Page 53 of Carter's #Undoing

“Doc told me to take it easy for at least three weeks. Which, for me, probably means I’ll only be down for a week or so.”

“Okay. I can get one of your friends or brothers go with me to my apartment to get clothes and personal items.”

“Serenity, you can’t possibly stay in the mountains with me.”

“Where exactly are these mountains?” I asked, ignoring him. “You kinda had us going all around the United States before we got to New York.”

“That’s not important,” he told me.

Wrong answer. Pretty sure we’ve been in California.I’d test him on it again later.

“You have a life in New York,” he said. “What about the gallery with Malakai?”

I shrugged. “Carter, I enjoy working for Malakai, but all of this has really just reminded me that I’ve always wanted to be an artist myself. I sold some pretty big pieces that I did before, but I usually don’t make the time to paint like I want to. Being in the mountains, taking care of you and keeping Colt company, while also rediscovering the craft I love is all I need.” I kissed him on his forehead. “Besides, out of everything in my life, I love you most of all. I’ve been in love with you almost my entire life. How can you question if I’d want to do this? You know I love you, so I guess we’re looking at life in the mountains.”

Carter grinned as best he could. “I love you, too, Serenity. Always have. Never stopped. Only fell in love with you harder after having you at the cabin.” He studied my eyes. “Are you sure you can see yourself having this kind of life? We don’t have to stay in the mountains, but with the kind of work I do, we’d have to live off grid.”

“As long as you promise me that you’ll make time to get to know your family and that we won’t miss important occasions unless you’re on a job, then I’m fine with that.”

“I can make you that promise,” he said. “Just like I can also promise you that my dick will be fine if you’re ready to hop on top before the nurse comes back.”

“I see we’re right on time,” Malakai said from the door.

“You need us to come back?” Crayson asked. “Sex after surgery is the best.”

“Bruh, why do you know that?” Malakai asked. “That shit can’t be safe.”

Crayson glanced up at the ceiling before looking down the hallway toward the waiting room. “What was that, Jordyn?” he yelled, cupping his ear like he was trying to hear her clearer. “It’s none of Malakai’s business? I agree, baby, I’ll tell him to kiss my black ass.”

Carter and I both laughed at Crayson’s antics. Well, I laughed for me and Carter since he couldn’t laugh like he wanted to.

“I’ll let you talk to your brothers,” I told him, standing to leave. I’d barely gotten off his bed before he pulled me to him, his lips on mine stealing my next breath. We’d kissed so many times before, but each and every time, I felt like it was better than the last.

I eagerly met his tongue stroke for stroke, the moment even more special because today hadn’t been guaranteed. Today was a gamble and we’d won.

“He’s been gone a minute, but I didn’t miss seeing them do this shit,” Crayson said to Malakai.

If I wasn’t so busy kissing Carter—myfirstlove, mytruelove, mynewlove—I would throw the bedpan at Crayson to shut him up.

Carter and I did need to end the kiss, but we didn’t. Not apologizing was something new for me and I liked it. At the end of the day, not only did I have a Madden man—the last Madden man—and a sweet wolf-dog waiting for us to come home, but I also had the clarity I needed to know that our world would never be perfect, yet, the mistakes were ours to make. The love was ours to find. And it didn’t matter if people called him Carter, or GB, or some other alias he may need to create in the future, every name represented a part of Carter Madden. All of them weremyGolden Boy.

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