"Good," I whisper. "Because I'm not going anywhere."
He pulls out slowly and rolls onto his back, pulling me with him, and I curl into his side, my head resting on his chest. His heartbeat is steady beneath my ear, grounding me.
"We're going to be okay," he says.
"I know."
Suddenly, he sits up. "Take off your necklace a second," he says, removing his ring.
I sit up and unlatch it.
"What for?"
"This," he says, and threads the ring through the chain, fastening it behind my neck.
I look down at it, my fingers gliding over it. "What is it?"
"My brother gave it to me," he says.
"Your brother gave you a ring?"
"Yeah," he says with a smile. "He may have stolen it from a jewelry store to show off, but it's the most important thing I have. The only thing I've ever loved and cherished. And now," he says, brushing my cheek, "the only person I love and cherish in my life is wearing it."
Tears swell in my eyes, and I wipe them before they fall.
"Jesus, Octavian, that's..." I shake my head, unable to speak as warm tears hit my cheeks.
"When all this is over, I'm going to get you a proper ring, and we'll have the best wedding you can imagine. You'll become my wife, and we'll have five kids."
"Five kids?! You're insane."
He leans in and kisses me. "Yeah, but you knew that already."
"Ha, maybe crazy is a better word."
He shrugs. "Only for you, future Mrs. Voinea."
I smile wider than I have in a long time. "I like that. Mrs. Voinea. It's got a nice ring to it."
EPILOGUE
Keira
Iwake to the sound of Octavian's breathing, steady and deep, his chest rising and falling beneath my cheek. His arm is wrapped around me. His skin is warm, and I don't want to move.
But then I feel the subtle shift in his body. I lift my head and find him staring at his phone, eyes scanning the screen with intense focus.
"I heard back from my friend," he says without looking away.
My stomach drops. I sit up, the sheets falling away, exposing my breasts to the cool air. I don't bother covering myself. Octavian's eyes flick down, linger for half a second, then return to his screen.
"And?" I ask.
He exhales through his nose, his thumb scrolling as he finally meets my gaze. "It's something, all right. Do you want to know?"
I reach for the phone, but my hand freezes midair. My fingers tremble. "Is it going to change things?"
"Oh yeah," he says with a sigh.
