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There was a break in the dancing as some of the guests decided to leave. I was seated by myself slowly sipping my green drink. I know Sexy Gabe told me what it was, but I can’t seem to remember the name but I do know that it is delicious. Will was over at the next table talking to Kendra who for once had managed to not be sloppy drunk. I had to excuse myself from the conversation because the more I drank, the less I cared about words that were coming out of people’s mouths. Poor Will was too polite to walk away like me.

Gah, he was so sweet and perfect. Everything a girl could want. And he wanted to be mine.

My open appraisal of Will was abruptly interrupted by the telltale opening lines of a song that meant so many things to me. Our song.

I sit there as my eyes closed in quiet reflection, to a time when I played this song sort of as a joke only to be blindsided with his sobering response.

“Baby, it’s perfect. From now on this is our song.”

This is the sound of my soul. This is the sound.

At that moment, I felt him. He was here.

I opened my eyes to see him staring directly back at me from the opposite side of the room. With a slight nod to the left, he beckoned for me to follow him before stepping outside of the bar. I quickly glanced around to see that no one was paying me any attention. Dee left about an hour ago to rescue Cole from all the kiddie chaos, Macy was chatting up Sexy Gabe at the bar, and Kendra was still talking Will’s head off. When I stand, Will’s eyes shift my way, and I flap my hand in front of me to gesture that I’m hot and going outside for a bit. He smiles and nods.

Alex’s back is turned to me as I step onto the sidewalk.

“Hey.” I call out. He spins around to face me, his eyes doing a quick scan of my body before meeting my gaze.

“Hey.” His dimples flash as he grins.

“How have you been? I haven’t seen you much lately.”

“I'm good. I'm good.” He answers quickly. “How about you?”

“I’m great.” I reply lamely back.

“Cole told me they were throwing a surprise party for you tonight.” He pushes his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he shifted from one leg to the other.

“Yeah, it was a total surprise.”

“I can’t believe
DeeDee didn’t ruin it.”

“I know, right. She managed to keep quiet the whole time.” I glance around. “So what are you up to tonight? Where’s
Kimmie?”

“She’s not here.” He replies quickly. A little too quickly.

Okay.

“Well,
alrighty then,” My heart is begging for me to flee before the shield I’ve built around it starts to crack. “I guess I better get back inside. See ya.”

“Court?” He reaches out and grabs my wrist, his touch causing my heart to start instantly pounding a hole in my chest.

“Yeah?” I was surprised at how breathless my reply sounded.

This is the sound of my soul. This is the sound.

“Will you dance with me?”

“Right here on the street?”

“Right here on the street.”

He wants to dance with me? I consider his request for moment before replying. “Ok.” I couldn't even pretend that I didn't want to be close to him right now.

As soon as he took me in his arms, I let out the longest exhale. I had forgotten how good it felt to be held this close to him. I allowed myself to sway with him to our song.

I could feel the cracks in my shattered heart start to heal. Forgiveness is possible after the type of hurt we’ve experienced. Us, right here in this moment, is proof. There is no way I would have thought this p
ossible eleven months ago.

As the last notes of our song faded, he nuzzled his nose against my neck and inhaled just the way he used to. I knew I had to pull away. I had come too far to allow myself anymore when it came to Alex. Our lives are very different now. He has
Kimmie, and I have Will. Right?

“Happy Birthday, Alex.” I whisper as I force myself to push away from him.

“Happy Birthday, Court.” He smiles down at me as he brushes a lock of hair away from my face before dropping his hand and turning away. I watched him disappear down the street with his familiar gait. This time the site of him leaving didn’t hurt. I felt peace. We've endured the worst of each other and have somehow survived.

“Courtney.” Will calls as he steps out of the bar, a tipsy Kendra clinging to his arm.

How the hell did she get drunk that fast?

“Do you mind if we drop Kendra off first?” Suddenly Kendra runs to the nearby bushes and proceeds to vomit the very green contents of her stomach. I scrunch my face at the thought of being in a confined space with
drunky over there who seemed liable to puke at any moment. No thank you.

“Um, can I get Macy to drop me off? Just take care of Kendra, and I’ll call you later.”

“Courtney?” He gives a questioning look. We both knew what was supposed to go down tonight or should I say up. “Are you sure?” I wave my hand in her direction.

“I’m sure. Make sure she gets home safe.”

Will steps forward and gently rubs his fingertips along my jaw line.

“I hope you enjoyed your birthday, beautiful girl.” He brushes his lips against mine. “I think you’re amazing.” He whispers against my mouth and I let his sweet words wash over me. Kendra's heaving in the distance interrupts the moment.

“Are you going to be ok with her?” I ask, feeling a little guilty for leaving him with her. I'm just not in the mood to babysit. It's my birthday. I also know there is no one else here who can take her home.

“Fine. She’ll be fine.”

“Kendra, honey.” I squat down to talk to her at eye level. “Will is going to take you home, is that cool.”

Kendra nods and pushes her hair away from her clammy face. “Cool.” She answers with a reassuring smile. “I hope you had a fun birthday. You deserve fun. Thanks for letting
Will take me home.” I had a sneaking suspicion that Kendra was more than just cool with this arrangement, and somehow everything is going as planned.

I narrow my eyes at her before leaving to find my sister.

