Page 162 of Before Dawn

When he looked at me, it was as if he saw every part of me without hesitation. He never once asked me to be anything other than who I was, which made me feel more like a woman than anything else ever had.

One night, when my anxiety had me feeling so weak I couldn’t stand without thinking I might fall, he held me close and sang every song from Lana’sBorn to Diealbum. The circumstances were far from perfect—he’d just returned from his Singapore work trip, and I felt guilty for dragging him into my chaos. But his voice, filled with heart and love, made everything feel like it was exactly what I needed.

Adjusting to his prominence came with its challenges. I never imagined I’d walk through Times Square and see Mikkel’s face towering above, the headline bold:Elite Rides Expands—Meet the Man Behind the Multi-Billion Dollar Empire.

I let it sink in—the weight of his success, the eyes drawn to him. Pride swelled in my chest, and that night, we celebrated in every way possible.

My mom, however, found it hilarious, joking, “You’re dating the Dominican Denzel Washington!”

She adored Mikkel. Every FaceTime felt like a chat between old friends—she’d ask about him, how he was doing, and when he’d visit. Honestly, I think she loved him more than me, and I was perfectly fine with that. Seeing her welcome him so warmly made me happy.

As for his parents, I had a few nerve-wracking FaceTimes with them. We hadn’t met in person yet, but their happiness for him put me at ease. His mom even sent me the sweetest daily Spanish prayers, which I started saving.

Oh, and speaking of Spanish, I’d been using Duolingo more often. At this point, I was basically fluent or at least that’s what the green bird kept telling me. Sometimes I’d thought it was just trying to get me to level upfaster to escape my endless attempts at pronunciation. But hey, if it didn’t, I’d just blame it on the bird, right?

It had been a whirlwind—a chaotic, messy, beautiful whirlwind. And I wouldn’t change a thing.

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the salon, feeling like a brand-new woman. After ten long hours, my 30-inch boho faux locs were finally done, and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. Mikkel had stayed with me for the first five hours before leaving for a meeting, but as expected, his pristine white Range Rover was parked at the curb, gleaming under the streetlights. Technically, it was mine—a graduation gift from him—but I rarely drove it. Being his passenger princess was just too tempting.

I slid into the car, barely settling before he pulled me close for a kiss—warm, full of love, making everything else fade away.

When he pulled back, he looked at me in awe, his eyes wide. “You look absolutely breathtaking,” he gushed, his voice full of admiration. “I mean, seriously, this is… wow. You’ve always been beautiful, but this?” He shook his head, his smile growing. “Me estás matando, Red.84”

“You always know just what to say,” I said in response, and he just kissed me.

Before I could even say I was hungry, he handed me a Chipotle bowl with chips and queso—like he’d read my mind. Then, to my surprise, he pulled out a box of cookies in different flavors for us to try. We sat in the car, tasting and laughing at our favorites, until we hit a flavor so bad that neither of us could stomach it.

“Some things we can definitely live without,” he grimaced.

I playfully slapped his hand.“Mikkel.”

“Am I wrong?”

“Nope.”

“I’ve had better things in my mouth,” he added, his tone teasing.

“Interesting. Like what?” I challenged, arching an eyebrow.

“Your pussy,” he said without hesitation.

Icouldn’t believe he just said that.“Mikkel Suarez.”

He chuckled softly. “It’s true.”

I tried to keep my composure, but the way he looked at me made it impossible not to blush. “You’re dirty.”

“A luxury reserved just for you,mi reina.85”

I caught Mikkel’s gaze as he looked at me, his eyes softer than usual, filled with a tenderness that made my heart flutter.

“You’ve got that look,” I said, teasing but with a hint of curiosity.

He stared, drinking me in, then slowly reached over, two fingers guiding my face closer.

“I’m just admiring how your beautiful soul shines through you, making you glow with happiness, baby.”

The words lingered, sinking in as he kissed me—soft and fleeting. I sat there, thoughts swirling. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard.

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