In 2025, I decided to add a bonus chapter to A Me and You Thing, as well as publish a sequel, A Me and Him Thing.
The ending of A Me and You Thing is primarily told through Quinn's point of view, leaving the reader to wonder what Sawyer was thinking.
The Bonus Chapter reveals what Sawyer was thinking during all of the drama after Quinn returned home.
Hopefully, it answers any unresolved questions readers might have had.
The bonus chapter will be added to A Me and You Thing, as well as A Me and Him Thing as the new versions are published.
And the cover to A Me and You Thing had a fantastic makeover to match the sequel!
Enjoy!
THE BONUS CHAPTER FOR A ME AND YOU THING
QUINN
SAWYER HAS CERTAINLY shown me how much he loves me. He's told me as well. Over and over. It feels as though whispered I love yous are constantly bouncing off the walls, floating through the air.
But I still have a few questions that are weighing on my mind. I need to hear his answers, uttered from his lips to my ears.
Last night we became one again, in heart and mind. I wasn't sure if our relationship could ever return to what it once was.
It can. It has.
Actually, it never went away.
We just enjoyed breakfast in bed together. Now Sawyer is cleaning the kitchen, refusing to let me help.
"You're not allowed to leave the bed, my sweet wife. This is total relaxation time for you."
I'm no longer fighting getting the rest Sawyer thinks I need. I love how protective he is of me. "I don't think I've ever felt this happy." I can't help myself. I laugh aloud as I stretch my arms and legs. "I'm alive, I have my memories back, I have Josie and Jordyn, and I have my husband. Life is perfect." I feel like jumping up and down on the bed and screaming at the top of my lungs. "I'm so happy. The life I loved is mine again."
Sawyer plops down on the bed. "You're the most adorable creature in this entire world. There's no place I'd rather be than right here with you. I want forever with you, Quinn. And even then, I'd want more."
He kisses me long and slow.
"At some point we have to stop kissing," I say against his lips. Eventually, we need to talk a few things out.
"Never."
I'm not arguing. After a long while, however, we do finally come up for air. Sawyer rolls over onto his back, and I curl up at his side, resting my head on his chest.
"Thanks for pampering me. Now that I don't feel like I have to prove I'm fine, I love it."
"I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I knew you were my Quinn from the first moment you returned. The light in your eyes, the words you uttered, the way you looked at Josie and Jordyn, the way you looked at me, and the desperate way you clung to me. All of it told me it was you, whole and complete. Even though you'd been through a horrible ordeal, you came out of it intact. It took a strong person to survive what you endured. I know you'll have to deal with the trauma, but we'll do it together. You don't have to face anything alone."
"If you keep treating me like this, I'm going to be such a spoiled wife." He's always spoiled me, lavishing me with love and respect.
"It's all I've wanted to do since you arrived home. Other things kept getting in the way."
By other, I think he means Bree. "I think I shocked everyone with my return."
"In a good way." Sawyer kisses the top of my head. "This is the best day I've had since the day you left."
"There are only two things I'm missing." I smile to myself.
"Josie and Jordyn?" Sawyer guesses.
"Okay, four things."
"Four? What are they?"
"Josie, Jordyn, world peace, and a burger."
Sawyer laughs, the sound rumbling in my ear. "You know what those words mean to me. They made me fall for you the first moment we met."
"Our love-at-first-sight moment." I scoot up and kiss him, soft and slow. We're in no hurry today. Then I whisper, "She loves you."
He releases a long breath. "I saved that note. I carried it with me when I searched for you in Nicaragua. Then I hung it in my closet. Not a day went by that I wasn't reminded of how much you loved me."
"How much I love you. I'm not past tense." I kiss him again.
"No, you're not. I have a second chance with the love of my life. You'll always be my miracle." Sawyer kisses me in between words. "That will never change, never fade. Please don't hate me for becoming an overprotective husband. I can't lose you again. It would kill me."
