Chapter 27
Vulcan
Karina called in sick today—a rare indulgence—and we’ve spent the morning in comfortable silence.
She’s curled up on the couch, her fingers tapping away at her laptop as she researches resources for the homeless patients who cycle through her ER.
Meanwhile, I’m sprawled in the armchair, captivated by season three of Grey’s Anatomy.
My heart races as Derek stands at the edge of that damn ferry dock, searching for Meredith in the dark water.
I still can’t believe how hooked this show has me.
I steal another glance at Karina, watching the way she bites her lower lip when she’s concentrating.
The sight sends a familiar heat through my chest. It’s becoming harder to pretend this is just an arrangement when every mundane moment with her feels like a gift I don’t deserve.
The more I think about it, the more I know I won’t be worthy of her until I come clean about having her mother sign that contract.
The truth has been wedged in my throat for weeks now, and every day I let it remain there, it grows heavier.
But if I tell her now, I know I’ll lose her for sure.
I watch her profile against the afternoon light streaming through the windows, her hair falling across her face as she works.
How can something so simple as watching her read make my chest ache with longing?
“You’re staring,” she says without looking up from her screen, but I catch the small smile tugging at her lips.
“Can you blame me?” I lean forward in my chair. “My fiancée is beautiful and brilliant, and she’s wearing my shirt. Sue me.”
She finally looks up, her eyes meeting mine. “Your shirt is comfortable. Don’t read too much into it.”
But I can see the flush creeping up her neck, and I know she’s fighting the same pull I am. These past weeks have blurred every line we drew in the beginning. I’ve never been the kind of guy to beat around the bush, but I don’t want to scare her.
“I can practically hear your thoughts from over here.” She closes the laptop. “What is on your mind?”
“Have you spoken to your mother lately?”
I watch as her expression shifts, the warmth in her eyes cooling slightly. “No, she’ll probably reach out to me as we get closer to November.”
“Why is that?”
“My brothers will be back for holiday break, and most likely they will want to buy a ton of useless things with my money.” She sighs.
“It’s always been this way. Some months she calls me every other day, and then there are months when she eases back because she has something expensive she’s gearing up to ask for my help with.
Anyway, she’s not big on keeping in contact with me unless she needs something. ”
The bitterness in her voice makes me want to pull her into my arms, but I resist. Instead, I nod, trying to find the right words. “I understand. Family can be… complicated.”
Karina gives me a sad smile. “That’s one way of putting it.”
I take a deep breath. I need to tell her that I met with her mother, about the contract I had her sign. But when I look at Karina, so peaceful and content for once, I can’t bring myself to shatter this fragile happiness we’ve built.
“What if…” I start, then pause, weighing my words carefully. “What if we invited your brothers to the wedding?”
Her eyes widen. “My brothers? Why would we do that?”
“Because they’re your family. And despite everything, I know you care about them.”
“I care about them, yes. But what they know of me fits in a Venmo notification. Miguel and Luis only reach out when they need something. My last two birthdays, they sent wish lists instead of well wishes.” She looks down at her hands, her voice softening.
“I’ve made peace with celebrating milestones without them.
Ever since Papá died… It’s just better this way.
Our wedding day should be filled with people who actually want to be there. ”
She looks at me for a long moment, and I run a hand through my hair, debating how honest I should be. I’m a fucking coward when it comes to Karina. I can’t tell her. Not yet, I tell myself. Later, when I’m sure she won’t walk away. I want to have this a little longer.
“Your forehead gets all crinkly when something’s bothering you,” she says, setting her laptop aside completely now, giving me her full attention. “What’s going on in there?”
“I’ve been thinking about us,” I say. “This whole situation—are you actually happy with how things are turning out? With me?”
She tilts her head slightly, concern flickering across her face. “Where is this coming from? Did something happen?”
I pause the show and shift in my chair, the weight of my feelings making it impossible to sit still.
“Everything’s fine. More than fine, actually.
I just want—I don’t want to say I do with you thinking I’m doing this out of obligation.
Yes, at first it was the reason. But now I just want it to be real,” I say finally, the words spilling out before I can stop them. “Us. This.”
Karina stares at me, her eyes as wide as saucers now.
She puts her laptop on the coffee table and shifts to face me fully, tucking her legs beneath her.
My shirt—the old FDNY one with the faded logo—slips off one shoulder, and I fight the urge to cross the room and press my lips to that exposed sliver of skin.
“Vulcan,” she says softly, “what exactly are you saying?”
I close my eyes for a moment, centering myself. I’ve faced burning buildings and collapsing structures, but nothing has ever terrified me like this moment. “I’m saying I don’t want to marry you because of some contract. I want to marry you because I’m in love with you.”
The silence that follows feels endless. I watch her face carefully, trying to read her expression.
“You don’t have to say it back,” I rush to add. “I just needed you to know how I feel. These weeks with you, they’ve been… I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”
She looks down, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. “Vulcan, I—”
“It’s okay,” I interrupt. “I understand if you don’t feel the same way. The arrangement still stands. Nothing has to change if you don’t want it to.”
But God, I want everything to change. I want her to be mine—truly mine. Not because of some contract or because her mother needs money, but because she chooses me the way I’ve chosen her.
