LOGINBONUS CHAPTER/EPILOGUE ETHAN NINE YEARS LATER (AGE 18) “Mom, come get her away from my room. She won’t freaking leave!” I yell, lowering my headphones and shooting my five-year-old sister—Hannah—a glare. “E, come on, she just loves her brother,” Mom responds with a laugh. My door opens and she peeks inside. “Hi, baby!” Hannah ignores us completely, continuing to eat her Cheetos and smile at me. I shake my head. She smiles at literally any fucking thing. Such a little weirdo. “You know you love her,” Mom laughs. “By the way, Maliya is downstairs.” At the sound of her name, my entire body comes alive. Even though I try to hide it, a smile paints my lips. “Ahhh, there it is,” Mom teases. I get off the couch, not bothering to hide the smile anymore. I pick my phone off the cushions and check the screen. “Why didn’t she call or text?” I mutter to myself, dropping my headphones and turning off the PlayStation. “She looks so beautiful. Are you two heading somewher
ALAN “Can’t believe I’m finally your wife,” Reina gushes. She wraps her arms around my neck, and I can’t help but grin down at her as I shut the hotel door behind us. “It feels like I’ve been waiting for this day all my life, baby,” I tell her. I pull her to my chest and kiss her. She melts into my arms completely. I can feel how much she wants this, and hell, if my own body isn’t on fire too. It’s been two whole months since she gave birth, but I’ve been so careful with her. I refused to have sex with her this whole time because I’m afraid of hurting her or something going wrong. No matter how many times she told me she was ready, I held back. I just used my fingers or ate her out until I was sure she saw stars, never giving her the real thing. But tonight is different. It’s our wedding night. Reina pulls me tightly against her, groaning about how heavy her wedding dress is between us. I laugh against her lips, pulling away just a fraction. She immediately chases my
REINA The moment she says it, the pain returns with brutal force, spreading through my abdomen and lower back until I feel like my entire body is being split apart from the inside out. I scream and curl forward instinctively, one hand gripping Al while the other clutches at the bedsheets. “Push, Reina.” “I’m pushing.” I say, but I don’t know if I really am. I don’t know anything but this pain. “More. Please push harder, please.” The doctor pleads, and Al adds, “Push Reina. Please.” His voice is firm this time, and somehow I find the strength to obey, bearing down with everything I have while Al wraps an arm around my shoulders and supports my weight. The effort leaves me breathless and shaking, and the second it’s over I collapse back against the pillows, convinced I have nothing left to give. “You can do this. You’re doing amazing. Push.” The doctor tells me. I shake my head, sobbing, “I’m trying, I’m trying! It’s like such a hard poop.” The nurses laugh quietly, and
REINA“You’re okay. You’re going to be okay.” Gramma tells me, caressing my stomach. I’m lying on my back in a hospital gown, on the large hospital bed in a private ward which is situated in the most expensive hospital in New York.I told Al this place is a little too much, but he didn’t pay any attention to my whims. He booked the stay anyways, claiming I need to be as comfortable as humanly possible while giving birth.“I’m really scared, Gramma.” I confess, tears gathering in my eyes. The contractions are a getting a bit too much to handle, and I squeeze my fists, taking deep breaths with my eyes drawn closed. She takes my hand in hers and un-fists it, her other hand massaging my waist.“I know, baby. I know… I can tell. That’s why I’m telling you, you’re going to be fine. I promise.” She says.I nod once, then open my eyes slowly and ask with a strained voice, “When are Al and Ethan going to be here?”Gramma straightens and picks up her phone, but the door opens before she can do
REINA Al helps me fix the button of my blush pink Zara dress, then leans in and presses kisses all over my neck. I melt into him immediately, shutting my eyes. “You’re such a beautiful pregnant woman.” He says while rubbing my stomach and my lips spread into a smile. “Thank you. I think I’m getting a little too fat though.” “You’re adding a little healthy weight. It doesn’t make you fat.” Al corrects, and just to shit with him, my eyes snap open and I ask, “Healthy weight, equals such a fat babe. I get it.” I say. His brow draws together for two seconds, then he clocks the joke and steps away, shaking his head. I can’t help laughing at his expression. He pulls me to him and grabs my throat gently, capturing my mouth in a passionate kiss. His tongue slips into my mouth, and his hand grips an ass cheek. I clutch his shirt and kiss him back with equal hunger, my panties dampening with every stroke of his tongue. He groans into the kiss when my hand lowers and grips his hard
ALAN I can’t stop looking at my wife. To-be. The extra two words tick me off, because I want her to be my wife right away, but she wants to wait until she’s given birth. And of course, it’s whatever my Reina says around here. She’s glowing with her pregnant belly, her arms flailing about as she gives directives to the decorators. Every minute, her hands go on her hips and she wipes off a sheen of sweat. It’s been roughly seventeen weeks since she came back into my life. This means she’s five months gone already, which is why we decided that it’s time for a gender reveal party. Well, she decided. Left to me, just the slip from the doctor would work just fine. We could have opened it together in private and called it a day. But women have a remarkable talent for turning simple things into events, and somehow my wife manages to convince everyone that finding out our baby’s gender requires decorations, catering, games, and enough balloons to make a small carnival. My backyard
ALAN“Shut the door behind you, James. I have something to tell you.” I say when James walks into my office after the meeting at the station.He obediently does so, then says, “Reina has been trying to reach you, Boss. She’s just taking a nap now.”“Thelma is innocent.” I tell him, ignoring his sta
REINA“You’re limping when you walk, Reina. Are you okay?” Ethan asks, staring at my legs as if he expects to see an injury somewhere. “I sprained my ankle last night.” I say, then frown at how easy it’s become to lie to Ethan. Thankfully, he doesn’t ask anything else, just offers a ‘sorry’ to me.
ALANMy mood is even more fucked up when I get off the bed after the sun comes up.Reina still snores lightly on the bed. I pick up a cigar and light it, even if my subconscious scolds me for it. She’s going to wake up and flip, or leave. I hope she just does the latter.Guilt eats at me. She just
REINA I’m still dizzy from the most intense sex we’ve ever had when Alan rolls off me and pulls me to his chest, kissing me without rush. My eyes are shut as we kiss, and I almost cry, thinking about how it’s probably already midnight… which means there’s just one day left for me to leave them.







