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“I was caught in the blast,” I continue, my voice hollow. “Severeburns over sixty percent of my body. But Lucas… God. He was only eight. They say he died on impact. But in my dreams, I hear him screaming. He calls for me. He’s looking for me. He’s always right there. So close, if I could only get to him. I could save him.” Jeniah’s breath catches, and now her other hand rests on our joined ones.
“I was in a coma for almost a month,” I say, opening my eyes to stare at the ceiling. “When I woke up, it was to a world of pain I can’t even describe—months of skin grafts, hyperbaric chambers, physical therapy. I looked like Frankenstein’s monster when the bandages finally came off. They patch-worked me together. My family had enough money to pay for the best plastic surgeons.”
I try for a wry smile, but it feels more like a grimace. “Hey, at least I got some pretty cool tattoos out of it. First kid in high school to have some.”
“Gio,” Jeniah whispers.
“Don’t,” I say quickly, harsher than I intend. “Don’t pity me. I can’t stand that.”
“It’s not pity. It’s… God.” She shakes her head, and when she blinks, I know she’s fighting tears. “Gio, I can’t imagine going through that. You’re incredibly strong.”
“Strong? I’m fucked up, Jeniah. I have nightmares, I can’t stand to be touched unexpectedly, and I just threw the woman I—” I cut myself off, not ready to voice that feeling yet. “I hurt you. And then later… My monster…”
“You didn’t mean to. “Now that I understand, it won’t happen again. I’ll be more careful.” She gives me another smile. It’ssturdier, which makes it more heartbreaking. “As for the other, I already told you I loved it. Getting dommed was totally on my things-to-do list.”
I stare at her, amazed by her resilience and willingness to understand. “Why aren’t you running for the hills?” I ask, only half-joking.
Jeniah’s expression softens. “Because I care about you, Gio. All of you, scars and nightmares included.”
Her words warm something inside me, a feeling I thought had died in that explosion years ago. But there’s still something she doesn’t know. “There’s more,” I whisper. “You asked me why I agreed to marry you.”
Jeniah tilts her head, waiting for me to continue.
“After the accident, my family… they took care of everything. The medical bills, the rehabilitation, and ensuring I had the best care possible. They brought me into the family business. Gave me a purpose—forgiveness.I killed their child, but they don’t hate me. Even when I hate myself.”
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for her reaction. “I owe them everything, Jeniah. When they asked me to do this, to marry you, I couldn’t refuse. It was a way to repay them.”
I study her face carefully, seeing the moment understanding dawns. “So I’m… what? Part of your debt?” she asks, her voice small.
“No,” I say quickly, sitting up straighter. “God, no. Jeniah, you’re the best thing that’s happened to me since the accident. I agreedto this arrangement out of obligation, but being with you… it’s not a duty. It’s a gift I never expected.”
Jeniah’s eyes shine, and I squeeze her hand, marveling at how natural it feels to touch her, to be vulnerable with her. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” I murmur. “I was afraid… afraid you’d see me differently. That you’d be disgusted, or worse, that you’d feel sorry for me.”
She leans into my touch, her eyes never leaving mine. “Gio, nothing about you disgusts me. And this doesn’t change how I see you. If anything, it makes me admire you more.”
“I don’t deserve you,” I whisper.
“You deserve happiness,” she counters. “We both do.”
I close the distance between us, kissing her softly. It’s different from our heated exchanges before—tender, almost reverent. When we part, I’m lighter somehow, as if sharing my burden with her has lifted some of the weight from my shoulders.
“Thank you,” I say in a rough voice. “For listening, for understanding. For not running away.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Gio. We’re in this together now, remember?”
I nod and allow myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, I can have this. That the happiness I’ve found with Jeniah isn’t a reprieve.
Our happiness is real and lasting.
Jeniah
The penthouse’s open floor plan feels closed—suffocating. Every corner I turn, a man in black stands guard. Is he afraid I’ll leave him? Are they here to keep the bad guys out or to keep me in?
Gio tightened security the day after we made love. Doubling and then tripling the men. I can’t move from one room to another without tripping over one. Gio and Atlas stay in private meetings, the tension between them spilling out in heated arguments. Their voices rise just loud enough for me to catch fragments of their conversations, pieces that make my skin prickle with goosebumps.
“…can’t keep her in the dark forever,” Atlas’s voice drifts down the hallway, laced with frustration.
“I’m trying to protect her,” Gio snaps, his words jagged, raw.
