Don’t Let Me Break by Linda Verji
EPILOGUE
~ 5 Years Later ~
“Mama! Mama! Mama!” a voice whispered behind Marley gently drawing her from her dreams. “Wake up.”
With a low groan, Marley cuddled closer to the man who held her tightly in his arms. His chest was a hard yet warm rock beneath her head and palm. His scent was familiar and soothing, and the low rhythmic beat of his heart was like a lullaby lulling her back into slumber.
“Mama! Mama! Mama!” the little voice whispered more urgently. “Wake up.”
“Aunty Marley!” A different voice joined the first. “Wake up.”
The two intruders were persistent in their attempts to wake her, and before Marley knew it, she was completely out of her dreams. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. The first face she saw was his. Sebastian.
Even asleep, he was the epitome of sexy, and her body stirred in awareness. At thirty-four, he’d been centerfold material. At thirty-nine, he was still so magnificent that he made her heart skip a beat every time their eyes met. She wanted to lock him in a dungeon so other people couldn’t see him.
“Mama, wake up,” the persistent voice behind her called.
With a sigh, Marley turned in Sebastian’s arms. His arm fell from her shoulder to rest listlessly on the pillow beneath her as she turned to her side. Though the drapes were still drawn, dawn’s rays snuck into the room. There was enough light for Marley to see the two little humans (a girl and a boy) who were standing by the bed.
The girl was Cynthia Carlota Levy (named after both Sebastian and Marley’s moms) but everyone called her Cinny. Four-year-old Cinny was a cute mix of both her parents. She had thick, black hair that wasn’t as coarse as her mom’s but not quite as silky as her dad’s, hazel skin that was at the midway point between her dad’s and her mom’s. She got her daddy’s eyes and her mommy’s lips.
The boy was Adrián Levy, and he was an exact, albeit younger, copy of Sebastian. Adrián had taken Sebastian’s hair, eyes, skin, smile… even his height. At five-years-old, the boy was already the tallest in his class and looked three years older than Cinny even though they were just a year apart. When Sebastian walked with Adrián, passersby usually marveled at how he’d reproduced himself, which wouldn’t have been a big deal if Adrián was actually his son. He wasn’t. Adrián was Matías’s son.
The oldest Levy, William, found the resemblance between Sebastian and Adrián hilarious. To the horror of his poor sons and daughters-in-law, the older man was currently riding high on the bestsellers list with a thriller novel about a man who’d engaged in some hanky panky with his brother’s wife then sired a son with her. The disloyal scumbag (whose physical features were blatantly modeled after Sebastian) had ended up getting killed by his serial-killer brother and stashed in a fridge. So… yeah!
The brothers had threatened to sue their old man. William had told them to knock themselves out. They were inheriting everything after he croaked so technically, they’d be suing themselves. But that was a story for another day.
Marley smiled when she saw Cinny and Adrián by the bed. She whispered, “Good morning.”
“Morning,” the two little munchkins greeted happily but with hushed tones.
“What are you two doing here?” Marley asked.
“We’re-” Adrián started, then realizing his voice was too high, he lowered it to a whisper. “We’re hungry.”
“Okay,” Marley whispered. “Wait for me outside. I’ll come make you something.”
The two kids nodded happily before quietly skipping away.
Once they were out of the door, Marley slowly sat up. Sebastian stirred a little at her movements. He even flipped around to lie on his side, but he didn’t wake up. The errant lock of hair that fell on his face with the movement made him look like a little boy. With a smile, she leaned down to kiss his cheek.
She’d never thought that she could love a man as much as she loved Sebastian. In the last five years, her adoration of him had grown by leaps and bounds. She couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to not have him in her life. He was like a bright lantern at the end of the very dark tunnel that her life had been.
He’d never wavered in his determination to stick with her. He knew what being with her meant, and he’d still stayed and made it clear that it was his pleasure. Every day, he told her with his words and actions that she wasn’t a burden to him and he wasn’t making any kind of sacrifice. That she was just as much a gift to him as he was to her.
What about Hazel?
Well, she’d only appeared once in the last five years (the night before Marley and Sebastian’s wedding), but even then she’d been gone by morning. Maybe Hazel’s disappearance was because Marley was so loved and happy. Maybe it was because Marley had found someone who made her motivated to be courageous, to stop hiding, and to start living instead of letting life happen to her. Either way, everyone in Marley’s family was quite hopeful that someday, the alters might not even be a thing.
The third alter hadn’t emerged since the rooftop incident. They didn’t know its name, its gender or even its personality. Like Sebastian, Marley’s doctor believed that it was a self-defense mechanism that was only activated when Marley was in mortal danger. At first Marley was too scared of hurting someone to put her hope on that belief. However, over the years and through many therapy sessions, Marley’s fear had receded. Her confidence that she could control this third alter were it to appear again had also increased.
