You Loved Me At My Darkest

by Evie Harper

  She quickly wipes away a few stray tears and then recomposes herself. "My brother seems quite taken with you, Lily. I can see why."

  I lean forward, grab her hand and squeeze. “I’m here for you, Emily. If you ever need to talk, please, all you have to do is tell me and I will listen.”

  Her eyes grow glassy. We sit like this in a comfortable silence until Kanye walks on to the plane and sits next to Emily. She stiffens slightly, releases my hand and turns, looking out the window.

  Kanye looks to Emily and I see the pain in his eyes. He has no idea how to help her, and it’s clear he’s hurting. I wonder if Emily can see that, or if she's too caught up in her own nightmares to notice.

  "So where is home for you guys?" I ask.

  Emily, still staring out the window, doesn’t seem to hear me so Kanye jumps in and answers, "Hastings, Minnesota." He glances to Emily quickly then back as Jake walks over.

  Jake sits down next to me and pulls me to his side. He notices how quiet we all are. As he looks around, he arches an eyebrow as if asking, ‘what's up?’

  I decide to redirect the awkwardness away from Emily and say, "Kanye just told me you all live in Minnesota."

  Jake slowly nods, looking at me.

  "The boys and I have a business there. When Kanye and I got out of the Marines, we got into security. We employed guys who we grew up with and trusted to work for us. They travel all over Minnesota for parties, clubs, and big events. We handle the security. Our business is well-known and sought after. The boys have kept it afloat while I've been away, but it needs a lot of work. It hasn't been our priority for a long time.”

  I know Jake and I talked about building a life together, but we haven’t talked about the details past taking me home to bury Sasha. Suddenly, I’m nervous. Jake lives half a world away from me. How would we build a life together? "You're going back there." I clear my throat and say, "I mean, you're going back there to live after you take me home?"

  Obviously sensing the awkward conversation Jake and I may be about to have, Kanye announces, "We'll go sit up the front."

  This time Emily is looking at us and understands. She moves with Kanye to a two-seater right at the front. Emily's head turns toward the window while Kanye’s is turned in her direction.

  Jake's hands find my waist, and he lifts me to sitting on his lap, my front to his front, each of my knees touching his thighs. His cock grows hard, so I squirm to feel more of it.

  Jake stills me with his hands at my waist. "Baby, you need to stop that." His voice is gruff.

  I smile at being able to make him hard just by sitting on his lap.

  "I love your smile, baby, and right now, there are many other things I would love to be doing but we gotta talk first."

  I nod, bracing myself for his next words. Whether they are good or bad, I know I will be all right. After everything I have been through, I know I can handle whatever life has left to throw at me. Being with Jake would be life throwing me a life vest, but I've come to expect the unexpected.

  "Lil, let's get one thing clear, okay?"

  I nod slowly, nervously waiting for his words.

  "Where you go, I go. We are not separating, baby, ever." His voice is stern, and his eyes shine with love.

  My body relaxes at his words. "We will be together in Australia or Minnesota," he announces.

  My eyes go wide. "Live in America?" I say softly. All I've ever known is Australia.

  "Yeah, we can live on your farm if that's what you want, or we can move to my home in Hastings. Maybe we can do both? Six months in each? The work I do, I don't need to work the whole year, and it pays pretty fucking well. Plus, when we're on your farm, we'll be working it, so money won't be an issue. It's up to you, baby. I love you, Lily. I go where you go. Forever."

  Thoughts race through my mind. "It's my family's farm. I could never sell it, but I also can't live on it, not yet anyway. The memories, being reminded of them all the time, will be too hard at the moment."

  My eyes search Jake's for what I should do, but he isn't giving anything away. He wants me to make my own decision. I can’t quite believe he’s willing to give up his family and friends to be with me. That gesture alone already decides my answer.

  "I want to do both, six months at each."

  Immediately, he answers, "Done."

  Happy tears fall from my eyes, and I giggle at the thought of Jake on my farm.

