Page 79 of Their Deviant Love
“I know.” My smile couldn’t get any bigger at this point. “Can we do this now?”
“Yes. I’m going out there.” Mom kisses my cheek one last time, and we all walk out of the dressing room.
My dad is waiting for me outside the doors that lead into the church. After all the bridesmaids and groomsmen walk through, it’s just the two of us.
“You look beautiful,” he says.
“Thanks, Papa. You don’t look too bad yourself.” I straighten his tie, even though it was already perfectly straight.
“It’s not too late, you know. If you want to run, I will get you out of here quicker than you could imagine.”
“Why would I want to run?” I laugh.
“Because you’ve decided you’re going to live at home with me forever and never grow up?” he questions.
“No matter how old or grown I get, I will always be your little girl, Papa. I will always need you,” I promise him.
“I love you, more than anything in this world, Aurora,” he says.
“Don’t let the boys hear that.” I smirk. “Thank you. I love you too, Papa.” I look towards the door. “Are you ready?”
“No,” he grunts.
“Can you fake it for me, then?”
“Yes.” His arm grips mine tighter. He really doesn’t want to let go of me.
The doors open and we take the first step. And as soon as we do, everything and everyone fade away. Because I see him. Connor, standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for me.
Epilogue
Four years later
The moment I step onto the stage, I look out into the audience for her. My wife. She’s there, standing and cheering, the loudest and proudest here. Her excitement is contagious. I stop, not caring that people are waiting for me to continue the walk. Wave, blow her a kiss, and wait for her to catch it. It’s only then that I keep walking towards the dean and take my diploma.
When you think about it, four years of constant study and sleepless nights for this one little piece of paper… seem overrated. But I did it. And I’m fucking glad it’s over now.
I couldn’t have done it without her. Aurora has been my biggest cheerleader, my support when all I wanted to do was sayfuck itand throw in the towel. It’s not like I need a fucking degree. I’m capable of making money without it, which I have been for the past four years.
As soon as I left the organization, my trust vanished, along with the kind of connections I was used to having. It was an adjustment for sure, but one I was happy to make. Because I was free. We were free.
About two years ago, Aurora went on a trip to London with her cousin—the Valentinos have this thing about not traveling alone. Although that rule never bothered Aurora when it was just the two of us. She said that’s because she feels safest when she’s with me.
When she returned from London, she handed me a piece of paper, DNA results from James Matthews. The son my father—or I guess the man I thought was my father—gave up for adoption. Aurora said she couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that the guy looked so much like me, and she had to find out why.
The truth was… that child my dad gave away was not his either. My mother knew all along, because she birthed the kid. I confronted my uncle again after finding out that I shared a mother and father with that Englishman. He confessed that my mother had an affair with one of my father’s men. He didn’t say which one, but I already had my suspicions.
When Aurora asked what I wanted to do about it, I told hernothing. Let the guy live out his life. I don’t need siblings. Besides, her brothers are annoying enough to deal with. They are always around.
The moment I’m off the stage, I’m supposed to go with the rest of the class. I don’t do that. Instead, I walk into the audience. When I reach Aurora, my arms wrap around her, lifting her feet off the ground before my lips slam onto hers.
“I’m so proud of you,” she says between kisses.
“I could not have done this without you,” I tell her. “I love you.”
“Pfft, you could have, but I love you too.” She kisses me again, until the sound of a throat clearing interrupts us. Her father has a way of ruining moments like this for us.
“Congratulations,” he says, holding out a hand to me.
