Page 99 of Secret Bratva Baby
“Trust me. He’s happier,” he grins at me.
I smile and take another sip of my coffee. How did I get so lucky?
Slipping my fingers through his, I hold his hand against my leg all the way to Jade’s house.
As soon as our car parks in her long driveway, she’s already running down the steps towards us.
She grabs me in a fierce hug and refuses to let me go.
Thank goodness I left my coffee on the bonnet of the car; otherwise, it would have been squished between us now.
“I’m so happy you’re okay. Oh my word, we were so scared for you. I’m so sorry you went through that. Are you okay? Are you hurt?” She pulls away, holding me at arm’s length, searching my face. “That’s a nasty bruise,” she gasps.
“It’s nothing. Honestly, I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”
Jade glances at her brother with her eyes narrowed. “Mm,” she says, her lips curling at the corners. “I see. So, he finally plucked up the courage to stop denying how he felt.”
“What?” he says, wanting to defend himself.
“Oh, please. We couldall see it.Even Ark, who is as emotional blind as an old, deaf bat.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Luka grins, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me against his side as we walk towards the house.
“Sure, okay. We’ll pretend for you. No problem.” Jade waves her hand in the air, not accepting her brother’s nonsense.
He leans close and whispers to me, “She’s right. I’ve been madly in love with you this entire time. I was a fool. An idiot. I should have told you the moment I set my eyes on you again.”
“I heard that,” Jade says over her shoulder, pushing the front door open to let us in. “The kids are in the back.”
“How has she been?” I ask.
Jade giggles.
“She’s exactly like her father, especially when he was a kid. Wow, she’s—brave. And confident.”
“Please tell me she didn’t drive you crazy?” I ask, scrunching my nose.
“No, the opposite. My little one is quite shy, and she pulled him right out of his shell. It was really incredible to watch them. They are the absolute best of friends now. I don’t know how you’re going to convince her to go home with you,” she teases.
I laugh as I follow Jade out into the back garden and find Lily and her cousins building the most unstable blanket fort I’ve ever seen. Pillows on top of pillows and blankets over chairs and a giant blow-up turtle that they’ve obviously stolen from the pool house.
“They kept demanding materials. I kept delivering,” Jade gestures toward the chaos.
Luka lets go of me and tiptoes towards the kids. They are so focused, they don’t see him coming.
I watch him leap out and give them all a fright, then lift Lily in the air and spin her around, a blanket trailing after them because she’s refusing to let it go.
Tears fill my eyes, and I try to swallow them away, but I can’t.
Jade reaches out to touch my arm. “Honey?”
“I’m okay.”
“It’s okay if you’re not okay,” she says quietly.
“I didn’t think I’d see her again,” I whisper.
Jade wraps her arm around me.
