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It feels good to be home. I had a great time with Jisoo, but I missed Lisa. When the car pulls up to my apartment to drop me off, I notice Lisa's truck in the parking lot but don't see her anywhere. She does have a key, so she must be waiting inside.

I take the stairs as quickly as I can while hauling a small suitcase behind me. I reach the landing in front of my door and the second my suitcase hits the ground, the door opens revealing a very sexy, very tired Lisa. I barely have time to drop my purse and keys before she's reaching for me, engulfing me in her strong arms. My hands slide around her neck and my nails rake over the hair on the back of her head.

"I missed you," I get out, a second before she pulls back and her lips descend on mine in an earth-shattering kiss.

She's holding me tightly as her tongue caresses mine. God, I missed her taste and touch. My body is burning with need in a matter of moments. She must feel the same because she releases me long enough to bring my belongings inside, then I'm back in her arms. She kicks the door shut and locks it. We barely make it to the bedroom, shedding clothing along the way.

I collapse back onto the bed, Lisa inclining over me. My legs part to wrap around her waist. She leans back just enough to slip inside of me, both of us moaning on contact.

"Fuck, I've missed you," she says through clenched teeth, as she pushes into me as far as she can go. "You're mine, Nini. All. Fucking. Mine."

Her intense gaze meets mine. In her eyes, I see everything I feel: relief at finally being back together, pleasure at the way our bodies react to one another, and love. Pure love. We've never spoken the words. In fact, I've never said them to anyone but my family. It's at this moment, when we were apart for a couple of days and now back in each other's arms, that I realize I do love her.

She climbs off the bed, standing at the foot of it, bringing my hips with her to keep us connected. She grips my outer thighs to hold me in place as she begins thrusting into me hard. I can't help but look up at her and watch her as she thoroughly fucks me. Her eyes pinched shut, her stomach tight, her biceps flexing with each movement. She drops her head down, her hair falling across her forehead as her eyes spear me.

"I want you to come with me, Nini. I want to feel you grip me as I let go."

I reach in between us and begin rubbing my clit. Each stroke sends small jolts of pleasure through me, but it's not until I pinch it that my body arches off the bed as my climax tears through me. I cry out; her name leaving my lips like an answered prayer.

She slams into me a few more times before her body goes rigid as she comes, her dick releasing inside me. We both come down from our highs together; our breaths coming in fast pants. She pulls out and goes into the bathroom. The evidence of our encounter slips from my body. She returns a moment later with a warm cloth and begins gently cleaning me. Then she wraps the cloth around her dick and gives herself one final tug with it. She tosses it into the hamper then climbs onto the bed beside me, pulling me up with her toward the headboard.

Once she's settled between my legs again, her arms braced on either side of my head, she looks down at me, her eyes softer than before. She swallows. "I love you, Nini. I love you so fucking much." She brushes her lips against mine before burying her face in my neck.

Her words hit me hard as tears threaten to spill from my eyes. "I love you, too," I say in a whisper.

She lifts her head and brushes a tear from my cheek. "I've never said those words before," she admits. "Not to anyone. This is all new, and it scares the shit out of me. I love you to the point of pain, Nini. My chest hurts when you're not near. This weekend has been torture without you."

"I've never been in love before." I choke back a sob. "You wreck me, Lisa."

She kisses me again, but it's a gentle, loving kiss. One that promises always to be there. To cherish me.

When we end the kiss, I notice something new in her eyes. A part of her is breaking, and I'm not sure why. This isn't the intensity of love; it's something very different.

"What's wrong?" I ask while brushing my fingers over her face.

"My mom..." She trails off.

I stiffen in anticipation of bad news. Did Everett confront her? Did she see her mom? "What happened?"

Her bottom lip trembles ever so slightly. If I wasn't watching her intently, I might have missed it. She takes a deep breath. "She died last night." I gasp. "She was in a car accident. I just saw her yesterday. She tried to apologize to me, but I wouldn't hear it. I refused to talk to her. She told me she was divorcing Everett, and he didn't live with her anymore. She wanted me to come over, but I got in my truck and left. She's dead and our last conversation was..." She sucks in a breath. "I left, Nini. I fucking left and she died. I know she wasn't the best mother. She never believed me; always put him first. And now she's gone. I wouldn't have been able to forgive her, but maybe I would have eventually been able to talk to her without hating the sight of her."

"I'm so sorry." I wrap my arms around her as she rests her cheek above my breast. Tears slide down my face. I might have hated everything Risa did, or didn't do for Lisa, but I'd known her for so long. And now her daughter is left with no parents. My heart splinters open for her.

We lie on the bed for a while, my hand lightly caressing her bare back. Guilt hits me. I wasn't there when she found out. I can only hope Mino was.

"An attorney called me this morning," Lisa says. "He asked me to stop by his office this afternoon. He said Everett called him to notify him of my mom's death. The attorney wants to go over her will with me. She must have been paying him a lot for him to want to meet on a Sunday."

"Will Everett be there?"

"No. I asked. He said he only wanted to meet with me."

I relax slightly. The last thing I want is Lisa put into a room with that fucking asshole. "Good. I'm glad."

