Eve
It feels good to be home. I had a great time with Brenda, but I missed Cy. When the car pulls up to my apartment to drop me off, I notice Cy's truck in the parking lot but don't see him anywhere. He does have a key, so he must be waiting inside.
I take the stairs as quickly as I can while hauling a small suitcase behind me. I reach the landing in front of my door and the second my suitcase hits the ground, the door opens revealing a very sexy, very tired Cy. I barely have time to drop my purse and keys before he's reaching for me, engulfing me in his strong arms. My hands slide around his neck and my nails rake over the short hair on the back of his head.
"I missed you," I get out, a second before he pulls back and his lips descend on mine in an earth-shattering kiss.
He's holding me tightly as his tongue caresses mine. God, I missed his taste and touch. My body is burning with need in a matter of moments. He must feel the same because he releases me long enough to bring my belongings inside, then I'm back in his arms. He kicks the door shut and locks it. We barely make it to the bedroom, shedding clothing along the way.
I collapse back onto the bed, Cy inclining over me. My legs part to wrap around his waist. He leans back just enough to slip inside of me, both of us moaning on contact.
"Fuck, I've missed you," he says through clenched teeth, as he pushes into me as far as he can go. "You're mine, Evie. All. Fucking. Mine."
His intense gaze meets mine. In his eyes, I see everything I feel: relief at finally being back together, pleasure at the way our bodies react to one another, and love. Pure love. We've never spoken the words. In fact, I've never said them to anyone but my family. It’s at this moment, when we were apart for a couple of days and now back in each other’s arms, that I realize I do love him.
He climbs off the bed, standing at the foot of it, bringing my hips with him to keep us connected. He grips my outer thighs to hold me in place as he begins thrusting into me hard. I can't help but look up at him and watch him as he thoroughly fucks me. His eyes pinched shut, his stomach tight, his biceps flexing with each movement. He drops his head down, his hair falling across his forehead as his eyes spear me.
"I want you to come with me, Evie. I want to feel you grip me as I let go."
I reach in between us and begin rubbing my clit. Each stroke sends small jolts of pleasure through me, but it's not until I pinch it that my body arches off the bed as my climax tears through me. I cry out; his name leaving my lips like an answered prayer.
He slams into me a few more times before his body goes rigid as he comes, his dick releasing inside me. We both come down from our highs together; our breaths coming in fast pants. He pulls out and goes into the bathroom. The evidence of our encounter slips from my body. He returns a moment later with a warm cloth and begins gently cleaning me. Then he wraps the cloth around his dick and gives himself one final tug with it. He tosses it into the hamper then climbs onto the bed beside me, pulling me up with him toward the headboard.
Once he's settled between my legs again, his arms braced on either side of my head, he looks down at me, his eyes softer than before. He swallows. "I love you, Evie. I love you so fucking much." He brushes his lips against mine before burying his face in my neck.
His words hit me hard as tears threaten to spill from my eyes. "I love you, too," I say in a whisper.
He lifts his head and brushes a tear from my cheek. "I've never said those words before," he admits. "Not to anyone. This is all new, and it scares the shit out of me. I love you to the point of pain, Evie. My chest hurts when you're not near. This weekend has been torture without you."
"I've never been in love before." I choke back a sob. "You wreck me, Cy."
He kisses me again, but it's a gentle, loving kiss. One that promises always to be there. To cherish me.
When we end the kiss, I notice something new in his eyes. A part of him is breaking, and I'm not sure why. This isn't the intensity of love; it's something very different.
"What's wrong?" I ask while brushing my fingers over the facial hair he's letting grow.
"My mom..." he trails off.
I stiffen in anticipation of bad news. Did Everett confront him? Did he see his mom? "What happened?"
His bottom lip trembles ever so slightly. If I wasn't watching him intently, I might have missed it. He takes a deep breath. "She died last night." I gasp. "She was in a car accident. I just saw her yesterday. She tried to apologize to me, but I wouldn't hear it. I refused to talk to her. She told me she was divorcing Everett, and he didn’t live with her anymore. She wanted me to come over, but I got in my truck and left. She's dead and our last conversation was..." He sucks in a breath. "I left, Evie. I fucking left and she died. I know she wasn't the best mother. She never believed me; always put him first. And now she's gone. I wouldn't have been able to forgive her, but maybe I would have eventually been able to talk to her without hating the sight of her."
"I'm so sorry." I wrap my arms around him as he rests his cheek above my breast. Tears slide down my face. I might have hated everything Risa did, or didn't do for Cy, but I'd known her for so long. And now her son is left with no parents. My heart splinters open for him.
We lie on the bed for a while, my hand lightly caressing his bare back. Guilt hits me. I wasn't there when he found out. I can only hope Parker was.
"An attorney called me this morning,” Cy says. “He asked me to stop by his office this afternoon. He said Everett called him to notify him of my mom's death. The attorney wants to go over her will with me. She must have been paying him a lot for him to want to meet on a Sunday."
"Will Everett be there?"
"No. I asked. He said he only wanted to meet with me."
I relax slightly. The last thing I want is Cy put into a room with that fucking asshole. "Good. I'm glad."