All-in-all, Marley was much better mentally then she’d ever been in her life.
Sometimes Marley thought of sending Zion a thank-you card. Sure, the guy had done a lot of awful, awful stuff and would now spend the rest of his life in prison. But if it wasn’t for him, Marley and Sebastian likely wouldn’t have connected as they had. Because of Zion, she’d found her forever love.
Marley stood from the bed then crept to the en-suite to perform her morning ablutions. Once she was done, she came back to the bedroom, pulled a pair of sweatpants over her sleep-shorts, grabbed her phone from the nightstand, then padded to the door. Careful not to wake Sebastian, she quietly closed the door behind her and headed down the hall.
The kids had planted themselves in front of the TV, but when they saw her, they followed her to the kitchen. They grilled her about what she was making for breakfast. Once they were satisfied with her answer, they raced back to the living room to finish their show.
Now alone, Marley started on breakfast; fresh fruit juice and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Lola, Matías’s wife, appeared just as Marley was cutting up fruit to blend.
“Good morning,” Lola, who was heavily pregnant with the couple’s second child, greeted as she waddled into the room.
Lola was a pretty woman; long curly hair that fell to her waist, olive skin, curves for days. She also had a great personality; bubbly, generous and friendly. She and Marley had become fast friends from the moment they were introduced. Marley was even Lola’s maid of honor when the couple had decided to have a belated wedding ceremony last year.
Today, it seemed like Lola wasn’t in her best shape. By her hooded eyes, tired expression and the way she was dragging her feet, it was quite clear that she wasn’t happy to be awake.
Concerned, Marley asked, “What are you doing up so early?”
“Trust me, if I had a choice, I wouldn’t be up.” Lola groaned as she plopped on one of the four chairs around the kitchen table. “But I know how my kiddo is. He wakes up at six and always wants something to eat.”
“I don’t mind making him something,” Marley offered. “You can get a few more hours of sleep. I’ll make sure he eats.”
“Really?” Lola gave her a hopeful look.
“Really.” Marley grinned. “Go ahead and get a couple more hours in.”
“Thank you. Thank you.” Lola gave her an air-kiss before slowly standing and walking out again.
Marley wasn’t lying when she said she didn’t mind. She’d only made one breakfast since her, Sebastian and Cinny had come down to Sacramento a week ago for Thanksgiving. Usually, one of the men was up before her or Lola, and they put breakfast on the table. However, last night the men had had a guys’ night out and were understandably sleeping off the alcohol.
Marley blended two jars of fruit juice, stuck them in the fridge, then started on the cheese sandwiches. She’d just finished slicing the cheese when her phone rang. The moment she checked the screen, she started to smile. Kenny was video-calling.
“Hello, hello,” Kenny greeted happily the moment Marley answered.
“Hello, hello.” Marley immediately noticed that her sister was in sunglasses and a bathing suit, and was seated on a pool-lounge chair. “Are you at the pool?”
“Yup!” Kenny grinned. “Just finished swimming, now chilling.”
Marley shot her sister a baleful look. “I hate you so much right now.”
Kenny laughed. “Why?”
“I’m slaving away here, trying to get breakfast on the table, and freezing while doing it. Meanwhile, you’re chilling out there in the Bahamas midday sun, lounging like a spoiled princess.”
Her sister laughed. “Are you jealous?”
Marley rolled her eyes. “Duh!”
“Then let me make you even more jealous.” Kenny cackled evilly before changing the view on her phone’s camera so Marley could see just how great a time she was having.
There was sunlight everywhere, a pool filled with scantily dressed folks, a band playing jaunty tunes in an adjacent stage, a tropical drink on the table beside Kenny. Basically… Kenny was living the life.
Marley groaned. “Send me my ticket right now.”
“Too late, babe.” Kenny redirected her camera’s view back to her face. “How are things going down there?”
“Really great. Can’t complain. But I miss you guys though.”
“We miss you too.”
“Where’s the family?” Marley frowned. “Don’t tell me. Did you ditch them?”
“I wish.” Kenny laughed. “They just left for a sec to get something from our room. They’ll be here in-”
Kenny suddenly stopped talking just as Marley felt arms come around her waist.
“Hey, Sebastian,” Kenny greeted happily even as Marley turned to see who was holding her. Marley smiled at her husband before turning back to her sister.
“Hey, Kenny,” Sebastian returned just as happily. “Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Happy Thanksgiving to you too,” Kenny said.
Warming Marley with his body heat, Sebastian asked Kenny, “How’s Bahamas?”
“Great,” Kenny said, “but it would’ve been better if you guys had come along.”
