Forever After All

by Catharina Maura

“Elena, I want you to marry me.” She stares at me in disbelief, her eyes wide. “You… what?” “Marry me, Elena.”

“Clever girl,” I whisper. “No,” I tell her honestly. “The whole truth is that in addition to everything I just told you, I’m really looking forward to parading you around Matthew, to have him know I’m fucking his sister, that you’re mine.”

“Oh, he’ll care,” I whisper, “and you will belong to me. It’s not just your body that will be mine, Elena. It’s your every thought, your every dream. Your entire future is mine.”

“Tonight is all you have to change your mind, Elena. Tomorrow afternoon, I’m making you my wife. Instead of selling your body at Vaughn’s, you’ll be selling it to me. Think it through carefully, because from tomorrow onward, you’ll be mine.”

“Oh, and Elena?” he says, turning back to look at me. “I’m taking you bare. The first time I fuck you, I want to feel all of you.” He smiles and walks away, leaving me standing here in shock. I can’t believe I’m marrying him… tomorrow.

I’m not sure what bothers me the most. That he offered it at all, or that I would’ve done it if he hadn’t stopped me.

I just gave you half my net worth by marrying you. Matter of fact, there’s a duplicate of my credit card in the bag too. Remember, Elena: I’ll always be the highest bidder. Shall I put up the privacy shield or do you think you can be a good girl and ‘refrain’?

“But you won’t ever get love from me. You know that, right?”

Errrrmmm

“I like you, Elena. You’re a nice girl, and you’re a good fit for my family. I’m glad you know not to expect much from me. If you want sex, I can give you that. But flirting, love, and romance? You won’t get it from me. I won’t woo you.”

Even now, when it’s me that bears his last name, it’s her he thinks of. It will always be her.

You have no idea how much your mother and I wanted you two to end up together when you were little.

if the Kennedy name didn’t destroy every hint of love, then maybe you and Alec would’ve been perfect together.”

Is she touching herself in my tub?

She hates how much she wants me, and I’m loving every second of it.

Those eyes of hers… they make me feel things I shouldn’t.

“You look at me when you’re in bed with me, you hear me?”

“Baby, we’re only just getting started.”

“You don’t understand, princess. My brother… he isn’t who he used to be. You won’t be happy being married to him. I know what your heart is like, and my brother will destroy it. If you think you need to marry into the family to repay us, then marry me instead.”

I saved my mother’s life, but I gave up my own in return.

but that doesn’t mean that I don’t mourn the dreams I’m giving up on. It doesn’t mean I don’t wonder what I might be missing out on.

When we’re in bed together, it’s easy to forget that none of this is real.

“A new acquisition, the sun streaming in from my office window, and having you in my bed.”

Best to tread carefully. If he so much as suspects that you two aren’t in love with each other, he’ll give his position as chairman to Alec’s cousin.

“I’m here,” she tells me. “You’re no longer alone, Elena.”

Emilia is always trying to make a difference. I think you’ll really like her.”

“This is my husband’s direct line. Call him and tell him I told you to get in touch with him. Whatever you need, he’ll get to you.”

“You’re my daughter-in-law now, Elena,” she says. “So it’s only fair that you know—everyone else does. It’s only my two sons that think I’m unaware. They try to protect me from the truth as best as they can, but there’s no escaping this.”

I knew she knew as soon as Elena said she had eyes in the back of her head. No one knows that’s he knows but oh, she knows.

“I married for love, much like your mother did,” she tells me. “But Anthony was different. My father didn’t approve, not initially. You see, Anthony was from a very poor family, and his parents were divorced. Two things my father frowns upon.”

“When I think back to it, I can’t remember us ever being happy once we got married. Anthony felt emasculated and indebted, and he resented me for it. Our marriage went downhill very quickly. The money, the pressure, the glitz and glamour. Anthony reveled in it, but our marriage suffered for it.”

I see the damage that witnessing my marriage did to Alec. He tries so hard to protect me, but in doing so, he’s hurting himself. His father’s affairs combined with what Jennifer did to him… it’s made him lose faith in love.

“Elena, my son’s heart is broken, and it has been for a very long time. Maybe it’s damaged beyond repair, but maybe, just maybe, it just takes the right touch.”

“Red looks good on you.” I smile at her teasing tone. “It does. You should try leaving it on the rest of my body too.”

“No one touches what’s mine, Elena. No one will even dare think of you, dream of you. You belong to me now, and I don’t share.”

The worst thing is that my first instinct is to text her back.

When Jen texted me, for just a couple of seconds, I forgot I even got married.

I didn’t marry her to protect her. I married her so I could use her as a weapon against Matthew, as a shield against my grandfather’s terms.

I’ve got Elena in my bed, but it’s Jennifer that’s on my mind.

Carter Clarke’s wife convinced him to loan us one of the doctors his company employs.

“You sure do like a challenge, don’t you, Mr. Kennedy? These are so hard to grow!” He smiles at her and tips his head toward the rest of his crops. “You can call me Grandpa,” he says, and my eyes widen. Elena has no idea what he’s just offered her, and she smiles cluelessly.

Grandpa is reserved for his own grandchildren only, not their spouses, not any distant cousins.

He wraps his arm around Elena, showing her every single one of his vegetables, and my heart nearly stops when he starts to create a basket for Elena to take home. The only one that’s ever walked out of this greenhouse with any of his babies is my mother.

“I can just imagine how good this is going to taste. How about I make lunch for you soon, Grandpa?” I frown. My grandfather doesn’t eat anything that isn’t made by his own cook. He doesn’t even go to restaurants. The only person whose food he’ll eat, other than his cook, is my mother’s. “I’d love to,” he says, and I stare at him with raised brows—not that he notices, all his attention is on Elena.

Oh I am loving this

each day, I’m more tempted to text her back. I want answers.

How about block her so it doesn’t look like you’re two timing

I cross my arms and glance at my grandfather. I expected him to drop the sweet-old-man act the second she walked away, but instead, he’s still smiling, his eyes twinkling. “She’s a nice girl, Alec. Very kind. I’m old, son. I’m old enough to know, to see how genuine she is. She’s the type of person I want raising my great-grandchildren. You’ve chosen well. Now don’t fuck it up. You let her slip away, and you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.” I nod, my gaze trailing towards Elena. “Yes,” I tell him. “I know.”

He came to bed late last night, waking me up with countless kisses on my skin. The way he touched me… he was both rough and tender with me at the same time.

I have a bad feeling ugh

to. I never wanted to be the type of woman that depends on a man,

If she could get nurse June to hand me that card, then there’s much worse she can do, much more she has access to.

Elena fidgets with her scarf, and I frown at it, my eyes narrowed. “Trying to hide the damage I did?” I ask. “Who for?”

KIIIINNNG

Considering that she just admitted to being the reason my wife ended up at Vaughn’s, her days are numbered.

“Because my girl is stubborn,” I tell Elise. “Because for whatever reason, she thought her father has a heart, because she wanted to give him one final chance. For the longest time, she flat-out refused my help.”