Page 172 of Celestial Combat

“Gìo!” Francesca pivoted, eyes narrowing at her older brother across the aisle. “Apologize. Now.”

From the seat next to Natalia, Trevor shot him a ‘good luck’ look and then rose, stepping around the aisle so Gìo could take his place.

My brother and him had apparently already sorted their issues back in the summer.

With a breath like a sigh, Gìovanni lowered himself into the seat beside Natalia. “Nat.”

She didn’t look at him, but I knew she was listening.

“All I cared about was winning against Trevor in business. I didn’t take your feelings into considerations. It was fucked up.”

The hum of the plane filled the silence that followed.

Natalia finally glanced sideways at him. The light overhead glimmered in her eyes like tiny stars. “That’s it? That’s the worst fucking apology I’ve ever heard!”

Francesca smacked her brother upside the head. “Gìo!”

“I’m sorry, alright?”

“You were an inconsiderate, selfish asshole!”

“I didn’t think you liked the idiot that much!” Gìo raised his hands in defence.

“And you cockblocked me for four years!”

Gìo’s lips fell in a straight line as he searched for words under Natalia’s raging inferno. “That… Sucks…?”

Tony started snickering on the couch, though silenced quickly once his sister elbowed him in the ribs.

“You’re lucky we let you join,” Francesca murmured at Tony who still hadn’t turned twenty-one yet and was the youngest in the group.

Natalia’s lips pressed together. Then, slowly, she let out a long breath. “Fine,” she said at last, and the tension in her shoulders eased. “But if you ever fuck with me again, I’ll cut you.”

“Never,” Gìo promised, solemnly holding up one hand.

Francesca flopped back into her seat with a satisfied sigh. “See? That wasn’t so hard.”

Natalia and Trevor had decided they couldn’t wait any longer, and by the time we touched down in Hawaii, it was set in stone.

The ceremony itself felt like a picture torn out of a perfect memory – perched on a jagged cliff that overlooked the ocean, waves shimmering like crushed glass as they tumbled onto the rocks below. The air was soft and fragrant, alive with the scent of hibiscus and saltwater, the breeze stirring my hair as we stood together in our whites. Every one of us dressed in loose linen and gauzy fabrics that glowed against the setting sun, as if we were part of the light itself.

The sky blushed pink and lavender as Trevor took Natalia’s hands. Her dress was simple and elegant, and tucked into her hair was a single pink hibiscus, its color echoing the fading clouds. They glowed – not just from the light, but from some inner happiness so rich it felt like it warmed all of us too.

That glow followed us into the evening. Nobu was like a secret hideaway draped in lantern light and the scent of cedar and ocean spray.

Eventually, we left for a nightclub. Music throbbed like a heartbeat under my feet as we danced in a crowd swirling with bodies, losing hours in the rhythm and neon.

And I remembered feeling so light – as though there was nothing left in the world but my hands in Zane’s and the sound of our friends’ laughter above the music. The kind of night I wanted to live forever.

By the time we made it back to the hotel, my heels felt like they were fused to my feet, and my head was pleasantly fuzzy with the mix of music, laughter, and a glass too many of champagne.

The newlyweds had their own suite, of course, along with the only other couple – Maria and Zach. Tony, Gìo, Matteo and Zane – the single bachelors – each had theirown rooms. And Francesca and I were sharing our own suite –one of those airy, ocean-view rooms with a balcony that overlooked the dark, sleepy shoreline.

Francesca was already sprawled across her bed like a starfish, heels kicked off across the floor and snoring softly into the pillow. I paused for a moment and smiled at her – she looked peaceful for the first time all trip.

As much as I loved my best friend, as much as a part of me thought we might stay up all night giggling like we had when we were teenagers, my body was aching for someone else. Every part of me longed to slide into Zane’s arms and feel him close – the steady rhythm of his breathing, the way his hands instinctively pulled me closer even in his sleep.

Closing the door to her bedroom, the hallway soaked up my soft footsteps.