Page 58 of Secret Bratva Baby
She nods slowly, shifting closer to me.
I set the book back down on the nightstand, grabbing another chicken nugget. She takes one, too.
We snuggle quietly for a moment.
“Rose, I’m so sorry for what I did.”
She shifts to look at me, still chewing, and she shyly covers her mouth with her hand. Her brows furrow.
“I’m talking about when I left you. When I pushed you away.”
She swallows, then bites her bottom lip, moving uncomfortably.
She doesn’t say anything.
“If I could go back in time, I would. I would change everything that happened. On one hand, I think it’s unfair that I ever introduced myself to you, but I had no idea we would get so close so quickly. I had no idea I was going to fall in love with you like that.
“Maybe it would have been better if we never met, but I will never, ever say that I want that to be true. I pushed you away because I was worried about your safety. Even in the months that we were together, my family got more and more involvedwith the mafia, and I thought—I thought it wasn’t fair to put you at risk like that.”
“So, you discarded me like I meant nothing,” she whispers, pain in her voice.
I brush my fingers through her hair. “I realize it feels that way, but you never meant anything to me. You were my entire world. All I wanted was for you to have a better life than the one I could offer.” I sigh. “I’m so, so sorry, Rose.”
Rose sits quietly, her body curved against mine, her breathing even.
Seconds tick slowly past us.
Finally, she turns to look at me, and her ocean eyes are bright and clear.
“I accept your apology, Luka. I understand why you thought it was for the best,” she sighs. “I forgive you.”
Her words flood over me.
My entire body releases the tension it has been gripping.
I let out a breath of relief.
Mila sends a message that she’s taking Lily out for ice cream.
I reply to ask her if she can please spend the night, making sure Lily has a bath after dinner and gets to bed around eight.
Rose and I talk for hours until we fall asleep.
In the morning, I wake up with a smile on my face before I even realize she’s still curled up in my arms, her body pressed against mine, and her cheek resting on my chest.
She’s fast asleep, her arm draped over my chest.
I brush my fingers across her cheek, tucking her hair away from her face.
Fuck, she’s beautiful.
“Hello.”
I jump in fright, my heart racing wildly.
Peering over the foot of the bed are two little blue eyes. Lily has her hands on the bed and she’s standing on her tiptoes, watching us.
“Hello, sneaky bunny,” I chuckle.
