Page 136 of Scandalous

Liam hums a moment. “True. We have had some pretty deep lows, but the highs make it worth it. We went through hell, but we are still standing here in each other’s arms. I never left, and you never gave up. Aurora is going to stay too. The only question is, are you ready for that? Are you willing to hold on to her and not let her escape your grasp, even when your demons come calling?”

The thought of never seeing Aurora again hits me like a Mack truck. It’s so sudden I have to suck in a breath. The pain in my chest multiplies.

I can’t lose her.

“I love her,” I whisper to Liam. “I will fight for her to the death.”

He pats me on my shoulder before pulling my face up to his for a sweet kiss.

“I think you need to tell her that. Don’t let her get away. We won’t survive without her.”

I nod, pushing off him to go find her.

When I spot her, I smile. She’s standing next to Santi, steering the boat. Santi, the big softy, is letting her, even though she told me before that driving anything scares her.

I shake my head, coming up behind them.

“Hey Santi. Can I borrow Aurora for five minutes? Then I’ll bring her right back.”

He looks back at me and nods. “Of course, man. Whatever you need.”

Aurora lets him take over, coming to my side. I grab her hand, leading her to the back of the boat so we can watch the pattern it makes in the water.

“This is such a beautiful place,” she says, looking over the island.

“It is. You are even more beautiful though.”

She blushes, tucking into my side.

I clear my throat. “It’s not that I don’t love you.”

She steps forward, cutting me off. “Honestly, you don’t have to explain.”

“But I do. Like I was saying,” I say, raising a brow. “It’s not that I don’t love you. That’s not why I didn’t say it earlier. I do. I love you very much. You caught me off guard. I’ve only ever had the guys in my life. They are the only ones who have ever said those words to me. So to hear them from you was a dream come true, but I was shocked. As much as I hoped you would, I never thought it would happen. I thought all of this was just a pipe dream.”

Aurora moves in my arms until she’s facing me, her arms looped around my neck. “You are one of the best men I know. Why wouldn’t I love you? You take care of me in ways I’ve never had before. Honestly, you’ve spoiled me. I had no chance with you. You rigged the game until I had no choice but to fall in love with you.”

I swallow hard. “I think I’ve loved you since the moment I saw your picture. I swear you became an obsession.”

“I don’t mind being your obsession as long as you can be mine too,” she jokes, leaning up to kiss me.

I kiss her back hard. “Of course. You can have anything you want.”

She laughs lightly. “See? Spoiled.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

* * *

Drake looked serious when he came and grabbed Aurora from me earlier. When they came back, he was like a new man. Whatever he needed from her, she gave it to him.

It makes me happy to see him more carefree. Aurora did that for him.

She did that for all of us.

She was this beacon in the dark that we were so desperately trying to find. Now that we have her, I have no plans of ever letting her go.

After throwing down the anchor, I check to make sure everything is good.

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