Page 447 of Scars of Silence
“The team thinks it’s rude you still haven’t officially set a date for our wedding.”
I laugh softly.
“Two weeks. I want to get married on January first. A New Year and a new life with the man I love.”
“That date is perfect. Two weeks. I can wait that long, but no longer. Now kiss me,” he said, leaning down and kissing me.
Oh.
Oh that man fights dirty.
Downstairs, Mia suddenly points toward us dramatically from beside the tree.
“KISS!”
Every child in the room immediately joins in.
“KISS!”
“KISS!”
“KISS!”
I bury my face into Clay’s chest laughing while he looks entirely too pleased with himself.
Traitors.
All of them.
Clay tilts my chin upward gently.
“I love you,” he murmurs, kissing me again.
The warmth in his eyes nearly melts me right there.
Outside the snow continues falling softly across the mountains.
Inside the lodge the children keep laughing.
Alive.
Safe.
Free.
And for the first time in my life—
the future no longer feels frightening.
It feels beautiful.
So I kiss him, again.
And downstairs—
forty-three children who survived hell erupt into cheers.
The End
