Page 62 of Merciless Oath

For a second, I’m shocked, realizing how long we’ve been here.Weren’t we only coming for a weekend? How long have we been here now?

Between the search for Alexandra and the whimsical magic of this house, I’ve completely lost track of time.

One more day,I decide.Enough time for Matilda to have her pony-riding, princess-marathon birthday celebration, and then we’re heading back to reality.

I push those thoughts out of my head for now and gently rub her arm. She stirs, and a sleepy little smile lights up her face when she sees me.

“Good morning,” I whisper, giving her a kiss. “Guess who’s six today?”

“Me,” she whispers back. “It’s me!”

“And what’s your birthday wish this year?”

She wrinkles her brow, thinking deeply.

Matilda’s never been one to ask for toys or presents—every year on her birthday, she thinks long and hard about her wish and chooses something that always surprises me. Last year, it was time alone with me, so we spent a day at the beach, just the two of us.

“I don’t wanna say it,” she finally whispers, her mood shifting.

I nod, knowing exactly what she’s thinking. She wants to meet her dad—a request she used to make often, but has given up on after being disappointed with my answer too many times.

“Is it about a person?” I ask, trying to weasel it out of her. She nods, turning her head away. “Is it about your daddy?”

“Yes.”

Her voice is so tiny and sad that my heart shatters into pieces.

I’ve hated hiding the truth from her, but at the time, I truly thought it was the best option. As far as I knew, Enzo was a scumbag who sold our love away, but now…

“You want to meet him?” I ask gently. She nods, one tiny little nod. “What if I told you that you can?”

She freezes, processing this new information. I watch intently as her face transforms into pure joy.

“Now?”

“Soon,” I promise.

“Today? Is he coming to my birthday?” she asks, bouncing up and down on the bed, full of giddy delight. I suck in a deep breath, trying account for every possible outcome.

What if Enzo doesn’t want her to know? What if she finds out it’s him and is disappointed? What if they bond and he leaves again? What if this thing between him and me is just a nostalgia-fueled hookup? What if… what if… what if?

“Yes,” I finally breathe, because I can’t say no to that face. I’ve never seen Matilda look so at peace before. “Yes, he’s coming.”

“Enzo,” I say quietly when he bursts into the kitchen, “I need to talk to you.”

I stack up Matilda’s pink heart-shaped pancakes and deliver them to her at the table with a flourish. Rafael cuts up tiny pink pieces for Rosie as Lux devours a stack of her own.

Enzo glances fondly at the pancakes but nods and follows me into the living room.

“Listen …”

Before I can launch into my speech, he grabs me and kisses me so deeply that we sink into the oversized sofa. When he finally breaks our kiss, I’m actually a little dizzy.

He leans back against the cushions, still bundled in Rafael’s old puffy winter coat, grinning adorably.

“You need to stop kissing me so I don’t lose any more brain cells,” I warn, placing my hand on his chest to steady myself and realize I’m straddling him.

How the hell did I get in this position?

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