Page 52 of Forever After All
Running my hand over the wood, I take note of the gold fixings, so shiny, so beautiful, and so…funeral-like. I bend down, and whisper, "You ruined my life, Danny. You were evil. You hurt me. And now you'll never get the chance to hurt anyone ever again. I get to love myself again now. So, thanks, I guess." My voice gets lower the longer I speak, desperate for nobody else to hear what I have had bottled inside of me for so long. "Have the death you deserve, you monster." Then I lean down and press a kiss into the wood, leaving my mark on his coffin before I walk out of the cemetery, head held high.
"Take care of yourself, Sarah." I squeeze his mum very gently on the arm, and aim for the car once more.
Carter sees me coming across the gravel and gets out of the car to open my door, the rain still hammering. I didn't put my umbrella up on the way back to the car. I wanted to feel the rain on my face. I wanted to feel the cool air against my wet skin.
I sit on the seat and swing my legs back inside the car, and Carter closes the door behind me before going back to the driver's side and slamming the door, securing us back inside the car. The sound of the rain dampened once more and everything becomes that little bit quieter.
In silence, he turns the engine on and blasts heat through the fans. I press my fingers to the vents as rain drips out of my hair, off my eyelashes, and down my neck. I am drenched to the bone. I don't think a single part of me is dry.
"Are you okay?" he asks at the very same time I say, "Carter, I love you," without looking at him. The words come out of my mouth and I smile before pulling my bottom lip between myteeth.
"What? Say that again." He shakes his head in disbelief.
"I love you.I. Love. You," I say again, reiterating each word.
Carter grabs my face with both hands and pulls me into a kiss across the centre console of the car. I feel him smile as he kisses me so tenderly that it sends a dull ache to my stomach.
He breaks away from me long enough to say "I love you too, Alice. Fuck." He presses his forehead to mine.
I smile as he holds my face, and all the weight I had been carrying for so many years is finally gone.
"I want you to meet my parents," I say as he presses kisses all over my face. "Argh, get off!" I giggle in protest.
"Never." He continues kissing me until I poke him in the side. "I mean I'll never stop kissing you, not that I never want to meet your parents, by the way," he confirms, still trying to kiss every exposed part of my skin.
"I'm glad you cleared that up, big guy." I squirm, trying to push away from him.
"I like that, kissing you," he says, pulling away from me. "I'd love to meet your parents."
"Tomorrow?" I ask.
"Tomorrow." He nods at me. "Then I get to take you home and do exactly what I told you I would."
"Oh?" I tilt my head a little, trying to remember what he said
"Yeah, princess. I'm gonna touch you like I love you this time."
I smile at him, and he mumbles to himself, "Yep, stay calm, everyone. I just found out the girl of my dreams loves me."
"Ha-ha-ha, stop it!" I bellow into the car, trying not to lose my composure completely.
Chapter 26
Carter
"Mum, Dad, this is Carter." My girlfriend beams at her parents.Yep, I'm calling her my girlfriend now.Her smile warms my skin like the first day of summer.
Walking into the small country home, a little spaniel runs around my feet, barking and jumping.
"Ginny, getdown," Alice's dad urges the excitable pup tearing around my feet.
"Ginnyyyyyy! I missed you, girl," Alice squeals to the little dog in a frequency that shouldn't be heard by humans. Ginny barks again and jumps up into Alice's arms, licking her all over the neck. Alice wrestles to keep her away from her face.
"Alice, you saw her two days ago, don't be dramatic," Alice's dad says.
"What is life without a little drama, Dad?" She playfully rolls her eyes at him and then laughs so loud she doesn't hear our conversation behind her.
"Hi, Carter. I'm Hope." Alice's Mom pulls me into a hug. The tiny lady barely reaches my chest and I can't help squeezing her that tiny bit harder. "Ooh, you smell lovely!" she says as I release the hug.
