Page 81 of A Promise For Tomorrow

The guys are laughing and rough-housing with Conor.

“Okay. Settle down!” Lexi hollers.

“Question one. What’s your partner’s favorite TV show?” Conor asks our little crowd.

“We’ll start,” Lexi adds. “Conor lovesGame of Thrones,” she says confidently.

“Correct. That is also hers.”

“Us too!” Sel chimes in.

Killian chuckles. “We’re a bit obsessed. Once Kian is down, we grab a glass of wine and enjoy a nice evening.”

Sel smiles at her man, enamored by him.

“Aww!” Lexi sighs. “What about you, Dylan?” she asks, turning her attention to her brother and his husband.

“Guilty. We are bothGame of Thronesfans as well. Right, babe?”

He turns to his partner, who nods and juts his thumb out. “He knows me well.”

“Simon and John, you are up next,” Lexi announces.

Simon speaks first. “Not to shock anyone, butGame of Thronesis not our cup of tea. We both loveMaster Chef. Don’t we, John?”

John pats his belly. “We do. I’ve gained a ton of weight recreating all the recipes.”

“Mad?” Conor looks at Diego and me.

I open my paper nervously and look around. All eyes are on me. Particularly, John and Simon—who just arrived this afternoon. They each wear an amused look. I’m thrilled to see them. We seriously need to catch up after the game.

“His favorite show isVikings.”

Diego cups my head and places a kiss on my forehead. “She’s right. I love Greek and Norse mythology.”

Yes! I was actually right!

“Madison lovesThe Vampire Diaries.Grey’s Anatomy being a close second,” Diego shares, as Liam mouths, “The Vampire Diaries.”

“He’s right. I’m obsessed,” I say uncomfortably.

Lexi notices and swiftly moves on to question two.Who said I love you first?When it comes back around to Diego and me, Diego goes first. Proud of himself.

“I did. It just so happened to be on our wedding night. This woman only recently told me she loved me…” He side-eyes me jokingly. “Even though I knew for a while that she did.”

The crowd awes and jokes around—everyone except Liam, that is. He looks completely bewildered by that information.

I shift in my seat.Whose idea was this game? Not mine.

Question three rolls around.What was your partner’s first impression of you?

It’s our turn.

“Diego’s first impression of me was that I was a means to anend,” I laugh. I expect everyone to also, except no one does. They all are at the edge of their bean bag chairs like curious toddlers.

“The truth is,Mariposita, that was my intention when I first put that plan in motion. But then I collected you in my arms and felt you fight me, felt you give everything you had to protect my sister and yourself. In that moment, I knew you were more than just a chess piece. You were the match that lit my entire plan on fire. I mean, fuck the plans… The second you entered my life they didn’t mean shit anyway. You, Madison, lit my whole life on fire, burning up the person I was, and from the flames, birthing the man I’ve always wanted to be. As I held your unconscious body in my arms, I sent a prayer up to Mamá that you would forgive me for taking you.”

His sapphire eyes are on fire right now as he looks at me. The organ in my chest beats as if it ran a marathon. He knew before I even met him that I was his person. If that isn’t a soul connection, I don’t know what is.

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