I rolled her beneath me, our breaths mingling, the world narrowing to the space between our mouths.
“I love you, baby.”
“Tell me in Italian.”
“Ti amo, mio cuore.”
Her smile broke wide and bright. “Anch’io ti amo, bello.”
We stayed like that, foreheads pressed together, until she traced lazy patterns across my chest.
“I like your penthouse,” she said softly. “We could make it feel more like home. Maybe turn two rooms into nurseries.”
I froze. “Are you pregnant?”
It was only after I asked the question, I realized how stupid my question sounded.
She smiled, serene. “No. Just thinking ahead.”
The future. Our future.
“I like the sound of that,” I said, my voice rough. “Mini Ninas and Ronans.”
Her eyes shimmered. “Yeah.”
I reached for my wallet, eager to show her something, but she noticed the photo in my wallet before I could hide it.
“Is that me?”
“It’s always been you,” I said. “I kept it all these years. When I missed you. When I needed you.”
Her breath hitched. “I have a box in Italy with everything you ever gave me. I couldn’t throw any of it away.”
I pressed my forehead to hers. “I never let you go either. I couldn’t.”
Silence settled between us, not empty but full. Of years lost. Of love that waited.
“This is our timing, Ronan,” she whispered, tears slipping free.
I held her tighter. “Our perfect timing.”
She laughed softly through the tears.
“Il nostro tempismo perfetto.91”
THE END!
Epilogue
NINA
Eight Months Later
The moment I had spentmonthsdreaming about, sacrificing for, and bleeding for was finally here.
New York Fashion Week.Mydesigns.Mybrand.Myname. The bright white lights cast a halo over the runway, illuminating the air thick with anticipation. The entire venue hummed with restless energy, heels clicking against marble, camera shutters snapping, and voices murmuring in a mix of awe and curiosity.
Eminence Models stood backstage, poised in my designs, their reflections staring back at them from floor-length mirrors. Silk, organza, and meticulously structured corsetry adorned their bodies, the very essence of my brand brought to life. Every bead,every stitch, every sculpted fabric.
