Page 130 of A Forever Love
“Not yet. I didn’t expect it to be so emotional. I cried rivers and was trying to make a run for it before you found out about me.”
“Your exit was a little loud, sweetheart.” Keith chuckles, as if he’d expected to see his wife here on some level.
“Can you not show the recording to Mere, Clementine?”
Her eyebrows rise at my question, and a grin slowly crawls onto her face until she’s beaming. “Why?”
“Because I have a surprise planned for her, and there’s something in that recording I don’t want her to hear.”
“Does this have to do with the fact that you asked Keith’s permission for her hand?” She bites her lip, making me chuckle.
“I’ll tell you when the time is right. For now, let’s please keep it between us.” When she finally nods, I take a relieved breath, and then my attention drifts to my surroundings. If Clementine is here, does that mean… “Are you here alone?”
Before Clem can respond, Keith’s eyes widen. “Mere is here too,” he mutters, looking at Clem. “Do you ever listen to me?”
“I couldn’t lie to her, especially about this. You should already know that! What kind of husband are you? It’s as if you don’t even know me.” Clem shoves Keith lightly on his chest.
I leave them bickering and press the elevator button. But when it takes too long to arrive, I rush down the stairs. Sam greets me with a wave as I skid out of the staircase door and into the outside parking.
Mere is pacing the cobbled footpath, her hands buried in her teal overcoat. As my feet touch the cold ground, I briefly notice that I’m barefoot. But in the next instant, she looks up at me. Her ocean-blue eyes meet mine, and a myriad of emotions flit across her face. This is the first time I’ve seen her since London, since she was shot, since she told me that she didn’t want Keith to think she chose me over him. And God, don’t I love her for that. I take another step forward and so does she, then she starts sprinting toward me.
I feel as if every cell in my body is alight when she’s finally in arms. My chest expands and I bury my face in her shoulder. “I so fucking missed you, mittens.”
“Me too. So freaking much.”
I hold her face between my hands, looking into her eyes for a second before leaning in. My lips have just touched her soft ones when there’s the sound of a sudden blast, followed by loads and loads of confetti landing on us, and we jerk apart.
I turn around to find the whole King gang standing behind me, including the kids.
“Did anyone care to think my meeting with Carter was meant to be private?” Keith drawls, standing alongside Clem near the building gate.
“There’s nothing private when it comes to the King family.”
“Do you really think we weren’t worried about Merida?”
At this point, I couldn’t give a flying fuck about who’s saying what. My focus is solely on my girl, her arm curled around my waist.
“How are you?” I ask, caressing her cheek with the back of my hand. Her eyes flutter shut momentarily before she opens them again.
“I feel much better now. I don’t even remember how I felt until this moment.”
“You’ve taken the words right out of my mouth, mittens.” I press a kiss to her forehead. “Can we decide right here, right now that we’ve spent enough time apart for this lifetime?”
She entwines her pinky finger with mine. “Pinky swear. I’m never leaving you, King.” Merida’s gaze shifts, and I follow her eyes to Keith, silently thanking him for everything before placing another tender kiss on Merida’s forehead.
EPILOGUE
Merida
Two Months Later
“Hey, Merry Belle, are you on your way?”
“Yes, Dad. I’m at the gas station on the highway and should be home in an hour,” I reply, offering a smile to the cashier as I exit the shop. I settle into my car and let it connect to the audio system. “Is everything okay? This is the third time you’ve called me in the last four hours.” I glance around, pull out of the station, and merge onto the highway.
“Everything’s perfect. I just miss my kid and can’t wait to see her.”
I chuckle. “I can’t wait to see you too.”