Her eyes widen. “You read my letter.”
“I wanted to write you one of my own. I didn’t mean to pry. But…I want all of it, Lisette. With youandMateen.”
She chews on her lower lip, and I start to panic.
“This is all too fast. I’m sorry. Forget I said anything.” I start to pull away, but Lisette grabs my arm.
“It is not too fast, Nomar.” She winces, but manages to straddle me. “I love you. And I want all those same things. Except for the parent-teacher conferences. They are so boring. Almost painful. I want as few of those as possible. But Mateen is a good student who loves school. We will be lucky, I think.”
I press my lips to hers. Lisette drapes her arms around my neck, her nipples hardening to tight nubs under the silky t-shirt. The little moan she makes promises more, and I draw back to meet her gaze.
“Oh, we’re definitely lucky, sweetheart. We found each other. Twice. That’s the luckiest damn thing in the world.”
EPILOGUE
Two Months Later
Lisette
The bellover the flower shop door jingles, and I float out of the back room, dancing on anticipation.
“Are you ready, sweetheart?” Nomar unbuttons his leather jacket in the warmth of the shop. His dark blue dress shirt is open at the neck, several whorls of ink peeking out.
“Fleur? I am leaving. I will see you in the morning!”
“Have a good night, honey,” the older woman calls from behind the counter. “And you should take tomorrow off. In case you need to rest.” She winks at me, and Nomar chuckles.
“I’ll make sure she doesn’t get out of bed until at least noon,” he says. “Thanks, Fleur.”
Not long after we returned home, Fleur showed up at the house with so many flowers and plants, they filled every flat surface. She’d only stayed for an hour, but in that time, I’d cried on her shoulder and found a small bit ofmeagain.
My phone buzzes, and I glance down at the screen.
Noele: Are you certain you do not need me to cook for Saturday?
I stare at the message for several seconds before I reply.
Lisette: Nomar is making tamales. He says the recipe serves at least ten people.
Noele: Very well. Marcel and I will arrive at seven.
My sister and I have barely talked since she listed my profile on EuroMatch. She blames herself for everything that happened, and though I wish I could tell her it was not her fault, I have yet to be able to say the words. Because they are not true.
Raziq would have found me eventually. He was too rich. He had too many resources at his disposal. But as he was whipping me the first day, he confirmed he found me through that one photo.
“What’s wrong?” Nomar asks.
I show him the phone.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” He wraps his arms around me, and I snuggle against his chest. My back still twinges from time to time. Five fresh scars pull tight when I reach for a vase on a high shelf.
“I miss her,” I say softly. “I do not know how to forgive her, but maybe in person, it will be easier.”
Nomar threads his fingers through my hair, tips my head back, and slants his lips to mine. The kiss is all-consuming, his tongue seeking entrance. I melt against him, letting him take, not caring that Fleur is only a short distance away.
The older woman clears her throat as my hands slide up Nomar’s chest, finding the nipple piercings through the silk blend of his shirt.
“Sorry, Fleur. This is a big night for us,” Nomar says, his cheeks a dark crimson.
