The Ink That Brands Us ✔️

Epilogue

One month later

    Jensen reached out and took my hand as we exited the courtroom. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I could finally breathe again. The trial went pretty quickly with all the evidence I had against Alex. It only took a few hours for them to find him guilty and the judge to sentence him to eight years in prison.

    Jensen turned to me and wrapped me in a rib breaking hug. I returned it and was happy that I could hug him like this again. All my bumps and bruises were finally healed minus my cheek, but it was getting there. The doctors said that in a few more weeks it would be completely healed. It didn't hurt so much anymore, just tender.

    Jensen took fantastic care of me while I was down. The first few weeks were hard on both of us. I was a little skittish, and I knew it hurt his feelings. He had to take care not to take me by surprise or catch me off guard. The nightmares were the worst part.

After the first week, Jensen insisted that I see someone professional.

    He had been right of course. It has helped tremendously and after a few weeks the nightmares tapered off. It took another week for Jensen to stop hoovering. His heart was in the right place but there was only so much a girl could handle.

    Jensen finally got the memo, but Saw picked up where he left off.

    On the rare occasion that Jensen had to go somewhere, Saw babysat me. She explained to me what it was like when I entered the shop that day. She said that Jensen had been on his way out the door to check on me because I wasn't answering his calls and I always answered.

    She said that she had never seen Jensen in the state that he was in. He had lost it when I collapsed and became unresponsive. Then as suddenly as he lost it, he reigned it in, scooping me up gently and took me to the hospital.

    He had held me in his arms as Derek drove. He had to be reasoned with to let me go when the doctors insisted that I be put on a gurney. When the police showed up, Derek had to stay by Jensen's side reminding him to keep it together because he kept slipping up.

    When things settled, Jensen had called my parents himself and told them what happened. They took the first flight out and Saw picked them up at the airport, bringing them straight to the hospital. I was happy to see them but told them they shouldn't have come.

    They loved Jensen just like he said they would. They were grateful for how well he was taking care of me and were pleased that I had found someone so amazing. Jensen insisted that they stay for a few days at least and they could take our guest room. I think that won him more points with them.

    Before they left, they insisted that we had better still be coming for Easter and we assured them that we were. It was only a few weeks away, and I was looking forward to Jensen seeing where I had grown up.

    I pulled back from Jensen and smiled up at him. There weren't enough words to describe how much this man meant to me. I was so thankful for him and the happiness he brought me. It was the luckiest day of my life when I walked into the shop and met him for the first time.

Something must have shown on my face because he grinned down at me, then scooped me up into his arms, planting a kiss on my forehead.

    "I love you," I told him.

    "Not as much as I love you," he smiled.

    I rolled my eyes and smiled back. "Take me home, big guy."