She goes on with a giggle, saying how excited she is for tonight and that there’s not going to be much drinking becauseshe doesn’t want to say “I do” hungover. She’s going to limit us to one… maybe two bottles of wine.Yeah right.
When the technician finally finishes my toes, I admire the soft blue polish. They match the dress I’m wearing tomorrow. And they’re also going to go perfectly with the heels Milo got me.
As everyone finishes with their manicures and pedicures, they start going their separate ways and Aria and I head toward the pool area. She falls into step beside me and loops her arm through mine.
“You know you can talk to me, right?” she says softly. “About Milo… about whatever this is turning into with him.”
I nod, leaning my head against her shoulder. “I know. It’s… new. Scary new. But the good kind of scary. Like butterflies that won’t settle down no matter how many times I tell them to chill.”
She smiles. “Good scary is my favorite kind. Especially when it’s with someone who looks at you the way he does. I saw you two last night… sneaking away from everyone like the rest of the world didn’t exist.”
I bite my lip, my heart doing that stupid, traitorous flutter again. “It feels real,” I admit in a quiet voice. “That’s what scares me, Aria. I’ve never let anyone get this close before. What if I mess it up? What if the vacation glow fades and he realizes I’m too loud, too chaotic, too… much?”
Aria stops walking and turns to face me fully. Her hands rest gently on my shoulders, giving them a soft squeeze. I lift my head to look up at her and bite the side of my cheek.
“Hey. You’re not too much,” she says firmly. “You’re exactly you—loud, chaotic, brilliant, restless, and completely unstoppable. He sees all of that and still looks at you like you’re the best part of his day. Do you understand how rare that is, Sienna? Please don’t run from it just because it feels big.”
I swallow hard, my eyes stinging. “I don’t want to run,” I whisper. “For the first time… I really don’t.”
She pulls me into a tight hug. “Then don’t. Let it be big. Let it be scary. Let it be beautiful. I’ll be here either way. And if he hurts you…” She squeezes me tighter, her voice turning playfully fierce. “I’ll kill him and hide his body. Sister’s promise.”
I laugh into her shoulder, the tension easing out of me like a sigh. “Sister promise.”
We start walking again, arms still linked. The afternoon sun is warm on our skin, and with every step, the butterflies in my stomach multiply because I already know I’m going to smile like an idiot the second I see him.
Chapter Forty-One
Sienna
When we reach the pool,Ethan is floating lazily on the giant unicorn inflatable Aria had claimed the day before, while Milo sits on the edge of the pool, legs dangling in the water, talking to Ethan.
I smile like an idiot the second I see him.
He tilts his head as if he can feel my gaze on him, and a genuine smile spreads across his face. He pushes off the edge and stands, water dripping down his toned legs, his board shorts hanging dangerously low on his hips.
Aria nudges me with her elbow, grinning. “Go get your man. I’m going to use the restroom quickly.”
She walks off, and I head straight toward Milo. He meets me halfway, reaching out to take my hands as I draw near. His thumbs brush my knuckles, turning my hands palm down so he can admire my manicure.
“These are beautiful,” he murmurs, trailing his fingers gently over mine. His gaze drifts to my left hand. His thumb stills over the bare spot where the ring once sat. “The ring is missing.”
My heart gives a sharp little stutter. “You… noticed I was still wearing it?”
He lifts his eyes to mine, tilting his head slightly. There’s a softness there, a quiet curiosity that makes my breath catch. “I noticed. Why aren’t you anymore?”
I don’t answer right away. Instead, I slip my hand from his, reach into my bag, and unzip the inner pocket. My fingers close around the ring, and I pull it out, holding it in my open palm.
Milo stares at it for a long moment, something unreadable flickering across his face. Then he shakes his head gently. “Keep it.”
“But you bought it.” I protest softly.
“Foryou.”
“It was part of a dare…”
“Still for you,” he says, his voice quiet and steady in that way that always melts something inside me. “It’s yours, Sienna. I don’t want it back.”
“Milo…”
