Page 311 of Rosetti Family New York
I place my hand on the door's smooth surface. Seven days of a barrier between me and the world, and now nothing stands between me and freedom except my own decision.
"I could walk out right now," I observe.
"Yes."
"And you wouldn't stop me."
"No."
I look at his face, noticing the small signs of emotions he's trying to hide. The slight tension around his eyes showing he's expecting loss. The way his jaw tightens to hold back words he won't say. The complete stillness from forcing his instincts to stay in check.
"Why aren't you trying to convince me to stay?"
"Because if I have to convince you, then you're not really making a decision." His voice lowers in a way that makes my heart race, even now. "And I've spent years looking for a woman who decides. Not one who's forced."
His words open something in my chest. All this patience, all this work, leading to this moment when he steps back and trusts me to see what he's offering clearly enough to want it for myself.
"I hate that you tracked me across continents," I say quietly.
"I know."
"I hate that you built this place without my permission."
"I know."
"I hate that you know things about me I've never told anyone."
"I know." His voice softens a bit. "What else?"
"I hate that you've made me feel more secure in seven days than I've felt in all this time of protecting myself." The confession comes from a place that's real and raw. "I hate that leaving feels like choosing loneliness over love. Choosing my own pride instead of… instead of happiness."
He takes a deep breath, steadying himself. "And?"
"And I hate that I'm going to stay anyway." The words come out before I can lose my courage. "Not because I have to, not because you've trapped me, but because leaving you feels like leaving the best thing that's ever happened to me."
His expression changes dramatically. Surprise turns into deep relief that almost makes his knees give way. He steadies himself against the wall, his eyes locked on mine.
"You're staying," he says, like he needs to hear it again to believe it.
"I'm staying." I step away from the door, away from freedom, moving toward the man who's become the center of my world. "But on conditions."
"Name them."
"No more watching me without consent. No more tracking my movements. No more making decisions about my life without me." I move closer, until we're sharing the air between us. "If I'm choosing this, I'm choosing partnership. Not just protection."
"Agreed." The word comes out right away, no hesitation. "Anything else?"
"Yes." I reach up to touch his jaw, feeling the slight shake in him at the simple touch. "I want you to understand that I'm not giving up control. I'm choosing to share mine."
His smile is as cold as winter and stunningly beautiful. "I've been waiting three years to hear you say that."
15
Mara
The alarm breaks the early morning silence. My eyes pop open in the large bed where I've been sleeping alone. It's been eight days since Emilio brought me home, and one day since I decided to stay.
He never comes here with me; his anxiety keeps him from relaxing, even though the woman he was chasing is no longer on the run.
