Page 64 of The Lies You Love
Beck kisses me again, then goes to tell the contractor he’s leaving and to call him when he’s finished for the day so he can come back and check the progress. He also tells him to check the fire codes on putting a door to lead to my store. “You’re never going to be able to get rid of me,” he says, waggling his brows. “Plus, I don’t want to leave you to work.”
“Dr. Fallon,” I say, smirking. “You really did it.” I look around. “This fits you.”
He smiles. “I know.” Beck grabs me by the waist. “We have a whole bunch of people waiting at home to know if my plan worked to lure you into marriage.” He chuckles. “I should call my parents right now.”
I nod, and then my stomach sinks. “I need to talk to Peter.”
“I already did that,” Beck says. “He is a good guy. Not good enough for you, but good.”
“What did he say?”
“He was pissed, don’t get me wrong, but he got it. He knew what was best for you. He said he gave it his best shot. I know how upset I’d be if I were him.”
“I need to apologize,” I reply. “I never should have said yes.”
“I agree with that,” Beck says.
“Go get Pork. We have a ring to pick out.”
I smile and rush into the shop to get Pork. Elation. Love deconstructed and reconstructed, like my heart. We rush into the day, two people in love, choosing each other, forever.
EPILOGUE
Beck
If you told me this would be my life in the future, I’d call you a liar. I have a permanence I never thought to seek. Auden is rubbing Daisy Mae’s back so she falls asleep quickly. She has a magic touch that gets our daughter to sleep in record time. I don’t have the same skill, but I can make her eat vegetables by bribing her with candy, which I count as a superpower even if no one else agrees. Her birthday party was yesterday and I don’t know much about other people’s four-year-olds, but I’m certain ours is the best one. We had an enormous turnout. My parents flew in and Auden’s parents live next door. Stefan came with his new wife and Betty with her new husband. When this house came onto the market, we pounced and haven’t looked back. The commute to work isn’t all that bad, and we get to ride together.
The pet store and my practice are now one booming business. A door wasn’t enough, so we knocked down the wall separating the two and it’s the only specialty boutique like it in our area. We bring Daisy Mae into work mostly because neither of us can bear to leave her home with her grandparents, even if they’re the most amazing grandparents in the history of the world. They love her like she’s their own, and our support network couldn’t possibly be stronger. After our wedding, we left the past in the past. It’s crazy to think about how we met, fell in love, and the things we endured now, but those are the things that made us stronger.
Auden’s pregnancy was difficult. Though I’m certain she went through hell, I was just as worried because through all of the complications, Auden was only ever worried about the health of the baby growing inside her stomach, and I was worried about losing both of them. The day she was finally born and both were declared healthy, I took the only deep breath I had in months. This is what complete feels like. This is what happiness looks like. This is what love can do if you let it. When I stopped hiding from who I was and stopped being afraid of what would happen if I embraced the life I wanted, my life actually began.
She closes the bedroom door softly, smile big, and all for me. “She’s out! What should we do?”
“I have a few ideas.”
“Beckett Fallon, we have a whole guest room to redesign before Thanksgiving and that’s the only thing you can think of?”
I offer her a smirk and she responds the way I expect. Auden licks her lips. “Maybe just really quick.”
She giggles as I tackle her onto the sofa. The fireplace crackles and heats the room fully. “Oh, I’ll be quick,” I say, pulling off her sweatshirt and sweatpants. “Then there will be nothing but tape measures and furniture shopping.”
Auden never ages. She appears just as beautiful as the first time she stripped bare in front of me. I tell her every time there’s a chance. The smile lines around her eyes might be my favorite part of her now. Her happiness is something I treasure because damn, it means I’m doing something right.
“Right now, wearing nothing but your wedding rings,” I say.
“I know, I know, I’m the hottest thing you’ve ever seen?” she asks coyly.
I narrow my eyes. “No,” I reply, making her gasp in mock horror. “The most beautiful,” I amend.
“Take off your clothes, Beck, and take what you want,” she says, gaze full of mischief. “What is it you want?”
“I mean, you on my face, for starters,” I growl.
“Let’s do our favorite throwback from our first night together. Sixty-nine.”
I take off my clothes. “I thought that was the best one-night stand of my life,” I say, sighing. “Thank God it wasn’t just once.”
Auden closes the distance between our bodies and runs a finger in between my pecs and down over my abs. “You’re telling me. I couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt to come all over your face.”
