“Ronan…” she began, but the vulnerability returned.
“I have one thing to ask.”
She sighed, her shoulders relaxing. “What?”
My heart raced. “Will you be my date to Dillon’s gala?”
She paused, her gaze softening as she thought it over. Then, with a delicate sigh, she began, “Ronan—”
“It won’t be a date,” I interjected, almost pleading. “We’ll just be there. That’s all.”
She searched my eyes, considering my words. I offered her the bouquet of peonies, my hand trembling. She hesitated, then took them, our fingers brushing. Before she could retreat inside, I gently held her hand for a moment, silently pleading with my gaze.
She pulled away, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.
“Tell me I’m not crazy,” I said, my voice a mix of desperation and disbelief. “Tell me I haven’t lost all my brain cells.”
“That depends,” Lucio replied, his tone thick with sleep, each word punctuated by a yawn. “Why do you think you’re crazy?”
I let out a deep breath, feeling the weight of the last few days crash over me like a tidal wave. “I’ve been doing some impulsive things,” I admitted, my heart racing as I prepared to spill my secrets.
“Like what?” he prompted, curiosity piqued despite his drowsiness.
“I just bought shares in a company,” I added, half-expecting him to laugh.
“Shares?” Lucio’s incredulous tone suggested he was both amused and concerned. “The hundreds of different businesses you have aren’t busy enough?”
“Eminence,” I responded, bracing for his reaction.
“Isn’t that a modeling agency?”
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck where tension had settled. “Yes, but they’re going into business with Nina.”
A soft chuckle escaped him, lightening the mood a fraction. “Crazy? No. In love and obsessed? Yes.”
“I feel crazy,” I countered, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
“Ronan,” he started, a heavy sigh escaping his lips, “Just because your love story is different doesn’t mean you’re crazy. The situation is delicate, but I saw Nina at an event an—”
“Stronzo,42” I muttered, cutting him off. “You saw her and didn’t mention it?”
“Let me talk first,idiota,43” he interjected, frustration creeping into his voice. “My first instinct was to call you when I saw her with another man on her arm. But then, as I walked closer, she gave me a look Marina describes as one of shock. It was as if she feared I’d see her with someone else, knowing you’re my twin. When I told her I’d tell you I saw her, the blood drained from her face.”
His words hit me like a cold splash of water, grounding me enough to feel a little less crazy than before.
“Was her date holding on to her?” I asked, my stomach churning at the reference to calling him her “date.”
He laughed again, but this time it was more mocking than before. “When I asked who he was, they both answered simultaneously. He said he was her date, and she said he’s her friend.”
“Oh,” was all I could manage in response.
Thank God.
“I say all of this to say,” Lucio continued, his voice steady, “I think by some miracle, she can’t shake you as much as you’ve shaken her.”
I took a deep breath, the resolve in my chest solidifying like concrete. “Whatever happens, I won’t stop until I get her back. Even if it takes years.”
Lucio’s expression softened, understanding flashing in his tired eyes. “That’s a long time to wait, Ronan.”
