Page 45 of Lost in Me

I feel the tears building in my eyes, but this time it is for good reason. I slowly nod and set down my carrot. Ethan takes my tray as the nurses come into my room. Shawn continues to smile and back away a little, giving the nurses the room they need to unlock the wheels on my bed. They begin to roll me outof the room. Shawn grabs my hand and walks beside me. I don’t need to look for Ethan. He is already at my other side as the nurses continue to roll me down the hallway toward the chapel.

The nurses roll me into the chapel, and it is covered in flowers and hanging lights. The tears roll down my face as I look around the room. Shawn tightens his grip on my hand as I look forward and see the pastor standing at the front of the room. He is smiling, holding a bible in his hand.

My heart continues to race as the nurses stop me in front of the pastor. Ethan stays by my side as Shawn continues to hold my hand.

“Are you ready, Angel?”

“Yes”

“Hello, Emory.”

“Hello.”

“We are all so happy you are awake.”

“Me too.”

“Okay, Shawn, you can take it from here,” the pastor says, taking a step back. I turn my head and watch Shawn turn to me, and then he kneels down to where his eyes are the same level as mine. I see nothing but love and desire in his eyes.

“Emory, my Fallen Angel, I love you so much, and I promise to spend the rest of my life earning the love you give. I promise to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much you mean to me. I will forever be your anchor, your strong foundation. I promise until my last breath and even in death, I will love and protect you,” he states with confidence.

I watch the tears escape his eyes and roll down his face as he tightens his grip on my hand. He lifts his free hand and places it gently on my stomach. I lift my free hand and place my hand on top of his.

“Shawn, I never thought I deserved to be loved. I thought of myself as a ghost. A person no one cared about or needed.You have shown me that I am worth it, that I am valued, and I am loved. You have shown me what love is supposed to be. I will spend the rest of my life reminding you that you are a good man. I will spend the rest of my life being your soundboard. I promise until my last breath, and even in death, I will love you,” I whisper through my tears.

There are so many more words we could say to each other, but we don’t need to. We will have the rest of our lives to share the words and show each other how much our love is true.

Ethan leans in and reaches out his hand with two rings. I feel my heart racing more as Shawn and I lift our hands and grab them from Ethan’s hand. Shawn gently takes my hand and places the ring on my finger.

I take a deep breath as I reach out, grab his hand, and gently place the ring on his finger.

“I love you, Angel,” Shawn states softly.

“I love you too,” I whisper.

Shawn leans in and connects his lips to mine. His sweet taste on my lips mixes with his and my tears. I open my mouth, feeling his tongue gently enter my mouth. I close my eyes and lean into him, feeling the love and safety.

This is what love is supposed to be. This is what it is supposed to feel like.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Emory

Three Years Later

I slowly open my door and place my hand on my client’s lower back as we make my way out of the office and down the hallway toward Sherri at the front desk. We walk side by side as Sherri comes into view. She turns, looks at me, and gives me a soft smile.

I guide the client around the front desk, stopping in front of Sherri. “Sherri will schedule you for another appointment with me next week. You have my work cell number. If you need me before then, please text or call me, okay?”

I watch the client slowly nod.

I take a deep breath as I lower my hand and take a step back, slowly making my way around the client and behind the counter. I grab the clipboard and look down the list of new clients waiting to be seen.

Things have been picking up the last week since we opened the apartments across the parking lot. Shawn and I have been working on building and opening the new apartments for the last year, and last week, the deal finally became a reality.

Since then, the list of clients that want to move into them has been growing. Shawn has asked a lot of his men, including Ethan, to do security for the apartments, making sure the women staying there will be safe, and I think we finally put up enough cameras.

The feed comes to mine, Shawn’s, and Ethan’s phones. Also, they go to the cameras at our house so we can always keep watch and make sure nothing happens.

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