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And that fills me with a hope I hadn’t dared let myself feel since she walked out my door.
Dani’s fingers tighten around my own as if drawing strength from me before continuing. And when she opens her mouth, I can see the tears shining in her eyes.
“As for my family,” she says, “my decision to part with my parents was a hard one. I can’t deny it. I will always love my parents, and it took me a long time to know just where I stand. But this ismydecision, Efrem. And I chose it knowing full well that when I walked out my front door yesterday that my parents would cut me out of their lives.”
Dani’s voice cracks, and she clears her throat impatiently. The single tear that tracks down her cheek tugs at my heart, and I reach up to gently collect it on my thumb.
Giving me a sad smile, Dani gives my hand another squeeze. “They gave me an ultimatum. And it made me realize that as much as I love my parents, you were right. I can’t keep straddling the fence, hoping that someone will concede. Because my parents will never understand. They don’t see the joy you bring me. They’re too caught up in the connections you have to even learn what you mean to me. And though I’ve struggled with the political spotlight for a long time, that doesn’t matter to them. They did what was right for them. And I did what’s right for me.”
Intense emotion constricts my chest at Dani’s beautiful speech. Though I still feel responsible for her alienation from her parents, I can’t help the happiness that radiates through my body at hearing that I mean so much to Dani.
After several seconds of silence, Dani releases a breath she must have been holding. “Okay, your turn,” she says, nervous tension making her fingers tighten around mine.
“Well, I don’t know how I am supposed to follow a speech like that. I’ve spent a good deal of time since you left yesterday trying to think of what I could possibly say to fix what I’ve broken.”
“You haven’t—” Dani stops short as I give her a stern look. “Right. You let me have the first say. Now, it’s your turn.”
Zipping her lip, Dani tosses away the key, showing me she’s ready to listen. And the gesture’s so adorable I almost can’t keep my words straight. Then again, that realization helps me get back on track and to my point.
“Sometimes, I find it hard to think clearly when I’m around you, to see things clearly even. I also know that my jealousy and temper can get the better of me, especially when it comes to you. I think you have suffered from my inability to keep a level head regarding you. And for that, I must apologize. I don’t want that to be the reason you cut ties with your family. I do not want to cause you pain or sadness. Ever. I want to be with you in whatever way you will allow.”
Cupping Dani’s cheek, I step closer to her, leaning in as I drop into a murmur. “If you want to keep me your secret, I will make peace with that. If that is how you will be happy with your family, I will do whatever it is you want. So long as I’m the one who gets to be with you.”
Fresh tears sparkle in Dani’s sky-blue eyes. “Oh, Efrem,” she breathes.
And she leans up onto her toes to close the distance between our lips.
The oxygen vanishes from my lungs as she kisses me, one hand wrapping around the back of my neck as she holds me firmly, the other still entwined with my hand. It’s quick but full of meaning, a kiss to show me that she still wants to be with me.
“I want to be with you,” she whispers, pressing her forehead to mine as our lips separate. “But I don’t want to keep you a secret. I want to make a real run of it with you. I want the world to know how lucky I am. And to hell with anyone who can’t see why I’m the lucky one.”
My heart aches with the sweetness of her conviction, and I pull her close, wrapping my arms around her as I kiss her passionately.
33
DANI
“I do, eventually, have to work,” Efrem murmurs against my lips, though he continues to hold me close, setting my body on fire as we stand alone on the Veles rooftop patio.
“Just thirty more minutes,” I joke, kissing him more desperately.
He chuckles and, to my delight, responds willingly, his tongue stroking between my lips to deepen our kiss. Which, of course, means I need to be the responsible one. Because I don’t want him to lose his job.
Groaning, I pull back to peer into his clear blue eyes, and the look of affection there overwhelms me. I’m crazy about this man. And I’m grateful that we can argue and come out closer on the other side.
A brisk wind picks up, slipping beneath my cropped sweater and making me shiver.
“Let’s get you inside,” Efrem insists, shielding me with his body as he turns to open the rooftop door.
As we make our way down the stairs, I can hear Silvia talking to Isla in the second-floor master bedroom. She must have her door open, as Isla’s sweet voice trickles into the hallway with a considerable amount of clarity.
There, on the second-floor landing, Efrem and I part ways. He gives me fingers a last squeeze before heading down to Pyotr. I, on the other hand, have to thank Silvia before I leave.
“Knock, knock,” I greet, rapping my knuckles on the doorframe, and Silvia glances up from zipping a coat on Isla to smile at me.
“How’d that go?” she asks, her eyes dancing.
Leaning against the frame, I sigh dreamily.
