Chapter Thirty-Nine

Lyrical

M y eyes pop open at the sunlight peeking through the windows of the villa. Slowly, I sit up and glance around, spotting Snow outside on the balcony with a mug in his hand, looking out at the crystal-clear ocean. My body is so sore, my core throbs and aches. What did he do to me while I was knocked out? Desire blossoms at the pit of my belly at the thought. I can't wait to see.

I toss the cover off me and slowly walk to the balcony. Wrapping my arm around his torso, I rest my head on his burning back and squeeze tight. He turns around, sets the mug on the rail, and kisses my forehead. This is the first time Snow has showed me any tenderness. He leans down to kiss my lips.

"How are you feeling?"

Those little words cause a burst of passion to grow inside of my chest.

I breathe in the crisp air, watching a group of people run on the shore of the white sand. I can get used to waking up here every day. The ocean here is more blue compared to the one back home.

"I feel good. I can't wait to watch the video. Do you feel go—"

He places his index finger on my lips. "I feel good, great even."

I love the way he took my consent away from me without judging me. I love the fact that I get to experience this with him.

Something clicks in my mind that he told me a long time ago. "You always were in love with me." He doesn't respond, looking shocked that I figured it out. "It wasn't merely a simple crush—or lust. You have always been in love with me. From the moment you met me."

Tears gather in my eyes as the salty sea mist burns in my nostrils.

I can't believe I couldn't see it before, but now I do.

The stalking.

The overprotectiveness.

Killing Savannah for me.

Anyone who he felt was a threat to my livelihood was dealt with.

The way he makes my fantasies come true and listens to me without judgment.

In response, he smiles, bends me over the railing, and slides my panties down to my ankles. His voice tickles my ear. "What I feel for you is more than love. I inhale every ounce of you, and I'm obsessed with your whole being. I can't put into words how I feel about you because there are no words that exist."

His words steal the breath from me, and I melt into his arms.

"I've been in love with you the entire time. Since I laid my eyes on you. I never told you because of the fear of rejection," I respond, honestly.

He uses his thumb to turn my head so I look into his eyes, and he bites his bottom lip before sliding his dick inside of me, and it stings and feels good at the same time that I suck in a breath. He grips me by the throat, squeezing tight as he fucks me, and my eyes roll to the back of my head until I feel myself tighten around his dick.

Several moments later, I feel him throbbing inside of me until his cum spills down my thighs. He pulls out, tucks himself back into his pajama pants, and grabs me by the arm to lead me to the bed. I'm pushed onto my back, but I scoot away from him.

My scar from the stab wound hasn't healed fully.

"I don't think I can take any more, Snow. I'm sore. So very sore."

"That's not my problem."

His words send a shiver down my spine and my core tingles.

He grabs me by the ankle, pulls me to the edge of the bed, and places my legs over his shoulders. He licks my clit until I come all over his tongue.

He lies next to me, then he pulls me into his arms.

My mind is going back to last night, of the video, and my cheeks flame.

"I want to see it," I blurt out.

Realization hits him and he nods, grabbing his phone from the nightstand. He taps the screen and hands the device to me, and I watch it, in awe of what he did to my body while I was knocked out cold. He tells me how beautiful I am and how much he loves me, and I watch him fuck my unconscious body as a huge grin spreads across my face.

He doesn't realize how much him bringing this fantasy to life means to me and I'm forever grateful.

He glances at the video, but doesn't say a word and his face is blank.

"You didn't enjoy it," I say, worried.

He arches his eyebrow. "It's not that I didn't enjoy it, it's new to me. I've never fucked an unconscious person."

"We don't hav—"

He places his finger onto my lips. "We do whatever you want, Lyrics. If it makes you happy, it makes me happy too."

My phone starts to ring.

Snow grabs it and hands it to me. "Your mother has been blowing up your phone and mine. I believe she's pissed off that we went ahead and got married without telling her."

That sounds like her. I grab the phone from Snow, tap the green button, and hold it to my ear.

"Hello, Mom."

I make my way to the balcony, close the glass door behind me, and eye the people playing volleyball in the distance.

"Lyrical Gina Haynes. Why didn't you inform me that you were going to elope with Snow?" I hear the anger in her tone.

It's always been her dream to witness me getting married, and I know what I did was selfish.

I'm not going to tell her that Snow kidnapped and forced me into it, because he really didn't—I didn't even fight him like I normally do. At first the idea sounded crazy but after I calmed down, I came to my senses and realized this is what we both wanted.

"We love each other, Mother, and we didn't want to get married because of the arrangement, we wanted it ourselves."

"Awe, baby. I wish I was there to hear you say I do."

"You will, when we have the wedding ceremony. Our families and reporters and the rest of the world will see it."

"I knew Snow always loved you. The way his eyes would light up when you're around or the way he would stare at you when you're not looking."

"You knew this whole entire time and you didn't say anything? You're a terrible mom," I joke.

Her laugh is soft and elegant, just like her. "It's something you need to figure out on your own. I'm so glad that you ended up loving the person you are arranged to because not many are happy with their spouse. Just make sure you finish college."

I can't believe what I'm actually hearing. My mother still kept her word and is being supportive of my dreams and goals.

"Where is my mother and what have you done with her?" I grin from ear to ear.

This is what I always wanted from her, for her to support my dreams. I don't want to get too lost in Snow. I don't want my life to be all about him. So many women get so lost in being a wife and they end up losing themselves, feeling empty and lonely. Not that I ever felt lonely or empty when he is around.

"I love everything about Snow, Mother."

"Even the… you know, can you truly look past that?"

She's speaking about the killing. "I don't care if that's who he is. I'm not looking to change him."

"Hold on, your father wants to speak to you."

I hear my mother tell my father that she's going into the kitchen and she loves him.

"Hello, sweetheart. I heard about the marriage. Congratulations! I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, Dad."

"Revi isn't too happy about the wedding."

"Why wouldn't Mr. Williams be happy about us? He's the one that set up the arranged marriage."

He sighs into the phone. "He won't tell me, but he asked me if we were informed about the elopement and I told him no. I think he wanted to be there for his son's wedding."

My father knows Snow's father, they are close but not best friends. Revi and Snow never got along, and my father doesn't know that Revi abused him and treated him like shit. Snow confided in me about it last week, right after he killed Savannah. I didn't know his father blamed him for the car accident and said that it was his fault because he didn't protect Bailey.

"Can I tell you something, Father? But you can't repeat it to anyone else, not even Snow. Or Revi."

"Of course," my father answers.

"Revi beats Snow."

"W-what?"

"Snow told me that his father beat him when he was a kid and every time he disobeys him. I assume the reason he's looking for him is because he wants to punish him because he eloped without telling him. Please don't say anything to Revi or Snow."

I watch Snow get up from the bed and open the balcony door.

"I have to go, bye." I tap the End button.

"What did your mother say?"

"Nothing. She's happy for us. Your father called my parents, looking for us. Do you think he's looking for us so he can hurt you? To beat you?"

"Don't worry about it. Come, get dressed. We're going out."

He still married me even though his father wouldn't approve of us eloping so soon. He's enduring pain because of me.

I head to the bathroom and lock the door. Then I cry.