Page 37 of Dr. Do-Right
I shook my head at his apology. He’d made his decisions, and I knew he’d probably still help her if he had the chance again. “I just wish you’d have taken threats against your life as seriously as you took them against mine.”
His lips brushing against my wrist was the only response I got. The grim determination in his eyes was answer enough. He felt perfectly fine taking risks with his own life, but he’d stop at nothing to protect me. Infuriating. And so damn sweet. That look knocked the breath out of my lungs.
It was love. Fierce and true. Even in the face of all the chaos and sadness of the day, my heart swelled. I’d known he was attracted to me. Liked me. Assumed that maybe he even was on his way to loving me, but all my assumptions were obliterated in the face of the stark reality.
This man loved me as much as I loved him. In a big, sweeping,this is itkind of way. He’d upended his world for me—not just to give us a chance at a relationship, but to give us a chance to start our lives together. I swallowed back tears, reaching over to grip his forearm.
“They’re very close. Great friends.” Sonia’s voice broke the spell that had fallen over me and Mal. I blinked, my gaze darting back to where she was staring at my hands.Crap. I’d known that we’d have to tell Sonia that we were together, but the thought had taken a backseat to everything else going on today.
But now she washere, in Mal’s apartment, which was also pretty much mine. My brain stuttered as I tried to remember the speech I’d prepared two weeks ago.
It seemed like a lifetime had passed since then.
“Sonnie, we—”
“Of course, I’m herbestfriend and she never looked at me like that. Like she wants to have my babies.” Sonia craned her head,addressing Grayson as he walked through the room. “When’s the last time you planted a desperate kiss on a pal’s hand, huh? Looked soulfully into their eyes like your next breath depended on it?”
The man in question smirked but didn’t respond. As he made his way to the office where the security team had set up their temporary headquarters, his bright, moss-green eyes danced in our direction. They saw right through us.
Apparently, so did Sonia.
Mal shifted, setting his wine down on the coffee table. I did the same, leaning forward to brace my arms on my legs.
I took a breath. “Sonnie—”
“For fuck’s sake, cut the drama! Are you together or not? Because I swear to God, I have been gone for two weeks and if you two haven’t gotten with the program, I will lock you in a room and blast Marvin Gaye through the door, if I have to.” She eyed us, exasperated, as she took a sip of her wine.
My mouth dropped open. “You…?” I gasped at the same time Malachi’s incredulous “What?” echoed through the room. Sonia rolled her eyes.
“Guys, I’m flighty. Not stupid. You two have been making gross sexy eyes at each other for months.Years, even. I’d have to be completely blind and on another planet not to see it.” She took another sip before putting her glass down on the table with ours.
“But you said I had to stay away. Keep my hands off?”
Sonnie scoffed, leaning forward to place her hands over our tightly clenched fingers. “It is amazing and stupid that you took something I said years ago so seriously. It’s been obvious over these last few months that you were falling for him. I brought it up again as, like, a joke. I kept waiting for you to tell me, Ri. Both of you.” Her attention flickered to Mal before landing back on my face. “When you didn’t, I figured I was standing in the way.I tried to tell you right before I left, but shit-for-brains over here interrupted us.”
She flicked Mal’s arm affectionately. He grumbled and brushed her off, but she continued. “Rija, I know you’re not going anywhere. You’re like a sister to me. Now, I see there’s enough of you for both of us. I just want you to be happy.Both of you.” She repeated, flicking Mal again, this time on his earlobe.
“That’swhy you left so suddenly for New York?” he demanded, batting her hand away from his head. Sonia threw her hands in the air.
“Yes, my God, I practically told you two to maul each other, hoping to break the seal. Please tell me it worked because I’ve got to come back home eventually and Jesus Christ, thepiningyou two have been doing is giving me an ulcer.”
“Sonia…” I trailed off, shaking my head in disbelief. I’d been worried for so long about her reaction to me and Mal’s relationship, and here she was actively trying to throw us together?
I felt like I’d been held up by strings, the tension pulling me taught, and all at once, they’d been snipped. I was strangely loose. Tired and floppy. Like I could breathe for the first time in six months. My head fell forward. “Why didn’t you say anything? I’ve been freaking out.”
“Why didn’tyousay anything?” She huffed as I felt Mal’s warm fingers massaging the back of my neck. “I thought you weren’t sure yet, or something? I’m not trying to pimp my brother out unless it’s for true love, you know? So?” She had the audacity to sound likewewere the frustrating ones. “Are you together or not? Because I will get creative if I need to.”
I raised my head, eyes landing on Mal, who shook his head. Brown eyes danced with laughter.
“Yes, we’re together,” he murmured. A softer version of that fierce, raw affection from earlier took over his face.
“Yeah, I…kind of live here now.” A disbelieving breath huffed out of me. Because it was true, and I was telling Sonnie and she didn’t look mad or disappointed. Her lips softened into a quiet smile. Her hands reached towards mine, and our fingers grasped. Best friends. Thicker than thieves. Sisters.
“And you’re happy?” she whispered, as if it were even a question.
“Yes,” I whispered back. I glanced up at Mal when he eased a few strands of hair out of my face.
“Very,” he agreed, grinning down at me. “Present circumstances excluded, of course.”
