Finally, he looks up, extending the paper to me. I grip it tenderly, unfolding it to realize it’s not paper at all, but an old, tattered photo. I stare at the faces of the boys, their joy frozen in time. It looks happy and full of love, and grief strikes me like an ax, splitting me open.
The weight of everything that’s happened comes crashing down on me like a tidal wave, the pain and hurt I’ve both endured and caused as vast and dark as the ocean itself.
Unable to restrain the tears any longer, they burn my cheeks, dripping down my neck. I wipe them away, careful not to get them on the photo, but still, more come. With shaky fingers, I return the photo to Rafael, shame so hot, it threatens to consume me, burning through my veins.
“I don’t blame you, Valentina. I don’t blame anyone.” Rafael’s voice is hard now, and I do my best to understand where he’s coming from.Still?—
“I don’t understand how you can forgive me. I’ve barely begun to forgive myself.”
He holds up the photo, the wind making the folded piece flap angrily in the wind. “These boys died long ago. My father left when I was barely old enough to understand, and my mother was sick almost my entire life. Marco and Javier—they were rotten, spoiled by life and a deep hatred for the world, and Jose, as tragic as it is, was determined to follow in their footsteps. I don’t have to forgive you, because there’s nothing to forgive.”
I meet his gaze, and there’s only love and adoration in the green pools. My insides melt all over again, this time with a love so grand and deep, I can’t fully understand it. This man—one carved from the same onyx stone as myself—has crashed through my wall of ice and made a home in my heart, and that’s the greatest gift I could ever imagine.
He’s everything good and decent in this world—love and kindness, loyalty and truth. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and I didn’t have to change myself to get him.
I wrap my arms around his waist, burrowing my face in his chest as a fresh wave of tears race down my face. This time, they’re not from shame or sorrow, but pure relief.
Today, I woke up, afraid of what the future might hold for us.Now, I don’t care.
No matter what happens, Rafael’s here, brave and sturdy—a force that’s flexible but unbreakable. He’s seen me at my highest and lowest and never once not loved me for who I am at my core—a broken girl who simply wants to be enough.
Rafael’s a sailor in the dark waters of my soul, laughing in the face of danger, daring me to do my worst.
“I love you more than you know,” I whisper into the hard planes of his chest. He chuckles, the sound rich and deep against my ear.
“I love you, V. And I love you for caring enough to be worried.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head before slowly pushing me back to look at my face. I blink up at him, and he gives me a warm smile that instantly makes the bite in my toes lessen. “But please don’t worry anymore. Not about this, and not about me leaving.”
I nod firmly, forcing myself to accept his words as truth and let the rest wash away. I’ve allowed my trauma be a burden too long, and now, with this man, all I want to do is live—whatever life may throw our way, I’m ready.
“I’d never let you go anyway.” I half-smile, the admission far too true.
His head tips back in a roar of laughter, the sound so like the raging sea behind us, and I belly laugh right along with him. He’s wheezing, his entire body shaking when he finally says, “I know you wouldn’t. You’ve got a gun, and I don’t want to know what it feels like for you to actually threaten me with it.”
I push off him, scoffing. “Faith’s taught me well, you know.”
His eyes widen. “Oh, I’ve no doubt. She’s terrifying.”
I grin. “I’ll tell her you said that.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” His hands squeeze my ribs, and I yank out of his grip, having no interest in being tickled to death.
I dart farther back. “You can’t tell me what to do!” I shout, turning and racing down the beach.
“Watch me, baby. First, I’ll have you on your knees, and then I’ll have you on your back.”
I squeal as he pursues me, my heart warm and full of more joy than I ever thought possible. If was going to wish for things,I’d wish for this man, and this life, all over again.
EPILOGUE
VALENTINA
April 8th, 2026
I runthe brush through Flynn’s mane, his pale hair soft. He munches on the grain in the bucket at my feet, and I smile at the joy I get from having the giant beast so close, trusting him to be as gentle with me as I am with him.
It’s taken months to get comfortable with each other, but I understand Flynn in a way I don’t the others. We’re both more scared of our own shadow than any outside force and need someone to make space for our demons rather than try to shut them out.
His nose nudges my boot, trying to get the runaway crumbs littering the concrete. I move for him, running the brush down his long back before grabbing his tail.
