Page 143 of Merry Fake Bride

Far away.

Because Devon is above me and that’s all that matters.

“Devon…”

“I’m so sorry, oh my God, how did this happen? How did this get so fucked? Your leg—and Martin, oh my God.”

She’s back over me, clutching my face and shoulder while scarcely able to breathe.

“Devon…”

“What do I do? How do I fix this? Where’s your phone? Oh God, oh God?—”

“Devon…” I reach for her, and her frantic panic calms when my hand cups the side of her warm neck.

Her hair spills past my wrist and caresses my forearm, her eyes sparkle with the tears clinging to her lashes, and blood stains the side of her face.

She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

“Kairo,” she gasps. “I’m sorry?—”

“No, I’m sorry. I never should have trapped you in the penthouse or forced you to stay there. I never should have done that. I’m so sorry.”

“What?” She swallows hard. “That hardly matters right now!”

“No, it does. It matters.”

“No, because if you’re talking like that, it’s like you think you won’t be able to tell me later and I?—”

A sob tears from her chest as a rumbling gradually fills the air around us.

It’s subtle at first but it’s rapidly increasing, and the noise brings a sense of comfort to my heart.

“I’m apologizing because it’s important. I misread everything. I just wanted to keep you safe and in turn, I pushed you away.”

“Shut up,” Devon sobs, lightly shoving my chest with her hands. “Don’t talk like that!”

“I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you, just shut up and?—”

She cuts herself off and looks up, squinting hard as a new set of lights floods the street and blinds her.

She ducks her hand and her fingers curl into my chest, her body tense until car doors open and the rest of my security team pour out.

As soon as Devon recognizes the men she’d seen around the gala, she slumps against me with a whimper.

“I’m sorry,” she gasps. “Everything’s such a mess.”

“No, it’s not.” The cold numbs my leg, my fear for Martin eases with my team here, and Devon’s alive.

That’s all that matters. I cup her face and draw her attention back to me. “Look at me.”

She does, and everything else melts away. “Kairo…”

“I love you, Devon. Iloveyou.”

As the team busies around us, tending to Martin and trying to talk to me, nothing reaches me other than the soft gasp from Devon and the sweet, precious taste of her lips against mine.