Page 103 of Painting Her Fate

Always, forever.

I had her back in my arms again, laying in this bed, both of us fully clothed and more than okay with that. We went back to her room after our talk, cuddled and reminisced about the good times of our childhood.

Just the good ones.

We spent hours talking, touching, kissing, knowing,loving. You would’ve thought we were teenagers, not enough balls to take it further than this.

I lived in this moment, and I will never let her go.

Spending the rest of our day in bed was the plan, until her stomach grumbled so loud, I thought there was an actual monster living inside her.

Pizza for delivery was the safest option for us, seeing that we didn’t want to cook. We settle on the couch as she pops in the first season of‘Doctor Who’. She is amazed to know I have watched not one episode. I’ll admit to being curious, Blake talks about it all the time and has tried to get me to watch it with him. He will be pleased when I tell him about this.

As we satisfy our hunger, I’m not paying any attention to what is happening on the screen. Sure, there are blasts, a weird screwdriver thing, and a lot of running, but it’s watching Lili eat that second slice of pizza that has me enraptured.

Shit. She caught me ogling.

“What? Do I have sauce on my face?” She wipes at her chin with her napkin.

I take her busy hand and place a kiss to her knuckles.

“It’s sexy when you eat.” Her cheeks darken a shade as she scrunches her nose.

“I can’t help I have an appetite.” A big explosion sounds making her pause until Rose’s shouting passes. See, I’m paying attention, “now if only we had more of that tiramisu. Then I’d be in trouble.” I catch her devious glint.

“If they weren’t closed for the holiday, I’d pop over there right now and get us a pan of it.” She thinks I’m lying. I am not.

“Good thing their closed, then.” She snickers a protest, “did you see the treat boxes in the fridge? Sweets are my kryptonite. I do not need more.”

Lili is unique now that some of the burden is lifted from her shoulders.

She can’t stop her smile, which makes me smile too. And that laugh of hers; the siren sings the most beautiful, uplifting tune yet.Outstanding.

I’m soaring, high and blissful in this moment, no troubles to be had, no worries crossing my mind. Just live for the here and now.

With one lonely slice of pizza left in the box, and our food coma kicking in, I grab a throw blanket and pillow then stretch out along the couch, bringing Lili with me as we start the second season. This is her favorite season, the one with David Tennant, who happens to be one of her all-time favorite actors. I’m kind of understanding what the hype is all about now. Blake is right, this show is pretty cool.

I caress her forearm with my fingertips and can tell by her even breathing, she is fast asleep nestled beside me. It’s remarkable to know she feels safe enough to lay here in my arms and not bear the weight of having to medicate to fall asleep.

Isaac will always be part of her, and now that I know who the bastard is, he will never harm her again. My thoughts turn dark at the thought of him being released from jail. How the hell did he get away with serving so few years? An act such as that should be twenty-five, minimum.

I should get Shark right on this right away, have him dig for anything and everything on this piece of shit.

Give it time. Strategize before you do something henous.

That notion is thrown out the damn window at this point. My mind is racing over potential future events that may never take place.

What if she is in London and they happen to cross paths on the street? Or worse, what if he stalks her? taunts her? Tries getting his hands on her again?Over my dead body, better yet, his dead body.

She is mine to protect now and forever.

Mine.

I wrap her in closer, brush a kiss to her hair, and feel the negativity drain away instantly. Sighing, I close my eyes and let the day wash over me as I too, surrender to sleep.

The next morning we’re needing to burn off the pizza from the previous night, so we decide on a short run aroundBe-Harbor, making a game of it as we went along. I taunt, she teased, we bantered, then snuck a few kisses while traveling back up the elevator to her unit.

Thisslow your rollnotion seems to be going well, until I see her after her shower in a purple tank top and leggings. No bra.No bra!Seriously? Is she trying to kill me? She is taking the teasing session from our run this morning and running away with it.

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