"I'm not going anywhere. If I had my way, we'd never be separated again."
"Hmm. That might make going to work difficult. But it could be arranged." We laugh lightly as Sawyer pulls me close, and I sink into him.
All I want to do is kiss him. He seems to feel the same way. There's nothing to stop us from doing as we please. The next while is silent as we kiss like there's no tomorrow.
I snuggle up on Sawyer's chest again, our arms and legs entangled.
Sawyer slowly runs his fingers through my hair. He takes a deep breath. "I guess it's time. I imagine you have a lot of questions."
"We do need to talk," I begin, not wanting to ruin the mood, yet needing to hear some answers.
"You know what? Let's get everything out in the open. I don't want any secrets between us. Ask me anything. I'll tell you whatever you want to know." The stress of the last few days has melted away. He's an open book with nothing to hide.
I don't want to sweep everything under the carpet. We have to talk this out, or resentment might cause bitterness to grow. Tough questions are on the horizon, but I'm ready to face them. "How did it happen? You and Bree?"
I expect him to go all tense on me, but he doesn't. Instead, he turns onto his side, gently moving me onto my pillow so we can face each other.
I like this. A face-to-face honest conversation is what we desperately need. Even after the magic of last night.
One hand cups my cheek. "My beautiful Quinn. I still feel like I'm dreaming."
"This is very real."
Sawyer exhales slowly, turning serious. "I know this will be hard for you to hear. But secrets will destroy us. I'm going to tell you everything. Are you sure you're ready?"
"Yeah. I need to know."
"I guess it was about six weeks after I lost you that Bree showed up on the doorstep, a mound of suitcases behind her. She announced that I needed help, and she was there to provide it. She was pushy, no doubt about it. But I was desperate. I did need help. The preschools I'd been to were awful. The Grandma Gang could only do so much. Work was asking when I was coming back. I didn't know what I was going to do. Then Bree showed up, offering to move in and take care of the girls, and I let her. I was grieving, and I didn't know what else to do. I was lost without you. She was the answer to all of my problems."
"I get it." It sounds like Bree, pushing her way into a situation. She's always had a domineering personality. Yet I can't thank her enough for what she did for my daughters. My emotions will always be conflicted over the issue.
Sawyer continues. "It took me a long time to think of her as anything other than your best friend. My thoughts just didn't go there. Nothing happened between us until recently. Around four months ago, I guess. To be clear, if Bree hadn't been living in our home, taking care of our children, it never would've happened. I never would've pursued her. Proximity made her convenient. It was easy. I didn't have to date. I didn't have to change my life. I didn't have to find someone willing to become a mom to twin girls. I didn't have to hide my grief. I didn't even have to hide my love for you. It happened because she was there, and I was lonely. I know that makes me sound like a jerk. Grief is a much stronger emotion than I realized. I gave up and let life happen to me instead of taking control of my life. It's not an excuse. It's just what happened. I've been a broken man without you."
I feel for him. "Knowing it was Bree, my best friend, that was harsh. No matter who it was, it would've been difficult, though. Did you fall in love with her? Are you still in love with her? Is there a part of you that pines for her?" I need to hear it, even if it's painful.
Sawyer doesn't hesitate. "Those are loaded questions, but I've been expecting them. The first answer is yes, I did feel love for her. I told her I loved her. I was trying to love her. To be honest, I was forcing myself to love her. I was lonely. That's my only excuse. She loved you. Loving her made me feel like I was loving a part of you. Does the love I feel for you compare to the love I felt for her? No. There's no comparison. One love is all-consuming. That's how I feel for you. The other was a desperate grab at happiness. That's what I felt for Bree. I was honest. Bree knew how I felt, and she accepted it. In answer to the rest of your questions, there's nothing inside me that pines for her. With you, there was an ache inside me that never went away from the moment I lost you. I think that's the very description of pining."