"Will you come with me?" Her voice so quiet, so unsure.

"Of course. I'll be anywhere you'd like me to be."

"Thank you."

Then something hits me. "Why didn't you tell me when I first got home?"

"You're the most important person in my life, Nini. I was going to tell you right away, but the moment I saw you, all thought left my mind. It was only you, your scent, and your body. I needed you like my next breath. I couldn't think past burying myself inside you and claiming you all over again. My mom may be gone, but you're my family, not her. She hasn't been for a long time. She was a woman who paid my bills and fed me. No love. No loyalty. She's gone, and while it hurts on some level, you're who matters to me."

"Lisa..." I swallow, hoping to keep more tears from falling. Here is this gorgeous woman who just lost her mother, yet she loves me and considers me her family. I'm not sure what I did to deserve her, but I won't take a second of the time I have with her for granted.

"I love you, Nini. I've loved you for so many years. I know I never showed it. I wasn't even nice to you, but I've always felt something for you. It's only during this time with you that I realize how long I've loved you."

"I love you, too. So much more than I thought was humanly possible. I didn't know love could be like this. All-consuming and intense."

"Forever, Nini. I'll love you no matter what happens between us. It's only ever been you."

We drive to a three-story, red brick building. It's the same building my dentist and eye doctor are in. Gotta love small towns. We get to the third floor and Lisa opens the glass door of the law firm for me. The office is quiet; no one is working since it's Sunday. A tall, thin man comes around a corner. His hair is dark and neatly combed back. He's wearing black slacks and a button-down grey and white striped shirt.

"Ms. Manoban," he says, offering his hand to Lisa. "I'm Thomas, your mother's attorney." He then offers his hand to me.

"Jennie Kim."

"Nice to meet you, Jennie." We shake hands. Lisa puts her arm around my waist, which doesn't go unnoticed by the attorney. "If you'll both follow me."

We walk behind him to a small conference room. He sits on one side of a dark wood, rectangular table. The blinds are drawn up to allow sunlight to shine into the room. He opens a rather thick manila folder and shuffles a few papers.

"Jennie Kim," he says and looks up at me. "I was going to call you tomorrow to come in. You and Lisa are the only ones mentioned in the will." He focuses on Lisa. "She just updated it a few weeks ago."

I'd bet money Everett was in the will and she cut him out when she filed for divorce. Interesting. Maybe she finally saw the error of her ways. Makes me wonder what Everett is thinking right about now. He probably called the attorney in hopes of still being in her will and getting her money and estate. Asshole. I'm so glad she cut him out.

We both have to provide our driver's licenses to prove we are who we say we are. He lifts a document from the folder and begins to read it to Lisa. I'm only partially listening since it's a bunch of legal talk I have no knowledge of. Then he gets to the part where Risa left things to Lisa.

"Your mother is leaving everything to you, except what she has put aside for Ms. Kim. It's all yours, Ms. Manoban. The house, vehicles, all her personal belongings. If it was hers, it's now yours." The attorney focuses on me again. "Ms. Kim, Ms. Manoban has left you the amount of three hundred thousand dollars."

I stare at him with wide eyes. "You'll have to excuse me for a moment. I didn't exactly end things on the best of terms with her."

"She did ask me to tell you the following: Thank you for saving my daughter."

I immediately push back from the table. "I don't want the money."

"I'm sorry, but she has left it to you. You can do what you wish with it, whether it's spending it on yourself or donating it to a charity."

I glance over at Lisa who is watching me intently. "I didn't do what I did for money."

"I know," she says softly and reaches for my hand. She pulls me back close to the table and her. I intervened because the thought of Lisa killing herself hurt me terribly. I didn't want her to die. I wanted her to live. I don't want the damned money. I want Lisa. She's all that matters.

"Ms. Manoban," the attorney continues. "There is paperwork we need to file. If you'd like, I can help you with that."

"Yes, please. I know nothing about this stuff and would appreciate the help. Can I ask one question, though?"

"Of course."

"There is no mention of my mother's husband in the will, correct? She told me she filed for divorce."

"No, there isn't. There was, but she revised it." Lisa leans back in her chair, her hand still holding mine.

We spend a while at the attorney's office going through paperwork, signing legal documents, putting everything into motion for Lisa to own Risa's estate. She could technically take all the money and if invested right, never have to work another day in her life. Her mom was that wealthy. Of course, some is the money she got when her first husband, Lisa's father, died. Another part of it is the insurance policy she had on herself. The attorney informed us of that, as well. Lisa, not being close to her mother, didn't know how much money she had, nor did she know about the large insurance policy. All of this comes out during the meeting with the attorney.

The entire time they talk, I watch Lisa and see how she is processing things. I hold her hand to offer whatever amount of comfort I can while in the presence of the attorney. Lisa's face changes slightly throughout the conversation. At times her jaw clenches, other times she's more relaxed. I can't imagine all that's going on in her head. She's twenty-four years old and no longer has either of her parents.

I think back to how she said I'm her family. Mino, too. This woman beside me: strong, intense, someone who has lost so much, who has endured more than any person should, and she's mine.