by Katy Kaylee
She looked beautiful and elegant in a black dress which fit her curvy body perfectly and a smile formed on my lips. She definitely looked the part of a billionaire's girlfriend. I hoped that she would continue to be just that. I definitely didn't want her to leave, and I had to bring my A-game if I was going to convince her to stay, despite everything.
"You don't have to explain, but if you want to, go ahead," I said, "and for the record, I am not mad at you, or Carter for that matter."
She frowned at me and asked, "You're not?"
"No, of course not," I answered. "A little betrayed, sure, but I'm not mad. I understand why you did what you did, and even though I would never have allowed you to do it if you had told me, I am kind of glad that you did."
"You are?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.
I chuckled and nodded at her. "Yes. It shows me that you really care about my happiness, my professional image and Willow's happiness. By wanting to clear my name and saying that Jade's accusations about me were false and untrue, says a lot more than you think."
"I just want you and Willow to be happy, Dillon," she said, her eyes filling up with tears. "I thought that if I went around anymore that everything would go back to normal and Jade wouldn't be able to take Willow away from you."
"Babe, listen to me," I said as I took her hands in mine. "When we're with you, we are happy. You don't have to leave in order for us to live our lives normally. On the downside tough, Jade will try to take Willow regardless if you are in our life or not. She's done so in the past and she will probably try to do it again in the future. The most important thing is that we do it together, and we there for one another."
Tears ran down her cheeks and she glanced at me, her eyes two bright pools of emotions.
"I love you, Malia. More than I had ever thought I would, and more than I intended on in the beginning. Sure, it started out a little weird and uncomfortable-"
"And secretive," Willow added behind me, and when I looked at her she just shrugged nonchalantly.
"Anyway," I muttered and turned back to Malia, "the point that I am trying to make, is that our relationship might not be conventional and like any other relationship, but that's what makes it so much more special. No-one has what we have, and I wouldn't want it another way."
"Really?"
"Of course. I wouldn't be here, telling you all this if I didn't mean it," I said to her. "I love you, Malia."
"I love you, too," she whispered and I put my arms around her. Our lips touched in a sweet and meaningful kiss and my heart filled with even more love than it already was. She pulled away first and said, "I'm sorry for not telling you about calling Carter and organizing all of this. I just wanted to make everything right."
"I appreciate that, even though I don't approve of it, I know that your heart was in the right place," I said to her.
"I didn't do irreparable damage to your reputation, did I?"
"I doubt it, but now that people know the truth, maybe they'll be more forgiving. I mean, who could not forgive you."
She scoffed and shook her head. "Thank you. You're the greatest."
Willow cleared her throat behind us and I loosened my embrace. "Willow wants to say something to you."
Malia's eyes widened slightly and she turned to Willow. I took a step back, giving them a little bit of privacy and stood against the wall, digging my hands into the front pockets of my pants.
"Malia, for three years now you've been a part of our family, and I've loved you since the day you came for an interview with Daddy. I told Dady that you were perfect, and he agreed. You've taught me how to be a better person, you listened to my reading when I stuttered. You helped me with all my projects. You even made Daddy smile. You drove me around with a smile, you make me treats, you spoiled me on special days, and even on non-special days. You are my best friend, and I love you a lot," Willow said.
"I love you too, Will," Malia said and hugged Willow.
"You've been like a mommy to me, and I was wondering whether you'd like to really be my mommy, although to me you always have been," Willow said to her, and a smile formed on my face as I slowly stepped forward.
"Will," Malia said and placed her hand against her heart, "in here, I'm already your mommy."
"How about we make it official," I asked, taking my hand out of my pocket, revealing a small black velvet box.
Malia glanced at me with a frown and as I opened the box, here eyes widened as she stared at the beautiful engagement ring I had been holding onto since we came back from Paris.
"Oh my god," she gasped and covered her mouth with both her hands.
I knelt down in front of her and said, "Malia, we love you so much, and we would love for you to be a part of our family."
"Although you already are, just officially."
Malia glanced at me and lowered her hands. She knelt down in front of both of us and she cleared her throat. "You two are the two most important people in my life and I would love to join your family, even though I already have." She glanced at Willow and smiled. "I'd love to be your mommy, Will."
"Yay," Willow cheered and hugged her with excitement radiating from her entire body.
Malia glanced at me and smiled as a tear ran down her cheek.
"Daddy, you have to ask the question," Willow whispered to me.
"Oh, yes. Right," I said and cleared my throat. "Malia Brooks?"
"Yes, Mr. Marsh?" she answered, sending shivers of delight down my spine.
"Will you make me the happiest man in the world, and marry me?" I asked.
"How can I say no to the best thing that has ever happened to me?" she asked and nodded. "Yes, I will marry you."
