"Relax," he smiled. "I'm not asking you to marry me—yet," he winked. "One day though. One day when I'm sure you will say yes I'll ask, and you'll say yes."
"You sound so sure of yourself."
"I am," his eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled, and I fucking loved even that part of him. "Because you love me. Because I love you. Because I would do anything to put a smile on your face. Alas, that question isn't happening today so you can erase that look on your face."
What look? I didn't have a look, did I?
I wanted to marry him—one day.But I also wanted us to get to know each other before that next step, and I wanted to have my family here.
"I actually wanted to ask you to move in with me." My brain short-circuited. "You're already spending most of your time here and we both know you hate going back to your apartment since I'm not there."
"So cocky."
"Realistic," he pressed another kiss to my lips. "Hopeful. Unless you want me to beg."
My eyebrow arched. "Would you?"
"A Capo never begs, but for you I would. I would spend an eternity on my knees if you wanted me to, and you already know I look good on my knees." He does, and the bastard knew it.
I had no idea which version of him I loved more—the Capo Nicolas or my soft Nicolas, and I was giddy with the knowledge that he only showed that second side of himself to a select few people. I already knew the answer, but I let his question linger in the air for maybe a second too long.
I could see the worry slowly entering his eyes and before he could start overthinking, like I knew he does, I decided to put him out of his misery.
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Hell yeah!" I jumped into his arms, bringingmy lips to his ear. "And one day, when you ask me to marry you, I might actually say yes."
His arms tightened around me, almost every single part of us touching, and I knew I had never felt happier.
"I fucking love you," Nicolas said, and I never wanted to tire of hearing those words. "Today. Tomorrow, when we're old and grey and probably extremely ugly, I'll love you even then."
"I love you, too," I kissed his cheek, then his nose, then his eyebrow. "And I'll love you even when we're old and I have to push you in your wheelchair around. That's how much I love you."
"Why the hell am I in a wheelchair? You're older than me."
"You. Did. Not," I stabbed him with my finger between the pecs. "That's just mean."
"I know," he brought me back, kissing my hair. "But that's why you love me." I did, among other things, and as much as I hated that first meeting we had, I somehow wouldn't change it for anything.
Well, I would probably want to erase the story of Mimi and her aquarium, but I'm pretty sure she's happier now with someone who's not changing her living situation ten times in one year. Gio took her after they cleared out Johnny's apartment, and not a day passes where I don't mockhim for it.
Turns out he's just a big softie, unlike Damian. I was still trying to crack that egg and it was turning out to be more difficult than I thought. But I'll do it—one day.
My phone started vibrating on the nightstand, and as I extracted myself from a grumbling Nicolas, I saw a couple of messages coming through from my sister Hana.
"Holy shit," I said as I opened the first message. "Holy fucking shit."
Nicolas scooted closer to me, pulling me into his arms. "What's happening? Is everything okay?"
I couldn't look away from the message she had sent me and the picture of the letter she had received.
The letter from Redmont University.
Her acceptance letter.
"Hana is coming to Redmont," I mumbled, both elated and scared. "She got a scholarship for her master’s," I looked at him. "Oh my God, Nicolas. She's gonna be here. My sister is coming here and I'm happy but I'm scared."