happy never after

chapter two

then

Madelyn

As the sky transforms into a canvas of pink and orange hues with the setting sun, it's truly a captivating scene. My head rests on Jaden's lap as he gently strokes my hair. We're in Italy right now. Typically, after wrapping up our work assignments, we prefer to stay back and enjoy the rest of the week in the country we've been posted. This week, it's Italy's turn.

Sitting on our porch, soaking in each other's company, feels like the perfect moment. I wish we could freeze time right here, I never want this to end.

As Jaden's fingers trace gentle patterns on my arms, I can't help but lean into him more, a soft groan escaping my lips. His chuckle is the only response, lulling me into a state of near sleep. The only thing keeping me awake is the desire to savor this moment. It feels like it's been forever since Jaden and I had time like this together.

I feel him start to move, but I muster the strength to hold onto his shirt, whispering, "Don't go." He settles back down, leaning in to plant a kiss on my head. "You want me to stay?" he asks. All I can do is nod and snuggle closer to him. His arms wrap around me, holding me close, and everything feels just perfect.

Jaden's voice is a comforting whisper in the dark, "Darling," he murmurs, leaning in to plant another kiss. "Are you awake?" I am, but I'm too drained to respond, so I feign sleep. His hands tenderly move my hair from my face. He takes a deep breath, "Okay, I know you're asleep, and I'm probably sounding insane talking to myself, but Madelyn, I'm so in love with you. It physically aches when you're not around. I always want to be close to you, like I might suffocate if you're not with me. I don't know what I did to deserve you or how I managed to marry you, but I did. And now that I have you, I won't mess it up."

He pauses, and I hear him take a shaky breath. All I want to do is hold him, kiss him, and never let go. "I know you say you don't want kids, and I don't want to pressure you," his hand leaves my hair to wipe away a tear, "especially not into having a kid because it's a huge responsibility. But I will try to convince you, Madelyn. I want nothing more than to start a family with you. Imagine having a mini-me running around the house," he chuckles softly. "Your friends told me you used to want to be a mom so badly. "I'm not sure what shifted, but if it's because of me, I'm sorry. I'm uncertain of my mistake, but all I dream of is us starting a family. However, if that doesn't make you happy, I get it. I'm completely satisfied with having just you in my life," he pauses, planting a lingering kiss on my forehead, unwilling to pull away.

I feel like I'm on the verge of shattering. He's never shared these feelings with me when I'm awake. Sure, he's mentioned having a child once or twice, but I didn't realize his desire was this strong. It breaks my heart that I can't fulfill this wish for him. For so long, I dreamed of nothing more than being a mother, it was my life's ambition. But ever since that day, I can't muster the courage to want to be a mom again, never.

"I love you," he whispers, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "I love you," another kiss. "I love you," one more. "I love you," but this time he deepens the kiss, cradling my face in his hands. I can't pretend to be asleep anymore. He gently tilts my face upwards, and I let my eyes flutter open, beaming up at him. "Good morning," he greets, leaning in to plant a kiss on my lips this time. "Morning? What time is it?" I ask, still grinning.

"8:00," he announces, glancing at his wristwatch. "Mmmh," I moan, tugging him down by his shirt to sneak another kiss on his lips. He leans into the kiss, making me smile into it. But as I try to slide off his lap, he catches my wrists, holding me back. "Don't go," he pleads. I turn to him, grinning. "You want me to stay?" I tease, echoing his words from earlier. "Absolutely," he responds, grabbing my hips and pulling me back, so I'm straddling his hips. He tugs at my hair, drawing me in for another passionate kiss.

"Do you want to go out for dinner?" he rasps out as he breaks away from the kiss , i can't help but smile at his tenderness, he's always so sweet, i really don't know what i did do deserve him, he truly is the light of my life "Of course" i breathe out then go to kiss him again but i turn my head then immediately get off his lap and run into our room

His groan of frustration is audible even from the other room. "Mads, you're going to be the death of me one of these days," he playfully grumbles.

His footsteps grow louder with each passing second, then they abruptly stop. He's at the door. He knocks. "Can I come in?" he asks. I can't help but giggle. "Mmm, only if you say the password," I tease, grinning even though he can't see me.

"A password? Come on, open the door," he pleads. "No, Jaden, I'm serious," I say, laughter in my voice. I hear him rest his hands on the door and groan. "I love you," he says, and I swing the door open. He instantly grabs my hips, lifts me up, and spins me around. I run my fingers through his hair as he kisses me again. "Was I right?" he asks, breathless. "Yes," I reply. He groans and says, "God, I love you so much." "I love you more," I counter. "No-" he starts, but I stop him by covering his mouth with both hands. "Don't even try to win this," I say, shaking my head and smiling. He leans his head back in frustration and I hop down, my hand still over his mouth. He lifts his hands to mine, gently pulling them away from his mouth and holding them behind my back. "Can I kiss you again?" he asks. I giggle, "I don't know, can you?" I tease, but he groans and leans in to kiss me anyway.

"I have to get ready," I say, breaking away from the kiss. But he holds onto my hands, not letting go. He's like a baby, always needing attention. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I love it.

I release his hand and walk into our closet, selecting a dress to change into. As I struggle with the zipper, I call out,

"Baby?" I call out. "Yeah?" he responds. "I need your help," I explain. Within seconds, he's right in front of me, his face serious. "What's wrong, darling?" he asks. I laugh, "Nothing's wrong. I just need help zipping up my dress."

He steps up to me, carefully moving my hair aside. His hands rest on my hips as he slowly drags the zipper upwards, his touch gently grazing every inch of my body. It feels like sweet torture. We make direct eye contact in the mirror. I can see he's trying to hide a smirk but failing miserably. He's stretching this moment out and it's almost too much. I let out a groan and he just laughs. "Enjoying this, are you?" he teases. He quickly zips up the rest of my dress, his hands resting on my shoulders. He leans down to softly kiss my neck, stopping as soon as I make a sound. He turns me around to face him, inching close to my lips. "You look absolutely breathtaking," he says. And before I get the chance to respond, he's kissing me again.

"You need to stop," I mumble into the kiss. "Stop what?" he teases, pushing my hair out of my face. He's playing dumb, but he knows the effect he has on me. "Jaden, I'm serious," I insist. He groans and stops kissing me. "I'll go get ready, but this," he motions between us, leaning in to whisper, "this, my darling, is nowhere near finished."

A/N : hi everyone, if ur enjoying this story i would really really appreciate it if you could comment and vote it would mean a lot to me, thank you ☺️☺️