Page 102 of Breakaway

She jumps off the bed and strolls to the door, swaying her hips on her way out of the room. I prop my head on my knuckles, my eyes glued to her figure. The image of her hand pops intomy mind as I hear the bathroom door closing. She’s all mine, and she’s my wife, but there’s no ring on her finger. And that really doesn’t mean anything, because a ring doesn’t define a relationship. But I quickly realize that I want her to have one.

Because she’s my happy ending.

Hate is always louder than love. Whether it’s coming from other people or something we impose on ourselves. It has the power to destroy everything good, leaving only ruins of self-doubt.

Banishing hate is really fucking hard, because it’s so much easier to let it consume us. To believe what others say, to let it dim our light. Or, in the case of self-loathing, to just let it win.

But sometimes fighting is worth it. Especially if we have someone special who loves us no matter how sharp the broken pieces of our hearts are. No matter how much darkness we carry inside. They stay, fueling us with light and giving us a reason to live…and to fight for our happiness.

Only love can conquer hate.

And Nevaeh proved that to me when no one else could.

My love for her is wild. It’s unpredictable and unexpected. She gives me all the feels, and there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think about her. Like the sweetest oblivion, she makes me lose myself in her and with her.

Ona moya Malyshka?2.

Moyo Solnyshko?3, who’s always ready to share her warmth with me, especially on days when grief takes a hold of my heart.

My Nevaeh.

She’s the only one I’ll ever need.

NEVAEH

“Where are we going?” I ask Angie as we get in the backseat of Drake’s car.

“It’s a surprise,” she says and meets her fiancé’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “We need your help with something.”

“My help?”

“It’s impossible to do this without you,” Drake chimes in, looking over his shoulder. “Just relax and enjoy the ride. It won’t be long.”

Furrowing my brow, I glance between Angie and Drake and start to chew my bottom lip. Are they getting married? It seems like a possibility. Why else would they say they couldn’t do it without me? But where is Layla? And Maya? No way Drake would want to get married without his sister and his niece. Ugh, guess I’m totally wrong.

“What is Roman doing?” Angie half-turns to look at me, both of her hands resting on her baby bump. She’s seven months along, and she’s as beautiful as ever. Her dark brown hair spills over her shoulders, her deep green eyes sparkle, and a sinful smile plays on her lips.

“He’s with Colt at Clay’s place, playing FIFA. They have some sort of tournament, from what I know.” I smirk and peer at Drake. “Why don’t you ever join them?”

“Waste my time on video games? No thanks. I’d rather read.”

“And what are you reading now?” I hook one leg over the other, listening to Drake tell me about the new detective series he just started.

He’s incredibly sweet and kind, and I’m so happy Angie met him. He’s her perfect match, and she blossoms with him by herside. They’re just so cute, I always feel like a little girl when I’m with them. A fairy-tale princess and her Prince Charming.

When the car stops and we climb outside, I frown. What are we doing at Thompson’s?

“And where is this surprise?” I ask, knitting my eyebrows together.

“Inside,” Angie replies and takes my hand in hers. “Come on. You’re gonna love it.”

“Right now I don’t,” I mumble, letting her guide me. I’m more skeptical than anything, but when Layla opens the door, my jaw drops. “What is this?”

The first thing my eyes land on are rose petals. Pink, red, and beige, they cover the floor, paving a path from the front door to the patio. Arching an eyebrow, I look at Angie, but she only smiles broader and urges me further into the house. Layla and Drake’s voices become quieter as Angie pulls me into the bedroom on our left.

“Angie, what’s going on?”

“Surprise!” she exclaims and nods her head to my right.

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