  Jake's eyes soften and he kisses the side of my mouth. "Love that smile, baby. It breathes life into me."

  Every time he says things like that, a piece of my heart heals a little more.

  "I love you, Jake. My home is with you, wherever you are."

  Jake's hands twist up into my hair gently and he kisses me hard. He groans into my mouth when I grind my heat down on his erection.

  "Baby, you’re killing me. As soon as we are alone, I'm going to show you just how much I love you."

  I smile brightly. Finally feeling like my life will one day see the light again.

  ***

  Eight hours later, we finally arrive in Hastings. The trip included listening to Jake and Kanye joke around and make me laugh a lot, eating lunch and a taking a nap, on top of all of us watching Emily worried as she simply stares out the window almost the whole time.

  We all say our goodbyes as the plane is refuelled. Jake hugs Emily and kisses her hair. For a moment, I don't think he will let her go. I feel guilty. He just saved her and now he is leaving her again. I want to tell him to stay with her, but I am too selfish. I don't want to go home and bury my sister alone.

  Kanye gives me a small hug and tells me to take care.

  The boys do a big, manly one-second hug followed with hard pats on their backs.

  Jake says sternly, "Watch her. Call me with updates."

  Kanye nods, and with that, he and Emily exit the plane, and Jake shuts the door.

  He goes up front to tell the pilot we're ready to go, and then we buckle up. As the plane takes off, I watch Jake and Emily's parents run out to Emily and embrace her in a very emotional family hug.

  "So your sister and Kanye, it seems like there is more than just history between them?”

  Jake huffs out a sigh, "Yeah, there is. Before Em got taken, they were together and in love. They had been since she was sixteen. They hid their relationship from everyone for two years.

  “Kanye had crappy parents. Actually, they weren’t crappy, they were horrible. He was a kid from the wrong side of the tracks. He got into trouble a lot, but usually it was stealing food to eat or taking text books from school so he could study. My dad had no problems with Kanye and I being friends, but he hated his parents. Kanye’s parents were into drugs, and when my dad found out he and Em were together, he banned Kanye from our house and from me and Em. It’s a long story. One I will tell you one day, baby, but just know, it all worked out, until five years ago. Right before Em was taken, Kanye was preparing to ask her to marry him. She was only twenty-three and he was twenty-six. My parents thought they might be too young, but I knew Em would be over the moon and so did my parents, so they gave Kanye their blessing. Then she disappeared and he was shattered. We all were, but Kanye stopped existing."

  Jake's eyes grow pained. "When we got the tip about the sex slave industry, he lost it, smashed up his and Em’s house. It wasn't until I told him my plans that he started to focus again. He had a purpose, a way of finding Em. He worked just as hard these four years searching for her as I have. Dealing with scum and beating information out of men involved with Marco."

  "But seeing Em with him now, I don't know; she's stiff and flinches when he's near. She seems like a different person. Em used to be smiling all the time. She was carefree and loved to hold hands, cuddle. She was always touching Kanye. Even when my dad was around, and she knew my dad was gonna go ballistic, but she didn't care. She loved Kanye just as much as he loved her."

  I should tell Jake about Em’s earlier comments. He needs to know she won’t be the old Em anyt
ime soon, or ever. "I talked to her earlier, Jake. She's not good. She's lost and thinks all anyone sees is how dirty she is from what she’s been through."

  Jake’s raises his voice, "That's bullshit."

  I calmly state, "I know, Jake, but what has happened to her has changed the way she views herself. You still see that same girl from five years ago, but she isn't the same. To Emily, she doesn’t think she’s good enough. That won’t change. Not until she learns to let go of what happened to her. It's going to be a long and bumpy road. I hope Kanye is up for it."

  Jake shakes his head and says, "I hope he is too, because I know he won't cope if he has to lose her all over again."

  The planes seatbelt sign dims, and right away, Jake unbuckles my seat belt and pulls me from my seat. "No more talking, baby. I haven't been inside you for days and my cock is begging me to take you."

