Page 66 of A Promise For Tomorrow

“It’s him, Liam. I told you this. You just weren’treallyhearing me. Ineedyou to let this die here. We don’t have to hate each other, but this dies right here and now. Whatever you feel for me needs to go. I am not the girl for you. We are toxic. Can’t you see that?” The agony in her voice guts me.

I release her, nodding my response. She’s absolutely right.

She stands, letting my hand fall to my lap. Diego sends me a sympathetic half-smile before wrapping his arm around his woman and guiding her out of the tent.

Single. Unless I sort out my issues, I am remaining single.

And on that note, I pour myself a drink and head back out to party the night away with the rest of the bridal party.

What is the expression?

“It is better to dance in the rain than to sit under a leaking roof.”

Dayone of the festivities is complete.Honestly—thank fuck.A few stragglers are down at the beach, coupled off and stargazing. Madison has kept her distance from me. Intentionally or not, it’s concerning me. The logical part of my brain knows she feels bad for participating in the drama at her best friend’s bachelorette. The part only she drudges up from the depths of my blackened soul, fears she could be having second thoughts. It took everything in me not to react the way I initially felt walking into that cabana and seeing the two of them holding each other.

Liam and I have had a decent friendship this past year. I wouldn’t say we are able to confide in each other about anything, but we share a mutual respect. At least I thought we did… tonight proved he isn’t willing to stop himself when it comes to Madison. Typically, I’m not the type to be fazed by jealousy or insecurities. A real take it or leave it kind of man. Seeing Madison in distress over her ex, and her thinking she was to blame for all the drama between them, had stirred the monsters inside of me. They wanted to obliterate anyone or anything hurting her—including Liam. He was a fucking prick tonight.

I will say, hearing my woman choose me had me feeling allsorts of elated. Yet, this nagging feeling she is still unsure keeps digging its claws into me. Her distance speaks volumes.

We parted from the cabana and went right to the crowd. A few raunchy games and a lot more drinking led to sloppy kisses—but they were brief. It was as if she was afraid to show any PDA. Far from how we were at the beginning of the evening. She was ravenous, wild, and one hundred percent mine. Now, I’m not so sure that’s true. Her words say she is all mine, her actions… they confuse the fuck out of me. This is exactly why I never did relationships. If you keep the lines drawn in bold, no feelings get involved.

With Madison, every fucking red line is crossed. Hell, every red line is sprinted over with no desire to stop.I’d do anything for her.There is no fucking line, barricade, or obstacle I wouldn’t cross for her. Which is why I am standing here in the small end of the pool nursing an espresso and sobering up. If we are going to talk later, I want to do it free of the influence of alcohol.

Can’t say the same for my wife.

She’s still banging back shots with Lexi at the Tiki Bar.

Adorable. When she lets loose like this, all her worries are saved for another day.

She’s currently sensually swaying her hips to the music. Her dark violet curls are wavy from the salt in the air. They touch the top of her ass as she leans her head back. Manicured fingers clasp her drink which is extended above her. Lexi and my wife dance parallel to each other, enjoying the company but vibing independently. Lost in their own minds and the music.

It’s moments like this that remind me just how young she still is. How in the short time she’s known all of us, she’s had to mature in ways most wouldn’t. As much as that makes me proud as hell to have the privilege of seeing that transformation, it breaks me, knowing she won’t always experience this.

As if she could sense me staring at her, she opens her eyes and locks in on me. A radiant smile spreads across her face asshe places her drink down and hugs her best friend. Madison takes a few steps my way before stopping abruptly.What is she doing?I watch in amusement asshe turns around and steals the sombrero they used for drinking games off of Lexi’s head.

I expect her to stumble her way over here. Surprising me as always, she makes a running start. The sombrero flutters in the wind atop her head. Fully clothed, she jumps in, sinking beneath the cool water. I’m soaked, my espresso now blending with the salt water. I toss the cup to the side as my wife resurfaces. She is radiant. Her hair is slicked back, makeup pretty much intact, minus some smudged mascara. The look on her face has me cracking a smile. A confused chuckle leaves my lips as she plops the wet sombrero back on her head.

She leans in to whisper, placing a hand beside her lips like she is telling me a secret. “Can I have your wedding band, please?”

I raise an eyebrow, but am starting to catch on. So, I play along. I remove my ring and place it in her cupped palm that’s waiting before me.

She tugs my left hand forward and slides the ring back onto my finger. Her fingers linger there, playing with the metal as she looks up at me. I inhale a breath. She’s always stunning, but right now? It’s like I am peering directly into her soul.

And it’s fucking breathtaking.

“Diego De La Cruz. I once stood like this with you in your swimming pool as you proposed to me. Well…technically…youtoldme I was marrying you.” Her voice is captivating. There is a hint of lust and bit of frogginess from all the singing and drinking.

I laugh at her memory of that day and rub the mascara from underneath her eyes with my free hand.

“I’m sorry about everything that’s happened in the last year.Especiallythese last few months. Tonight was exceptionally awful. I doubted myself for a while, wondering if I can be thewoman you deserve or if my past was going to affect our future together. I spiraled, questioning my worth. Questioning if you were the next victim on my list of people I left destroyed. That’s why I was distant.”

“Baby, I don’t think that about you.”

She places her finger over my lips to hush me. “I don’t want to live my life without you. I once told you I could give you my heart but not my soul. I was wrong… Because you are my soul. Without it, I’d be an empty vessel, always wandering until I found it again. Found you again. Since I met you, you have helped me become the strongest version of myself. I have truly discovered who I am. Liam made me question pieces of myself. You make me figure it out on my own, always encouraging me and stepping in when I need it.Please. Please tell me I didn’t fuck this up. Please tell me you’ll marry me again. I love you,Ocean Eyes.” She takes the damn hat off, frisbeeing it to the deep end.

Filled with an abundance of emotion, I pull her face to mine and kiss the hell out of her. Her little surprised yelp has my back vibrating with laughter. This perfect woman makes me feel so full, so happy. So incredibly loved.

“Yes,Mariposita. I’ll marry you again. I never doubted you. I may have felt insecure tonight, definitely a little worried. But I never questioned your worth or if you still loved me. From the moment I chained you up in that cell and you gave me your trust, I knew that we were something more.”

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