I lean into her again, letting her wrap me in that familiar, grounding hug. “I was so scared you’d both think I was being reckless again.”
“Never,” she whispers. “We just want you to be happy, honey. And we know Milo will be the one to do that.”
A soft laugh bubbles out of me just as the deck door slides open behind us. I glance over my shoulder to see Aria step out with a slightly tipsy smile on her face.
“Room for one more?” she asks, already padding over barefoot.
“Always,” Mom answers, scooting over so Aria can squeeze in on my other side.
Aria curls against me, resting her head on my shoulder. She smells of wine and strawberries. “You okay out here?” she asks, her voice soft but curious. “It looks like you’ve been crying.”
I nod, leaning my head against hers. “Just… talking about Milo. And how fast everything feels. And how much I don’t want it to end.”
Aria squeezes my hand, her thumb brushing my knuckles. “Then don’t let it end. Keep him, Sienna. You’re perfect for each other. You’re chaos, and he’s calm—you balance each other out perfectly.”
I let out a shaky laugh, tears slipping freely now. “I’m scared. What if my chaos gets too loud and he decides he wants someone calmer? Someone who doesn’t feel like a tornado half the time?”
Aria lifts her head and looks at me with a mix of teasing and deep love. “Then he’s an idiot, and I’ll kick his ass myself. But I don’t think that’s going to happen. He looks at your chaos like it’s his favorite thing in the world. I saw the way you two acted in the pool earlier, and the way he looked at you? Girl, that man is down bad. It’s like he couldn’t believe you were real.”
My cheeks instantly turn pink.
“But what if?—”
“I don’t want to hear another ‘what if’ from you,” Mom scolds gently, though her tone is full of love. “You two are meant to be. Everyone can see it.”
Aria nods, nestling her cheek against my shoulder. “Whatever you two have going on, I have a feeling it’s going to be something extraordinary.”
I squeeze both their hands, the fear still there but feeling smaller. “I love you both.Somuch. I don’t know what I’d do without you two.”
“We love you more,” Mom whispers, pulling us both a little closer. “And we’re so proud of you. For letting yourself feel this. For not running from it.”
Aria nuzzles her face into the crook of my neck, her voice warm and sleepy. “If he ever messes up, you know I’ll handlehim, right? He’ll regret the day he was born. I’ve got your back,always.”
I laugh through the tears. “You know I can hold my own if he messes up, right?”
“I know,” she murmurs. “It’s just for dramatic effect, obviously. Go with it.”
I smile, patting her head and pulling her closer. The three of us sit on the lounger for a long time, with the stars twinkling overhead, the ocean whispering below, and faint laughter still drifting out from inside.
My heart feels full, scared, and hopeful all at once.
And I realize, with a shaky but steady breath, that I’m falling in love with a man I never saw coming.
For the first time in my life, I’m not running away from it.
I’m running toward it.
Chapter Forty-Three
Milo
The villa isloud in the best kind of way. Beers are cracked open, snacks are scattered across the coffee table, and a football game plays at low volume, though no one is really watching.
I’m leaning against the kitchen counter, nursing a cold beer as I watch the chaos unfold with a small smile. Ryan is in the middle of telling everyone an exaggerated story about the time Ethan pretended to propose to Aria with a Ring Pop six months into dating, complete with dramatic reenactments. Ethan is laughing so hard he’s doubled over, while Jax has been keeping score of how many times Ryan has told the same story since they announced their engagement two years ago.
Having a boys' night feels good. Normal. The kind of night we used to have before life got busy and demanding, and we all went our separate ways to pursue our dreams.
As if sensing my mind drifting, Ryan turns to me, grinning. “Milo, you’ve been suspiciously quiet tonight. Are you nervous about tomorrow or what?”
