to come over a little bit early to talk to Walter before we move Eden and Macklin over to the house. Noel and Huxley will be here in a little bit, and I know we’ll be able to make quick work of moving everything.

“Fletcher,” Walter nods and eyes me as if he knows that I need to talk to him. “How about we go out to the barn?”

“Thank you, sir,” I nod. He looks a little surprised because I haven’t called the man ‘sir’ in years, but he deserves that level of respect right now. The moment we step inside the barn, I don’tlet the silence stretch between us. “I love your daughter, and I love your grandson. I know they haven’t been in Wintervale very long and it may seem like we’re moving fast, but I’ve already lost too much time with Eden. I don’t want slow, I want forever. I’m going to ask Eden to marry me, and I hope you can support us in that.”

Walter’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “You’re not asking me for my blessing?”

I shake my head slowly, “No. No offense, but Eden is her own person. I’d like your support, but that’s different.” I chuckle softly and shake my head. “On my way over here, I thought I was going to ask for your blessing, but as I talk to you, I realize it’s not what I’m asking for at all.”

Walter studies me closely, his eyes, which are so much like Eden’s, take my measure. And he doesn’t miss a fucking thing.

“All those years ago you hurt her. She was lost for a long time,” his words are blunt, his tone even more so.

“I know,” I admit, my words heavy with emotion, “and I’ll always regret what I did. I wanted her to be free to be able to follow her dreams and not feel like she was always tethered to Wintervale, just because it’s where I was always going to be. I didn’t want her to wake up one day and realize she wanted more because she could go out there and do any damn thing that she sets her mind to. I loved her too much to be what held her back.”

“This is moving kind of fast,” Walter hedges.

“No,” I insist, “it’s not. We’ve been in love with each other since we were 14. We needed the time apart; we needed to feel the loss. It will make us stronger in the end. I regret our hearts had to break to make it possible, but our paths were alwaysdestined to be walked side by side. It just took a little time to get here.”

Walter nods and then his lips pull up into a wide grin. “You’re right Fletcher,” he slaps my shoulder and gives it a squeeze, “you don’t need my blessing. I will always support and back a man who loves my daughter enough to let her go. I can’t imagine being in your shoes and making the same decision. It takes a man of strength and character to put the person they love first, especially when it hurts.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, “You just promise me one thing.”

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