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Even as I looked at the crest of dawn in the sky, I knew the answer. Tomorrow, decisions would be made, but I had time. With a hard click, I turned off the screen and returned the phone to my pocket. Everything was changing. By the time the sun set on the day, everything would be different. I would be different.
If I only had one night with Mari before my whole world shifted, then I wanted it.
No distractions. No sharing. Just her.
Greyson cleared his throat, looking at me with a kindness I didn’t deserve. “We’re going to crash.”
“We are?” Dominic asked.
Grey gave him a pointed look that said Pay attention, fuckface. “We are.”
Dominic glanced at Mari and me, softening when he saw my face.
“Ah shit. Night, mariposa.” Dominic kissed Mari, running his hand up her back gently before disappearing up the stairs.
“Don’t worry about tonight. I’ll let everyone know to keep an eye on things in case Cash retaliates.”
“Thanks, Grey. You going to be okay?” Mari’s voice was fragile, like she knew there were too many people who needed her and not enough parts of her to go around.
She and I had been buried, but Greyson was the one who’d seen it happen. Who’d dug us out of the rubble alone when he wasn’t sure there was anything to save. He was hurting too.
The urge to be selfless came, but Grey spoke before I could.
“I’ll be fine, reina. Take care of Nate.” Grey caught my eyes, and I knew he wasn’t just doing it for Mari. He was doing it for me because I needed her. I gave him a grateful nod, a little overwhelmed at the thoughtfulness, and he returned it before leaning in for Mari’s kiss. “Goodnight, baby.”
When we were alone, she tipped her head to look at me. “What now?”
“I need a shower.” All I wanted was to sleep in her arms and forget the texts on my phone, but I wasn’t wasting my chance with Mari.
We have tonight.
“I’ll take you to your room.”
She’d do more than that.
I kept most of my weight off her as we took the rest of the steps. When we entered my room, I pulled her into the bathroom with me. She propped me against the counter and turned to the shower, fingers wiggling under the spray until the temperature was to her liking.
“I can help you cover the dressings and give you some privacy, if you want.” Her brow was furrowed, and she chewed on her lip, a nervous gesture I’d never seen before.
Mari’s losses had always come out of nowhere, a blow when her face was turned. This was head on with warning, and for her, I imagined it was like watching a train crash and being unable to look away. She wanted to help, but she didn’t have the experience to know what I needed.
She had no idea that having her close was all I could ask for.
I said nothing as she stripped me out of my clothes and helped me with the dressings. I kept silent as she led me toward the shower. It was only when she turned to walk away that I grabbed her by the wrist. “Stay.”
One word was all it took.
“Always.”
It beat around my head, always. She said it like we had forever, like this thing between us was something that would never change. But I knew better.
Everything was changing.
I watched carefully as she stripped out of her clothes and climbed in, wetting a washcloth before covering it in soap. “May I?”
I liked that she asked me, even though I hoped she knew she could touch me anytime she wanted. Anywhere. I was hers. I would always be hers. “Please.”
Just like that night she’d crawled into my bed to watch movies, I let Mari take care of me. I closed my eyes to the feel of her fingers in my hair, bent slightly backward as she washed the strands, then kissed the top of my head when she was done.