My insides tremble from his eloquent words. "I love that answer, but it makes me hurt for you."
Sawyer leans in for a soft kiss, then continues. "Here's the thing, I loved her because she took such good care of our daughters. That was the basis of the love between us. That's how love grew between us. The two can't be separated. One doesn't happen without the other. That's why I had such a hard time breaking things off with her. I felt like a jerk. After what she had done--sacrificing her life to care for our daughters--I felt guilty saying, 'See ya.' I was trying to let her down easy, when all I wanted to do was be with you. I felt like I needed to end things with her before I could be with you. Seemed like the decent thing to do. She took advantage of my guilt, demanding time with me to 'discuss' the situation. There was nothing to discuss. She didn't understand that I wasn't making a choice. The choice was made the moment you showed up on my doorstep."
My heart swells. "So all that time consoling her, what was happening?" Because my mind took me to all kinds of horrible places.
Sawyer rubs his forehead like he has a sudden headache. "It was a nightmare. Each and every time, it went something like this: 'I'm so sorry, Bree. My wife is home. I'm a married man. I love her. I can't marry you. Thanks for everything you've done, but it would be best if you moved out.' I was trying to be nice. I didn't want to be the jerk who dropped her like a hot potato the minute you came home. Truth be told, that's what I wanted to do. But after all she'd done for the girls, how could I do that? Then she'd cry, say it wasn't fair, that I was ruining her life, that I didn't know anything about your mental health, that she couldn't believe I could treat her this way. Then she'd hug me while crying, so I would try to comfort her. On my end, it was a guilt-ridden hug only. Nothing more. Bree always tried to turn it into more. She'd try to kiss me, to come on to me. Each and every time, I backed away and told her no. The theatrics would start all over again. I'd never seen Bree cry, except when we lost you. Have to say, it took me back. Sure didn't change my mind, though. While some of her tears seemed real, most felt contrived, like she was putting on a show. I think she thought she could actually sway me with tears."
"Were you...did you ever...what I mean is..." I can't bring myself to spit it out.
"Was I intimate with Bree?" Sawyer says bluntly. "No, absolutely not. We were waiting for marriage. Nothing more than kisses happened between us."
"Like The Kiss?" Please, please say no.
"Nothing anywhere near The Kiss. My feelings for her weren't strong enough for that kind of passion. That part of me was and is reserved for you and only you."
I smile, and he kisses me, his lips a soft hint against mine. So achingly sweet, I nearly burst into tears.
Last night, though. No doubt about it. A repeat of The Kiss happened. Too many times to count. Our reunion was intense, then sweet, then intense again. It was a celebration of our love.
If I don't say this now, I never will. It needs to be said. "It's just that...before the doctor appointment, you were up in her room for almost forty-five minutes. Didn't you imagine what I might be thinking?" It was one of the worst moments of my life. That's saying a lot.
Worry becomes etched on Sawyer's features. "Hold up. You mean you thought...?"
"I wondered." My voice cracks.
He pulls me to him and hugs me so tightly, I almost feel like I can't breathe. While continuing to embrace me, he pulls his head back so he can look me in the eyes. "Never, Quinn. Never. I would never do that to you. It was Bree's best theatrical show, and it lasted forever. Her dramatics were over the top. I kept repeating the same thing, trying to be kind, then she kept repeating the same thing. Frankly, it was torture. I just wanted to be with you, and she knew it. Looking back, I realize she was purposely trying to keep us apart. Can't believe I didn't see it sooner. She played on my guilty conscience, and it worked. I spent so much time trying to end things with her in a nice way. In my mind, I thought you knew exactly how I felt. I thought you knew I loved you and you alone, that I was taking care of business so that we could be together without any obligations weighing us down. I was worried about you, but I felt positive you knew it was me and you. Only me and you. If it had been a competition--which it was not--you'd won. The thing is, you were always the winner. No contest. Please forgive me for not seeing things clearly. I'm so sorry. My emotions were all over the place. I couldn't believe you were actually home."
