You and I Forever (29 page)

“
You did everything I wanted.” I finally say out loud, turning my gaze on the amazing man at my side.

“
I did.” He confirms with a smile. “Wait until you see inside.” He smiles even bigger, squeezing my hand lightly.

“
Bentley, I... I don't know what to say.” I stutter, looking back up at the house. At the new home that we will share. The home where we will raise our child.

“
Say that you will spend the rest of your life here with me.” He squeezes my hand again, pulling my attention to his face.

“
Okay.” I smile, feeling emotion well behind my eyes. No matter how much time has passed, I still have trouble grasping the raw emotion I feel when I am with Bentley.

He has brought out so much of me. The me that I kept hidden from the world. The me that I kept hidden from myself. He's made me see myself better than I ever have before. I am no longer the Anna that I was a year ago, or even six months ago for that matter. And while I have lost so much of myself along this journey with Bentley, I have gained so much more. I have found the girl that I buried long ago. And with her, I found my heart.

Bentley leans in and kisses me sweetly before nodding towards the porch. “Would you like to go see your new home?” He asks, waiting for my excited nod before guiding me up the large stone steps that lead to the front porch.

Each step I take feels like I am closing the distance between me and my happy ending. This is my forever now. The place where I will share my memories of the life I get to live with the man that stormed into my life and gave me no choice but to love him. I know it's just a house. Materials and belongings. But it's what the house represents that means so much to me.

Slowly stepping towards the front door, I reach for the knob but Bentley pulls me back before I manage to get the door open. Spinning me towards him, he pulls me into his arms and smiles down at me.

“
What are you doing?” I smile, looking up at him curiously.

“
It's customary for the husband to carry his wife across the threshold.” He smiles wider before bending down and hooking his arm behind my knees. With next to no effort, he lifts me up and cradles me against his chest, our faces lining up perfectly.

I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him in for a kiss before whispering across his lips. “I love you.” I pull back just in time to see the sparkle in his incredible eyes as he reaches for the door and pushes it open.

“
Don't ever forget this.” He says, not moving from his place on the porch. “When things get hard, remember this feeling. When we fight, remember the love you feel right now. No matter what life throws our way, promise me that we will always face it together.”

“
I promise.” I say, my hands reaching up to cup his cheeks. “Always.” I whisper as I close the distance between us, my lips pressing firmly to his once more.

“
Are you ready to start forever Mrs. Reed?” He pulls back, rubbing his nose sweetly against mine.

“
I am Mr. Reed.” I smile, nuzzling my face into the crook of his neck as he takes the final steps inside.

I know that there is no such thing as happily ever after, at least not in the way the stories tell. There are no princes or magical fairies. Life is not perfect. Because we are human. We are flawed and full of imperfections. But that doesn't mean that we can't find happiness. It doesn't mean that we can't find the kind of love that they talk about in fairy tales.

Even though it's more complicated and rarely happens at first sight, that kind of love, the deep down consume your very soul kind of love, it exists. I know first hand what it feels like when you realize that you have found the other piece of your soul. The piece that many go their whole lives never finding.

It wasn't exempt from pain. It didn't come easy. But it came. He came. My prince. My happily ever after in this world. The one man who knew what I needed even before I did. The man who taught me not only how to love, but how to live. I mean, really live.

I once said that Bentley Reed would forever change my life. And change my life is exactly what he did.

The End

Want more of Bentley and Anna?

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Taming Lo

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You and I Forever Playlist

A special thank you to all these amazing artists for their gift of music

that inspires me every single day.

Flaws- Bastille

Scare Away the Dark- Passenger

Fire Meet Gasoline- Sia

Lost Stars- Adam Levine

Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)- Awolnation

You and Me- You + Me

Unconditionally- Katy Perry

Wake Me Up- Ed Sherran

What Kind of Man- Florence and The Machine

Run, Run, Run- Kelly Clarkson Featuring John Legend

Witness- Daughtry

Autumn Leaves- Ed Sheeran

Dance With Me- Kelly Clarkson

Believe- Mumford and Sons

Lay Me Down- Sam Smith

Acknowledgments

Wow, what a crazy, heart breaking, amazing journey this has been. When I first started writing You and I Alone, I had no idea where I was going with it and I certainly never intended on it becoming a series. It wasn't until about half way through the first book that I realized, Anna and Bentley had such an amazing story to tell and there was no way I was going to be able to squeeze it all into one book. And so, The You and I Series began.

I have so many people to thank. So many wonderful amazing people without whom, this series never would have been possible.

Myra. Had it not been for your encouragement, I would have tossed out the first three chapters of You and I Alone and moved onto a new project. I was so lost as to what to do with these characters I had created that I was ready to give up but you pushed me forward. You read every single chapter, provided invaluable feedback, and gave me the courage to keep trucking forward. I will never be able to repay you for that. You are my sister, my friend, and one of my biggest supporters and I love you.

Mike. I love you. I love the family we have created together. There is no way I could write a love story as real as this one without some real life inspiration to pull from. We aren't perfect and there are days when we want to strangle each other, but we also love each other unconditionally. I know without a doubt, that you will always be there to catch me when I fall. You are my other half. The father of my children. My husband. My best friend.

To the girls of Melissa's Mavens- I love you. I am so blessed to have such an amazing group of ladies that stand behind me, support me and love what I do. Angel, Cassandra, Anita- I can't thank you enough for all the hard work you do everyday. Words will never be able to express the amount of gratitude I feel towards all of you.

To my family. My mom. My grandparents. My brothers. I love you. I am so blessed to have you in my life.

Ashley. Thank you for drinking me sane and always making me laugh. You truly are the Rick Grimes to my Zombie Apocalypse.

To my readers. I LOVE YOU! No really, I do. I love each and everyone of you. Because without you, there is no story. There is no Bentley or Anna. You are what makes every bit of this possible. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for your dedication. And THANK YOU for taking the time to read the You and I Series. I hope you fell in love with Bentley and Anna as much as I did. XOXO

-
Melissa