“I love you.”
I press my head against hers. “I love you too. I’ve loved you for such a long time. But we’re going to make it through this, you hear me? This isn’t the end of our story, so I need you to fight. Fight for us so I can take you out on a proper date. Anywhere you want.”
She gives me a humorless laugh. “Deal,” she declares through shivering teeth.” Tell me something, Chase.”
“What’s that?”
“Do you really think we’ll make it through this?”
“I don’t know,” I say truthfully. “But I really hope we do. I’m not ready to say goodbye to you just yet.
“Keep talking to me. I’m afraid I’ll pass out again and I won’t wake up.”
So I do. I talk to her about music, and I tell her how every piece I make now is inspired by her. She listens and when she starts to drift off, I rouse her by shaking her chilled body. She’s so cold and I don’t know how much longer we can hold on as the storm rages all around us.
28
CHASE
Every part of my body aches from holding onto the rocks. I don’t know how long we stay locked together braving the storm, but finally after what seems like days, though more like a few hours at most, a light shines on us from a nearby boat and the rain stops.
The coast guard is able to pull us out of the freezing waters, making sure to heat us up gradually so all the blood doesn’t rush back to our hearts. Melody looks completely shell shocked with several scrapes marring her face. I keep touching her to let her know she’s not alone. We made it. Together. We’re alive.
News crews are waiting for us on the beach, and I shield Melody with the blanket they gave us from their incessant questions. They found my father trying to take a plane to the Dominican Republic, and he was arrested. The police assure me that he’ll be tried to the fullest extent of the law, but the fact he was able to buy them off before doesn’t give me much hope that justice will be served fairly.
My mom’s company has been dissolved and, in a way, I think it’s better that way. My dad was running it into the ground because he didn’t love it the way she did. He saw it as an asset. She saw it as a way to help people.
Stella and the two body guards haven’t been found and they’ve been declared dead,. Melody seems to take the news in stride, though I know she’s heartbroken.
For weeks, news articles run our story and the phone rings off the hook from people wanting to interview us. All of which we decline, too shaken by the experience to relive it for others entertainment. Even Netflix has contacted us on the possibility of doing a documentary, which we also turn down. Maybe one day we’ll feel like talking about it, but until then, we keep to ourselves.
In the chaos, Melody and I have each other. We fought our way back to each other and survived. If we can get through all of that, we can get through anything.
“What do you want to do today?” I ask.
We’ve been staying in my house in Florida, that I have up for sale. All my father’s holdings transferred to me upon his indictment. The inheritance had been set up in such a way that automatically barred him from accessing it, if he were to ever be charged with a crime. And well, conspiring to murder your own wife will about do it.
“I want to get breakfast tacos, and then go to the aquarium. There’s this adorable penguin that I want to see.” I kiss her on her bare shoulder. “And then, I want to come back here and have you do that thing with your tongue.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, you know when you lick my pussy, and your tongue does that vibrating thing?”
“Mmhmm, I think we can arrange that.”
I pull her body against mine and let her feel how hard she’s making me. She arches her back and rubs her ass along my hard dick. “Fuck, Melody.”
My hand squeezes her breast, and she moans, pressing her ass against me again.
“I don’t think I can wait until later,” I say, kissing her neck.
“Then don’t,” she says, sounding breathless.
I run the tip of my cock against her wet center, finding her bare and ready for me.
Pushing in, she cries out as I fill her with my dick. She tightens around me, and I nearly explode inside her from how good it feels.
“Fuck, baby. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of how good you feel wrapped around me.”
