I would never give up on him.
Neither of us knew what the future held for us, if anything at all. All we knew is that we had today. Right then, right there. We were just a normal boy and a normal girl trying to figure out how to love one another.
Today.
Tomorrow we would figure out the rest.
Today, Bear pulled my shorts and panties to the side, sank his hard cock deep inside of me and frantically fucked me until I couldn’t think of anything but him, the orgasm that tore through my body, the tears that ran down my face, and the elation my heart felt over knowing that the stupid boy who made mistakes loved me.
And that was good enough.
For today.
Because tomorrow never came.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Thia
Bear pushed the boat back in the water and used a thick branch to row us back to the other side of the bay. “I really am sorry,” Bear said again when we were halfway across.
“I really do love you,” I said, and I meant it.
“You know that you are the only person in my life who has ever told me that?” Bear asked.
“What is going on?” I asked, noticing a commotion going on by the seawall, which Bear had his back to as we rowed.
“Fuck if I know. This is all new to me too,” Bear said, oblivious to what I was referring to.
“No, turn around,” I said and Bear looked behind me to where a woman wearing an all white pantsuit stood on the seawall. Her dark hair was pulled into a severe bun and her lipstick was so bright red that I could see it even in the dim lights of the dock. Next to her were three police officers with their guns raised and aimed at our boat.
Bear turned around and as soon as he saw what we were heading toward he tried to subtly turn the boat around but it was too late, we hit the current and it pushed us rapidly toward the seawall. “I’m sorry,” the woman said, “I know this wasn’t supposed to be until tomorrow but I couldn’t hold them off. I tried to call your cell.”
“Bear, what is she talking about?” I asked. “What’s going on?”
“Fuck!” Bear cursed, dropping the useless branch into the water.
“Cynthia Anne Andrews?” one of the officers asked.
“Why are they calling my name?” I asked Bear who looked at the floor of the boat and then back up at me.
“Don’t forget your promise, Ti. Don’t give up on me,” he said as the boat hit the seawall. One of the officers reached down to grab me and I shrieked.
“Don’t fucking touch her!” he warned, standing up in the boat. The officer pulled back but held up his gun again. “Ti, you gotta go with them.”
“What?” I asked. My heart pounding rapidly against my chest. Ray and King had come out of the house and were standing several feet behind the woman and the cops watching the scene unfold.
“Thia, I’m Bethany, your attorney, and he’s right, you have to come with me.”
“I thought it was just a meeting? I thought it was tomorrow?” I asked as the understanding of what was happening sunk in.
“I’m sorry,” she said and I believed her. Bear bent down to lift me onto the seawall and I shrugged him off.
I was going to prison.
And Bear knew.
That’s why he’d tried to push me away. He knew they were coming for me and wanted to sever whatever it is that we had before they did.
Before I was gone.
“No, don’t touch me,” I argued, but Bear didn’t listen.
He grabbed me by the back of my legs. “Remember your promise,” he whispered again, hoisting me up toward the awaiting officers. Bethany threw Bear his jeans and he stepped into them before climbing onto the seawall, the little boat kicked out from under him and without being tied down was quickly launched into the mangroves by the current.
I hung my head and held out my hands behind my back, waiting to be cuffed. Bethany came to stand by my side and gave my shoulder a small reassuring squeeze. It didn’t work.
“You are under arrest for the murders of Wayne and Trinity Andrews anything you say…” One of the officers started and that’s when I looked up and noticed that their attentions weren’t on me. And neither were their guns.
They were on Bear.
“No!” I shouted, lunging forward but Bethany caught me by the shirt and tugged me back. They cuffed Bear and holstered their guns. They pushed him forward through the grass to one of the awaiting squad cars that were parked by the house, the rotating lights painting everything in splashes of blue and red.