Page 92 of A Sinner's Saint

“I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it, then,” Dash says. “Cammi, coffee date tomorrow. You, me, and Scarlett. Make it happen.”

“Do I even want to know?” I ask the moment Dash walks out the door. Cammi shakes her head. And then tears just start streaming down her cheeks. I fall to my knees in front of her, my hands itching to reach out and comfort her. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought you’d changed your mind,” she says. “I’m sorry. I just…”

“It’s okay. I’m never changing my mind, Cammi. You and me, we are getting married. We are forever,” I tell her.

Cammi’s eyes bore into mine. “What are you thinking right now?”

“I’m thinking how much I want to pick you up, carry you to that bed, and hold you. I want to make this right, Cammi.”

She doesn’t say a word. She just looks at me and waits. I know what she’s waiting for. She’s waiting for me to do just that. To pick her up, take her over to the bed, and hold her. It’s fucking hard for me to do anything without her explicit permission first. What if I’m reading this wrong and she doesn’t want me to touch her? Then I’ll be no better than the monsters in that room.

Fuck. I’m so fucking torn. I want to be able to do this. I want to be the kind of guy who sees his fiancée upset and can wrap his arms around her and comfort her without being asked to do it. She deserves that guy. Which is why I find myself standing up. I reach down and pick her up bridal-style. Sweat forms on my brows and my hands shake.

I can do this.One step at a time.

When I make it to the bed, I sit down and Cammi curls her body into mine. “I want you to, Vin. I always want you to,” she whispers.

Her words ease my discomfort. But I did it. I fucking did it. And she doesn’t hate me. “I love you,” I tell her. “Let’s set a date.”

Cammi looks up at me. “Really?”

“Yes,” I tell her. “I have something for you. It’s not a ring. Yet. But we’re getting you one of those tomorrow.” I pull the little pink heart-shaped gemstone from my pocket.

“It’s a rose quartz. It’s beautiful, Vin,” she says, clutching it in her palms.

“I saw it in a shop and thought of you,” I tell her.

Cammi smiles wide. “Do you know what this stone symbolises?”

“No. Tell me.”

“Unconditional love and infinite peace,” she explains. Well, fuck. No wonder it made me think of her. “You bought me a stone that means unconditional love and infinite peace. This is better than any ring.”

“Ah, I didn’t exactly buy it,” I admit. I’m not trying to kill the mood, but I don’t want her to think I just go shopping for stones. “I was doing an errand for Gio and saw it. It made me think of you. It was about a month ago.”

“I still love it,” she says. “I love you.”

“I love you. Always. So, that date? When are you thinking? Sunday? Monday?” I ask.

“As in, next week?” She laughs.

“Yeah, I mean, we could probably swing something tomorrow, but it’d be a push.”

“Um, no. How about June fourteenth?” she asks me.

“The day we first talked to each other.” I remember that day like it was yesterday. “It’s perfect.” My eyes land on her lips, andmy head moves to hers. My heart races as our mouths brush. This is a lot for me, to initiate kissing her, without her verbal consent. But I’m going to keep pushing myself. I’m going to be the best version of myself I can be for her.

“What did you have to do today?” Cammi asks.

“Just some errands for Gio. Nothing interesting.”

“I’m sure it was, but you don’t have to tell me. I get it.” Cammi curls back into my chest.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. I don’t want you to be implicated in any way. If you don’t know, then nothing can come back on you,” I explain. “Not everything I do is aboveboard.”

“I know,” she says. “Did you know Dash’s mum died?”

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