“Next year,” Sebastian promised. “Definitely next year.”
“If we can afford it,” Marley chimed in. Her tone teasing, she added, “We’re not all swimming in dough like you, sister.”
“Eh! You two can afford it,” Kenny dismissed. However, a second later, she got serious. “But if you want me to pay-”
“No, no, no.” Both Marley and Sebastian laughed. “We’re good.”
Though Kenny had somewhat loosened the apron-strings since Marley’s marriage, she was still prone to trying to take care of her. Marley appreciated it. However, she was doing okay on her own now.
Changing the subject, Sebastian asked Kenny, “How’s the family?”
His question led to Kenny telling them all the fun things she and her family had done while in the Bahamas. Marley and Sebastian shared what they’d been up to too. The conversation soon veered off into Christmas plans. Since Marley and her family would be back in Philly by then, it would be a great time to hook up with Kenny and share the season’s happiness.
The conversation ended about ten minutes later with all three smiling. Marley loved Sebastian for many, many reasons but his great relationship with her sister just made her love him even more.
Sebastian crowded closer to Marley until she could feel every inch of his front against her back and kissed her cheek. “You should’ve woken me up.”
“You guys stayed out late last night.” Marley smiled and arched her neck so he could get to the sensitive skin there. “I wanted you to sleep in a bit so you don’t have a hangover.”
“I didn’t drink,” he revealed before pressing his lips to her neck. “God, you smell good.”
“So do you.” She smiled. Though she wasn’t facing him, he was close enough that she could smell the fresh mint from his breath, the light trace of cologne on his clothes and his natural manly smell.
He laughed then pressed another kiss to her jaw. “Whose wife are you and can I steal you?”
“I’m sorry.” Marley grinned and teased back, “But I love my man too much to be stolen.”
“Really. You love him?” Sebastian turned her in his arms. He was smiling. “I think I can make you love me more than you love him.”
She shook her head. “Nah, you can’t beat him.”
“I can’t beat him? Wanna bet?” He grinned and ducked down to crush his mouth to hers. Laughing against his lips, she let him draw her into a playful kiss. But the kiss didn’t last for long.
“Get a room, boy.” William, a sixty-year-old man who looked like an older version of Sebastian, walked into the kitchen. “Nobody wants to see you trading spit.”
William tried to look disapproving as he spoke but the twitch in his lips and the twinkling in his eyes ruined the effect.
Nevertheless, Marley gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry, William.”
“No, you can kiss anyone you want, darling. It’s him I’m talking to.” William shook a finger at Sebastian. “You can’t be kissing people while trying to keep your father from kissing anyone.”
Sebastian snorted. “Well, if you found someone proper to kiss then maybe I wouldn’t be trying to keep you from kissing.”
Taking a seat, William protested, “Strippers can be proper people too.”
William was talking about the stripper he’d recently started an online relationship with.
“I didn’t say strippers were not proper people,” Sebastian retorted. “It’s your stripper that’s not proper.”
“Oh God,” Matías groaned as he walked into the kitchen. “Are we back to this again?”
William immediately turned to his oldest son. “Matías, tell your brother that I can kiss anyone I want and it’s none of his business.”
Sebastian countered, “Matías, tell Dad that it’s all of my business when the woman cuddling up to him is twenty-two and has ‘hate work and searching for sugar daddy’ as her Instagram profile description.”
William let out a disbelieving harrumph then narrowed his eyes. “When are you leaving my house?”
“Never.” Sebastian stalked towards the table with an evil grin to sit directly opposite his father. “I’m never leaving, old man.”
Giving Sebastian the evil eye, William said, “Matías, tell your brother I’m booking him a flight home tonight. I’m keeping Marley and Cinny but he’s got to go.”
“Not going anywhere,” Sebastian sang.
The two men kept arguing for a few minutes with Matías injecting tired sighs, a few rolls of his eyes, and pleas to stop. Everyone ignored him. The childish argument only ended when the kids entered the kitchen to check if breakfast was ready.
Liveliness and happiness filled the room.
Marley felt her heart warm as she watched them. Never had she ever imagined that her family could become this big. Never had she imagined that she could have so many people who she loved and who loved her back. And it was all because of him. Her eyes settled on Sebastian.
As if he could feel her looking at him, he turned. Their eyes met, and he smiled. That smile said more than words could. I love you. I’m yours. You’re mine.
She smiled back. I love you too. You’re mine and I’m yours. Forever.
│ THE END │
Thank you for reading ‘DON’T LET ME BREAK’. I hope you enjoyed reading Marley and Sebastian’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you thought by leaving a review at your favorite store/site (just click on your preferred link below). Again - Thank you.
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