Page 35 of Silent Night With Adrian

He chuckles, finally relaxing a little, his tension easing. “Trust me, that night isn’t something I will ever forget.”

“Good, because I meant every single second of it,” I say firmly. “I’m with you, Adrian, or should I say Andrew Deluca?” I tease, savoring his new name. “If I didn’t love you, I would’ve found some other way to survive. I’m not here because I have to be. I’m here because I want to be. You’re my choice. You’re it for me.”

His gaze softens, and he cups my cheek, brushing his thumb across my cheekbone. “Then I guess I’ll have to trust that you know your own mind,” he murmurs, his voice full of warmth. “And I’ll just have to make sure you never regret it.”

I laugh, feeling that last knot of doubt and tension slip away. “I have no doubt you’ll figure out lots of ways to do that,” I tease, leaning forward until our foreheads touch.

The server clears our plates, and as we head back to the car, I find myself laughing, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying. As Adrian starts the engine, I can’t resist glancing at him, still half-disbelieving. “Andrew Deluca,” I say, trying out his new name with a grin. “It’s got a nice ring to it.”

“And Emilia Bloom,” he replies, looking at me with a mixture of adoration and awe. “A name worthy of a woman as fierce and beautiful as you.”

We drive off into the early morning light, leaving our pasts smoldering behind us, and head toward the life we’re going to build. It’ll take time for my nerves to settle, to stop looking over my shoulder, but I know Adrian will be there every step of the way, grounding me.

Wherever we end up, I know I’ll be home—as long as I’m with him.