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“I used to look up at the sky and see the color blue,” he says, sensing me approaching him.
“What do you see now?” I take the seat next to him and look out over his landscaped property that seems magnified in grandeur by the sunlight.
“Now… I see gray. You may look up and see that it’s clear. Bright sunrays casting down. But when I look up, I see the clouds coming. I can see that a storm’s brewing, and I’m always ready for it.” He reaches his hand out and takes mine in his. We sit side by side with our hands held like two lovers would do. “Until now. Until this morning. For the first time in my life… or at least the first time since I was a child, I see the color blue.”
“What’s changed?” I ask.
“You. Having you in my life. Having you alive and in my home. That’s the obvious answer.” He squeezes my hand. “But the answer that is so hard for me to process, or at least was hard to accept until last night is that I see the color blue in the sky because my heart knows how to love again. And I know that might sound cheesy. It might not sound like something I’d say, but I don’t give a fuck.” Nick repositions his body so he’s looking into my eyes. “I love you, Lyriope. I love you regardless that I swore I’d never allow myself to do so. I love you even though it could bring on the most ruthless storm of the century. I love you. I do.”
Pulling me into the kiss, he presses his tongue past my lips, conquering, tasting, possessing. My body melts in the morning breeze. As I dance my tongue with his, moaning in pleasure. One kiss, yet so powerful in what it does to my body.
His words, however…
His declaration of love decimates my soul.
Though sitting, I feel as if I’ll lose my balance and fall into the man who captures my very breath with his. My body hums to life as jolts of electricity sizzle through me while Nick sears his lips to mine.
“Tell me not to love you,” he mumbles against my parted mouth. “Tell me I’m mad. Tell me this kind of love is insane. Demand sanity from me.”
“I can’t because I love you too. I love you so much. A mad love, an insane love, and I never want to feel sanity again.”
It is an insane love. So much so that I break away from him, shaking my head. I wipe at my lips as if I can take away the words of love. I want to turn back time, go back to when Nick and I just accepted our inevitable futures.
“But nothing has changed,” I say softly, feeling the tears burn the back of my eyes.
“Everything has changed,” he says, still holding my hand tightly, refusing to let me pull away any further.
“I’m still promised to the Sidorovs. I know what happened last night, but… I can’t see how anything has changed. They are going to still expect me to wed Pavel.”
“It’s taken care of,” he states.
“What is?”
“You won’t be marrying Pavel, a Sidorov, or anyone else against your will. I took care of that, and as far as you are concerned, there are no more ties to you with the Sidorovs ever again.”
“Did you do something to Pavel? Is that why he didn’t show up to the engagement party?”
Lifting his eyebrow and cocking his head, he says, “Me? Why would you think I’d do anything to that weasel of a boy?”
“You did, didn’t you?”
Nick lifts his hand in oath. “I didn’t lay a finger on him.”
“Did you have Harrison do it?”
“Let’s just say the boy was a cheap payoff. He hasn’t learned the art of negotiations yet.” Nick grimaces. “But you’ll have to see his skinny ass at Wonderland. However, that’s the price we have to pay.”
I smirk and shake my head. “I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that you figured out a way to fix the mistake—my mistake—again.”
“And I’d do it over and over, if need be,” he says.
“But what about my father? It’s not like he’s going to be all right with you and me and… or is he? Maybe he could care less.”
The words pain me to say because they’re true. He doesn’t care. He never did. But… Nick does. He just declared his love and—
“Do you care what he thinks?” Nick asks. “Truly?”
I pause, taking the time to really consider his question. Do I care? Does it matter what Bryant wants, or how he sees me? Does he control my future or even my present?
