#Chapter Sixty
Gunner kicked open the door to the lake house with one leg as Kitty shifted in his hands, her back straightening, her eyes wide and her heart racing. "Gunner!"
He gave her a small smile and brought her to a room, where he laid her on the bed. "Never thought I'd see you again."
"Oh, Gunner!" Kitty exclaimed as she flew towards him and they kissed each other roughly, their breaths frozen in time and bodies in rapture. "Gunner!" Kitty cried out as tears dropped to the sheets. "I missed you so much!"
"Missed you too."
"What happened? Why are you here?"
"Built a lake house to live away from prying eyes. Most have forgotten, but some are stubborn. Have been living here ever since."
"I thought you were dead!"
He laughed. "I won't die that easily. What about you? What changed?"
"I'm married to Barry and every second of my life with him is torture."
"I can imagine that," Gunner huffed.
"I can't believe you're in my arms again!"
"And your parents? Where are they?"
"My father was jailed for tax evasion and my mother disappeared soon after. Justice will find her in the end too, whether in this life or the next."
He nodded at that. "Melanie?"
"She's here with me, you'll get to see her soon."
He drew in a deep breath. "Fuck, Kitty. With you here, I feel like my heart is beating again."
Her chest swelled with joy. "I'm never leaving you again. Fuck Barry, fuck Stalton. Let me move in with you, Gunner. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Won't have it any other way, Kitty," he said before they kissed again.
"I love you, Gunner!"
"Fucking love you too, Kitty."
The fallout from Kitty leaving Barry was crazy, and she lost absolutely everything, but she did not regret it one bit. Gunner lost everything for her, and now, she had the privilege of doing the same for him. She moved into his place as quickly as she could and promised the rest of her life with him. Margaret refused to divorce Gunner and Barry vowed never to give her that either. But she was happy. She lived the rest of her life with Gunner, and finally, every moment was full of sublime perfection.
As their children grew in number, they often sat them down to talk about how she met Gunner. She told them long tales, but all of them were true and they would widen their eyes in glee every time and clap repeatedly. And for a day in every year, her children would gather around the fireplace, Gunner's hand in hers, to hear her talk about how they met and inevitably, there was only one way that she would end her stories.
This is the love story of the girl with the school guidance counsellor.