CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE #2
Pain I can feel acutely.
“Make a toast for me too, alright? I’ve got to get back to Cassie.”
The bedroom is quiet when I return except for the sound of her steady breathing.
I take off the clothes I’m wearing, stripping down to my boxers before sliding into bed beside her.
As soon as I do so, she curls against me.
my arms wrap around her like a barrier against the world and I don’t plan on ever letting her go.
I stroke her hair, gentle, slow. My thumb brushes against the back of her neck and she shifts even closer. I stay like that for a long time, holding her, listening. My heart hasn’t ever felt this full before and it’s terrifying. The fear I felt when I thought I might lose her was like nothing else.
I have so much to lose now. But I also have something to fight for. And I’ll do so till the death.
Cassie stirs. Her lashes flutter against my skin. The moment she wakes up, she stiffens, her fingers curling against my chest like she’s unsure if it’s real.
“Hey, it’s me,” I tell her, my voice low. “It’s me. You’re safe, baby.”
She lifts her head slowly. her eyes are red-rimmed, her cheeks still wet. But she looks at me with something new in her expression, something tender and open and unguarded.
“Damien, I need to say something,” she says.
“You can say it later. I’m sure you’re hungry and I already called the doctor. He’ll come to check you in the morning.”
“That’s fine, but I really need to say this.”
The desperation in her voice has me sitting her. She swallows, fingers brushing over my chest again and she doesn’t meet my eye.
“I’m listening, mi vida ,” I prompt.
She exhales a short breath and then her eyes meet mine. I feel my heart skip a beat.
“I’ve never really given much thought into what it means to be in love.
But in the past couple of days I’ve come to understand.
Love is steady and soft. It’s strong, meant to hold you up when you’re weak.
Love is something you feel acutely,” she whispers, her hand resting against my chest, right over my heart.
“I never thought I’d fall in love with you. Not with how we started. But I did. And I do. I choose you every day. Because I love you, Damien.”
Tiem stops. Or maybe it shatters. I don’t know. I only know that my arms tighten around her, and that there’s a pressure behind my ribs I’ve never felt before.
“I love you,” she repeats, softer this time. “Thank you for coming for me. For never giving up. I don’t think I would have survived today without you.”
I touch her face, “You would have survived,” I murmur. “You’re stronger than you know.”
“Maybe,” she agrees. “But it’s easier to be strong with you beside me.”
When I kiss her, she melts into me, her hands curling around my jaw as her mouth opens beneath me. the kiss is all too consuming, filled with warmth, love and laced with desperation.
When I pull back, I rest my forehead against hers.
“You saved me too, bella . You’re the light of my life. And I love you too. I will love you forever.”
It’s a marvel to be with someone and be sure they feel exactly the same way you do. We stay like that for a while, wrapped in each other. Just two people in love, in a room that finally feels like home.
Eventually she shifts, her fingers lacing with mine.
“I want another wedding,” Cassie announces and it’s so abrupt, I can’t help but laugh. “I’m serious. I want a wedding that I choose. I want to choose you Damien, forever and always.”
I feel my throat grow tight but I manage a nod. “Anything you want, sweetheart.”
“There’s still a lot left to do in the future.
I think I’m going to hire someone to manage the company in the meantime.
Who knows maybe in a couple of years I’ll want to take up my dad’s legacy again.
It was his wish after all and despite his flaws, I know he loved me and I want him to be looking over me, to see that I’m happy and okay without him. ”
“He did love you,” I say, remembering just how fiercely he’d been ready to protect his daughter before his life was cut short. “He was a strong man. Just like his daughter.”
She smiles, “I want to travel a lot with you. Whenever you have time.”
“We’ll go anywhere you want.”
“You’re just going to agree to anything I say, aren’t you?” she asks, her eyes bright and the sight of that mischief makes me exhale softy. She’ll be okay.
“If it makes you happy, then yes,” I reply.
She laughs, “Careful. What if I ask for your entire fortune?”
“I’d give it to you in a heartbeat.”
“And your life?” she asks softly.
“It’s yours, Cassie. My life, my body, my heart, they’re all yours to do as you wish, amore mio .”
She grows quiet, her palm still against my heart, warm and steady.
“We’re going to be okay, right?” she says, almost like she’s convincing herself.
“We’ll be perfect. And happy. And in love. As long as we have each other,” I promise her.
It’s hope. But it’s also a truth I’ll fight hard to achieve. There’ll be dark days ahead, no doubt. The world we live in doesn’t just disappear because we love each other. but the difference now is that we’re facing it side by side. As long as we continue to choose each other, we’ll be okay.
“I love you, Mr. Italian,” Cassie whispers, her voice barely audible but I hear every fucking word.
Of course I love her.
I’ve known it for years. She knows it too. It’s in the way I touch her, protect her, and destroy anything that threatens her. I don’t need to say it. So much that I’m willing to give her the one thing I’ve never given anyone, the truth about my mother.
My darkest secret. The one that could break everything. I’ll tell her because I know she’ll know how to handle it. Just like I knew she was fit to be my bride. I will, but not today, not yet.
So instead, I look up at her, jaw tight, heart pounding.
I smirk.
“Call me Daddy.”
The End.