Page 118 of Reckless Royalty

Let it all out, baby. I’m here. I got you.

I cling to him, my tears soaking his chest, but he doesn’t seem to care. He just holds me, his presence grounding me in a way I didn’t think was possible.

When my sobs finally subside, he pulls back just enough to look at me, his thumb brushing away my tears.

“I know it’s scary,” he says softly. “But you won’t be up there alone. I’ll be right there with you, okay?”

I nod, my throat too tight to speak. He watches me carefully, his dark eyes scanning my face like he’s trying to figure out what to say next. His thumb lingers on my cheek, tracing slow circles that are meant to soothe.

“You’re stronger than you think, Maddy,” he says, his voice steady and low. “And I don’t mean the kind of strength that keeps you locked up tight, pretending nothing’s wrong. I mean the kind that lets you feel it all and still find a way to stand.”

I sniffle, wiping at my face with the sleeve of my sweatshirt. “What if I can’t do it?” I whisper, my voice trembling. “What if I can’t handle saying goodbye?”

Mihai shakes his head, his hands still on my face, holding me steady. “Then I’ll hold you through it. If you can’t stand, I’ll carry you. Whatever it takes, baby.”

The way he says it—like it’s not even a question, like it’s just a fact—makes something inside me crack wide open. I rest my forehead against his shoulder, and let out a shaky breath.

“I don’t know how to say goodbye to them,” I admit, my voice muffled against his chest. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“You start by letting yourself feel it,” he says, his voice soft. “You let yourself grieve. You tell them everything you couldn’t before. And then, when you’re ready, you let them go. Not because you have to, but because they’d want you to.”

His words hit me like a tidal wave, and for a moment, I can’t breathe. But instead of drowning, I feel myself start to surface, his steady presence like a lifeline pulling me back.

“I don’t know if I’m ready,” I whisper.

“You don’t have to be,” he says, pulling back just enough to look me in the eyes. “But you’ll get there.”

I nod slowly, the weight of his words sinking in. He brushes my hair back from my face, his fingers lingering in the strands as he studies me.

“You’re too good to me,” I say, my voice barely audible.

“Not possible,” he replies with a small, crooked smile. “If anything, I don’t deserve you.”

I let out a shaky laugh, the sound foreign to my ears after all the crying. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

“Yeah,” he says, his smile widening slightly. “But I’myourridiculous.”

When I finally feel like I can breathe again, Mihai presses a kiss to my temple and shifts me off his lap, standing to stretch. I can’t help but look at the tattoos etched along his hips, and despite everything, my cheeks flush.

“I’ll make you some tea,” he says, walking toward the kitchen. “You need something to calm you down.”

I watch him go, the tension in my chest easing just a little at the sight of him moving around with that easy confidence I love so much. He grabs the kettle and sets it on the stove, his movements efficient but unhurried.

I get up and walk toward him, slipping my arms around his waist and leaning my cheek against his back.

“Thank you,” I say softly, and he glances over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow.

“For what?”

“For… being here,” I murmur, kissing his back. “For… all of this.”

He smiles and turns around in my embrace, then he picks me up and places me on the marble counter.

“You don’t have to thank me for that, baby,” he says, holding my waist. “You’re mine to take care of. That’s just how it is.”

His words make my heart stutter, and I quickly look away, pretending to be interested in the floor. “You’re such a smooth-talking prat,” I mutter, but there’s no heat in my tone.

“You love it,” he teases, his grin widening.

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