Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Panic ate at him, driving him to his knees.
“What the fuck do you want me to do?” he shouted. “Do I need to get myself raped just to make us even? Because if that’s what it takes for us to be together again, then it’s what I’ll do.” His chest heaved, his emotions spiraling out of control. “How many men do you want? Five? Ten?”
MJ shuddered to a stop, crying so hard she could no longer make herself move. His words were so, so vile, but they were words of love, too, and she knew it.
Behind her, Helios’ voice was hoarse and panicky. “Tell me,” he shouted. “You want it done with a fucking GoPro? Anything. Just...” His voice broke. “Don’t leave me.”
And when Helios Andreadis crumbled in front of everyone, so did the walls around her heart. Everything just clicked, and it became so wonderfully, painfully clear.
All this time, she had pushed him away because deep inside, she was afraid he would do it. She had been afraid they would do it to her. That if she allowed herself to believe everyone would still love her...that was when they would turn their backs on her.
That was when they would realize she could never earn their love.
And so before that could happen, she had forced everyone to earn her love instead. Katya, Ioniko, and Helios.
“Please...MJ...what do you need me to do so I can deserve you?”
With a cry, MJ whirled around and ran to Helios, falling to her knees and pulling him into her arms. He gasped and shuddered in the circle of her embrace. The sound and feel of his relief made her cry harder. Made her hug him harder, too.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so, so, sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” She wept harder as she felt him tenderly cupping her face, and when their gazes met and she saw the unconditional love in his eyes, she sobbed, “I’m so sorry.”
He lifted one shaky hand to push away the wet strands of hair clinging to her tear-ravaged cheeks. “You never have to say sorry to me, brat. As long as you don’t leave me.”
She shook her head, pressing her lips to his. “Never.”
His control snapped, and he hauled her tightly to him even as he took her lips in a kiss. “I love you.”
She wept and laughed, loving the way her heart thrilled at his words. She was going to be all right now. She was really going to be all right. Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, she kissed him back, whispering, “I love you.”
Chapter Fifteen
HELIOS ANDREADIS, PRESIDENT of the Afxisi, was terrified.
Normally, he would have a problem admitting that, but today was different. A man should only marry once in his lifetime if he could help it, and Helios knew in his case that would be true. So of course, he reasoned to himself irritably, he would be feeling a little...terrified. Anxious. Nervous as fuck.
Beside him, Kellion clapped him on the shoulder. “Breathe, President.”
He inhaled, exhaled, and after that, he said, “Fuck off.”
Kellion burst into laughter, drawing the attention of the crowd. And it was quite a huge turnout, with the university’s chapel filled to the rafters. More students waited outside, all of them hoping for a glimpse of a couple that was now the stuff of legends and urban myths.
Helios’ breath caught when he watched two attendants slowly open the doors of the chapel. Somewhere at the side, the famous pianist they had invited to his wedding began to play Stay with Me, a slower version than what was originally performed by Sam Smith.
After a few moments, Ioniko appeared, holding the hand of Helios’ bride as he guided MJ up the steps. His heart swelled at his first sight of her. Perfect. Sheer bloody perfection, and he could not believe that she was really his.
She had no veil covering her face, and personally he liked it that way. Her long brown hair flowed freely down her bare back, and her face was a picture of glowing happiness even though her violet eyes showed more than a little apprehension.
Across the entire length of the chapel, their gazes met. You look gorgeous, he told her silently.
She grimaced. I just hope I won’t trip on my gown.
He smirked. Her gown was of white silk, with a corset top and a full twenty-foot train, which her own sister had insisted on. He had agreed wholeheartedly with Katya’s choice since the alternative was MJ’s preference for a short skirt to make sure she didn’t trip.
Ha!
Like he would ever let her wear something so skimpy.
It had been a year since they had survived the worst ordeal of their relationship, and he was sure as hell nothing worse than that would happen. One year, and MJ had slowly found herself again. There were times when she would have a vacant look on her eyes, but he knew how to get around that now, knew how to bring her back to the present and remind MJ that they still had a long, happy future to look forward to.