Page 130 of A Duet of Darkness and Dreams

“Al.”

I scoff and shake my head.

“Dave?”

“You were so upset about that Simon creep and worried you’d never get an internship, and I—” I bite my lip. “I just wanted you to be happy. I figured if I had the chance to help you, I would do anything.”

“So why not tell me—”

“Because I was falling in love with you.”

Her eyes dart across my face as they glisten in the reflective light.

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to know how I felt. Because if you knew . . . you’d fight harder, and I was losing every shred of self-control I had around you day by day.”

Her hands trace along my shoulders until they cup the sides of my jaw. “But why fight this if it’s always been what you wanted?”

My chin dips into the water. “I was terrified of loving you more than I loved my dream. That somehow, I couldn’t have both.”

She nods. “So what changed?”

“With Emily, I always had to prove her wrong. Prove to her that I was destined for more than what my father expected of me.But you—” I follow the bead of water that trails down her forehead to the tip of her nose. “I never had to prove anything to you. You’ve believed in me from day one and never made me think what I wanted wasn’t possible. In truth, a lot of those things, youmadepossible.”

I move toward her, our chests brushing together under the water. “It wasn’t because I was lucky. It was you the whole time. And if I let you leave, I would be cursing myself.”

Her lips tremble.

“I love you, Izzy,” I whisper, brushing my lips against hers. “I’ve loved you from the moment I wrote my name on that perfect shoulder. Please forgive me, and I’ll never push you away again.”

For a moment that feels like an eternity she stares at me. “So, what do you want, then?” she whispers, her fingers playing in the wet hair at the nape of my neck.

“I want you to take a chance on me. I know that’s asking a lot after everything I’ve done. It’s asking the world. I don’t care how complicated this gets, I want you, and if I don’t ask you to be mine, I will regret it for the rest of my life.”

My heart pounds when she says nothing amongst the gentle lapping of the water between us, and I think maybe all of this will fall apart again and she’ll disappear. That she’s just a figment of my imagination. Then she smiles and it’s possible my heart skips three whole beats.

“You played my song,” she says simply.

I shake my head, rubbing our noses together. “No, Disco Girl, I playedoursong.”

CHAPTER 40

Crazy For You

ISABELLA

Our song.

It’s miraculous that, after everything, something could be ours. I pull his face toward me, our lips fitting together perfectly, passionately, hungrily. God, how I’ve missed his kisses—it’s as if they breathe new life into my lungs. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull his body even closer. His muscled chest presses against my nipples and his massive length hardens against my belly. I roll my body against his and he groans against my mouth.

“Fuck, Izzy, let me show you how much I want you to be mine,” he rasps.

I lean my head back and he sucks on my neck, bruising the sensitive skin. “I believe I brought a pass for that.”

He pauses and pulls back to look at me. I can barely keep my smile contained as I lift my hand with the adhesive bandage from the water to show him the wristband hanging there. His eyes widen in horror.

“Wha— I . . . How did you—” he stutters.

I kiss him quickly. “I found them that first night on the bus.”

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