Page 96 of Shattered

Sienna’s laugh is immediate and airy, her eyes glittering with amusement. “That sounds good, too.” Her following sigh is that of contentment and happiness, but when she finally realizes what I said, she pulls back to look at me properly. “Wait, did you say our bedroom?”

“I did.” Lifting my hand, I trail a finger along her jaw and then over her lips. “I’d love it if you moved in with me.”

“Really?”

I nod, continuing to glide my finger over her skin. “I’m pretty sure Adi would love it as well.”

A grin splits her cheeks, and she bites down on her lower lip. “Well, then, how could I say no?”

“Please don’t,” I murmur against her lips before kissing her again. Her lips are addictive, the soft and plump flesh bringing out an irresistible mix of sexual desires and sweet intimacy. I kiss her deeply, exploring her mouth with my tongue and tasting the strawberry she just ate.

The doorbell chiming has us pulling apart, but a smile filled with a promise to continue later lingers on our faces.

“Is that a yes?” I ask, slowly walking backward toward the front door while staring at the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen—my sunflower.

Sienna tilts her head to the side as if thinking about it. “It’s definitely a yes.”

SECOND EPILOGUE

Neilix- Six Years Later

I watch from the kitchen window as my wife helps Adi and his friends from school fill up some water balloons in the backyard. They already have two buckets full, but apparently, that’s not enough. I turn the tap on and unscrew the cap on the Super Soaker I bought. None of them know I have it, but I’m about to go out there and spray them all down before they can even lift a balloon.

I smile to myself.

Sienna is going to kill me, especially since she can barely walk with her belly, let alone run.

My phone vibrates on the counter beside me when the soaker is half-filled. I answer and lift it to my ear, holding it between my shoulder and head. “Hey.”

“What’s happening?” Campbell asks.

I peer through the window again, watching Sienna’s beautiful smile lit by the sun. “I’m just about to soak some kids.”

Campbell chuckles through the line.

We’ve been in contact more often over the past few years. He cleaned himself up, quit drinking, got married, and even had a couple of kids. Now, he lives somewhere on the California coast.

“Nice. I think I’m supposed to have a tea party soon.”

I smile, turning the tap off and closing the lid of the soaker. “I still have a few years before I’ll have to worry about that.”

He hums his agreement. “How is Sienna doing?”

A second after he asks, she comes waddling through the back door, rubbing her belly. “I need to pee again.”

“She’s good.” I grin at her when she raises an eyebrow at me before she continues down the hall. “Only a few weeks left until the baby is due. The same day as Jason’s birthday.”

The line goes silent for a moment before he answers, “He would have liked that.”

“He would have loved it.”

Campbell snickers. “Well, anyway, the reason I called was I wanted to see if you’d heard from Mase recently?”

I grab a glass off the drying rack and fill it with water. “Mase? No, why?”

“I got a message from him, but all it said was I’m sorry. And then he didn’t respond after that.”

I shake my head before realizing he can’t see me. “That’s weird. But no, I haven’t spoken to him in a while.”

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