Karina stands up suddenly, and my heart sinks. She’s going to walk away, retreat to her room, put distance between us. But instead, she crosses the living room and stops directly in front of me.
“You impossible man,” she whispers, and before I can respond, she’s climbing onto my lap, straddling me in the armchair. Her hands cup my face, her touch so gentle it makes my chest ache. “Do you have any idea how hard I’ve been trying not to fall in love with you?”
My breath catches. “You have?”
She nods, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I’ve been so afraid this was just an arrangement for you. That I was reading too much into every touch, every look, every moment we shared.”
I slide my hands up her thighs to rest on her hips, anchoring her to me. “It started that way,” I admit. “But, Karina, somewhere between our first date and this morning, you became everything to me.”
A tear slips down her cheek, and I catch it with my thumb.
“I love you,” I say again, because now that I’ve finally said it, I never want to stop.
“I love your brilliance, your compassion, and your strength.” I slip my hand over hers, feeling her fingers tremble against my cheek.
“I love your stubbornness. I love your dedication to your patients. I even love the way you hoard all the blankets at night.”
Karina laughs through her tears, the sound making my heart swell. “I do not hoard blankets.”
“You absolutely do,” I whisper, pressing my forehead against hers.
She closes her eyes, her breath warm against my lips. For a moment, we just stay like this, suspended in a new, quiet truth. I’ve never been one for vulnerability—my job demands strength, control, composure—but with her, I want to tear down every wall I’ve ever built.
“I love you, Vulcan,” she says, and I feel like my heart is about to leap from my chest. “I’ve been fighting it so hard because I was scared of what happens when our arrangement ends. I kept telling myself not to get attached, not to hope for more than what we agreed on.”
I tighten my grip on her hips, pulling her closer. “Forget the arrangement. Forget the contract. I want forever with you, Karina. Not three years, but a lifetime.”
She pulls back slightly, searching my eyes. “Are you sure? This isn’t just… the heat of the moment?”
“I’ve never been more certain of anything,” I say firmly.
“I knew it the first night you stayed over. When I woke up and saw you there, everything in my life clicked into place. I want forever with you, Karina Reyes—to have children, grow old, fight and make up, and build a messy, beautiful life that’s completely ours. ”
I watch her eyes fill with tears again, but this time they’re accompanied by the most radiant smile I’ve ever seen. My heart hammers against my ribs. She leans down, pressing her lips to mine in a kiss that feels like a promise.
“Yes,” she whispers against my mouth. “Yes to all of it. I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for this day. To finally love you without worrying about an expiration date.”
I kiss her again, sliding one hand into her hair, cradling the back of her head as if she’s the most precious thing I’ve ever held. And she is. In this moment, I understand why people write songs and poems about love. It’s the only way to capture something this overwhelming, this transcendent.
When we finally break apart, both breathless, I can’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Karina asks, her fingers tracing patterns on my chest.
“I can see our relationship turning out like Derek and Mer—”
“No, sir!” Her eyes widen. “Finish watching all the seasons before you make grand declarations.”
I laugh and reach up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Fine, fine. But you have to admit, their chemistry is undeniable.”
Karina rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling. “Chemistry isn’t enough when one of them keeps drowning or getting hit by plane or crashing in the woods.”
“Crashes in the woods? I don’t remember that episode.”
“Just wait,” she deadpans, settling more comfortably on my lap. Her weight against me feels right. Like she was made to fit there.
I trace my fingers along her bare thigh, marveling at how smooth her skin is. “So, does this mean our arrangement is officially… not an arrangement anymore?”
“I think it means we’re doing this for real now. No contracts, no time limits.”
“Good,” I slide my hands under my shirt she’s wearing, feeling the warmth of her skin. “Because I wasn’t looking forward to letting you go after three years.”
“I wasn’t looking forward to leaving.”
I bury my face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. “You know what this means, right? We have to tell Minji to tear up that prenup.”
She laughs, the sound vibrating against my lips. “Good, because I had no plans of signing it anyway.”
I nip gently at her neck.
“We should probably call her today,” she adds, her voice breathless as I continue my assault on her neck. “Get it taken care of before the wedding.”
“Mmm,” I agree, but I’m too focused on the way she’s responding to my touch to think about legal documents right now. My hands slide higher and I’m gratified to discover she’s not wearing a bra.
“Vulcan,” she whispers, and there’s something in her tone that makes me pull back to look at her.
“What is it?”
“I’m serious, let’s call her today, and”—she winks at me—“then we can celebrate.”
“I’ll call her after our celebration. What did you have in mind, Dr. Reyes?”
“Well, Captain,” she breathes, grinding down slightly, “I was thinking we could christen this chair. We haven’t done that yet.”
I growl, capturing her lips in a hungry kiss. “I like the way you think.”
Her fingers tangle in my hair, tugging just enough to make me groan. “I thought you might.”
When I stand, her legs wrap around my waist instinctively, and I turn to press her against the nearest wall. “I love you,” I say again, because I can, because the words feel like freedom after being trapped for so long.
“I love you too,” she whispers, and I swear I could live on those words alone.