Page 52 of Back to Black
“What…wait a minute…say that again, baby,” Zane steppedforward with his hands outstretched ready to pull her to him, his expressionwas a mixture of disbelief and elation.
Holding up her hand she halted his advancement. Reid had notmoved, it was as if he was too stunned to move as if any sudden movementseverything would disappear.
“I just want you both to know that I don’t have to be here.”
Still dazed and in a state of disbelief both men simply justnodded in readily agreement.
Skeptical of their easy acceptance, Everly continued with anarrowed gaze at both of them. “If I wanted to, I could leave right now and befine on my own.” Still, they just stared at her expectantly—waiting. “But Irealized…” She hedged nervously.
Quickly, both men stepped forward.
“You realized…” Zane repeated, eagerly wanting her to finishher sentence.
“I realized I don’t want to.”
“Because?” The desperation in Reid’s gruff voice tore at herheart.
Smiling up at them both she repeated. “Because I love youboth.”
They made her repeat it a million times that night.One-on-one she cupped each man’s bearded face and kissed “I love you’s” ontotheir lips. Together they pushed and pulled frantically into her body demandingshe profess her love at the height of her release. Together as they fell to thebed in exhaustion both men whispered their love to her in each ear.
Cupping her stomach, Everly smiled to herself later thatnight as the lights of the city danced across the room. She realized as shestared up at the dark sky all of her prayers for a wonderful new life cametrue. It wasn’t what she expected, and it certainly wasn’t the traditionalfamily she envisioned, but it was so much more, it was pure, unconditional lovegiven back to back.
Epilogue
A few weeks later, Everly walked into the living room to seeboth of her handsome men kneeling down on one knee, each with a ring box intheir hand. That day she became a wife.
A little over a month after that, Everly watched as the twomen acted like chickens with their heads cut off as she carried baby Zena intothe nursery. That was the day she became a mom.
A little over six months ago, two brothers abducted her fromher apartment and like, a dark fairy tale, carried her to their secludedisland. That was the beginning of her new life.
Four years later Ezekiel Pengram made his monthly trip intotown and was waived down by the local postmaster. Stopped just a few miles fromhis home, Ezekiel tore open the brown package. One by one he stared at the girlwith his eyes as she smiled back at him through the photos. Holding a baby andflanked by two other children the young woman laughed brightly. Ezekiel turnedover the photo: Zena, Zachariah, and baby Zelda. The next photo showed all fouragain plus two good-looking men smiling broadly behind them, all standing infront of the Eiffel Tower. The back of that picture only had one word—family.That was the first day Ezekiel smiled for Everly.
Fin