Page 69 of Made For Me

“Yup,” Wilson says, “time for me to go.” He shakes his head. “I never want to hear that my in-laws use handcuffs.”

“You think that is hard?” Cooper says, getting up. “Those are my parents.” He looks at our dad. “Never repeat that to anyone at any time. Ever.”

Michael and Dylan are next to get up. “Remember one year when we found those handcuffs?” Michael looks at Dylan, then to my dad. “You said you found them on the street and were going to return them to the police.”

“I lied,” my father says, getting up. “Your father stole my sister.”

Max just shakes his head. “Sure did.” He slaps my father on the shoulder. “I’m going to gosteelher right now.” He laughs. “Remember when we were dating and you didn’t know and I had a hickey on me?”

“What the fuck?” Wilson says. “I’m never coming to any other family function.”

“You had a sex tape.” Dylan points at him. “Everyone saw your junk.”

“Get out,” Julia orders. “I need to speak to one man at a time, and when you are all together, it’s like you share a brain.”

She waits for everyone to leave before she looks at me. “You could have told me.” She turns and walks from the room and down the stairs to the kitchen.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I admit to her. I walk down the stairs looking around at everything she did in order to make this our home. The table at the door has fresh flowers she replaces every Saturday. The pictures of us taken during the years are scattered all around the house. The first picture we took together in Hawaii all those years ago in the middle.

“No, you’re not.” She snorts out, shaking her head.

“Julia, I don’t know if you know this or not, but I paid your bail,” I finally say and she looks shocked.

“What?” She hits the counter with her hand.

“Who did you think paid your bail?” I ask her and she throws up both hands, shaking her head.

“I was assuming Jillian, but I was so embarrassed I didn’t really want to ask.” Her voice goes low and now I walk around the counter to her.

Grabbing her by her hips, I pick her up and put her down on the island. Her legs open for me to step between them. “Baby,” I say softly, “I would have begged, borrowed, or stolen to get you out of jail.”

“I wasn’t your responsibility.” Her hands come up to my chest.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” I say. “That was when I realized I was in love with you.” Her soft gasp makes me smile. “That night was the worst night of my life.”

“You aren’t the only one.” She tries to make a joke but a tear runs down her face. “Is there anything else I should know?”

I chuckle. “I’m going to say no, but…”

“No buts, Chase,” she huffs. “You already paid for this house. I can’t even help pay for it since I’m still unemployed.” After the charges were dropped, it took her a couple of days to come to the conclusion she needed to step back for a bit. She needed to reevaluate what she wanted to do.

“You know I’m a doctor, right?” I remind her and she rolls her eyes at me. “And you know I have a trust fund my grandfather left me. This house is paid for.”

“That just makes it so much worse.” She pushes me away from her but I just pull her closer to me.

“Is this considered a fight?” I kiss her jaw. “Because if it is, we have to have make-up sex.”

“Well, considering I was really pissed at you.” Her voice trails off when I suck her neck. “And—”

“Shh.” I put my finger on her lips. “Just lie back.” I push her back. “And let me make it up to you.”

She lies back on the island. “Fine, make it up to me.” She winks at me and I know in my heart that she’s always been made for me.

EPILOGUE TWO

Julia

Two months later

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