The more days that passed, and the more gifts he sent, the more on edge I became. I needed to know where I stood with him. Not knowing what my future looked like felt disorienting, like the ground kept shifting under me. I needed answers so I could prepare myself, put things in place…in case he didn’t want me.
So one night, I sat alone in the living room, lights off, waiting. Around two in the morning, I heard the front door open and close, followed by soft, cautious footsteps. When Avit stepped into the living room, I switched on the lamp beside the armchair.
He froze.
“S-Sienna,” he stuttered. “What are you doing up at this hour?”
My eyes narrowed. “Avit, why are you sneaking into your own house at two in the morning like a damn burglar?”
He didn’t answer. I rose from the chair. “If you don’t want me here, just say it. But you can’t keep me trapped in limbo—sending gifts, having your family check on me—when you know it won’t last. It isn’t fair.”
His body tensed. “Sienna…I…” He shut his eyes for a moment, blew out from his mouth slowly, then met my gaze. “I want nothing more than to have you here. In our home.”
“Then why are you ignoring me?” My voice cracked.
“When Oskar sent that picture…When I saw blood running down your face, I snapped. I wanted him dead. And when you collapsed in my arms…I panicked.” He swallowedhard. “Then Dr. Decker told me you were pregnant, and I felt like the worst husband in history. It was my fault Oskar got to you. He killed your father; of course he’d come for you. Knowing I put you in danger because I wanted to prove a damn point… Because I was stubborn was one thing. Realizing I put our baby in danger too…” His voice dropped to a ragged whisper. “I felt like the monster you said I was the night we met.”
Hearing the wreckage in his voice gutted me. I closed the distance between us and slipped my hand into his. A single tear trailed down his cheek, and I brushed it away, my palm staying against his face, hoping I could calm the storm in him that was mirrored through his eyes.
“Avit,” I whispered, “what happened wasn’t your fault. I chose to go with Oskar. I knew if I didn’t, he’d hurt Mandy. Hurt the other students. Hurt me. Hurt the baby. I couldn’t let that happen. What I didn’t expect,” my voice trembled, “was to see you walk into that room.”
“Angel,” he rasped, “I’ll always come for you. Since the day I met you, you’re the only thing that makes sense, that gets me through the day. You make me want to be better. For you. For us.” Gently, he tilted my chin with a finger. “I love you, angel. You’re mine…for keeps.”
He leaned in, breath brushing my lips—waiting, asking. I lifted my chin and kissed him. He kissed me back but didn’t deepen it, like he was holding himself together by a thread. Then he pulled away.
And went down on one knee.
And my heart skipped a beat.
He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small jewelry box. His hand took mine as he flipped the lid. A diamond wedding set sparkled back at me.
“Angel,” he began, as he looked up at me, “the first time I married you, it was to protect you. Any man who can offer up his daughter once to pay a debt will do it again. I wasn’t going to let that happen.” His thumb stroked my knuckles. “But what I didn’t expect was to find the woman God carved just for me. Fierce. Stubborn. Intelligent. Sexy as fuck.”
I blushed at his words but didn't interrupt.
“I wasn’t just sent to protect you—I was sent to love you, support you, and give you a life no one could ever take from you.” His voice cracked as he continued, “I tried living without you, and everything felt wrong. Empty. I want another chance, angel. Another chance at us. Will you do this life with me? Will you let me be the husband you deserve?”
Tears blurred my vision. “I love you too, Ace,” I breathed, “but I can’t do the emotional whiplash. I can’t do the days where I’m let in and then shut out. I want someone who’s sure about me. Who’ll fight for me…for us”—my hand slid to my stomach—“for our baby. Not just one day…but every day, for the rest of our lives.”
His eyes softened. “I will. I swear it on my life. I’ll do all that and more.”
“Then my answer,” I whispered, “is yes.”
A sound left him—half relief, half possession. His hand trembled slightly as he slid the rings onto my finger, tucked the box away, then rose to his full height and kissed me hard. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, needing him closer.
God, how I missed him.
He swept me into his arms and carried me up the stairs. Whatever the future held, whatever waited…we’d face it together.
Tonight, though?
Tonight, I just wanted to make love to the man who stole my heart, and finally feel what it was like to be fully and completely loved in return.
Epilogue - Avit
I rounded the SUV and opened Sienna’s door just as Mariya stepped out of the back seat with Sienna’s ceremony gown draped over her arm. I took Sienna’s hand and helped her ease out of the vehicle.
Five months pregnant, her bump was visible now…small, perfect, impossible for me to stop staring at, the life she was carrying…a piece of each of us.
