Page 61 of Riding the Edge

“The first draft of anything is usually shit,” he replies, taking my hand. Lacing our fingers together, he dips his head and brushes his lips over my knuckles. “Turns out, I learned from my regrets too, Lady. I’m ready to write one fuck of an ending on this story.”

For so long I accepted my happy ending didn’t include a man. It was me on my own, picking up the pieces of my life and starting over, freeing myself of a lifetime of bad choices and worse men. For me, my happily ever after was moving on and watching my children live happy lives.

Leaning into him, I thread my fingers through his hair and touch my forehead to his.

But life is funny isn’t it?

Life doesn’t care about your wants until you give up on them.

Life gives after it takes.

It gives you the man you waited for—the man you wished for.

Then it takes.

It takes your strength.

Your will.

Your heart.

And sometimes it takes you.

“You should run, Al,” I whisper. “Forget these last two days ever happened and keep searching for that happy ending because this isn’t it.”

---