Page 46 of Always Been You
Popcorn sits forgotten in the bowl on the coffee table, and the floor is a mess of paint spatters and bits of clay. Lawliss insisted we try “something creative,” which apparently meant painting on cheap canvases and messing with clay like we were kids again.
She claims it was therapeutic, but I’m pretty sure she just wants an excuse to get to see me paint again when I told her I hadn’t touched a brush in forever. And, somehow, I don’t even mind.
I can’t remember the last time I felt this relaxed. Usually, this kind of disorganization would give me a headache, but with her, it feels different. It’s chaos, sure, but it’s the kind I don’t want to clean up. Not yet.
Her head shifts slightly against my chest, and I glance down at her. She’s focused on a half-finished clay pot she’s been shaping, her fingers smudged with paint and dust.
“You know, I never thought I would touch clay again,” she says as she continues to mold.
“Why did you become a lawyer? I remember you were all about art,” I ask, curious to hear what she has to say.
She pauses for a very long time, and I think she’s not going to answer. But then she finally speaks. “I thought that was going to help me save you.” She lets out a hollow, self-deprecating laugh and pauses again. My heart skips a beat.
I take the clay from her hands, and then I sit on the floor with her, pulling her close until her head rests on my lap. Her eyes flutter shut, and for a moment, she just breathes.
“When I heard your uncle, George, was going to lead the Ansah Group, it felt… wrong. Ridiculous, even,” she continues, her voice softer now. “I mean, I know your mom and dad had a will, right?” She asks more to herself than to me, and I nod.
“I was sure you were the sole heir. You weren’t underage, so you should’ve been able to take control or at least do something. You were in the hospital, but something was off with everything. Anyway, that’s what I thought.” She swallows hard, her fingers curling slightly into my thigh.
“Then I overheard Mom and Dad talking about getting lawyers to protect you and your assets, and it just clicked. If I became a lawyer, I could protect anyone or anything I wanted to. I mean, I thought I could do it instantly.” She sighs and then continues, “I know it sounds crazy now; even Elisa mocks me for how my journey started.” She says, mortified, but I can’t find the right words to say to her. She opens her eyes and stares at me. I stare right back at her. I was never truly alone. She wipes a stray tear that had escaped without my knowledge. Damn. I’m showing here all parts of me.
“Thank you,” I mouth silently, my facial features softening and my heart heavy with emotions I can’t quite name. I don’t know what I did to deserve Lawliss, but I’ll try everything in my power to keep her. Which means I have to deal with the revenge sooner rather than later.
“There’s nothing to thank me for,” she says softly, but I shake my head.
“I have all night to show you what I have to thank you for,” I say, then capture her mouth with mine. Losing myself in her. We go at it all day till we’re exhausted.
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“So, I have our day planned,” Lawliss says from the vanity table, her fingers deftly working through her hair. We slept late last night, baring our souls to each other in a way I never thought I’d be capable of. I obviously left something out, but baby steps. I can’t just up and tell her. Hey, actually, we’re married, or hey, I already have majority shares in the Ansah Group, so your fight against them is not needed. Or that I say, Hey, just so you know. I’ve had an elaborate vengeance plan that spans years.
“You don’t say,” I respond, getting out of bed and walking over to kiss her bare shoulder. I feel a sense of contentment wash over me. Little by little, I lose myself in her. I thought I loved her before in an intense way, but being with her and calling her mine this weekend has changed it all. I don’t think I can live without her in it. I don’t want to.
“You look beautiful,” I murmur, my lips brushing her skin. She’s wearing a loose floral dress, paired with a black scarf draped over her shoulders. Somehow, it all matches perfectly, as if the outfit was made just for her. But it is the color-coded itinerary on the vanity table that catches my eye. It says nothing more, like a list of what we will be doing but shaded in colors.
I shake my head and chuckle, “Why does it feel like we’ll be going in two different directions today? Like heaven and hell?” I ask, trailing kisses from her shoulder to her hand, unable to resist her.
“What…” her breath hitches, and I know I’ve got her “Stop distracting me,” she says, laughing as she playfully manages to push me away. I take two steps back, but I don’t go away.
“To answer your question, we’re going to two, maybe three different places today.”
“You don’t say.” I crouch down in front of her, grinning. She pauses, her eyes softening as she reaches out to touch my face. Her fingers gently caress my cheek before moving to massage my temples, and I lean into her touch like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“Yeah. Do you trust me?” She asks suddenly, her tone serious, catching me off guard.
“Yes, baby. I trust you,” I reply without hesitation.
She leans in, her lips brushing mine in a soft kiss before pulling away. “Then hurry up and get ready,” she says, trying to turn back to the mirror to finish tying her hair.
But I pull her back to me, capturing her lips in a fierce kiss. She responds instantly, her hands sliding into my hair as I deepen the kiss, pouring every ounce of my love and desire into it.
***
“I can’t believe you called him to be here,” I say, pointing at Josh, who’s driving us to only God knows where.
She just smiles and takes my hand, giving it a soft kiss.
“Woman, that’s not going to work,” I say, though my cock clearly has other ideas.
