CHAPTER 34LeviAureliaLeviAureliaLevi
Levi
Levi stared down at the sleeping form curled against him, wishing for the second time that morning that today could be another lazy day.
He had been awake long enough to watch the first blush of dawn creep across the horizon, the soft light unfurling over the lagoon like a whispered promise.
There was something humbling about the quiet way the sun announced its arrival, slipping into the sky while the world still slept, unaware that a new day had already begun.
A miracle wrapped in silence.
Just like his wife.
Aurelia was tucked into his side, one arm flung possessively across his chest, her breathing slow and even.
The rise and fall of her body against his seemed to settle a part of himself he had long stopped acknowledging.
It had only been a couple of days, but already, he couldn’t imagine his life without her.
And though logic told him it was impossible to feel this way so soon, every instinct he had—the same instincts that built an empire—told him this was exactly where he was supposed to be.
She had awakened something in him he thought long dead.
God, how he wished they had one more day like this. No obligations. No looming reality. Only the chance to get lost in each other again before life demanded its due.
He shifted slightly, careful not to disturb her, and stared out at the early morning sky. Brilliant streaks of gold and pink stretched across the water, a perfect reflection of the chaotic beauty this weekend had become.
They hadn’t talked nearly as much as he had expected. Not in the ways that mattered, at least. Their time together had been intense and intoxicating, but also a little too good at distracting them from the important questions. Like how they were going to navigate this marriage…or each other.
And then, of course, there was the conversation he had avoided entirely—the dark, ugly truth about his parents. His jaw tensed at the thought, his vision darkening at the edges. The memory was a poison he didn’t dare spill into this fragile peace, not yet. Maybe not ever.
With a heavy sigh, he forced his thoughts elsewhere, toward what came next.
This morning, he would have to return to that cavernous, empty mansion and pack a proper bag.
The overnight one he brought wasn’t going to cut it, especially with work starting again tomorrow.
He needed business attire, the everyday essentials, and whatever creature comforts would help him settle into this new life under Aurelia’s roof.
The idea of fully moving into her home made him break out in a nervous sweat… and yet, it also felt oddly right.
And tonight, God help him, they were having dinner at Grace and Isaac’s house. He winced thinking about it. He loved his friends, but this was going to be a social ambush, disguised as a friendly dinner. And after Owen’s antics at the courthouse, there was no telling what fresh hell awaited them.
At least Owen had the decency to be mortified, even if his apologies came wrapped in ridiculousness. Levi told Aurelia about what Owen had seen outside her window, and despite her bravery, he knew she was dreading this dinner as much as he was.
He sighed again, long and slow before leaning his head back against the pillows. No sense worrying about it now.
For this one quiet moment, he allowed himself to simply exist wrapped in the warmth of her body, the softness of her breath, and the fragile, perfect peace of a new day breaking beyond the window.
Tomorrow would come soon enough.
But right now…he held the sunrise in his arms.
Aurelia
After lingering in bed longer than they should have, Aurelia and Levi eventually faced the truth that the day wasn’t going to wait for them.
Aurelia watched with mild disgust as Levi sipped his revolting hazelnut coffee…
black, no cream, no sugar. Every time he caught her watching, he shot her a mischievous grin before taking another exaggerated sip, as if daring her to comment.
She didn’t, having learned a lesson the hard way about challenging him in the kitchen and wasn’t about to repeat the great breakfast debacle of yesterday.
After their simple breakfast, Levi planned to head back to his house to pack up his clothes and essentials, officially beginning the process of moving in.
She had opted to stay behind, saying she needed time to make room in the closet and drawers for his things.
That wasn’t a lie…but it also wasn’t the whole truth.
She needed space—time to sort through the quiet panic brewing beneath the surface.
The honeymoon haze of the weekend was lifting, and the return to daily life loomed closer with every passing hour.
The version of herself she had let him see these past two days—the flirty, confident, adventurous woman—felt like a mask she would have to remove soon.
What happened when he saw the everyday Aurelia?
The quiet, self-contained, occasionally awkward woman who worked too much and lived too cautiously?
