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I stiffen. Not because I’m ashamed but because I know this is the test. The part where honesty might scare my soulmate off.
I shift, pulling her onto my lap so she’s facing me. “You really want to know?”
“Yeah,” she says, and I can tell she means it. “I want to know everything about you.”
“My mom and dad were…famous,” I begin, running my hands through her curls. “Janelle and Linus Byrne of the rock band, Burned.”
Her face goes blank for a second. Then she screeches, “You’re kidding. Your parents were in Burned?” I’ve spent the last fifteen years trying to run from my family reputation.
“Yeah.” I wait for her to laugh or ask if I’m making it up, but she doesn’t.
“Oh my god, Wyatt. The Byrnes were like, rock royalty. My mom used to play their stuff on repeat. It was all over the news when their plane crashed.” Her eyes soften. She cups my face, thumb stroking along my jaw. “I’m so sorry.”
I shrug, because it’s been years and I’m good at pretending it doesn’t matter anymore. “I was seventeen when they died. Luckily, the Sterlings stepped in. Roman’s dad was my godfather and they did their best to contain the chaos.”
She’s quiet, processing. “Did you want to be a musician, too?”
I laugh. “I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. I always excelled at maintaining control and order, which made me an ideal candidate for a bodyguard."
She rests her forehead against mine. “I’m glad you finally told me about them.”
“I didn’t want to scare you off.” I swallow, suddenly nervous. “I need you more than I need my next breath.”
“Nothing could scare me off,” she says, no fear. “I lo—”
I need her to know the rest before she finishes so I cut her off. “I inherited a shitload of money when they died. Like, obscene wealth. But I didn’t want it. So I put it all in the bank and tried to forget about it. I live off what I make now. The rest just…sits there.”
Naomi blinks several times like I’m speaking another language. “I still love you, even if you’re a trust fund baby.”
“Thank god.” I kiss her soft lips until we’re both breathing hard. “I love you, too, fever. I’ll never get enough of you.”