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.I jerked my head up to stare into her eyes with disbelief.Her hands came to cup my cheeks. There s been no one but you, Brayden.I don t have sex without love, and you re the only man Icould ever love. Grimacing, I knew I couldn t say the same when it came to being with someone else.I d whoredmyself out in the last year trying desperately to forget her.When I stilled my movements, Lilyquestioned, Brayden, what s wrong? I m so fucking sorry that I can no longer say you re the only woman I ve ever been with. I would have been surprised if you had remained celibate, especially in your profession. "How can you be so forgiving? Because I know that no matter who you had sex with, you ve only slept with me.Right? As I stared into her eyes, I wondered how she could possibly guess that with the thirty or fortywomen I d fucked over the last year, I d never actually slept with them.If we ever even made it to abed, I d end up leaving or having them leave.Lily was the only woman I d ever spooned with andwoken up to the sunlight streaming across us. You re right, I whispered. No matter how many women you re with, no one will ever get to have your first but me. Then I placed a tender kiss on her lips. No one will ever have my heart but you. She smiled. I feel the exact same way.Now make love to me.Please. Mmm, I love to hear you beg. I began to flex my hips and slide in and out of her.Being insideher felt like being home again.Lily s hands slid down my back and grip my buttocks. Harder, Brayden, she urged.I gave her what she asked for.Over and over, I pounded into her.I continued right on through thetwo orgasms she had.Then I finally found relief, spilling myself inside her and crying out, Lily! OhGod, Lily! We lay there tangled together, not speaking and unmoving.When I dared to pick my head up andlook at her, I found that she was smiling up at me. I was afraid you might be having second thoughtsafter we did the deed, I said. No regrets.What about you? None. I m glad to hear that. Although she looked far more at peace than when I saw her earlier, there was still tension in hereyes.I pushed a strand of hair away from her face. Lily, I want you to know I m not going anywhere.These next few days I m going to be by your side every step of the way. You really mean that? Yeah, I do. I need you so much.I don t know if I can get through the funeral& Her voice choked off withher sobs. I m here, baby.I m here. I don t know how long she cried.My shirt got soaked through with her tears.When she finallyfinished, her body went limp with exhaustion.I rose up on my knees to tuck my dick back into my pants.I then eased her dress back down her legs.Lily watched me without saying a word.When Ifinished, I shook out one of the other blankets and then brought it over us.I pulled her to me, wrappingher in my arms. Thank you, she whispered.Before I could argue that she didn t need to thank me for a raggedyblanket or taking care of her, she said, I was thanking God for bringing you back to me. Her words overwhelmed me.I had such a range of emotions crisscrossing my body.Anger,remorse, grief, fear, happiness-it all threatened to burst out of me.Instead, I closed my eyes and letmyself fall asleep with the woman I loved my other half, my soulmate.BRAYDENTHE PASTAfter so many years of performing, I rarely ever get nervous anymore.But as I sat in the front pewwith Lily and her family, my nerves shifted into overdrive at the thoughts of singing at Paul s funeral. I hadn t anticipated being asked to sing.Anything related to music was the last thing on my mind withPaul s death.But after Lily and I came back from reconnecting in the treehouse, I went to see her mother.Afterhugging me so tight I thought she might crack one of my ribs, Marie had asked me if I would sing GoRest High on that Mountain.The Vince Gill song had been a favorite of Paul s.I d never been muchof a country fan, so I wasn t very familiar with the song.Of course, there was no way I could tell agrieving widow no, even if she had asked me to sing while playing the tambourine.I didn t go back to my parent s house that night.Instead, I stayed at Lily s, and for the first time inour relationship, I got to sleep with her in her teenage bedroom.When she had finally nodded off, I dgotten my iPod and headphones to listen to the song on repeat.I knew I had to give it all I had for notonly Marie and Lily, but for Paul as well.By the day of the funeral, I had perfected the music and vocals.No one but the immediate familyeven knew I was going to be singing
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