Page 52 of Never To Forever

After all these years, I’ve finally earned my degree. A sense of pride and accomplishment washes through me. I haven’t really felt this way in a long time. When was the last time I truly accomplished something for myself? Something that I wanted and wasn’t pursuing out of some sense of obligation or responsibility?

The skillet hisses, making me jump. I’ve stopped stirring Marie’s eggs in my excitement. I quickly put my phone down and try to salvage the food. When they’re finished, I grab a plate and as I’m scooping the eggs onto it, Marie walks into the kitchen.

“Hey,” she says with a yawn, rubbing her eyes. “Sorry I was a bitch earlier.”

“Don’t worry,” I reply, shooting her a grin. “I doubt I’d be all that chipper if I was puking my guts up first thing in the morning.”

She gives me a weak smile and moves to sit at the kitchen table. I put the eggs in front of her, along with a glass of orange juice and a cup of herbal tea. Marie gazes down at the plate before letting out a groan.

“I don’t know if I can eat anything today,” she says, pushing the plate away from her.

“That’s all right,” I assure her. “At least drink the juice and tea. You can’t let yourself get dehydrated again.”

She grabs the juice, taking a sip. Taking the seat next to her, I pull the plate of eggs toward me. I figured out pretty quickly not to make too much food for her. If she doesn’t eat it, I do. It’s just one more routine that we’ve fallen into together.

“I got some good news,” I say before scooping up some eggs into my mouth.

She arches a brow. “Oh? What’s that?”

Pulling out my phone, I bring up the email from my school and hand her the device. She reads the message, her eyes going wide with excitement.

She looks back up at me and exclaims, “Oh my God! This is incredible, Garrett. Congratulations! We have to celebrate.” She pauses and appears thoughtful before continuing, “I’m going to throw you a graduation party.”

“You don’t have to…”

“Don’t even try to convince me not to,” she states, handing my phone back to me. “I’m sick. You’re supposed to let me do what I want.”

Sighing, I shake my head. “I don’t think that’s how this works exactly, but… all right. If you really want to throw me a party, I won’t stop you.”

She claps her hands in delight, looking more energized than I’ve seen her in days. Her cheeks flood with color and her eyes sparkle, and as I gaze at her, desire stirs deep in my belly and my cock twitches. Fuck, I need to keep it together. I’ve been doing my best to suppress my lust so I can focus on her health and well-being, but it’s still there, sizzling and waiting to be blown into an inferno.

Being so close to her… caring for her… it’s only made my feelings for her deepen, regardless of how determined I’ve been to try and put things back the way they were before. As she excitedly chatters away, talking about all the ideas she has for my party, I can only sit and watch her, knowing that I’ve been pushing myself to the edge of my control… and it’s just a matter of time before the tether finally snaps.

* * *

A few days later, I’m back at Marie’s with groceries and more exciting news. After telling Christian that I’m officially graduating, he offered me a job at the new offices he’s set up in Blue Ridge Falls in the finance department. Obviously, I accepted. The first person I wanted to tell was Marie… even more so than Haven. That realization left me a bit stunned.

Balancing the grocery bags in one arm, I open the front door of her house and walk inside.

“Marie!” I call out, kicking the door shut behind me. “I went to the store and picked up a few things to make you dinner. I’ve got some exciting news…”

I freeze when Marie walks down the stairs… wearing nothing but a towel. Her hair is wet and I can smell the scented lotion she always puts on after a shower. She stops and looks at me, her eyes going wide.

“Garrett! I didn’t know when you were stopping by. I’m sorry, I was just going into the kitchen to look for my phone…”

She’s startled and babbling, but I’m hardly listening. I can’t tear my eyes from her. Her towel leaves little to the imagination. She’s not showing yet, but my gaze drops to her belly and the thought of her pregnant with my child and standing nearly naked in front of me causes something in me to snap. Dropping the grocery bags on the floor, I stride toward her. She stares at me in shock but doesn’t try to resist when I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her tight against me.

Her lips part on a gasp, and I catch them in a hard and hungry kiss. She wraps her arms around my neck and I pick her up, cupping her ass in both hands. We don’t break our kiss as I carry her up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom.

“Garrett,” she murmurs when I set her down on the bed. “Are you sure…?”

One of my hands cups her face while the other yanks the towel off her.

“I’m really fucking sure,” I growl.

“Good,” she says, her voice breathless. Sliding her fingers into my hair, she yanks me back down to her lips. We fall back on the bed as we kiss, and I run my hands along her body. She’s so soft. So curvy. Her breasts are fuller, her hips more luscious.

I trace my fingers over her still-flat belly, feeling a strange, primal desire rush through me.

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