40. Dario
40
DARIO
I ’m still sitting beside Ginny on her hospital bed. The room is suddenly too quiet, tension thick in the air. Her fingers toy with the edge of the pale-green blanket, her eyes staring at mine. I don’t breathe, waiting for her to say something...anything.
“I’ll be yours,” she finally whispers.
It takes a moment for her words to sink in, but when they do, my chest tightens with a flood of emotion. Without thinking, I pull her into my arms, holding her as tight as I can without hurting her. “Thank god.” I bury my face in her hair, kissing her lovingly. “Thank god.”
I hear her soft sigh as her arms circle around my waist. For a moment, we just hold on to each other. Everything else fades away—the past, the present, and the only thing I can think of as her warm scent fills my lungs is our future together.
I haven’t felt this in a very long time.
Peace.
My heart slows into a steady rhythm, joy dancing in my stomach as she clings to me. It’s a reassurance that everything is going to be okay. When I pull back slightly, she whines softly.
“I was really loving that hug.”
A chuckle slips past my lips as I tilt her chin up with my fingers. Her eyes meet mine. Hues of brown, green and golden dance together, filled with warmth.
“You have me forever now, Ginny. There are millions of hugs to come.”
As I brush the pads of my fingers across her cheek, a warm blush appears on her face. “I really love the sound of that.”
“You and me,” I say, brushing a strand of dark hair from her eyes. “It’s for real this time.”
Ginny smiles, soft and sure. “I don’t want to wait anymore for us to get married.”
I chuckle again, though the thought of her being my wife officially makes my chest tighten with emotion. “The wedding is the day after tomorrow. I made sure Rosa went on to take care of everything though it had postponed. Nothing’s going to stop us from being together now.”
“Promise?” Her voice is teasing, but I sense the edge to it. I know that there is still fear lurking around her chest somewhere. I don’t expect her to recover from the trauma of being kidnapped in a short time.
But I’ve sworn to protect her, to shield her. Nothing like this will ever happen again, I’ll make sure of it.
“I promise,” I say vehemently before leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I love you, Ginny. More than anything. And I’ll spend every day of our lives together showing you just that.”
“I love you too, Dario,” she whispers, her words wrapping around me like a warm blanket. “I’ve only said it once, but I promise to keep saying it. I’ll never hesitate or waste any second to tell you exactly how I feel.”
Emotions clogging my throat, I lean in to press my lips against hers. Ginny immediately hums softly into the kiss, bringing her soft hands to my face as she tilts her head to kiss me even deeper. My tongue slips in, searching her mouth, taking all of her, giving her all of me.
When I pull my lips away from hers, we are both breathing heavily. I press our foreheads together for the millionth time and close my eyes.
And for the first time in a long time, everything feels right.
“What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?” Ginny asks from the passenger seat beside me.
We were discharged from the hospital this morning, and the first thing Ginny requested as soon as I drove us out the gates was vanilla ice cream.
“I don’t have a favorite flavor,” I say, turning the steering wheel into a corner street.
“I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who doesn’t have a favorite ice cream flavor.”
“Well, I don’t eat ice cream.”
Her disbelieving gasp fills the air, and I chuckle when she looks at me as if I’d just admitted to a heinous crime.
“Why not?” She asks, then raises her hand in the air before I say anything. “Let me guess. You think it’s unhealthy, and you’re obsessed with being fit?”
“Oh my god. How did you know that?” I drawl sarcastically.
She catches on to my tone before releasing an annoyed huff. “Well, too bad. As long as you’re married to me, you will learn to like ice cream. And sweet treats...”
Her voice trails off as if she remembers something.
“Mr. Jenkins told me you bought the store in my name.”
I feel her warm gaze on the side of my face, and an involuntary smile pulls at the sides of my lips.
“I hadn’t realized I was in love with you then. I just thought I was doing it because I felt bad for taking the building you wanted so badly.”
I feel her soft hand slide over mine on the center console before she murmurs a soft, “Thank you.”
As we pull into our familiar neighborhood, I glance at her, her eyes fixed on the passing scenery with a peaceful expression on her face.
When we drive into the compound and pull into the driveway, Ginny’s breath hitches. She looks at the house as if she’s seeing it for the first time. I park, get out, and walk over to her side, opening the door for her. She steps out slowly, taking in the place, her home.
