I'm afraid to speak because I know that Dante is listening in on this conversation too.
"Yes," I whisper. "I love him."
Both of them stare at me for another moment. I don't know what they see on my face, but they seem to accept it.
"Let's talk in the room," Chloe says, taking my hand in hers.
It's only now that I notice movement behind her. There's a small human hidden behind her legs. He peeks his head out, flashing gray eyes at me before ducking away again.
"Oh my gosh," I say. "Is that...?"
"Meet Aiden." Chloe lifts the toddler into her arms.
"Hi, Auntie Grace," the kid says, looking at me for a second before burying his face in the safety of his mother's neck.
I press a hand to my chest. He’s such a sweet little boy. It’s my first time meeting my nephew, but I already love him so much.
“Hi, Aiden,” I say, grinning at him. When I reach my arms out toward him, he lets me pick him up.
“He’s heard all about you.” Chloe smiles at me. “I’ve been showing him photos of you since he was a baby.”
Aiden watches me with those big silver eyes before resting his head on my shoulder.
“Oh, my heart,” I breathe. “He’s such a sweet kid.”
He peeks up at me again.
I notice he's wearing a Disney shirt featuring the entire cast ofThe Little Mermaid.
"Do you like mermaids, Aiden?" I ask.
His eyes light up immediately.
"Love," he exclaims.
"Endless love," Chloe confirms.
We walk inside the hotel. And in this moment, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I've dreamed about this moment for so long, and it's finally here.
"So he just let you come here?" Briar asks. "Just like that?"
"It took a little bit of convincing, but yeah," I say.
Briar and Chloe exchange a look. They're still trying to figure out what sort of person he is.
"He's a good man," I tell them as the elevators close. "He's kind to me. I trust him.”
My sisters exchange another look. It's not until we're inside their suite that they turn to face me. I swallow and prepare myself for the interrogation.
"How do you know for sure, Gracie?" Briar asks. "How do you know that he's all the things you think he is?"
"It's not something logical," I say. "I just know. I've always known.”
“What makes you so sure?” Briar probes.
“Even when he took me from the auction, I never once feared him,” I say. “It was the opposite, if anything. He had a way of making me feel calm even when we were surrounded by chaos. He held my hand whenever I had a panic attack. And that alone made it easier for me to breathe.”
Chloe sits on the edge of the bed. "I've heard things about Dante Mancini. The way you’re describing him contradicts everything I know about him.”
