Page 79 of A Sinner's Virtue
“Yes you do,” I tell her. “You can hit me all you like, Zoe. Fuck, shoot me if you have to. I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
“You know I’m not that guy. I will never raise a hand to you. I will never hurt you.” I step closer to her. “I don’t fucking like seeing you scared of me,” I say while wrapping my arms around her back. Then I pull her against my chest.
“I know you’re not that guy. But I shouldn’t have hit you either. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she repeats.
“You have nothing to be sorry about.” I kiss the top of her head.
“I’m ruining everything. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
I can feel her tears soaking through my shirt. “It’s okay, babe.”
“It’s not,” she says.
“Zoe, whatever happens, it’s you and me. We will find our way. I promise.”
“I’m a mess, Marcel. You don’t deserve to be stuck with someone like me.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here. I’m here for all of it. The messy parts and the clean parts. I want them all. As long as I have you, I don’t care what else happens,” I tell her. “I love you, Zoe.”
“I love you too much. It scares the crap out of me,” she says.
“Well, we can be scared together. We can be happy together, sad together. Whatever we’re feeling, we’re doing it together.”
She sighs, shaking her head while peering up at me through her damp lashes. “Why are you so perfect?”
“I’m far from perfect, babe. But for you, I’ll never stop trying to be everything you need and want.”
“You are so much more than that already. I’m sorry I ran… again.”
“It’s okay. I’ll find you and bring you back every time,” I tell her.
“What do we do now?” she asks.
“Now? You marry me. You let me have you for the rest of our lives.”
“Okay,” she says.
I blink down at her. That seemed way too easy. “Okay?” I repeat, questioning if she’s really agreeing to my impromptu proposal right now.
“Yes. I’ll marry you. Not that you actually asked the question. But my answer is yes.”
“Holy shit. Yes? Shit. Babe, I’m going to make you the happiest wife in the world. I’m going to give you that happily ever after.” I lean down and claim her lips, doing my best to express everything I’m feeling with this kiss. Showing her that my love will never falter.
She and I, we are one and the same. There isn’t one without the other.
Epilogue
Fifteen months later
Have you ever waited for what seems like a lifetime for something? That’s what today is for me. The day I’ve been waiting for. The day I become Mrs Marcello De Bellis. Of course, it was my choice to wait. Marcel would have married me the day he proposed if I’d let him.
Knowing how important his brothers are to him, though, I wanted to wait until he could have all four of them here with us. I’m glad I did too. Seeing the bond between the five De Bellis brothers, especially since Gabe’s release, is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I’ve never had siblings—the Petrov kids always looked at me as more of an aunt than a sister—but now I have four brothers and two sisters.
Eloise and I have become really close over the last year and a half. Considering how our first meeting went, it could have been so different. Daisy disappeared for a year while Gabe was away. No one knew where she was—well, no one but Vin, who decided to keep that titbit of information to himself. Along with the fact that she had a child. Luciano, a beautiful six-month-old baby boy. Since they learned of his existence, everyone has been doting on the newest De Bellis arrival. It won’t be too long until Luciano has a cousin either. Eloise is ready to burst any day now.
I was wrong when I tried to run from what Marcel and have. Over the past year and a half, he’s proven that we can have our happily ever after. That even though life can take unexpected turns, the one constant is our love for each other. And nothing will ever change that. It’s unbreakable.
