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“All of this back and forth is irrelevant. Just answer this question. Do you want this? Do you want me?”

“Antonio…” I start.

“Answer me, Theresa,” he says. His green eyes are cloudy, and it almost looks like he’s begging me.

“Fuck. Yes, I do. I want this and you more than anything else.”

“That’s all I care about. If you want this as much as I do, I’ll forgive you a million times over for one shot to make this work…for real this time. I just hope you can do the same for me.”

“I already have, but…” I trail off as my voice shakes. “After everything, you would still want to date me?”

“Because of everything, Theá. Because of everything we’ve been through. That’s why. And I don’t just want to date you. I want to marry you. I want you to be Theá Vitale for the rest of your life.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Just say yes,tesoro.”

“Yes.”

Chapter forty-nine

Antonio

“Thisfeelsweird.”Shechuckles as I hold open the car door for her when we arrive outside Kaia’s house.

Everyone strategically left us at the restaurant alone with just security and a car.

“Why? It’s just like before.” I interlace our fingers and guide her up the driveway.

“It just feels so real now.” She shrugs.

“It didn’t feel real before?”

“I think a part of me was always convinced it was fake. Like I couldn’t let myself believe it could be real.”

“Well, it is real,tesoro.” I run my thumb over the ring on her finger and bring her hand up to my face to look at it. “You never took it off.”

“I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Pierre even volunteered to keep it for me.”

“I couldn’t do it, either.” I show her my left hand, and I watch as the colour behind her cheeks deepen.

I open the front door and let her in first. The second were inside, my eardrums feel as if they’re going to burst when a scream echoes through Kaia’s entire house and probably half of Cape Town.

“Oh my God, you look even more like a finance bro in person,” Theá’s sister says, appearing from behind a wall.

“Hey.” Theá frowns. “It’s the first time you’re meeting him properly, and you’re acting like a bitch.”

“I’m sorry,” she says to me under her breath.

I shrug. “I have Adriano and Augustus keeping me humble; it’s nothing I haven’t heard before. This must be your sister. Nice to officially meet you.”

Beyond seeing her briefly at the wedding, I never met Theá’s sister since she was in her room most of the time.

“Antonio, this is Noelle, my not so lovely little sister.”

“Hey, I’m an amazing sister,” Noelle defends.

“I have grey hairs because of you,” Theá says, brushing past her sister as we walk deeper into the house. It’s been a while since I’ve been to Kaia’s house, and I forgot just how massive the place is.