Page 88 of Sapphire Storm

The man who showed me how to touch the sky. You haveopened my heart in a way that has made clear to me how firmly it was closedbefore this week.

No one has ever stood up for me the way you’re standingup for me now.

No one has ever protected me like this.

No matter what happens, I will always in some sense, insome part of my soul, feel what you are doing for me now, the same way I’llalways feel your warmth and your joy as we flew together above the cliffs andthe sea.

But you must know the risks of what you’re doing.

You must know that Diana cannot be trusted to keep theterms of even this awful agreement. The morning you left, she ordered Hank tosend me a text from your phone making it sound as if you’d deliberately seducedme and then left me to get revenge for your father.

If she doesn’t get what she wants out of this, there’sno telling what she will do to you next.

I can barely sleep knowing you are under her controllike this. Rachel and I have spoken at length. If you want to leave wherevershe’s taken you, if you want to abandon this sham wedding, you have myblessing.

I don’t care what the consequences are to me or mycareer. I won’t have you held hostage and abused like this because of my pastand my choices.

Whatever happens, I will figure out what comes next.

For both of us. But I will not, under any circumstances,make you pay an ever-increasing price to this woman.

If you want out of there, if you don’t want to gothrough with this, Rachel has agreed to defy her mother and bring you home. Andif she does, I will be here waiting for you as if we’d never parted, as if wewoke up together in that hotel room in San Diego with the memory of our magicalnight together in La Jolla still fresh in our minds.

Love,

Ethan

“What did I say?” Rachel hissed when she saw Roman’s tears.

“I’m trying,” he whispered.

“Guys!” Diana barked. “We have work to do. Come on!”

“We’ll be right in,” Rachel called back.

Diana threw up her hands and started venting herfrustrations to Melanie in a voice he couldn’t hear.

“So what do you say?” Rachel whispered. “You ready to startWorld War III, and damn the consequences?”

Roman couldn’t look up from Ethan’s beautiful, steadypenmanship. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying. Are you going to talk to him? Imean, there’s no landline and she won’t let me have a phone.”

“I’ll try calling him tonight when everyone’s asleep. Maybethey won’t watch me like they’re watching you.”

Roman took a deep breath. “Tell him this is all my fault andit’s mine to fix. Tell him if I’d never tried to come for him, none of thiswould have happened, and I’ve got no choice but to make it right.”

Rachel swallowed and shook her head. “You know she’s notgoing to let you see him before the wedding, right? You know she was lying,right?”

“I do now,” Roman whispered, “but I’ve got no choice. I’mdone being some crazy kid. I’ve got to see this through. For him.”

Now it was Rachel fighting tears. “Oh, Romy. You sweet,stupid, beautiful boy.”

Diana’s voice shattered the moment. “Guys, enough of this!Come inside and—”

“Mom, please!”

Diana jerked as if she’d been slapped. A stunned silenceseemed to settle over the entire property. Nature itself was reacting to themonumental event of Rachel clapping back at her mother for the first time.Roman watched as Diana marshaled the performance of an injured party—handfloating up to her chest as she shook her head in dumb shock, turning andstumbling back inside as if the wind had been knocked out of her.

Once she’d managed a deep breath, Rachel said, “Clearly Iwas ready to fight for you, Romy.”

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