Page 78 of Rake

The shock of his words sends a tidal wave of feelings through me. My mind tells me to argue, that no one could possibly love poor trash like me, but I silence that voice and reach up and trace a finger down the side of his angular jaw.

“You’re one lucky bastard,” I say. “But I’ve never felt this free before. I love you too, Finn. And I’m excited to figure out how to live our lives, for us, and not simply in reaction to our circumstances.”

He chuckles. “I am a lucky bastard. But I’m excited too.”

Finn tickles my neck with my hair.

“You know when we had our little Burns night celebration?”

He nods. We’d talked at length about what had happened that weekend. I’d needed it to process and I feel good about where we ended up.

“There’s something I never told you,” I say, running a finger along the collar of his t-shirt

His expression turns serious. “What is it?”

“I touched myself in your bed that night.”

“Jesus Christ, Sasha,” he says, pinning me underneath him.

I laugh and he presses another kiss to my collarbone.

“I’m going to ravish you again,” he says, “but before I do…when the business with my father is complete, I want us to found a charity together. Let’s think about what that might look like? After I have my way with you, I mean.”

I gasp and slide my hands over his shoulders. “That’s a wonderful idea, Finn.”

“Sure, but it can wait. I can’t stop thinking about you touching yourself in my bed and I need to work out some sexual tension, if you’re game?”

“You’re awful,” I say, laughing. “But so am I. I’m down.”

He lets out a possessive, low moan and I arch against him. I’m ready to go all in and live the life I want.

And it feels so good to not be afraid to do that, more powerful than I could have imagined. The future’s never been brighter, and my small world has expanded beyond anything I could’ve comprehended. Whatever comes at us, we’ll face together.

James Carney doesn’t stand a chance against that.

Epilogue – Sasha

Two Years Later

“Thanks for the party, sis. Got a date. See ya.”

Benjamin waves at me with the burger he’s holding as he heads out of the Carneys’ enormous courtyard.

God, I can’t believe how tall my baby brother is. He got into Stanford, full-ride, and he’s just finished his sophomore year. He really came into his own once he had the time and space to discover what he wanted and needed. I’m so proud of the confident young man he’s grown into.

Getting used to his constant stream of girlfriends has been something else entirely. He promised me he treats them well, and that’s all I can ask for.

He came home for summer, but also for the graduation party Finn is throwing for me. I went back to school and finished a semester early. It was so much easier since I didn’t have to work. I protested when Finn insisted I focus on my studies, but then he showed me the deed to his Charlestown building—he’d had my name added to it.

“I don’t want you feeling trapped,” he said, “so I wanted to give you a little financial security. Targeted redistribution of wealth.”

He let me keep the rent from the first-floor apartment, too, and I had a nice little nest egg now. Of course, he negotiated a salary from ol’ Jimbo in return for liaising with the staff, so he wasn’t hurting for income either.

The negotiations went well. Finn is tough, but fair. He offered Jamilah her job back, and she turned him down, but we both appreciated the gesture. He even offered my no-good father a job, but my father angrily declined. Last I heard, he’d sold the house and was living in public housing, drinking himself to death.

It’s a shame, but I don’t regret leaving.

I get along easily with Finn’s siblings. At times I think they’re more amused at my working-class manners than anything else, but each one had told me separately how much he’s grown since we’ve been together.

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