Page 72 of No Second Chances

“Nope,” he tells me with a sad smile. His eyes drift to my neck, where the bruises have long since healed. “But I did hear that his parents cut him off. They sent a letter to the district attorney letting the county know that they condemned his actions and didn’t raise their child to abuse women or hurt them in any way.”

I laugh, because what else is there to do at this point? They’d found the videos of his abuse. And if he videoed Mallory, too, they’ll have that murder on tape.

“Good.”

In bed, Linc holds me in his arms and rubs my back gently. “I love you, Kennedy; you know that, right?”

“Duh.” I yawn. “You put your ring on my finger and gave me half the closet. I think that’s pretty clear.”

“You have the whole closet, and you know it. Just like you have my whole heart, woman.” His heart kicks up a notch under my head, and his hands pause their perusal of my back. “I have to tell you something.”

I don’t even bother opening my eyes. There is nothing Linc can say that will take away the absolute peace I feel being in his arms.

“After the wedding…” He clears his throat. “I want you to take out your IUD.”

Silence fills the air between us.

“You don’t want kids,” I tell him. “I’m not going to do that when it would mean we could have them.”

“That’s the point.”

I open my eyes at that. He is staring down at me. When he sees my eyes, he shifts so that we are sitting up, with me in his lap facing him.

“I don’t understand.” I’ve eaten too many tacos. Or I’m sleeping. There is no way Linc changed his mind. “We haven’t talked about this at all since you said you don’t want them. I haven’t tried to change your mind. I don’t need them to be happy, Linc.”

He kisses me. “You’re talking too much. My turn, okay?”

I nod.

“You gave up everything for me. Time. The chance to fall in love with someone else. You chose me. You don’t need them, you’re right. But you deserve them. And if I’m going to be happy, really happy, I need to give you everything you want in this life. I see the way you are with babies. With Nox. And the twins. Now Cassie.”

I’m crying again. “Shut up, Linc. Don’t do this.”

“Don’t do what?” He rubs his hands down my arms.

“Don’t try to give me something that you can’t. Don’t do this if you’re going to change your mind.”

“I’m not going to. I’m in therapy, Kennedy. I’ll be in therapy forever. But life isn’t all absolutes. I thought it was. I thought I’d hurt you and any kids that we had. You’re going to be my wife, Kennedy. You’re already my life. I don’t think I could ever, in a million years, hurt you. Or any babies that we have.”

The tears are falling fast and heavy after that, and I can’t breathe.

I don’t know how much they mean to me until that moment. That small moment in time where he gives me every single thing I’ve ever wanted in my entire life. Memories of that night, our first night together, come floating back.

“I want to build a life with you,” Linc says. “I want it all. What do you say?”

I pull my shirt off, glad that I’m not wearing any underwear at all.

“What are you doing, Kennedy?” His eyes drift down to my chest, and I take advantage of his distraction to wipe the tears from my cheeks.

“Get naked, Linc.”

He doesn’t have to be ordered twice. In a tangle of limbs, he strips off his pajama pants and then slides into my body without even trying.

“You’re so ready for me.” He smiles. “Minx. Tell me.”

For a fraction of a second I freeze, and then I work through it. Linc helps me work through it. The trauma, the history.

“I love you, Linc.”

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