Page 49 of Forever Endeavor

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m too paralyzed by fear of the unknown. Maybe I don’t want to face another reminder that the life I once envisioned is really over. I don’t miss that slimebucket or being married to him, but I’m still grieving the dream of what could’ve been.”

“I get it. Hearing that Melissa and Chad are having a kid made me sick. Not because I still wish I was with her, it’s because that was my dream. I was the one who was supposed to be having the kid, not him.” He remained quiet, his elbows resting on his thighs. “I know the house isn’t much to look at. It’s not what I would’ve chosen if I could. But it’s been a roof over my head for ten years and frankly, it’s one of the few things in my life I’ve ever been able to count on. It’s always there when I come home at the end of the day.”

Billie sank down in front of him and placed her hands on his knees. “Boy, we make quite the pair, don’t we? I need to lose my house to let go, and you need to keep yours to hold on.” She smiled. “I wish you were happy, Sonny. I really want that for you.”

“I want you to be happy too,” he said.

“You wanna know what else I wish? That you and I hadn’t been broken when we met. That we were still the people we used to be, trusting, unguarded, and with hearts not held together by duct tape. If only I had met you years ago, then maybe…”

“Maybe what?” he asked.

Billie searched his eyes. “Maybe I’d have what it takes to make this work.”

Sonny leaned back, taking a breath that inflated his chest before he slowly exhaled. “You can’t give up on yourself. Just because your car runs out of gas doesn’t mean you abandon it and never get behind the wheel again. You fill the tank, and you drive on.”

Car metaphor. Figures. “Or maybe you realize you’re stuck with a shitty ride that isn’t built to go the distance.”

“You’re built to go the distance, Billie. You just gave your love to a prick who was incapable of returning it. That’s his problem. It has nothing to do with how amazing you are.”

“I think you’re amazing too,” she admitted. “If you were mine, I would always make you feel adored and appreciated.”

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled back. “And if you were mine, I’d never let a day go by without reminding you that you’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Her heart squeezed out a melancholy sigh. “If only.”

“If only,” he echoed. “Look, if there’s one thing we’ve both learned, it’s that nothing is guaranteed in life.”

“Or sports cars,” she joked.

“Or sports cars. The thing is, if you were sticking around, I’d definitely want to explore this thing between us, even without the guarantee. But realistically, you’ve got a deadline to meet and a ticket to someplace else you’d rather be.”

“Although I can’t leave until my car is fixed.” She sneakily dangled a juicy opportunity for Sonny to confess and waited for him to take the bait.

“Parts are on back order everywhere.” He threw his hands in the air. “What can I say?”

She knew very well what he could say, but he didn’t, so she continued playing along. “Luckily, Janus Lake is starting to grow on me. I mean, it does have a decent Dairy Queen.”

They laughed together. “Good, because I kinda like you and I’m getting used to seeing your face around here,” he said. “Just promise me two things. That you’ll stay away from Melissa.”

Billie nodded. “Done. What’s the second thing?”

“That you’ll stop digging around in the past to try to create a better outcome. It’s like that prayer Aunt Bernice has cross-stitched over the mantel: Lord, help me accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

“Okay, no more trying to control the things I cannot change.” Billie let out a relieved sigh that they were back on track. “And for the record, Sonny, I kinda like you too.”

“I know,” he declared, looking smug. “I heard you when I was standing outside the door.”

She stood up, then straddled his thighs and settled onto his lap. “Well then, I suppose that leaves only one last thing to discuss. I recall there was mention of massage oil and a bikini?”

He grinned. “The bikini is merely a technicality in the whole scheme of things.”

“Wait here a minute or two and I’ll see what I can do,” she said, leaning in to playfully nip his earlobe. “In the meantime, think hot, tropical thoughts.”

Sonny

Cake. Billie was cake. Barely concealed behind three tiny ruby-colored triangles, her smooth, shapely curves were as decadent as cream cheese frosting. She was a red velvet concoction for the eyes, and they were both about to get their just desserts. As soon as he caught glimpse of that bombshell’s come-fuck-me pose in the doorway, a bottle of lotion in one hand and a pair of condoms in the other, his clothes were off faster than he could spell Kokomo.

Now spread out beneath him on the bed, her panting was deep and rhythmic, emitting little mewls and moans of pleasure that drove him fucking wild. Her quivering body wanted to thrash, but he kept her firmly pinned to the mattress as he continued to tongue-tease her clit into the size of a tiny grape. She was on the brink of spasms of ecstasy in three…two…

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