Page 100 of Falling Madly
I moved with him, drinking in the pure ecstasy I saw on his face and heard in his voice. I was so focused on his pleasure, I didn’t even realize I was reaching another climax before it took over, delivering uncontrollable shakes. His head dropped onto my shoulder, and he sighed against my skin.
“I love you, Teresa.”
“I love you, too.”
I finally understood what it meant to have your heart so full it might split, because I could barely talk. He carried me away from the printer and into the bedroom. I was ready to fall now. Fall so hard that the world outside faded away. So madly that nothing else mattered.
I’d be pathetic and cringe and all the things I’d looked down on, as long as I got to be with him.
Epilogue
Trevor
Ten months later
It was Christmas Day, and Cozy Creek sparkled like a holiday card, the kind my nan used to send. The lights were so bright and plentiful we could see them from our living room window, from the cabin we both called home.
I couldn’t believe my luck. My soulmate was finally mine, and somehow, I’d convinced her to live in a cabin in the mountains with me. Although, I would have sold the house in a heartbeat, had she asked me. I’d left the decision to her, knowing how difficult it was to return to a town that had once rejected her.
But Teresa was a resilient woman. She’d fought her way back, showing the Neville family she wasn’t afraid of them. Together with Peony, she’d posted about Julian on the town discussion forum, asking for any other victims to contact them.
Legally, they had no recourse, but the publicity worked. Two other women came forward with their stories, and the town rumor mill took care of the rest.
Fortunately, one of the cases, Julian’s former secretary, was fresh enough for the lawyers to deal with. Julian Neville had gone into hiding, waiting for his first trial. Whatever he’d planned to do to mess with Teresa must have been thwarted by the turning tide. He was quickly losing his influence and couldn’t get others to carry out any dirty work for him.
Looking at the tall Christmas tree set up by the window and the decorations hanging all around us, I felt an incredible sense of calm. I was home. We were home. All the unhinged dreams I’d nurtured for so long had come true and now there was room for new ones. Dreams of a family we could raise here. The business we could build in this town.
“Bess said they’ll be here in half an hour,” Teresa said, handing me a glass of beer. “They’re just packing their things. It’ll be an hour with the baby and everything.”
“That’s okay. Let’s heat up the food when they arrive.”
Charlie and Bess lived in town, ten minutes away, within walking distance from our office. We’d signed the lease after the repairs were done and moved within a month. Teresa had taken a little longer to move in with me. We’d dated, driving back and forth before she sold her condo in Denver. To ease her transition, I’d installed a dancing pole in the spare room. Neither of us wanted to be apart, though, and our private chat pinged constantly when we were.
I’d never closed the chat, like Charlie had suggested. I couldn’t imagine losing those early conversations. Our history. It was the story of us, every meme and comment part of the journey that finally brought us under the same roof, for real.
The doorbell rang. It was Kyle with a girlfriend he’d recently met in Cozy Creek. Right behind him, Peony beamed with two of her children, holding an intricately decorated Christmas cake. Two minutes later, Selma arrived with a bouquet of flowers. She’d been quite involved with our office move, supplying uswith candles and fruit bowls, gathering information for the town grapevine.
We’d invited everyone to our Christmas Eve party, and our spacious living room was starting to look full. Teresa had ordered a new table for the dining area to make sure there was enough seating. She’d painted our bedroom walls in Tyrian, and changed little things around the house, making it truly hers. Nothing made me happier than seeing her settle in. I’d tried to create a space she’d like, but this was so much better. This was her taking over and feeling at home.
I positioned myself behind the counter, serving mulled wine, coffees, and soda. The second living space was set up with the TV and cushions for the kids to hang out in. When Bess, Charlie, Celia, and baby Scott arrived, the noise level skyrocketed, drowning out the Christmas playlist.
Celia had made friends with Peony’s kids and viewed our holiday gathering as her personal playdate. I didn’t mind, but I did offer to set up their movie entertainment immediately, before they discovered other, more destructive activities.
Our business had survived the move and was slowly recovering as we found more local clients. Teresa had surprised everyone by joining the local business association and getting heavily involved in town matters. She was ignoring the haters and taking up space, gradually winning over the Nevilles’ inner circle until they remained her only enemies. Next year, our business would be sponsoring the annual cardboard sled competition, along with a few of our clients. Charlie and Bess had bowed out, too overwhelmed by early parenthood, but Teresa and I would build a sled together with Celia. Babysitting was easier when you had a project.
Our guests gathered around Bess and the baby, who was just starting to make some coherent sounds. Not quite words, but it was fun to interpret them, anyway. Celia jumped in, placingher Santa hat on little Scott—whose name, I was assured, had nothing to do with my origins—and gave him a kiss.
“He looks like an elf now,” she announced.
“Just like me!” Teresa appeared from our bedroom in her elf costume. “I had to get changed.”
“Wow! That brings back memories,” I mused, taking her hand, and spinning her around so that she jingled.
“When are you having a baby?” Celia asked her. “My mom says if you have a baby, she could be friends with Scott when he grows up.”
Bess flushed beetroot red. “I… I?—”
“She’s very sleep deprived,” Charlie replied for her. “Delirious, really.” He yawned for good measure, and Bess ended up yawning with him.
