Page 61 of Fanged Secrets
And today, it felt like the right time to make something more of it.
“Come on.” I sat up suddenly, stealing myself in the decision I had been tiptoeing around all week, pulling Amara gently from the bed. “I want to show you something.”
Amara raised an eyebrow, curious but trusting as she climbed out of bed. She tugged on one of my T-shirts and I hurriedly wriggled into my discarded clothes that had been tossed from the bed the night before. Amara’s back was turned for a moment, but it was enough time to slip something important into my pocket.
She followed me up the stairs to the rooftop. I led her to the center, where a small bench sat amidst the flowers, and took Amara’s hands in mine, holding them tightly and praying my courage wouldn’t fail me as it had so often before.
“Amara,” I began, my voice surprisingly steady despite the nervous flutter in my chest.
I released her hands to sign as I spoke, earnestly gesturing with recently developed expertise.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about us – about everything we’ve been through. And I know things haven’t always been easy. And I’ve been a complete ass through most of it. But you… you make me want to be better.”
Amara’s eyes softened, a hint of emotion flickering across her features. “Dylan...”
“I know this is sudden, but I can’t wait anymore,” I continued, forcing myself to meet her eye. “Look, when we got married, it wasn’t for love. We were basically enemies, and you were annoying – sorry – and I was rude, and it was an all-around shit show at the start.”
“But,” I sucked in a breath, staring down at the ground before meeting her eyes again, “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Amara. I want to face whatever comes next, together, if you’ll have me. And I want it to be your choice. Not something someone else has chosen for you. So...”
I released one of her hands and reached into my pocket, overexplaining myself along the way.
“You don’t have to decide right now, or ever really. You can even walk out that door and I won’t stop you, I swear.
“But, if it suits you…” I pulled out a dainty, elegant ring – a silver band with a single, brilliant gemstone that caught the light just right. “… will you marry me?”
For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Amara’s eyes widened, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as she stared at the ring, and I wondered if I'd made a grave mistake. Then, slowly, tears welled in her eyes, and she nodded, unable to speak as the emotions overwhelmed her.
“Yes, you idiot,” she finally whispered, her voice breaking with emotion as she tumbled into my arms. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
She kissed me and I kissed her back, sliding the ring onto her finger. Free from her constrictive former life, she could have made a million different choices. But she chose me. Just as I chose her. Over and over again. I would always, unshakably, choose her.
Chapter 30
Amara
The cemetery was empty, save for the decrepit groundskeeper sweeping dry leaves from the walkway. The sun was dipping below the horizon, final rays draping lovingly over the gravestones, bathing them in a golden light. I knelt before one of them, a simple, unadorned stone that bore the name of my sister.
Don had done his best to erase her, but now, finally, she had more than a blank stone to mark her resting place. She had a title, a name, and a parting inscription:Beloved sister and best friend.
The earth beneath my knees was solid, grounding me as I gazed at the words, fingers tracing the letters, trying to reach through time and touch the past.
It had been months since the final confrontation with my father. The old mansion was no longer mine to visit, sold off and left to fade into someone else’s history. Don’s gang had been dismantled, the pieces scattered, never to be reassembled.I heard Carlo had gotten into hairdressing. He sent me a fruit basket and a sincere apology for not punching Don in the face when he had the chance.
I had watched it all unravel, the life I had once known crumbling away, leaving me standing in the ashes of what had been.
I thought back to Aliyah, to the sister I had adored and lost too soon. Our childhood had been a patchwork of happiness and tears, of secrets whispered in the dark and games played in sprawling overgrown gardens and cramped dusty corridors. Aliyah had been my rock, my confidante, the one person who had seen me for who I truly was, not for who our father expected me to be. Losing her had felt like losing a part of myself, a wound that time had yet to fully heal. Maybe it never would.
But I wasn’t alone anymore. I had found a new family, one forged not by blood, but by shared battles and hard-won trust. Dylan, Jordan, Sky, and the others – they had become my anchors, helping me to rebuild, piece by piece. I knew I would never be completely free from the shadows of my past. But I also knew that I had a future, one that was brighter than I had ever dared to hope for.
The wind picked up, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves. I took a deep breath, feeling the cool air fill my lungs. I knelt beside my sister’s grave, placing a single white lily at the base of the headstone.
“I miss you,” I whispered, signing the words and closing my palms over my heart. “I wish you could see me now. I think... I think you’d be proud.”
I stayed there for a few moments longer, letting the winds sweep my hair to the side. Then, with a final glance at the gravestone, I rose to my feet. I had a new life waiting for me, and it was time to go home.
When I stepped through the door of the apartment, I was greeted by the unmistakable scent of fresh paint. I frowned, glancing around in confusion. Something was different. And it wasn’t the new rug in the living room.
“Dylan?” I called out, shuffling past the coffee table.