In all my life I had never imagined that Malia saying yes to my proposal would fill me with such joy and happiness, and I felt as though I was going to burst into a million little pieces. I took the ring out, my hands shaking more than I had anticipated, but managed to slip the ring onto her finger. She gasped and looked at me with more love than I had ever seen. Nothing in the world could possibly top that feeling.
Now everything was perfect, and I didn't even care if Jade was going to take me to court, because at that moment, and for the rest of my life, I was fucking invincible.
We were fucking invincible.
Epilogue: Dillon
One of the best parts of being engaged to Malia was catching her staring lovingly and in total awe, at her ring when she thought I wasn't looking. The sparkle in her eyes was brighter than I had ever seen it before and it was a pleasure to see.
A few days after the media conference where Malia had made a public statement, Carter and I had set up a settlement offer for Jade to leave us the hell alone. It was a massive amount of money, but I was willing to do whatever it took to get that woman away from us. We even signed a restraining order against her and we were just waiting for it to go through as well.
Pretty soon, and when Jade eventually accepts the settlement offer, our lives could go on as normal, and I could wait for that day. Carter had a meeting with Jade that morning and I was sincerely hoping she would accept.
Willow and Malia were downstairs talking and laughing in the kitchen and I was shaving in the bathroom. I have felt a little rough for the last few days as we spent most of our days in the comfort of our home. Upon Carter's request, we stayed out of the public eye for a few days until the dust settled after clips of the media conference when viral, and we had journalists camping out in the street outside the house. Of course, Willow was so kind to alert the authorities and the Palm Beach Police Department quickly sorted them out. We watched them as they scattered like a bunch of cockroaches and had a good chuckle at their expense. The police officers even came around to the door to check if we were okay, and we invited them for lunch to say thank you.
I ran the razor along my chin, removing the last patch of hair and rinsed it off in the water. I rinsed my face, blotted it with a fluffy white towel and hung it back on the railing on the wall. I
pulled the plug, allowing the water to run down the drain and made sure there was no hair or shaving foam left over in the sink. I opened the overhead cabinet to find my aftershave, but it wasn't there.
Did I move it? Did Malia move it?
I searched for it in the lower cabinet, but couldn't find it either. It had to be there though. I tried to think back to the last time I used it, but my mind was a complete blank when I opened the top drawer. My whole body froze for a moment as I glanced down into the drawer and retrieved a light blue box from it. The top was torn open and a white and blue plastic stick stuck out. I slid the stick out of the box and my eyes widened even more.
Oh my god.
I let out a breath and glanced at myself in the mirror, but instead of seeing a man in a state of panic and terror, a happy man smiled back at me. Clean-shaven and all.
My facial expression reminded me of the day I found out that Jade was pregnant with Willow, only better, because the whole situation was better. I placed the empty box back in the drawer and slipped the stick into the pocket of my short. I quickly went downstairs and found Malia and Willow in the kitchen.
"Ooh, look at you," she said to me with a smile as soon as I walked in. "You look hot."
"Thank you," I said with a pout. "Have you seen my aftershave?"
"The blue bottle, or the white one?" she asked.
"The white one."
"I think it's still in your bathroom, in the tall cabinet by the window. You moved everything around last week. Remember?"
I did remember now. I had the tendency to reorganize my cabinets and closets more often than most people would consider normal, but it relaxed me and gave me a sense of control and organization. "I remember now, but I don't remember exactly where I put it."
"Do you want me to help you find it?" she asked and glanced at me with a frown as she stood from the table.
"No, it's okay," I answered nonchalantly.
"Are you sure? I don't mind."
"No, it's fine. I actually want to talk to you about something," I said, but before I could get anther word out, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it."
I turned on my heel, and walked to the front door. When I opened it, Carter stood in the doorway with a strange expression on his face. I could swear that he was smiling, but I count be sure.
"Good morning, Carter," I greeted him.
"Good morning indeed, Dillon. Can I come in?"
"Sure," I said and he stepped inside.
"Babe, Carter is here, and he seems to be in a good mood," I called out.
"What? Can it be?" she joked and within a few seconds, Malia appeared in the hallway. "Hey, Carter."
"Soon-to-be Mrs. Marsh," Carter said and we followed her back into the kitchen. Willow excused herself, since she knew that when Carter came in with his leather briefcase, she had to find something else to do. It meant that the adults were going to discuss something that she was either too young to understand, or something that did not involve or interest her at all.
Carter sat down at the kitchen table, placed his briefcase beside him and Malia and I sat down at the table with him.
"I have good news, great actually."
"Let's hear it," I said and glanced at Malia.
"Jade accepted your settlement offer," Carter announced.
"Finally, I found a number that was big enough for her," I muttered, but I was relieved. By signing and accepting my settlement, it meant that she officially gave up the right to Willow. This made me very happy, and we were now finally rid of her. It was pathetic of her to choose money over Willow, but I was not complaining. We were definitely better off without her in our lives.
All of us.