What if he realized she wasn’t enough?
Sensing her mood dampening, Levi filled the silence with a casual, “So, what’s up on the second floor? I can tell there’s more to this place, but you haven’t shown me yet.”
The haze lifted, and she was grateful for the change in topic. “That’s because it’s unfinished. But if you’re curious…”
“I’m very curious.” He drained the last of his coffee and sprang up from his chair with the enthusiasm of a man about to uncover a hidden treasure. “Lead the way, milady.”
Aurelia shook her head, a reluctant smile tugging at her lips as she set her mug down. She led him to the door tucked beside the half-bath and flipped on the light, revealing a narrow staircase. Levi followed close behind as they climbed to the top.
When they reached the attic, she stood back and let him explore.
“This is…way bigger than I expected,” he murmured, his voice full of wonder as he moved from one end of the open space to the other. “Deceptively large. I could actually fit my drum set in here,” he murmured to himself.
The exposed A-frame roof cut into the space, but otherwise, the attic stretched the entire length of the house—from above her bedroom all the way over the garage bays. It was unfinished and brimming with possibility.
“I always planned to finish it,” she admitted. “Turn part of it into an office, maybe a reading nook…or apparently a music room for a drum set.”
Levi cast her a wickedly handsome smile. Her breath caught.
“But the house needed so much work when I bought it that this space became the ‘someday’ project. I did what I could—hired contractors for the major stuff—but a lot of this?” She gestured toward the walls and the rough flooring.
“I learned how to do it myself. Spent years watching tutorials and reading everything I could get my hands on.”
Levi turned to her; eyes filled with something that made her stomach flip. It looked suspiciously like genuine admiration. “You did all that on your own?”
She crossed her arms, feeling defensive even though his tone wasn’t judgmental.
“Not everyone has the luxury of throwing money at a problem, Levi. I had to figure it out, one step at a time.” Her voice softened as she added, “Though…I’m starting to think Eleanor might’ve pulled a few strings without telling me.
The contractors suddenly had open schedules with prices that didn’t match the market at the time… ”
Levi stepped closer, his expression warm and sincere.
“I didn’t mean it as anything but a compliment.
I’m really impressed. And, if I’m being honest, a tad emasculated.
You built this place into a home with your own two hands, and I’m not even sure I can hold a hammer properly.
” He spun slowly in a circle, arms outstretched.
“And now look at you. You’ve got unlimited potential up here for a few small bedrooms…
definitely an office. Hell, you could put in a small bowling alley. ”
She snorted. “I don’t want a bowling alley, small or otherwise.”
“Agree to disagree. But seriously, this is incredible, Auri. You should be proud of what you’ve done here.”
Auri . No one had ever called her anything other than her full name before.
“Sorry…Is it okay if I call you Auri?” Levi’s tentative question melted any hesitation she had.
She allowed the warmth of his words, and the intimacy of the name settle under her skin as she nodded. She didn’t want it to matter. She barely knew him…but it did.
Pulling herself together, she turned toward the stairs. “Alright, let’s get this day started. I’m going to need every available second to mentally prepare for meeting your friends tonight.”
Levi let out a long, dramatic sigh. “I’m not sure even divine intervention could prepare you for this performance,” he muttered.
And despite herself, she laughed.
Levi
Levi finished packing in far less time than he expected. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a quiet reflection of how empty his life was. Either way, it meant he would be home before lunch, with time to spare—enough time to brace Aurelia for the impending circus of meeting his friends.
They meant well, but that didn’t mean they weren’t a collective disaster when put in the same room.
As he loaded his overnight bags into the car, his mind kept circling back to Aurelia’s story, specifically about sleeping in her car, alone, night after night.
The thought of her curled up in the backseat, parking in questionable areas simply to get a few hours of restless sleep, made his chest ache.
That kind of survival wasn’t only difficult—it was dangerous.
And yet, despite all of it, she hadn’t just survived; she had built something beautiful from nothing.
She deserved the world, and Levi had every intention of learning how to give it to her. If she let him.