Relief washes over me. I'd felt so sure of Sawyer, yet the strange circumstances played with my emotions as well. I'd suspected him of things that were absolutely not true. "The situation we were thrown into when I returned home messed with my head. I knew you loved me, but I thought you were torn over losing Bree. I thought you weren't sure what you wanted. It'd been so long and there were so many changes, I couldn't read you anymore. I was so confused, questioning everything. I thought you didn't trust me with our girls. I thought you were choosing me only because it was the right thing to do. My mind took me to some scary places."
"No, no, no." Sawyer shakes his head in the negative as he strokes my back. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I should've been better at communicating how I felt. I should've explained what was actually going on. I was so worried about you feeling an ounce of stress, I didn't share my concerns with you. That was my mistake. Instead, I caused you to feel anxiety, the exact thing I was trying to avoid. As for the girls, I didn't want you to do too much because I wanted you to rest and recover. It had nothing to do with not trusting you. I know how much you love our daughters--how protective you are of them. To be honest, I'm still reeling from your return. I can't believe it's true. But make no mistake, I want you, Quinn Denali. You are the love of my life. I'm the happiest man alive to have you back in my arms."
The tears start to flow. I love his words. "When you didn't want to sleep in the same room, it killed me."
"My sweet Quinn, did you want to renew our marriage with Bree down the hall? Because I sure didn't. It felt wrong on so many levels. Besides, I couldn't bear sleeping in there with you another night. Things would've happened. I've never been able to resist you. You were so fragile. I was scared I'd hurt you."
"You weren't worried about that last night."
"I got over it." His smile is downright wicked.
"Good. Because I needed you. I craved the intimacy we've always shared."
He wipes away my tears. "That's a me and you thing. No one else is allowed into that part of our marriage." He sighs. "It was a difficult situation. I'm sorry I didn't explain myself well enough. I made the mistake of assuming you understood exactly what was happening. When I think back on the past couple of days, I realize how it must've looked to you. I'm also not blind to the underhanded things Bree was doing. If I never see her again, it will be too soon. Her behavior was hateful. I didn't expect her to act like that, so I didn't see it at first. Can you forgive me?"
"I can. I already have." I understand what went down. Sawyer was trying to free himself while Bree put up a fight. I'm not sure why I'm surprised. It's typical Bree behavior. I should've seen it as well. He never knew her the way I did.
I think he still doesn't know her the way I did.
We used to be best friends, but we're Melanie and Scarlett for a reason.
Bree didn't think about my feelings at all. That hurts. Of course, I wasn't thinking about her feelings either. I just wanted to claim what was mine.
My emotions have been delicate and fragile since I returned. I've felt so unsure of everything.
Not anymore.
I'm the one in bed with Sawyer. I'm the one married to him. I'm the one he wants. His passion last night told me what's in his heart. I can let everything go because I have what I want. Nothing else matters to me. Like he said: In essence, I won. Bitterness seeps out of me. I don't care about all the drama. It was completely one-sided. Sawyer never doubted me. Only Bree did. It wasn't Sawyer's drama. It was Bree's. It wasn't Sawyer's angst. It was Bree's. Sawyer wasn't playing with my emotions. It was all Bree. That's all I need to know.
Losing her friendship makes me sad. Even after everything she did to hurt me. I need some time to forgive her. Even then, our friendship will never be the same. It's not possible.
Sawyer has answered all of my questions except for one. This one is big. Huge.
"Why did you change the name of your boat? That hurt the most of anything. I know you thought I was dead. I know you were moving on with your life, but..." I hold back tears.
He covers my lips with one finger, then strokes them softly. "The answer to that question depends on who you ask. If you ask Bree, she would say, 'Sawyer did that for me as an early wedding present, to show me how much he loves me and only me.' She told the whole freakin' town. If you asked me, you would get another answer. But no one ever asked me."
