With tears in my eyes, I flung the paper confetti at his face.
Except most of it barely took flight. A few scraps landed on his chest, but the majority of them floated down to where Bandit sat looking up at us.
“I waited for you,” I said, my voice raw and broken. “I never stopped waiting.”
He looked at me, and then some emotion crossed over his face. Hope.
Then disbelief.
And then slow understanding.
He moved like lightning, pulling me to him and lifting me into the biggest, most crushing hug of my life.
“Axel,” I wailed. My body knew the truth, but my mind was so damn confused.
“Oh my god, Mila.”
I was openly sobbing now, but I didn’t trust what was going on.
I wouldn’t believe it until I heard him say the words.
“Tell me.” I pulled back my head and put his face in my hands. I begged him. “Tell me.”
“I’m never letting you go,” he said with a ferocity that I’d missed.
“Do you mean it?”
“I came back to get you, not those papers.”
Completely still, I stared into his beautiful gray eyes and realized that the oxygen had come back into my life.
I had survived 349 days of not being able to breathe, and now I was finally coming up for air.
“I knew you’d come.” I laughed and cried at the same time. “But it was really hard.”
He squeezed me tighter and breathed into my neck. “You’re the only reason I’m still alive. Coming back to you was the only thing that kept me going.”
I pulled my head back again and looked into his face. “Are we still married?”
His smile was slow but beautiful. “We’re still married, doll.”
I swallowed hard, and my smile felt tremulous. “And it’s real this time?”
He kissed me long and hard. “It was always real.”
“Say it,” I demanded, looking into his eyes. “Tell me how you feel.”
In his expression I saw joy and deep emotion. “I would do anything, kill anyone and give up everything if it means that I can be with you.”
I whimpered with joy. “I love you so much.”
He kissed me again. “I love you too, doll.
EPILOGUE
AXEL
I stoodat the entrance of Jordan’s new restaurant and waited for my turn at the reception table.
