“We’re leaving,” my sister mutters and pushes him out the door.
I don’t know what will happen next, but I guess we both need some time for ourselves.
Once they leave, Dahlia hides her face between her palms and cries quietly. “It’s all my fault.”
“No, baby girl.” I rush to her and wrap my arms around her. “It’s on me for foolishly believing I could continue to live as if I didn’t need you too. I’ve lived with that regret for years until Icould barely breathe any longer. But I knew ever since then what you meant to me. The only regret I had was that I didn’t regret it. Ever since your eyes found mine, you owned me—my soul, my life, my loyalty.”
She looks up at me, and I kiss her teary eyes, brushing my thumb along her delicate cheekbones.
I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment. “Your tears wreck me.”
Gathering her in my arms, I carry her to the bedroom.
This night was a fucking rollercoaster of highs and lows, yet peacefulness sets on my chest. This feels right. Me carrying her to the bed that from now on is ours.
I don’t care what tomorrow will bring. All I care about is that she’s in it. Everything else is secondary.
“Did I come on too strong down there?” she asks, chewing her bottom lip.
Chuckling, I kiss the tip of her nose and shake my head at her.
“You’ll be Dahlia Morozov, baby girl. There’s no such thing as too strong. Men will bow to you. Women will want to be you. And our enemies will desire what we have.”
She turns onto her belly, smiling at me. “But we won’t allow that, will we?”
“No.”
She tilts her head. “Dahlia Morozov, huh?”
“Get used to it.”
She giggles, and I think of the ring that sits in my safe. Not tonight, but soon. I must fix things with my best friend first.
She sighs contentedly, and I pull her to my chest, slipping the covers over us.
She draws patterns on my chest absentmindedly.
“Tomorrow we’ll go to the compound,” I inform her, done with tiptoeing around.
Time will only make the asshole stew in his anger. Facing him head on will give me a better chance to make things right.
“Maybe it’s too soon,” she suggests.
“We won’t hide any longer. We’re not cowards, are we?” I say, brooking no argument.
“No,” she shakes her head, determination etched on her face. My chest fills with deep-seated pride. She’s not just the only choice, but the right one.
She giggles. “Who would have thought?”
“Me. I was thinking all right.”
Her giggles turn to peals of laughter, producing the most divine sounds in the world for me. I just want to keep her happy, so I add, “I knew I was screwed even more when you proposed that deal.”
“I wore you down. Took me ages.” She rolls her eyes dramatically, pushing me to spin her on her back. I tickle her until she begs me to stop.
The serene, playful atmosphere makes me think that being together matters most. Enzo should understand that, as he’s in the same situation, but if he doesn’t, that’s his problem, not mine.
Her eyes widen into two pools of worry. “Will you two be all right?”