  His words set my body on fire, and my clit starts to tingle.

  Jake carries me to the back of the plane and through a door. I'm surprised to see a bed in the middle of the room.

  I smack his chest. "Jake you should have told me there was a nice comfy bed to sleep on when I was napping on you."

  "No way, Lil, I like it when you sleep on me, and I don't want you out of my sight for a long time yet."

  Jake places me on my feet. We’re standing next to the bed, Jake’s legs and shoulders almost touching the wall and bed with his big size.

  "Strip, baby, I want to see what's mine," he whispers into my ear. A shiver runs through me. "Fuck, baby, I love feeling you tremble for me."

  I unbutton my jeans and pull them down my legs. I'm not wearing any underwear as the hospital only had plastic ones, and they felt horrible.

  I hear Jake groan, "Christ, you're not wearing panties, fuck."

  And with that, Jake lifts his shirt off my body and discovers I have no bra either. He groans again and rubs the front of his jeans.

  "Fuck, Lil, this is gonna be fast, but after that, I have twenty hours to take it slow with you, and we will do just that. I'm gonna lick, taste, and devour your whole goddamn delicious body."

  I moan at his words. Just remembering how Jake touches me and how he feels inside of me creates wetness between my legs.

  I reach out and unbuckle Jake's jeans, pulling his zipper down slowly. I push his jeans down then his briefs. He kicks them away with his feet and whips his shirt off.

  I feel ready to burst, just looking at his erect cock. God, I feel like devouring it with my mouth, and then at the same time screaming to the world it's mine, and if anyone ever tries to go near it, I will scratch their eyes out. Wow. So this is what possessiveness feels like. It's intense.

  "Lay on your back, baby." I sit down and crawl backwards on my elbows and bottom. I lie down and spread my legs. Jake moans, deep and guttural.

  "Shit, Lil, look at you. I can already see you glistening.” Jake pulls a condom out of his wallet in his jeans pocket and covers my favourite part of his body.

  He starts kissing up my body, starting at my thighs, up to my bandage covered stitches on my tummy, then to my breasts. He sucks on my nipples and it feels amazing, like the sun hitting my skin for the first time in forever.

  Jake groans as the head of his cock slides inside me. Then he looks down at me and smiles. "Ready baby? This is gonna be hard and fast."

  I nod and smile brightly at him.

  "I love you, Jake," I say on a whimper as Jake fills me completely.

  "I love you more, Lily Morgan," Jake growls as he starts moving inside of me.

  "You loved me at my darkest, baby, just wait till you see me at my best," he promises.

  EPILOGUE

  Until We Meet Again.

  Jake (one year later)

  Pleasure is the first thing I feel when I wake, one warm hand stroking my hard cock up and down. Heaven. I open one eye and see a smiling Lily staring up at me naked, her glorious just-woken-up hair tied at the top of her head, and that damn smile, it stops my heart. It’s also the reason for restarting it.

  Her warm hand cups my balls. I close my eyes and groan, "Fuck, that feels amazing, baby." Lily giggles, and my cock grows impossibly larger from the sound. Hearing my woman laugh is the only thing in this world that truly makes me feel like a man. My chest expands and I want to punch it and yell to the world that my girl is happy.

  I gently grip her chin and pull her toward my face. I kiss along her neck and jaw while she continues to stroke me. The strokes are slow. She turns her hand around the head of my cock, glides her fingers down, and then twists all the way around at my base. It makes my cock twitch like crazy. I'm close and I do not want to come in her hand.

  "Turnover, baby, I want you from behind this morning,"

  She quickly flips to her tummy, moves up the bed, grabs hold of the black metal bed frame and raises her ass up in the air. Shit, I want in that raised pussy so bad right now, but I want to play a little first. I want Lily as ready as I am.

  I pull her dark blonde hair free from her head, and it flows freely down her back. I wrap the silky strands around my fingers and gently bring her head backwards and to the side. I take her mouth in a punishing, possessive kiss.