"That is the best news we've heard in a long time, thank you, Carter," Malia said to me.
"Don't thank me. I just did the paperwork and went to see her," Carter shrugged and chuckled. "Okay, fine. You can thank me."
Malia and I chuckled as well, not quite believing that Carter could ever be in such a relaxed and happy mood. This was a monumental win for us though, and it was something that we had been working towards for a long time. Now, the day finally arrived that Jade Grant was out of our lives. If Willow wanted to contact her when she was older, she could. Jade was still her mother, but I knew that Willow would never do that. She had Malia now – we had Malia – and there was no-one more perfect than her.
"She even signed the restraining order, so it's all official. No more Jade," Carter said.
"That is great, Carter," I said my tone filled with appreciation and I gave him a nod of gratitude.
"We should celebrate," Malia said and glanced at Carter. "Would you like to stay for lunch? I could-"
"Oh, no. That's not necessary, Malia. Besides, I have to get going. I just came to give you all the good news," Carter said.
"Do you have a hot date tonight, Carter?" I joked.
"Well," Carter said and stood from the chair, "not to boast or anything, but she is pretty, and smart."
My jaw dropped and I stood as well. "Good for you, Carter. I'll walk you out."
Carter didn't elaborate on details of his date – always the gentleman – and after I greeted him at the door, I went back to the kitchen, feeling the stick in my pocket.
"It's so weird to see Carter so happy, but I am thrilled for him. He's such a nice guy," Malia said as I entered the kitchen.
"Yeah, he's great," I replied and leaned against the counter, glancing at her intently.
"What?" she asked me with a frown.
"You're busted, Malia Brooks," I said with a serious expression.
She turned to me and narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"I know your secret," I answered cryptically.
"Of course you do. I told you when we were in Paris," she said and rolled her eyes.
"No, your other secret," I said.
"I don't have any other secrets," she scoffed.
I took the stick out of my pocket and held it up. "Are you sure about that?"
As soon as she saw it, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Oh my god. Where did you find that?"
"I was looking for my aftershave," I said and placed the stick on the counter.
"Oh, god. I can explain. It was right in the middle of this thing with Jade and..." She paused and placed her hands on her hips. "Why are you smiling?"
"Because you're the most beautiful woman in the world, and even though I thought you could be any more beautiful, I saw that little stick, that blue plus sign, and your beauty just doubled, because you're pregnant with our baby."
"So you're not mad?" she asked as I approached her.
"I'm mad about you," I said and put my arms around her, pulling her close to me. "About our family."
"Ugh, you guys," Willow mumbled behind us and Malia chuckled.
"We have a good reason, we promise," Malia said to her, as I loosened my.
"And that is?" Willow asked, cocking her head.
"Malia and I are having a baby," I said.
I watched Willow's expression change from disgust to pure happiness and her eyes lit up like two brown orbs of light. "You're having a baby?" she asked in disbelief and I nodded.
"We are. You're getting a little brother or a little sister," Malia answered.
Willow let out a high-pitched shriek filled with excitement and she ran towards us. "This is the greatest news, ever!"
I put my arms around her, and scooped her up. Malia put her one arm around my waist and her other arm around Willow's waist, holding us all together, the way we belonged.
"Malia, can it please be a little brother?" Willow asked.
"We'll have to see, Will. We can't choose what we get," Malia answered.
"That's fair. I guess I don't mind if it's a boy or a girl, as long as you're the mommy, and Daddy is the daddy. He or she is going to be awesome."
"Just like you," I said to her and kissed her on the cheek.
My world was even more perfect than I could have ever imagined i
t, and my family was finally complete.
***The End***
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Make You Mine (Excerpt)
Description
Two broken hearts. Six Years. And a HUGE Secret.
Torryn
What do you do when you are interviewing for a dream job and the interviewer turns out to be your crush from high school?
The crush who left you without a word six years ago…
Well, apparently, you are supposed to say no to the job!
Unless…you are like me and decide to take revenge.
Yes, I am going to make him fall in love with me all over again.
And then, I am going to break his heart.
Just the way he broke mine…six years ago.
He’s so gonna regret messing with me in the first place!
Lucas
It surely is a weird feeling…seeing her walk into the interview room in that tight pencil skirt and crisp white shirt.
I shouldn’t be looking at her this way.
Not again…
She’s forbidden and she’s never going to forgive me for what I did.
But one look into her eyes lights that fire inside me and I know I can’t stay away.
I need her and will do everything to make her mine.
I owe it to myself, to fate and to her!
May be if I play my cards right, I will get my second chance with Torryn.
Prologue
Torryn
“Your dress is blue?”
“For the last time, Lucas,” I said, grabbing a grape from the bowl on my desk and popping it into my mouth as I spun in my chair. I chewed it as I answered him though I knew he hated when people talked with their mouth full. “It’s aquamarine.”
