Page 63 of Falling for Fury

We make it to the room and I slide her down the front of my body.

“What did you say back there?” she whispers, rising on her toes to loop her arms around my neck.

“Making you a promise.” I kiss her pink cheeks again and grab the hem of her sweater and pull it from her. She grabs the hem of my shirt and does the same before I reach around and unclip her bra, our eyes never leaving each other. Despite our taunts and the chaotic sexual energy that burns between us, there is another energy between us, in this room, in this moment. Something deep and pulled tightly that has my heart racing. I’m suddenly nervous for an unknown reason, and like she feels the exact same way, I watch her swallow as she clenches her hands into fists before relaxing them again.

“Thank you.” Her eyes are suddenly welling up and I reach for her, pull her close to me, her soft smile my only tell that she is okay.

“What on earth are you thanking me for now, Ads?”

“For showing up.”

“Why would you think I wouldn’t? I told you I was coming over, right?” I go to reach for my phone, and she grabs my wrist, pulling my eyes back to hers.

“No, I mean, showing up for me. For… not running away or judging me. For not treating me like I need to be fixed, like something broken and fragile. You make me feel like I’m living a high all the time, even when I drop into my lows. You’ve… Noah.” She drops a tear that I swipe with my thumb, but stay silent enough for her to continue. She takes a breath and her smile grows again. “You’ve put me back together, and you don’t even know it.” Another tear, but this time, I kiss it away, tasting her on my lips and tongue, and she releases a sigh.

“Don’t give me credit for your hard work, Ads. You put yourself together, I watch you do it every day. I feel lucky enough to just be along for the ride. And right here, next to you, is where I’ll be. Along for the ride, we’ll weather the storm together.” Her smile is like a warm sunrise, the promise of something special, easing you into its beauty as it rises. “You know, you’re the one who fixed me.”

“You said that at the Rage Cage, as well,” she says softly, her eyes asking the question.

“You gave me hope, made me believe.” In love, in a future with happiness. The oath I had made myself, to swear off love, to spend my days alone, was as much a protection for myself as it was a miserable part of my future I wasn’t looking forward to. “Somehow, you made everything else seem like less. The only thing that matters is you. You made me want to be better, to open my heart, and to have hope. You gave me that, and I’ve never felt more whole than I do when I’m with you.” That heart-stopping smile of hers is back, and it sets me on fire. She closes the final distance between us, sealing our lips in a kiss so deep and full of longing, so many emotions flooding my brain and my soul, I don’t know how to catalogue them all at once. She breaks the kiss and my thoughts before they go too deep.

“What promise did you make before?” She bites down on her lip, those fierce green eyes firing back at me.

There she is.

I nibble her earlobe before whispering, “I’m going to make you scream, Addison.” Her hand is at the top of my pants, pulling, and I chuckle deeply at her eagerness.

“You always say you keep your promises. Well, I’m holding you to this one.” And that is challenge in her eyes. Eyes that are a raging forest of emeralds that I see my future in.

Eyes of my Addison.

My Addison, my Love.

Addison

My hands are clammy as I wipe them on my robe, my graduation cap sitting uncomfortably on my head as I shift nervously on my seat, not ready to walk the stage with thousands of people staring at me.

“Now, we will begin the reading of our 2023 graduates’ names,” The presenter on the stage announces and butterflies take off in my stomach. I didn’t have a chance to see Noah before he got here. Assuming he is here, I guess… he had to work, but said he would be here. I decided to leave it at that and not become one of those clingy girlfriends.

Girlfriend.

We still haven’t established this yet, but in the couple of weeks we’ve started seeing each other properly, it feels like he knows every inch of me. Dating doesn’t even feel like a big enough word for the size of the feelings I have for Noah.

Cheers erupt as the first of the names are called out. I never managed to make any college friends. A pit of embarrassment sours in my stomach at the thought. Everyone already seemed to have their cliques; I had Rosie and Casey. I just wanted to go to class, study, and come home. I didn’t really have the energy for all that socialization. But I’m here.

Graduating.

Magna Cum Laude.

Who would have thought? Certainly not me.

“Addison Rose Jenkins.” The announcer calls my name, the clapping continues, and as I make it to the stage, I look out at the crowd. I try not to search, try not to let it be important, but telling my heart to not get excited isn’t doing me much good because I’d give anything to be able to celebrate an achievement with people who care about me succeeding, rather than what it is I am succeeding at and by how much. When I make it to the guest speaker and the faculty, I shake each of their hands. I make it to the other end of the stage, and before I descend again, I look one last time, and right behind the friends and family gate where everyone is crowded, I see a tiny head of dark curls sitting atop the shoulders of a smiling Matt. Ava tucked to his side, beaming and clapping. Rosie and Casey on the other side of Matt clapping, the former cheering a ‘whoop whoop’. And behind Rosie is the tall, dark, and handsome Greek god sent from the heavens to guard my heart. My very own Romeo. I bite down on my lip to hide my excitement as I quickly wave. His face beams a smile in a whole new level of sexy, pride seeping from him, and my soul feels like it is slowly being completely repaired.

“We’re so proud of you, Addy!” Casey and Rosie wrap me in a bear hug before withdrawing and giving Ava and Matt a turn.

“Killed it! Knew you could do it.” Matt gives me a fist bump.

“Good job, Aunt Dadi! I LOVE you!” Mia shouts from Ava’s arms, making everyone laugh together. I turn and see Noah, standing a distance away, giving everyone space to say their piece. Matt notices him over his shoulder and rolls his eyes before wrapping an arm around Ava’s shoulders.

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