Our home.
Some housekeepers rush to welcome us in, going to the trunk to retrieve a few of our belongings that had been brought to the hospital. I intertwine my fingers with Ginny’s as we head toward the front door.
Piper is the first to rush towards us as soon as we step into the house. A pleasant laugh escapes Ginny’s lips as she bends down to scoop the puppy into her arms.
“Piper.” She laughs as the dog licks her face, her tail wagging in excitement.
I spot Rosa next as she emerges from the kitchen, wiping her hands with a napkin.
“You both arrived just in time. I just finished making lunch.”
Ginny drops Piper carefully on the ground before leaning down into Rosa’s waiting arms.
“Mmm,” Rosa hums with her eyes closed. “It feels so good to have you back, my dear.”
“It feels good to be back,” I hear Ginny mumble, her face pressed into Rosa’s shoulder.
When they detangle from the hug, I watch Ginny’s eyes sweep over the space.
I don’t say anything, just watch her as she moves from the living room to the dining room, as if she’s rediscovering each corner of the house anew. When she steps into the kitchen, she stops, her fingers tracing the marble countertop where she’s spent so many hours baking.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed this,” she murmurs. “I missed being here. The kitchen...everything.”
“You don’t have to miss it anymore,” I say, moving closer to her. “You’re home now.”
She turns to me, her eyes soft and grateful. “I know,” she says, resting her head against my chest. “It just feels good. Really good.”
I hold her for a moment, the two of us standing there in the quiet kitchen, the house filled with an odd sense of calm. This is where we belong. Together.
I receive a call later that evening for an urgent, quick meeting. Ginny doesn’t mind me leaving, claiming that my business is also important, and I shouldn’t neglect it because of her.
I leave, not because of what she said, but because I know it’ll be a very short meeting at a restaurant. The whole time I’m away, I can’t stop thinking about Ginny. About how unreal everything seems to be.
I chuckle in the middle of the meeting when I remember she’s asked me to buy her some ice cream on my way back. I think it may be a pregnancy craving at this point.
My blood is thrumming with excitement when I get home later. I immediately head upstairs and toward my bedroom, where she was when I left. As I push the door open, I stop dead in my tracks.
All of Ginny’s things—her clothes, her books, even the little things she keeps on her nightstand—are now in my room. Our room.
I stand there, my heart pounding, and it’s as if I’m seeing the future right in front of me. This is it. This is what I’ve been waiting for.
Ginny is on her knees in the middle of the room, arranging some of her things into a box. When she turns to look at me, I see a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes.
“Surprise.”
I walk toward her, my chest tight with emotion. “You did this while I was gone?”
She nods. “I’m tired of us having separate rooms.”
A chuckle slips past my lips, one of disbelief, of happiness, of joy. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“Oh, I do,” she drawls.
I chuckle before pulling her body up against mine. “I have to finish unpacking,” she whines as I carry her to the bed, laying her back against the mattress as I hover over her.
“You can finish that later.” I kiss her neck, and her breath hitches as my kiss goes lower.
“You know pregnant women can’t have sex, right?”
I halt, leaning up to look at her face, my eyes searching hers. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not,” she says, but I see a smile cracking through her facade.
A loud laugh bursts out of her lips.
“You should have seen your face!”
I tickle her sides, her laugh turning into gasps as tears run down her eyes, before settling right beside her and pulling her body flush against mine.
“Fine. We won’t have sex for nine months,” I murmur in her ear.
She giggles, snuggling closer to me and resting her head on my chest.
“We both know that’s not possible,” she whispers back, her hand tracing lazy circles on my arm. “You’ll go crazy.”
I laugh. I’ve realized laughing comes easy to me these days, ever since I met Ginny again. I feel different. Happier. Lighter. As if all the weight of the past is finally lifting.
“The wedding is the day after tomorrow,” I say quietly, my fingers brushing through her hair.
She hums in agreement, her voice soft. “I can’t believe it’s almost here.”
I chuckle softly. “Are you ready?”
She tilts her head up to look at me, her eyes filled with warmth. “More than ready.”
I kiss her forehead, pulling her closer. “Me too. It’s going to be perfect, Ginny.”
For the first time ever, I believe it. That everything is going to be perfect. That we are finally getting our happy ending.
And this is only the beginning.