Page 343 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two
Elliot slips his arm around my torso, and Oliver does the same thing on my other side. Surrounded by them, everything feels… stable. I know I have them for the rest of my life, no matter what.
Over the past year and a half, their support of me has been unmatched, as has mine of them. We’ve built a balanced life together—one that honors our past without holding us back from our dreams.
That’s part of the reason why we decided to have the butterfly garden built in Sam’s memory. It feels like it’s the last thing we need to fully get closure. We’ll never forget her, but in a way, this is us finally laying her to rest.
“How do you feel?” Oliver asks me.
“Good,” I say softly, pulling all of them closer.
My body doesn’t tense at their touch anymore. Thoughts of Richard are more distant, and when they do press in, I’ve found new ways to combat them. The darkness he tried so hard to immerse me in has passed.
No,I realize as I kiss each of them tenderly.It hasn’t just passed.
It’s been replaced with more love and care than I ever thought I deserved, and I’m never letting anyone take it from me again.
. . .