"I'm asking." Waiting with bated breath.
"While I did tell her it was an early wedding present to prove I was ready to move on, the real reason I did it was because Bree wouldn't stop begging me to change the name to Breezy. I finally gave in because I couldn't stand the constant nagging. Seriously, she wore me down. You were gone, but I was still holding on to you with every fiber of my being, and she knew it. Changing the name of my boat was one of those days where nothing I did felt right. It was like losing you again, as though I was erasing you from my life. I hated the thought of naming my boat Breezy with every ounce of my soul. Bree doesn't know this, but the signs on the inside of the boat all remained Quinn. And...you know how I always back my boat into the dock?"
"Yeah."
"The stern said Breezy. That's what she could see from the dock. Guess what? It's just a temporary placard. It's easily removed."
"I'll hand you the screwdriver."
Sawyer laughs aloud. "There's the Quinn I know and love. But you need to hear the rest. The decals on the bow, both port side and starboard, they still say Quinn. I haven't changed those. I've got to do something about it soon. Having a charter boat with two different names could get me into trouble. I couldn't bring myself to make the change permanent. Just couldn't do it."
Oh wow. I almost feel sorry for Bree. Almost. "You never took her out on the boat?"
"No way. Even though I thought you were gone forever, that was ours, Quinn. I couldn't share that with anyone else. Some things are sacred."
"But there were some things you were ready to share." Like our bedroom.
His brows furrow. "I thought you were gone, and I wanted someone in my life. We both loved you. Our common love for you created a connection between us. It wasn't easy for me, though. My mind kept picturing you. To be honest, I'm not sure how our wedding night would've gone."
"You don't have to say that."
Sawyer cups my cheek again and kisses my forehead. "It's true. I was struggling with the concept. But I'd decided to move forward, and that's what I was doing."
"Wait. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I don't blame you for moving on. Not at all. You had the right to be happy. If I had died, I would've wanted happiness for you. I wouldn't have wanted you to spend your days alone and miserable." Again, brutal that it was Bree.
"You're too good, Quinn. Much too good." He kisses me lightly, then continues with our conversation. "Everything changed when you showed up on my doorstep and saved me from the biggest mistake of my life. Over the last couple of days, Bree showed me a side of herself I didn't know existed. I didn't like what I saw. Remember when I first called her Breezy? I told you it was because her honesty was a breath of fresh air."
"Yes." Bree had loved the nickname.
"Want to know the real reason I called her Breezy?"
"There's another reason?" Stop the world.
"Yep. She was your best friend. I didn't want to trash talk about her. But I called her that because her ruthless nature could be as stinging as a bitingly cold ocean breeze."
"Ouch." Yikes. I didn't know Sawyer had felt that way about her. It's not too much of a surprise, truth be told. She's Scarlett, through and through.
"She doesn't know that, though," Sawyer adds. "Think about it. Living with her sharp tongue would've been my life. She was holding back while living with us, as though she was trying to be on her best behavior. I'm sure it would've reappeared once we were married. I call that a lucky escape."
I can finally smile with absolutely no reservations. "Well, you're still not free." He's mine. More importantly, he wants to be mine.
A smile touches his features. "Lock me up. I'm yours." His lips meet mine in a searing kiss.
"Quinn, please forgive me for the craziness since you returned home. All I've wanted this entire time was to be with you. That was my end goal. Just to be with you."
"Um." I pretend like I'm thinking about it. "I might need a little more penance on your part."
Sawyer grins. "You wicked girl."
What happens next?
Like Sawyer said, it's a me and you thing.
It's not for anyone else.
Thanks for reading!
If you'd like to read Bree's story, grab your copy of A Me and Him Thing. It's filled with redemptive scenes with Quinn and Sawyer, plus a brand new storyline packed with secrecy and mystery.
-Taylor
