Forever After All

by Catharina Maura

Her eyes… they have me captivated.

This girl… she’s real, and she might very well be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

“Noted.” I already know this is the first place I’ll be going every single time I come here from now on, just in case I’ll find her here.

Dad tenses and nods. “Jade is right. Elena, it’s time to let your mother go. What you’re doing to her, it’s unnatural, and I want no part of it. Besides, Jade was right to say you left this family yourself. You’re no longer part of this family, and you cannot come back begging for money. I thought I raised you better than that.”

Are you kidding me

I even caught him separating M&Ms by color, because Elena only likes the yellow and red ones.

Awwwwww

Lucian looks at me helplessly, and my heart softens. He’s looking at me like he used to when we were still children. Like I’m his hero. He hasn’t looked at me with such faith in years.

He’s looking at his mother with an expression I can’t decipher. It’s almost like he hasn’t seen her in a long time, but I clearly remember him telling me he took her out for lunch recently.

I tense. “No,” I snap. “Neither you nor I will have any lovers. Don’t even fucking dream of cheating, Elena. Don’t even fucking look at another man, you hear me?”

I don’t know what I’ll do if I ever catch her straying, but I do know any man that touches her is going to be six foot under before he realizes what’s happening to him.

I smile at her. “I promise, Elena. As my wife, money will always be the least of your worries.”

A dream

“Over my dead body,” Alexander snaps, moving closer to me. He puts his arm around my waist and pulls me to him, moving me out of Lucian’s reach.

He takes a step closer to me and grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him. “I don’t fucking share, Elena. I don’t like people touching what’s mine.”

You are Mrs. Kennedy now. You’re mine.”

“You’re my wife now, Elena. I’ll take care of you. I’ll provide you with anything you could possibly need,” he says, pulling away further. “But you won’t ever get love from me. You know that, right?”

Sureeeeeee

I was terrified that all he’d be able to think about when he sees me is Matthew. But it’s worse. When he looks at me, it’s Jennifer he sees.

it’s her he thinks of. It will always be her.

“I’m selfishly glad that it’s you. You have no idea how much your mother and I wanted you two to end up together when you were little. If things were different, if we weren’t who we are, if the Kennedy name didn’t destroy every hint of love, then maybe you and Alec would’ve been perfect together.”

“Come here, wife,” I repeat.

“This… this is how you looked at me at Inferno,” I murmur. “That look in your eyes, it’s been haunting my dreams ever since that night.”

Right before I fall asleep, I hear him speak, his voice barely above a whisper. “A new acquisition, the sun streaming in from my office window, and having you in my bed.”

Sofia grabs my hand underneath the table and squeezes in gratitude. When I look at her, the same lost expression I’ve gotten used to is back on her face, and it breaks my heart.

“You’re mine now, Elena. No one is touching you but me.”

“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.”

Elena sits up in my bed, and I freeze, feeling guilty all of a sudden. When Jen texted me, for just a couple of seconds, I forgot I even got married.

The way she smiles at me, the trust and hope in her eyes, it guts me. When she married me, she had no choice. She’s not in this for selfish reasons, she married me to save her mother’s life. Can I really use someone with motives that pure?

Elena merely smiles and drops to her knees. She sticks her hands into the soil and helps my grandfather repot his orchids. “The leaves are too dark,” she says, a finger tracing the edge of the stem. “When they’re this dark, it means they aren’t getting enough sunlight. Orchids are a little moody,” she adds, laughing. My grandfather pauses and looks up at her in surprise.

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

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. Not even my uncles have managed it, neither have I, and I’ve tried many times.

“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 never wanted to be the type of woman that depends on a man, and look at me now. Not only do I depend on Alexander, but my mother’s life is in his hands too.

I’m going to need to educate my wife on the treatment she should demand. She’s a Kennedy, damn it.

She looks at me in disbelief. “Elise Rousseau. I’m Elena’s sister.” I glance at my wife, anger flashing through her eyes. “You have sisters, babe?” Elena shakes her head, and I nod. “I didn’t think so,” I say, before turning back to Elise. “What has the world come to for a mistress’s daughter to liken herself to my girl? You must’ve lost your mind.”

“Thank you,” she whispers. “For everything. I know you only really entertained her so I could have a bit of payback. It’s petty, but I needed that. I… thank you, Alexander.” I bury my hand in her hair and shake my head. “Elena, you’re my wife. Any insults thrown your way, I’ll take personally.

“My father hasn’t checked up on me since I turned eighteen, but he takes such good care of Elise,” she says, her voice breaking. “He doesn’t even seem to care whether I’m dead or alive.”

Fuck, I can’t stand seeing her in pain. “I know it isn’t the same, but you have me now, Buttercup,” I say involuntarily.

I love him but i dont trust him

She looks at me as though I’ve just given her the world, and it kills me. Every single thing she’s ever asked me for has been for her mother. She’s not once asked me for anything for herself—not even my time. Every woman I’ve ever dated has selfishly asked me for anything that came to mind, but not Elena.

I drag my chair closer and wrap my arm around the back of her chair. “Tell me.”

Stopppppp i love them so much

Elena laughs, but I see the heartache she’s trying to hide. She still loves her brother, but she’s lost faith in him, she’s given up on him. Matthew is a fucking idiot.

Elena smiles shakily, and she looks so damn broken, so hurt. It makes me want to tear the world apart for her.

I shouldn’t care about her tears, but I do.

I grit my teeth and shake my head. “Every single thing you’ve lost, we’ll get back. Everything.”

For her, I’ll make it happen.

Elena is everything I thought I wanted, but now I find myself wanting to give her everything that she’s refusing to ask for. I want her to rely on me more. I want her to ask me for help. I want her to use every single connection I’ve got to regain everything she’s lost. And that’s where the danger lies… Elena makes me want to give her the world.

“Well, damn, you’ve won over my brother, huh? He sent the limo to pick you up?”

“Wow, he came to pick you up himself? He never does that.”

He sits down next to me and buckles me in, taking his time, his touch lingering.

“Come with me,” he says. “Come to the office with me. I don’t know how long this’ll take, but we can grab some food after? Or if you’re hungry now, I can just order you some food to my office?” I look at him with raised brows. If we aren’t putting on a show, why do we need to spend any time together? It’s not like anyone would see us in his office.

“I’m buying as many shares as I can. It might take some time, but every single thing your father took from you, I’ll return to you. Everything, Elena.”

“A hostile takeover?” I ask, my voice tinged with disbelief. He nods. “You’re a Kennedy now, Elena. More importantly, you’re mine now. Your father is a fool for messing with us. Shit like buying his stepdaughter bullshit bags instead of helping you save your mother’s life? Fuck that. The mere thought of what you almost resorted to because of that asshole has me seeing red.

I need him to not hurt us becuse i love him

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Anyone that messes with you—messes with me. And I? I’m not someone to be trifled with.”