  I reach around to touch her clit and we both inhale at the touch. My finger circles her clit slowly, knowing this is Lil's favourite thing. She moans into my mouth, and I need to release her so I can get my cock inside her. I won't last much longer feeling her pushing back against me and swallowing her sexy whimpers into my mouth.

  I release her hair and grip her hips tightly. "Ready, baby? I'm so close and I'm not even inside you."

  She nods and whimpers as my cock enters her.

  "Fuuuuck, so wet, always so wet for me, Lil," I growl.

  I push all the way in and then pull out, almost falling out of her. Lil whimpers at feeling the loss of my cock. My chest expands at knowing how much she loves me inside of her.

  I thrust into her and she screams out in ecstasy. I begin thrusting hard, keeping up the punishing pace, her knuckles turning white from holding the bed frame so firmly. Her pussy clenches around me; the first sign she's almost there.

  "Oh, my God, Jake, don't stop. Don't you dare fucking stop," she breathes out through her moans. I'm so close. I need her to hurry. I reach around and rub her clit, and she goes off almost instantly, screaming my name.

  With her walls tightening around my cock, my legs start shaking, and I roar out her name, "LILY!" while still pounding hard as I come deep inside her.

  I fall on top of Lil, both of us breathing heavily. After a long moment, my heart calms and I slide to the side, taking her into my arms. The ache is long gone. Now all I have is a swollen heart that on most days almost explodes with the love I possess for this woman.

  I decide it's time for breakfast. I slap Lil's ass, turn her to her back and kiss her stomach. Staring intently into Lil's eyes, I say, "Hopefully, we made a baby this time."

  Her eyes grow glassy with tears, but now Lil only cries happy tears. She takes these moments and savours them. We appreciate every second of our lives. We both know how quickly they can get ripped away.

  "I'm going to go make my fiancée some breakfast," I say, kissing her tummy one more time, before dressing and heading to the kitchen.

  ***

  Lily

  At times like this, I find it hard to breathe when I realise what kind of man Jake is. The most loving, caring, protective man alive. Something so amazing and beautiful spurned from evil, and I’m thankful for it every day.

  A year ago, when Jake and I arrived back in Australia, he took me right to his contact and I was able to collect my sister. We buried Sash the next day, just Jake and I with the same priest who spoke at my parent's funeral.

  It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I thought burying my parents was hard; but the world once again showed me that heartache has no limits.

  Seeing my baby sister lowered into the ground was almost unbearable. Jake held me up when my legs gave way. I cried for S
asha and everything she went through, and for every day I won't have her with me.

  We stayed for a week. That's all I could handle. Everything around me reminded me of the family I had lost. A few times, Jake found me in our willow tree, crying. I wasn't getting better. I was getting worse. I needed space and time to recover.

  We left for Minnesota, and soon enough, with Jake, his family and friends around me, I began to heal. It was little things every day, one more smile than the day before, one more happy memory of my sister that didn't send me to tears. I can now think of her and our years together and laugh. My heart still holds a small amount of sadness that will always be there when I think of my beautiful little sister, but it's bearable. I now thank God, every day that he gave her to me, even if it was only for a short time.

  After two months in Hastings, I was ready to see my family home and try again. Jake packed us up as soon as I mentioned it.

  But again, I only lasted a week. It was still just as hard. Two more months passed and Jake informed me we were going back to Australia. I was excited and apprehensive, afraid I wouldn’t be able to spend more than a week at my family's farm.

  However that time, the memories didn’t cripple me, and it got easier every time after that. And without fail, every two months, Jake would make sure to take vacation time and bring me home.

  We're on the farm for a month this time. Jake wants our children to spend our family vacations here, and if a heart could burst from love, mine surely would have. I could never explain to him what that means to me.

  So Jake’s building onto the house because I want there to be room for his whole family to come with us. Jake has already spent too much time away from his family.