"Will you come with me?" His voice so quiet, so unsure.
"Of course. I'll be anywhere you'd like me to be."
"Thank you."
Then something hits me. "Why didn't you tell me when I first got home?"
"You're the most important person in my life, Evie. I was going to tell you right away, but the moment I saw you, all thought left my mind. It was only you, your scent, and your body. I needed you like my next breath. I couldn't think past burying myself inside you and claiming you all over again. My mom may be gone, but you're my family, not her. She hasn't been for a long time. She was a woman who paid my bills and fed me. No love. No loyalty. She's gone, and while it hurts on some level, you’re who matters to me."
"Cy..." I swallow, hoping to keep more tears from falling. Here is this gorgeous man who just lost his mother, yet he loves me and considers me his family. I'm not sure what I did to deserve him, but I won't take a second of the time I have with him for granted.
"I love you, Evie. I've loved you for so many years. I know I never showed it. I wasn't even nice to you, but I've always felt something for you. It's only during this time with you that I realize how long I've loved you.”
"I love you, too. So much more than I thought was humanly possible. I didn't know love could be like this. All-consuming and intense."
"Forever, Evie. I'll love you no matter what happens between us. It's only ever been you."
****
We drive to a three-story, red brick building. It's the same building my dentist and eye doctor are in. Gotta love small towns. We get to the third floor and Cy opens the glass door of the law firm for me. The office is quiet; no one is working since it's Sunday. A tall, thin man comes around a corner. His hair is dark and neatly combed back. He's wearing black slacks and a button-down grey and white striped shirt.
"Mr. Revere," he says, offering his hand to Cy. "I'm Thomas, your mother's attorney." He then offers his hand to me.
"Eve Adley."
"Nice to meet you, Eve." We shake hands. Cy puts his arm around my waist, which doesn't go unnoticed by the attorney. "If you'll both follow me."
We walk behind him to a small conference room. He sits on one side of a dark wood, rectangular table. The blinds are drawn up to allow sunlight to shine into the room. He opens a rather thick manila folder and shuffles a few papers.
"Eve Adley," he says and looks up at me. "I was going to call you tomorrow to come in. You and Cy are the only ones mentioned in the will." He focuses on Cy. "She just updated it a few weeks ago."
I'd bet money Everett was in the will and she cut him out when she filed for divorce. Interesting. Maybe she finally saw the error of her ways. Makes me wonder what Everett is thinking right about now. He probably called the attorney in hopes of still being in her will and getting her money and estate. Asshole. I'm so glad she cut him out.
We both have to provide our driver's licenses to prove we are who we say we are. He lifts a document from the folder and begins to read it to Cy. I'm only partially listening since it's a bunch of legal talk I have no knowledge of. Then he gets to the part where Risa left things to Cy.
"Your mother is leaving everything to you, except what she has put aside for Ms. Adley. It's all yours, Mr. Revere. The house, vehicles, all her personal belongings. If it was hers, it’s now yours." The attorney focuses on me again. "Ms. Adley, Ms. Revere has left you the amount of three hundred thousand dollars."
I stare at him with wide eyes. "You'll have to excuse me for a moment. I didn't exactly end things on the best of terms with her."
“She did ask me to tell you the following: Thank you for saving my son."
I immediately push back from the table. "I don't want the money."
"I'm sorry, but she has left it to you. You can do what you wish with it, whether it's spending it on yourself or donating it to a charity."
I glance over at Cy who is watching me intently. "I didn't do what I did for money."
"I know," he says softly and reaches for my hand. He pulls me back close to the table and him. I intervened because the thought of Cy killing himself hurt me terribly. I didn’t want him to die. I wanted him to live. I don’t want the damned money. I want Cy. He’s all that matters.
"Mr. Revere," the attorney continues. "There is paperwork we need to file. If you'd like, I can help you with that."
"Yes, please. I know nothing about this stuff and would appreciate the help. Can I ask one question, though?"
"Of course."
"There is no mention of my mother’s husband in the will, correct? She told me she filed for divorce."
"No, there isn't. There was, but she revised it." Cy leans back in his chair, his hand still holding mine.
We spend a while at the attorney's office going through paperwork, signing legal documents, putting everything into motion for Cy to own Risa’s estate. He could technically take all the money and if invested right, never have to work another day in his life. She was that wealthy. Of course, some is the money she got when her first husband, Cy's father, died. Another part of it is the insurance policy she had on herself. The attorney informed us of that, as well. Cy, not being close to his mother, didn't know how much money she had, nor did he know about the large insurance policy. All of this comes out during the meeting with the attorney.
The entire time they talk, I watch Cy and see how he is processing things. I hold his hand to offer whatever amount of comfort I can while in the presence of the attorney. Cy's face changes slightly throughout the conversation. At times his jaw clenches, other times he’s more relaxed. I can't imagine all that's going on in his head. He's twenty-four years old and no longer has either of his parents.
I think back to how he said I'm his family. Parker, too. This man beside me: strong, intense, someone who has lost so much, who has endured more than any person should, and he's mine.