Page 114 of Carnival
“Don’t worry about it,’’ James parks the car outside of their house, turning to look at me. “This is a happy occasion.’’
“What if they say no?”
“They wouldn’t dare, hellion,’’ he brushes a strand of my hair behind my ear, then gets out of the car. He comes to my side, opening the door for me, and helping me out the door.
I take a deep breath, the thin file of papers tucked in my hand. Slowly, I make my way toward the front door, heels clicking as I walk. Each step I take makes me want to go back to the car, and drive back home. But James’ constant presence, the sense of safety he provides, doesn’t let me.
With a final, deep breath, I open the door, walk into the massive house, and find Noelle and Hudson in the kitchen.
She’s sitting on the counter, with him between her legs. His face is buried in her shoulder, and the two seem to be having a very intimate moment, one James and I seem to have interrupted.
Hudson lifts his head up, eyes lighting up. “Rose, sweetheart,’’ he greets, parting from Noelle. “What brings you here? James didn’t say you were coming, too.’’
“Actually, we’re here because she needs to give you something.’’
Noelle jumps from the counter, now leaning against it, glancing between James and me.
“Is everything okay?” She asks, voice soft.
With trembling hands, I approach the counter, sliding the file toward the two of them. My eyes fall down, hands trembling next to my body, and I try to choose my next words carefully.
“I love you guys,’’ I start off, my voice shaky. “I’m grateful I’ve found you, and I can’t even express how much you mean to me. In every sense of the word, you are my family.’’
Noelle’s smile widens, and she slowly opens the file. Hudson peeks over her shoulder, glancing down, and after that, it’s silent for a couple of minutes. Both of them are trying to find a way to respond appropriately, but when Noelle looks up at me, eyes filled with tears, tension seems to lift off my shoulders.
“Adoption papers,’’ she whispers, coming to pull me into a tight hug.
“I thought we’d make it official,’’ I try to play it off cool, but deep down, I’m still a nervous wreck, the little girl in me terrified of rejection.
Hudson wraps us both in a tight hug, and I return the favor. Neither of us speaks, but the way they’re holding me speaks volumes. Noelle shakes a little, and Hudson’s struggling to keep his composure. Two of the scariest people I know are a trembling mess, all because of a small paper.
“You’ve been our daughter since the moment we met you for the first time, Rose,’’ Noelle says, kissing my temple. “And nothing will ever change that.’’
I swallow down tears, enjoying the small moment. The affection in her voice is sincere, and my heart threatens to burst with happiness. I’ve never had family until I met them, and they continuously show how much they care about me. That’s all I could ever ask for.
Slowly, I look up, finding James leaning against the wall across from me. He gives me a soft smile, eyes holding more adoration than I’ve ever seen. The man who turned my whole life upside down, the man who taught me that true love comes with no conditions, and most importantly, the man who looked past my broken past and helped me mend it together.
The love of my life.
Just like he’s possessive of me, I feel the same way about him. He’s all mine. Body, mind, and soul. Not a single person can take him away, because I won’t let it happen. It’s James and me, until death do us part.
And beyond.
EPILOGUE II
James
The sound of people screaming reaches my ears, but I pay no attention to them. They’re as worthless as the place I’m in, and not a single one of them is here without a good reason. My feet are light as I climb up the stairs, the mask resting on my face.
It creates more buzz than I’d like, whispers all around. Casper walks silently behind me, in his uniform, watching over the situation and ensuring no one even dares to breathe in my direction. Tonight, there are no distractions.
“You have ten minutes, at most,’’ he says, rushing to catch up with me until we’re walking side by side. “Does she know?”
“No,’’ my response is immediate. “It doesn’t matter.’’
“She’ll be pissed.’’
“I’ll deal with it when the time comes, Casper.’’
