Page 118 of Cara

“I am. I swear,” I say, struggling to regain my composure. Xavier sees me blink away my unsteady emotions and gives an understandably nervous smile as I sink down beside her. He resumes speaking, and she keeps glancing at me, occasionally confirming that I'm still focused on the story.

That isuntilthe sprinklers spurt and sputter, raining water across the lawn. Her excited squeal makes us laugh as we try to dodge the water while gathering the blankets and sweet treats. Isabella darts across the lawn, more stumbling than running, actively seeking the spraying water despite Xavier’s objections.

The sun gleams over the gardens, shining radiance upon the trimmed hedge mazes we lost ourselves in on the eve of our wedding. The sweet fragrance of freshly cut grass drifts through the breeze as the red maple trees sway gently, their lush leaves whispering all around us.

My feet move on their own, bare against the earth, and for once, I feel as free as that child. Even in this place I’d tear down if it were within my ability, I can surrender myself to it.

Xavier’s laughter rings through the air as I grab Izzy, skipping through the sprinklers without care. There’s no one to witness it. Security has been instructed to remain around the perimeter of the estate. The man I married almost five years ago wouldn’t have allowed himself to join us. He would’ve watched from a distance, determined to be as calm and calculated as his father always expected him to be.

“Daddy!”

The hesitation I always expect to see is there in his eyes.

That doesn’t stop him from jogging toward us, swinging Isabella off her feet until she squeals with delight. Gasping for breath, I let go of her hand, allowing her to run free as I feel the adrenaline rush surging through my veins.

I'm convinced the world is entirely gray beyond this place.

The sun can only find me here—where he is.

My eyes rest on Xavier’s heaving chest, his shirt clinging to his body as he glances at me.

Time halts for a moment.

All I can concentrate on is how his smile gradually fades, his eyes wincing as he pulls back from what’s about to be revealed, staring as if he’s just now seeing me again for the first time.

What exists between us now is so poignant that breathing sometimes becomes difficult.

Our love has always been powerful, but this—it’s something else entirely. It’s nothing short of a miracle that we’re here together… and I think he understands it, too.

My eyes close as he invades my airspace, my cheek naturally settling into his palm. Afraid of the love I feel for him, and for this moment, my lips quiver, struggling to accept that I'm not running, freezing, or looking over my shoulder.

He is home—the only home I’ve ever longed for.

His lips kiss away the tear that drifts past my cheek, trembling lips reassuring me that I'm not the only one losing myself to this. Throat-tight, I ease my eyes open, his face blurred by my tears. He kisses me, and they fall. He doesn’t shrink away when my fingers grasp his clothing, needing him closer, not even when we hear the soft pattering of Isabella’s feet.

Rather than tear him away, she molds to our legs, joining in on the embrace.

Sophie

A crimson gown drapes over the oriental wardrobe.

Makeup clutters the vanity, laid out in disarray as if I knew how to apply any of it.

Thisfeels familiar.

Four years seem like a past life, a time when I knew how to walk in stilettos and could admire myself in a mirror without pinpointing my flaws.

All I see now is how different this woman is from her. The heiress bride who believed she’d faced the worst moments of her life at twenty-four.

Time has a cruel humor.

But I'm here. Xavier’s aftershave is still wafting from the bathroom. He’s downstairs, and Vito Marin isn’t here to drag me to his will. Slipping on my engagement ring until it nestles against my wedding band, I grab a brush, sweeping foundation over my face. Nightmares haven’t found me in his arms. My complexion currently thanks me for it.

A sprinkle of blush and my cheek is rouged beyond repair. “Damn.”

“Thought I’d surprise you on an important day.”

As I twist on the vanity bench, my smile broadens upon seeing Courtney in the mirror as she walks into the bedroom. She carries a hair kit tucked under her arm and grimaces at the sight of me.