Page 147 of Rosetti Family New York
“To hell with them,” I say.
“I thought you were a smart man,” she says.
“Not where you’re concerned.”
She looks at me, eyes wide and raw.
“They won’t see me the same after this, you know,” she says
I don’t hesitate. “They’re not the ones I married,” I shoot back. “You really think I give a damn what they see?”
Her laugh this time is a sharp exhale.
“You always cared, Dom,” she says. “They’re your family, and you’ve always cared.”
“So are you,” I say. It comes out as an almost feral growl. “I don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks, Besiana. I’m not letting you go.”
“And you’re really sure?”
I pull her to me, my fingers wrapping around her waist. She feels so solid, so real, and I’ve missed this more than I’ll ever admit. I tug her even closer, my breath hot against her ear. “Don’t make me say it again.”
We walk the streets for a while, letting the cold air fill the space between us. But it’s not the same as before. This silence feels comfortable, like a bruise that’s healing, a wound that’s finally closing. My arm drapes over her shoulders, keeping the rest of the world away.
We’re not fixed, not yet. There are cracks everywhere. But we’re not shattered, either.
“Where do we go from here?” she asks, and she sounds unsure. Unsure but not afraid. “Back to the Rosetti mansion? My father will—”
“Forget him,” I cut in. She needs to know I mean it. “Forget all of them.” I hold her gaze, making sure she understands. “Somewhere new. Just us.”
“Somewhere new,” she says. “A house of our own?”
“We’ll find one,” I promise.
Her eyes search mine. “Can we celebrate holidays?”
It’s an odd request, too ordinary, too tender. “You mean,” I say, a grin spreading across my face, “like normal people?”
Her laughter is different this time. Low. Surprised. “Yeah. Like normal people.”
“Of course,” I say, pulling her even closer. “Normal doesn’t sound so bad.”
32
Besiana
I'm tangled up with Dom in the penthouse suite of the Aman Hotel. The room smells of us—raw and new—like the power’s shifted, balanced. For once, I feel it’s my choice to be here. I press closer, feeling his heartbeat match my own, and the words slip out before I can swallow them back.
"I love you."
It's like diving off a cliff and finding I can fly. His smile, the way he pulls me to him, tells me he feels the same.
I let the moment wrap around me, soft as the sheets tangled around our legs. It's strange and wonderful to feel this way, as if my life isn’t prewritten, as if my choices are my own. I hold my breath and the words hover between us, heavy with truth. Dom looks at me with those sharp green eyes that see more than I ever want to show, but right now, I don't care. I want him to see me.
"You say it like it’s a confession," he says, a teasing lilt in his voice.
I smile, letting myself relax into him. "Feels like one."
His hand cups the back of my neck, and he draws me in, kissing me. Everything about this is new and terrifying, but thethrill is in the free fall. He pulls away just enough to speak against my lips. "I love you, too."
