Page 21

Camille

Three weeks later

I grew up thinking that the world is nothing but black and white. But after all that has happened to me within the last few weeks, I know now that there are a lot of grey areas. I never thought that anything purely good could exist in the grey areas. Until I began to exist in the grey. Not that I am saying I am purely good. Nothing in this life could be purely good or bad. For all the good that exists in man, there is a small capability for bad and vice versa. That is where our grey comes into play.

A ding rings out through the entire building. “Flight 206 to Cape Town, South Africa, now boarding.”

The airport is alive with movement—families reuniting, travelers hurrying to gates, announcements ringing over the speakers. But for the first time in what feels like forever, the chaos doesn’t overwhelm me. Instead, it feels distant, like a world I’m finally stepping back into after so long in the dark.

I stand beside Diego, my fingers intertwined with his, and let out a slow, measured breath. It’s all over. The weight I’ve carried for so long—the grief, the fear, the constant tension of looking over my shoulder—has finally lifted.

I look to my boyfriend, who has his eyes glued on our boarding tickets. His sharp angled jaw is hard set as he concentrates on the small little papers in his hand. We got up at the crack ass of dawn just so we could make this flight. Not only because we are excited to begin our new lives together, but because come noon today, the police will be making their final raids against the cartel, and we need to be as far away as possible when that happens.

The hard drive that held so much power, so many secrets, is gone now, handed over to the authorities as of a week ago. It took me a week to go through everything to make sure that Diego was not on any of the files. And to my surprise, he wasn’t. We both scoured those documents high and low. My brother seems to have decided not to let Diego go down with them.

étienne truly had protected his friend.

“Okay.” Diego clears his throat, his eyes still locked on the tickets. “We will get our first layover in Dubai for 10 hours and the flight will be about 13 hours long. We can stay at the hotel and freshen up a little bit…”

His voice fades as I focus all my attention on him—the love of my life. It took me being shot at and almost killed to find this man and to realize just how much he means to me. It is crazy how we went from mere strangers to now being completely and utterly obsessed with each other.

I think about everything we’ve been through to get to this moment. The danger, the betrayals, the heartbreak. It’s hard to believe it’s truly over—that we’ve made it out of the darkness and into the light.

My heart clenches as I remember étienne, my brother, the catalyst for it all. All of this is because he fell in love with a woman who had been mixed up in the cartel world. She wanted out but, like Diego had once told me, you don’t just leave this life. There is a price that you need to pay, and unfortunately for her, that price was her life.

My heart still aches for étienne and Maria. They never had a true shot at life. There is a part of me that feels guilty that I get to walk away with the person I love and they never could. But I know my brother, and he wouldn’t want me to feel that way. He would want me to live out my life with Diego for him—for Maria.

It wasn’t an easy decision. There were nights I lay awake, torn between my loyalty to étienne and my love for Diego. But I knew I couldn’t hold onto both forever. étienne is gone, but Diego is here and there is life after death. He’s fought for me in ways no one else ever has, and I’ve fought for him in return. That’s what matters now—choosing life, choosing love.

As the announcement for our flight echoes through the terminal once again, Diego turns to me, his eyes softening as they meet mine. He doesn’t need to say anything; his expression says it all. Relief. Gratitude. Love.

“What?” He laughs softly before closing the small gap between us and pressing his lips up against mine. When he pulls away, his dazzling eyes find mine and I can see the shine in them that reflect the same love and peace I feel. It almost brings me to tears.

For the past few weeks of knowing this man, I have only ever seen him with what seems to have been the weight of the world on his shoulders. Never once have I ever seen him without weight, until now.

“We’re really free,” I whisper, more to myself than to him. Saying the words out loud feels surreal, like I need to hear them to make them real.

Diego steps closer, his hand tightening gently around mine. “Yeah,” he says, his voice low and sure. “We are. Come on, we need to hurry so we don’t miss our flight.”

I nod and allow him to lead us to our gate number. As we walk toward it, the sounds of the airport fade into the background, leaving just the two of us and the steady rhythm of our steps. My hand rests on my stomach instinctively, a gesture that’s become second nature. I still can’t quite believe it—that amidst all the chaos, something so pure, so good, could grow inside me.

I only found out a week ago, which only made us accelerate our plans faster.

Diego notices, like he always does, and his hand brushes against mine before settling over my belly. His touch is warm, protective, and it sends a wave of comfort through me.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asks softly, his voice grounding me like it always does. “Do you need to lay down? I told you that we could have flown privately to give you a little more comfort with baby.”

I shake my head. “No, I'm fine. I’m just…happy.” And that is the truth. I have never felt so at ease in my entire life. This little human growing inside of me is the cherry on top of it all. A rebirth, a chance of beginning again. “I was just thinking about everything.”

“Penny for your thoughts?” His eyes move from my face down to my belly and then back again.

I stop walking and turn to face him, the bustling terminal blurring around us. His dark eyes search mine, and I see everything there—concern, love, hope. For the first time in what feels like forever, I don’t feel the need to guard myself, to put up walls.

“I was thinking about how far we’ve come,” I admit, my voice trembling slightly. “Everything we’ve lost... everything we’ve survived. And now, we’re here. Together. It doesn’t feel real yet. It’s like I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop on me.”

Diego steps closer, his hands finding my waist as he pulls me gently toward him. His touch steadies me, anchoring me in this moment. “It’s real, Camille, believe it,” he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion. “We made it.”

Tears well up in my eyes, and I let them fall because, for once, they’re not tears of pain or fear. They’re tears of relief, of gratitude, of love.

“I don’t know what I would’ve done without you,” I whisper. “Even when I hated you, even when I swore I’d never forgive you, you were always there. You never gave up on me.”

Diego exhales shakily, his forehead resting against mine. “I’ll never stop fighting for you, Camille. For us. You’re everything to me. I didn’t know what love was until you. And now... I can’t imagine my life without you.”

His words wrap around my heart, and I know they’re true. Diego doesn’t just love me—he’s chosen me, time and time again, through the darkest moments. He’s risked everything for me, and now he’s here, ready to build a life together.

“I love you,” I say, the words slipping out as naturally as breathing. They hang in the air between us, charged with all the emotion I’ve held back for so long. “I love you, Diego. More than I ever thought I could.”

A soft, almost disbelieving smile spreads across his face, and he cups my cheek with one hand, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. “Say it again,” he whispers, his voice unsteady.

“I love you,” I repeat, my voice stronger this time, filled with the certainty I feel deep in my soul.

Diego closes the distance between us, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that’s slow and tender, yet filled with all the passion we’ve fought so hard to protect. In that moment, it feels like the rest of the world falls away, leaving just us and the promise of a future we’ve both earned.

When we finally pull apart, his forehead rests against mine again, and his hand slips back to my stomach. “You’ve given me more than I ever deserved,” he says quietly. “You’ve given me a second chance, a family... hope. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving I’m worthy of you—both of you.”

“You already are,” I reply, my voice unwavering. “We’ve both made mistakes, Diego. But we’ve also saved each other. And that’s what matters.”

The final boarding call for our flight echoes through the terminal, and Diego takes my hand, lacing his fingers with mine. We move toward the gate together, stepping into a future that’s no longer weighed down by the past.

As the plane takes off, I glance out the window, the city shrinking beneath us. For the first time, I feel free. Free to live, to love, to hope. I lean my head against Diego’s shoulder, his arm wrapping around me protectively, and close my eyes.

The darkness is behind us now. Ahead is a world of possibility, of new beginnings. And for the first time in years, I truly believe we’re going to be okay.

Together, we’ve found the light. And together, we’ll keep it burning.

THE END