*****

By the time Macy is dropping me off at my house, most of a green drink buzz was gone. We drove home with the windows down. The smell of the salt air brought about feelings I’ve tried hard to suppress. It reminded me of him. For once, I didn’t dread walking into my big, lonely house. In fact, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and who I wanted to do it with. I was tired of worrying about doing the right thing and considering what others would think. This is my life. I deserve to be happy. God knows I’ve made horrible mistakes, ones that I will always regret, but now was my time. I am ready to be happy. I refuse to keep living in self-imposed exile brought on by guilt. I can’t change the past, but I at least had a say in my future and who I wanted in it. I am going after what I want.

“What are you about to d
o?” Macy questions as she pulls into my driveway and shifts her car into park.

“Who me?” I answer with mock innocence.

“You are up to something. I can see it in your face.”

I pull
my bottom lip in and shrug.

“Ok, will you at least tell me how he was in the morning? I am dying to know.”

I burst out laughing and shake my head.

“No way, Mace. I do not kiss and tell.”

“Oh, but he is so hot! Doesn’t he remind you of that Ian guy from the vampire show, except with brown eyes?” I laugh even harder.

“
Good night, Mace.” I call over my shoulder. “Drive safe. Text me when you get home.”

I hear Macy grumble something about me being no fun and how much I needed to get laid before I closed the car door.

Once inside I stripped off my clothes and showered. Refreshed, I pick up my phone and type.

ME: I want you. Come over now if you feel the same way.

I held my breath as I waited for a response but after several minutes none came. Maybe he wasn’t going to come.

I dress in a
cami and panties before crawling under my covers. Just as I felt my eyelids begin to close, I heard light knocking on the front door.

I rush down the stairs with my heart hammering in my chest. Excitement and nervousness control every nerve in my body because
I want this so badly and I am tired of suppressing these feelings.

I check the peephole to make sure it was him, and I restrain myself from doing a quick happy dance.

Be cool, Court.

I swing the door open, and I am immediately swept into his arms. He lifts me against his tall frame as our lips collide. He closes the door behind him and twists the lock before he wraps both of my legs around his waist while carrying me upstairs. We stumble and stop a few times during the way as we tear off each other's clothes. We finally make it to my room where he throws me down on the bed and begins to devour one of my hard nipples with his mouth.

“God, you are delicious. I’ve been aching to have you for so long.”

I grabbed hold of the side of his face and brought his mouth back to mine.

“I’ll never get enough of this mouth.” He crushes his lips on mine and thrust his tongue inside stroking a fire inside me with every touch.”

He pulls back to look me in the eyes. “I want you to know that this means something to me. Not just tonight but where we go from here. I want you to be mine.”

“But --” He shakes his head and puts a finger against my lips.

“Mine.”

“And you’re mine.” I reply. He beamed down at me, and I knew I was about to give him all of me based on that smile alone.

“I’ve been yours for a while.”

I was about to speak again but he halted my words with another all-consuming kiss. There was no time for foreplay. I wanted him inside of me now. Feeling my urgency, he wastes no time entering me. I cried out as he filled me completely and slammed into me again and again. I made sure to meet him at every thrust. I couldn't get enough of the feel of him. I grab his firm behind as I pull him even closer as if it were possible to take him into my entire body so that we formed one person. It was the most perfect and intense experience of my life.

When we were both finally satiated, we lay together on our sides staring at one another without speaking before we fall asleep, still joined.

*****

I woke feeling deliciously tender in my lady bits and still wrapped in his arms. I am relieved to find that he is still here. He loves me. He’d said it last night multiple times. Was this really happening?

“Morning.” He murmurs sleepily as he kisses the top of my head.

“Morning.”

“Morning!” I hear Macy call from downstairs. “We’re hooome.”

My heart lurches. I totally forgot that she was dropping the girls off. “Be down in a second!” I call loud enough for her to hear. I hope.

Uh-oh, the girls. I didn’t think about them and how they would react to seeing us like this. I wanted to explain things to them, and I certainly didn’t need them rushing in here and finding us naked. Awkward.

“Well, it looks like we’ll both have to go downstairs. Together. Are you okay with it happening like this?”

“Definitely.” He grins before poking a finger in my side, causing me to squirm and giggle. He chuckles down at me. “Well, hurry up. Let’s go.”

We both get out of bed. I put on a robe, and he pulls on his jeans and shirt from last night. We descend the stairs hand in hand. I feel like I am floating the whole way, my heart feels so free and whole. I am confident in my choice. It was the kind of happiness I never thought I would feel again.

“Good morning, girls! Did you have a good time with Uncle Judd and Jasmine?” I ask as we round the corner.

“Yes.” Both girls mumble from the couch as they pull their eyes away from morning cartoons to look at me. That’s when they notice
us.

“Daddy!” Both girls jump up and run to Alex with a million questions.

The biggest question from them, “Are we a family again?”

And our answer, “Yes and we always will be.”

My mind goes back to Rita's words:             

“In my opinion, what you and Alex have is something worth saving but you have to give him the space he needs to come to that conclusion on his own.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Present
.

I seriously have the best sister in the world. Once she recovered from the shock of seeing A
lex and I together, she was adamant about taking the girls back to her place for another night. She insisted that we could use the time to catch up. As much as we loved our children we were grateful for the offer. We still had a lot of things to discuss.

We are lying in bed, snuggling close to each other, neither of us knowing where to start. Alex was the first to speak.

“Remember that necklace I gave you for Christmas?” I thought it was an odd conversation starter, but I nod anyway.

“It was f
rom Fire and Ash Designs, right?” I recall the name I saw on the box.