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"Ari," I spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, "do you think I'm going to be sad forever?"
He was silent for a moment, as if contemplating the vastness of the universe above us. I watched the stars twinkle in his eyes, and in that moment, I realized he carried his own burdens, his own share of sorrows. Yet, he had always been my refuge, the one who understood without needing words.
"I'll make you happy," he finally said, his voice tender and resolute. "It might take a while, but someday I'll make you happy for the rest of your life."
Someday. The word hung in the air, a fragile promise in the darkness. I couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope, a glimmer of light in the shadows ofmysadness. But forever sounded like such a daunting expanse of time, an eternity I couldn't quite grasp at ten years old.
I looked at Ari, his face illuminated by the soft, silvery glow of the moon, and I felt a bond between us that was stronger than any of the losses I’d endured. He was my constant, my protector, the one who had always been there to wipe away my tears and chase away the nightmares.
As we lay there, hand in hand, gazing up at the stars that had witnessed our childhood sorrows, I clung to Ari's promise like a lifeline. I didn't know what the future held, but with him by my side, I felt a glimmer of the happiness he had vowed to bring into my life. And though forever seemed like a really long time, I believed him.
I’d left with the Shepfields the very next week.
The revelation hit me like a sudden burst of sunlight through stormy clouds. Staring at the grown man who’d once been a boy I didn’t think I could live without, I couldn't contain the overwhelming rush of emotions that surged through me. Tears welled in my eyes, happiness and shock exploding through my veins as the realization of who he was washed over me. I sobbed into his chest, completely overcome.
“Ari?” I finally whispered, staring up at him through tear strung eyes. There was a newfound significance behind his name.
“I made a promise after all, Layla,” he murmured with a soft smile. “The universe just finally decided to help me with it.”
My eyes closed as he said my name, my real name, the one I never allowed myself to think about anymore.
I clung to him, my sobs shaking my entire being, as if I could release the years of pain and uncertainty that had accumulated in my heart. A piece of myself had been found, clicked back into its rightful place, and I sobbed for all the years we’d lost and for the future I desperately wanted to have.
“I’ve been so lonely without you,” I finally admitted. He brushed a soft kiss across my hair.
“Lonely doesn’t exist for us anymore, baby,” he soothed.
And as he made love to me under the sunrise, whispering his devotion over and over…
I believed him.
CHAPTER13
ARI
Iwas leaving practice, about to head over to the restaurant to pick Blake up from her shift, when my phone buzzed from inside my practice bag.
I cursed as I dug around in it, my equipment badly needed to be washed. It fucking reeked.
“Got it!” I cried out victoriously. Walker shot me an amused look as he headed to his truck, and I was tempted to throw some of my sweaty socks at him. Staring down at the message though, I forgot all about Walker.
The text was from my P.I.
Creepy David: Blake's booked a gig tomorrow for the new Renage Campaign. Thought you might like to see the details.
I clicked on the link he’d sent, skimming through the information for the job. Everything looked fine until…
MOTHERFUCKING DEREK THORNTON!
I nearly choked on my protein shake, the rich liquid taking an unexpected detour to my lungs. Derek Thornton? The same A List actor Derek Thornton who had more romantic connections in Hollywood than the entire LA phonebook? The guy whose commitment issues could give the Great Wall of China a run for its money?
Not fucking happening.
I wasted no time, immediately dialing David’s number. "David, are you absolutely certain about this? Derek Thornton?"
“Yes, Mr. Lancaster. I’m quite positive,” David’s weaseling voice said, obviously perturbed by me questioning his intel.
I cursed beneath my breath. The last thing that was going to happen was Derek Thornton in a room with Blake. He would take one look at my gorgeous goddess of a woman and try to leap in for the kill.
