“I don’t want him to be either.”

I’ve made peace with Aaron. Healing came despite great despair. Life may have thrown me around, but it’s shown me that sometimes love can come in places we never thought to look.

“I’ll let you know, but even if I’m not there, I want you to know I’m happy. I think you and Aaron made the right choice.” Mark sits at the table and I join him.

“You know, all those years we were trying to make things work, there were times I wished he would leave. He was unhappy. I was unhappy, but I thought if we could just have a baby, it would make things okay. I really believed it would heal us.”

Mark grabs my hand. “I think the mission we lost Brian, Devon, and Fernando altered all of our lives. Jackson was never the same, and I think Aaron carried more shit than we knew. All of us lost our friends that day and we lived. There’s a level of guilt you carry through that. I dealt with mine and made peace with it. But I don’t know that those two did. Aaron had you to focus on, and when a man can’t do something he was made to do . . .” he trails off.

“Aaron didn’t fail me, Mark. He wasn’t the issue with getting pregnant, but he used that to be selfish. That’s why I couldn’t go backward.”

“Just know that you’re my friend too, and I’m not choosing sides. I didn’t want you to be upset.”

I stand and place my hand on Mark’s. “I understand. Thank you for being a good friend. Aarabelle is lucky to have you and Jackson too.”

“Well, I’m a fantastic godfather.”

“The best.”

We laugh and hug before he walks out. I stand here for a second and take in the fact that in a week, I’ll be Mrs. Dempsey.

“Sweetheart, I’m not going to tell you again,” Liam warns as he waits downstairs.

We came to Corolla the day after the party. It’s been great being away just us and his father before everyone else arrives. Aidan has been enjoying the time with Liam and he’s officially smitten with Aara. He offered to watch her so we could go to dinner just us tonight.

Jackson, Catherine, Reanell, Mark, and Quinn are coming tomorrow morning. Rea is bringing the cake and the reason Mark is now attending is Aaron went home to visit his mother. So instead of just attending, he got ordained. He decided that he couldn’t miss it and he only felt it was fair to be the one to marry us. Liam thought it was brilliant—me, not so much.

“You know, it’s not so easy when your stomach doesn’t agree with zippers!” I yell down the stairs. One week and I can’t zipper this damn dress. “Liam,” I whine a little. “Please come zip me.”

I hear him talking to himself about girls and how it’s going to be great to have a little man to round out this group. “Sure, darling.” The sarcasm drips from his tongue.

“You did this to me.”

“Last I checked, you had to be present in order for me to have done this.”

“Whatever. It’s your fault.”

“I have a feeling I’ll be hearing that a lot.”

I snort, “Yup.”

“I didn’t piss in your Cheerios, so be nice. And don’t forget, tomorrow you’ll legally be mine to do what I want with.”

“Happy wife, happy life, buddy. Don’t fuck it up,” I joke and he laughs.

He zips the dress and his hands slide down my arms. His fingers touch the ring and he rubs the diamond. “She’ll be here in a way tomorrow. My mom . . . she’ll see us.”

“She’s always here with you.” I turn in his arms and place my hand on his heart. “No matter how much you miss her, she lives here. Her memories can’t ever be taken, and tomorrow you’ll feel her presence.”

“Yeah,” he pauses and rubs his hands up and down my bare arms. It’s laughable the dress I have on. Thanks to whoever made Lycra, because without the give there would be no way of squeezing in. “Do I seriously have to sleep in the other room?” Liam groans again.

His biggest issue is that he doesn’t want to sleep apart. Let alone sleep in the same room as his father who snores so loud he’s woken us twice.

“Yes.”

“How about you sleep with Aarabelle, and I’ll sleep in her room?”

“In the crib?”

He’s out of his mind.

“I don’t think we have bad luck coming our way. I’m pretty sure we’ve already surpassed it.” Liam gives me his sly smile. His blue eyes gleam as he tries all of his moves.

“It’s tradition.”

“There’s nothing traditional about us.”

I laugh and lean in to kiss him. Our lips touch and his hands thread in my long hair. He tangles his fingers around my curls and holds my head to his. His tongue glides across the seam of my lips and I grant him access. The second our tongues touch, passion erupts between us. The slow, dull flame becomes an inferno and all I want to do is strip him down and let him take me.

My hands slide across his taut chest and I groan into his mouth as I feel each ripple of his skin. The heat burns through his shirt as he licks the inside of my mouth. I need to breathe, but I would sacrifice oxygen to keep kissing him. Liam reminds me of the good in the world just by being near me.

He pushes me against the bed and lays me down. “Liam,” I say his name as a request. I’m not sure whether it’s to keep going or to stop. I want him, but his father and Aarabelle are downstairs.

“I’ll be quick,” he whispers before his mouth meets mine again. He’s careful with his weight not to push against my swollen belly.

Our tongues clash and his hands make their way up my dress. With one hand, he removes my underwear. I reach for the button of his pants and we hurriedly undress each other. There’s no elegance or grace. Once I slide his pants off, I wrap my fingers around his dick. His head falls against my shoulder as I pump him slowly.

I push his shoulder and he falls onto his back. I smile as my hair creates a veil not allowing him to see my intention. Moving down his hard body with my tongue, he lets out a low groan.

In one quick movement, I take him fully into my mouth. My lips wrap around his dick and my tongue glides down the vein. “Fucking shit, Lee.”

The way his voice cracks at the end makes me want to drive him to the brink like he’s done to me so many times. I continue to go up and down, twisting my tongue around the tip.

“Natalie, now.” Liam’s voice is insistent, but I keep going. “Lee, I’m not going to last, sweetheart.”

I go down one last time before leaning up. Within seconds, he pushes me onto my back and hovers over me. “Now that’s a wedding present.” He gives his signature smile and I don’t know whether to laugh or slap him.

When he enters me, there’s nothing funny about it. I’m home.

Complete.

Whole.

And I’m his.

Liam sets a slow pace, but neither of us is going to last long. He reaches his hand between us and circles my clit. I climb higher as our eyes stay locked. All the emotion, love, desire, is on display. There’s no shield we can’t break through. No secrets between us right here. We give ourselves to one another in body and in our souls. Tomorrow, he will give me his name and I will give him my hand.