Laura POV “Laura.” He slips an arm around me and tugs me up so I’m looking at him. “I have something to confess.”My lashes brush my cheek as I blink a couple of times. “Okay?”He inhales a large gulp of air. “The night you went out for Ava’s girls’ night before the wedding,” he starts. “When you were drunk, you mentioned a few things, including Kayleigh and your foster parents, but with nowhere near as much detail as you just explained to me.”A gash strikes my heart like a spear. No. No.“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”“Because you didn’t remember in the morning, and I wasn’t sure if it would trigger or upset you. I wanted you to do this by yourself. I didn’t feel like it was right to start meddling in something that meant a lot to you.” He places his hand on my face delicately. “I didn’t do it to keep it from you maliciously. I wanted you to have this moment like you did with Gemma just now. I’m sorry.”I stare at him. “It’s been ages since that night.”“I know.” He nods and c
Laura POV Today is the day I’m going to see Kayleigh after two and a half years.After my conversation with Maxwell, we got in contact with her. We video-called each other because I didn’t think she believed I was real. When her face popped up on the screen, tears started to flow.I found out she’s attending a university sixty miles from here. Maxwell said she could come to the pack house to see me while being trailed by our guards for safety into the district.The intense butterflies make my stomach churn. I know I need some normality from my old life.Kayleigh wasn’t just a best friend to me; she was like a sister.Maxwell kneads his thumbs into the muscles on my shoulders. “Relax, baby,” he whispers, giving my cheek a peck. “This is good. This is exciting.”“I know.” I chew on my lip. “I’m apprehensive.”He hums against my jaw gently before wrapping his arms around me from behind. I latch onto his arm and smile at the warmth of his body. A moment to embrace his calmness and God k
Laura POV Kayleigh gasps and scolds him.“All of this seems strange and very out of character for you.”I narrowed my eyes on him. “I’m not the same person I was when I was eighteen, Danny. Things have changed. I have changed.”“Have you seen this house? It belongs to a billionaire,” he whispers under his breath. “You cannot tell me you just fell into his arms.”“Danny–”He leans impossibly closer. “Is this a cult? Because if it is, we can get you out.”My brows widen at his accusation. I watch him carefully as he pulls away and focuses on a spot on the floor. “Although I’ve seen some seriously messed-up documentaries, and they did not end well.”“This isn’t a cult. None of this is strange and not to me anyway. I get it from an outsider's point of view. But I didn’t have anywhere else to go, and I’ve found peace here. Without Maxwell, I probably would have been dead.”Maxwell’s shoulders tense. Despite us speaking quietly, his sensitive hearing means I’m probably shouting. I grimace
Laura POV I never really took myself as an affectionate person. That’s until I met Maxwell. There is nothing I enjoy more than waking up to him in the morning with his strong arms secured around me. Every day, I acknowledge how far I’ve come with my recovery and how I grow to trust Maxwell more and more each day.A hand reaches up to push away a strand of hair that covers my shoulder. My eyes are still firmly shut, but a smile covers my lips as Maxwell’s warmth swarms me. “Morning, baby,” he whispers.I release a slow grunt and open my eyes to meet his handsome face. “Hi.”He cups my jaw and brushes his thumb over my cheek. “You okay?”“Yeah.” I nod. “You?”He hums softly. “More than okay when I wake up to your beautiful face.”My skin flushes at his compliment. “Likewise.”Maxwell grins softly and leans forward to press a kiss to my chin, then my jaw and my neck. I slip my hand over his bare shoulder and close my eyes when he kisses my pulse and over my collarbones.A flutter of
Laura POV A blush creeps up my neck until it reaches my face. “I was conscious of how loud I was being.”“Be as loud as you want.” His eyes glitter. “Trust me. I don’t mind.”I bury my head into his neck and chuckle softly. “Okay. Noted.”His hand smooths over my shoulder as I stare up at the ceiling. “Would you like to shower with me?”“With you?”“Yeah. I’d like to give you the proper aftercare.”I press a hand to the bed and sit up. “What’s that?”“Where I look after you when we’ve been intimate together.” He cups my cheek with his large hand. “We don’t have to shower together. I can do it here.”The stickiness between my legs is evident. “We could save water?”Maxwell beams at me with bright eyes. “If you want to, then we can.”He stands from the bed and holds out his hand. I take it and let him guide us to the en-suite. As soon as we’re inside, he turns on the waterfall shower and starts to strip himself of his boxers.I try my hardest not to look, but my wandering eyes are curi
Maxwell POV A muffled cry wakes me up from my sleep. I twist beneath the sheets and open my eyes to the dark room. Laura shuffles around the bed, releasing a distressed moan from her trembling lips.“No,” she whimpers. “No. No. No. Please. Don’t. Please. No!”“Laura.” I take one of her hands but she bats me away.Her eyes are firmly shut as she squirms and shakes her head aggressively. “No. Please. Leave me alone. Please. Don’t hurt me. Please.”“Laura.”I cup her cheek to find her skin burning beneath my palm. “No!” she yells as tears escape from her closed lids. “Get away. Get away.”“Laura. Baby.” I attempt to pull her close to my chest, but I only make it worse.Her eyes fly open, and she screams at the top of her lungs, fear etched onto her face. She extends her arm aggressively, which ends up knocking into my jaw, sending my lip into my teeth. Blood invades my mouth as I listen to her erratic breaths.Laura scurries back into the headboard, eyes shot wide with terror. “He’s
Maxwell POV Laura’s strength over the last few weeks has improved vastly, and I can see the drive in her eyes when she joins in with pack training. At first, she was apprehensive, but now, she’s in her element.I stand back and watch as she runs through the trees. She digs her fingers into a large boulder before climbing to the top and jumping down onto a smaller rock. Her feet move quickly and every choice she makes is with precision.Sweat trickles down her back and off the edge of her jaw. I adore seeing her like this with focused eyes and eagerness to outdo herself from the last training session. She’s pushing herself out of her comfort zone and challenging her body with new skills.Kayden guides Laura through her obstacle course while encouraging her as she succeeds in every direction. She starts to climb a tree before swinging from a branch and landing directly in the middle of a stream. The water splashes up her legs, and she takes a large breath as her lips spread into a
Maxwell POVI raise my hand to brush away her hair in front of her eyes. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.” I kiss her temple.“I wish I could go back to being normal. Every time I believe I’m doing well and getting better, something like this happens.” Her eyes fall to my chest. “I know I’m not back at square one, but sometimes, it feels like it.”“Your recovery doesn’t have a timeline, Laura.” I stroke my thumb across her cheek. “You don’t need to put pressure on yourself to feel good all the time. It’s normal to have hiccups. But keep being vocal about them, if not with me, then at least Gemma. I know you’ve grown a strong relationship with her. I never want you to struggle in silence. It’s one of my biggest fears.”She nods slowly. “Yeah, I have grown a strong relationship with her. She’s taught me to open up and that my feelings are always valid.”“Because they are,” I state.Laura purses her lips, and we stay in silence for a moment. I stand from the floor and hold her clo