“Not yet, I haven’t seen you guys since we did it.” Natasha pulls her blond hair to the side so the back of her neck is visible, and Lulu and Scarlett get close to inspect it.
“Holy shit, that’s gorgeous,” Lulu whispers.
It’s a pink diamond with a crown above it, and it’ssounique and pretty.
“When she told me what she was thinking, this immediately popped in my head,” I tell them.
“She drew it, right there, as if she could see inside my brain,” Natasha says with a laugh. “Julian is a diamond importer”—she holds up her left hand, flashing us her rock—“and I’m his queen.”
“So clever,” Scarlett agrees. “And so freaking gorgeous. The pink is perfect on your skin tone, and that crown is everything.”
I smile, so relieved that they like it. I love it when clients are happy with the result.
Suddenly, all three of them turn to me.
“What?”
“Can we finally see all of yours?” Lulu asks. “Please?”
“Sure. But you’re about to get an eyeful because I’m not wearing a bra with this dress.”
“We’re all girls here, we don’t care,” Scarlett says, waving me off. “Let’s see it.”
I wore my hair down, and it covers my spine, so all that’s on display right now is my arm and shoulder. So, I pull my hair over my shoulder and shimmy the dress down around my waist as I turn around so they can see my back.
It’s quiet for so long, I have to peek over my shoulder to make sure they’re still here.
“Wow,” Natasha whispers.
“You have a whole garden,” Scarlett adds. “And it’s so freaking gorgeous.”
“What’s the pocket watch for?” Lulu asks.
I smile back at them. “It’s for Mateo. He has the same tattoo on his side.”
“Wait, there are words in the center,” Natasha says. “‘As long as there’s breath in me, you’ll never be alone.’”
“My sister.” My voice quivers, so I stop and clear my throat. “In the letter she sent me, she said that line, and I had to put it on my body because I feel the same for her. And when I added the watch for him, he had to be woven into the flowers because he’s as much a part of my heart and soul as my family is. Heismy family.”
I shimmy the dress back up and then turn back around and see the girls brushing tears away.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. We’re happy you’re here with us. You’reourfamily now too,” Lulu says. “And it’s so fucking awesome. Come on, let’s go look at the rest of the bedrooms, and then we can chat about the gala and all of the fun plans.”
I follow them out of the nursery, and I can’t help but silently agree with Lulu.
It’s fucking awesome to be part of a family again.
And if this gala does its job, my sister will be back with me very soon.
Thirty-Four
MATEO
Rome leads us out a side door and around to another building tucked in the trees, about a hundred yards from the house. I have to admit, the property is beautiful. Vegas is in the middle of a desert, but Rome has added grass and gardens, just like Julian did to his place. They pay a shit ton in maintenance, but it’s a nice oasis away from the city.
When we reach the door, Rome punches in a series of numbers—twelve, if I counted correctly—before laying his hand on the screen and pushing the door open.