Page 108 of Death of the Author

“Zelu, we’re compatible.”

“Then why ruin it?”

“So I canstayin the country and come and go however I please.”

She’d been ready to shoot another “No” at him, but she paused. He had a point. He still had plenty of time on his visa, but it was finite, and she didn’t like that.

“We can have a prenup, so there’s no bullshit about our assets,” he said. “It isn’t for that, anyway.”

Did he truly love her, though? They’d never spoken the words to each other. She didn’t think they had to, but she didn’t know for sure how he felt about it. Never in her life had she imagined she’d get married. And she wasn’t sure she liked the idea, even with a prenup.

But there was another voice in her mind, and that was the one that took control of her mouth when she answered, “Okay.”

“Good,” he said.

What the hell were they doing? “No wedding,” she told him firmly.

“Of course.”

“You’re marrying into royalty, you know,” she added with a smirk. “And also anti-royalty.”

He huffed a laugh. “Well,you’remarrying into a warrior clan. I’m not worried.”

She grabbed his hand. “You’ll really stay in the United States for me? Because you know I’m not moving to South Africa. Not yet, at least.”

He nodded. “You’ll visit there with me sometimes.”

“Fair enough.”

They gazed at each other for a moment. A thousand things and nothing were flying through Zelu’s mind. She tried to grasp at something. This was a moment she’d never expected to arrive at.What the heck is happening?She felt like both laughing loudly and screaming.

“Do you have savings?” she asked. They’d never talked about money.

“Oooh yeah. Probably not as much as you, but... honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m close. And I’m going to close that gap. And I want to take over half the mortgage for this place.”

“It’s paid off already,” she said.

He chuckled. “Okay. But we’ll buy more property, too.”

“And invest.”

“Yes.” He squeezed her hand. “I want at least one child. What do you think?”

“I’m thirty-eight,” she said.

“Yep.”

“If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, if doesn’t. No fertility shit. Never. You’re thirty. Are you going to be an asshole about this?”

“No,” he said, laughing. “You already know this.”

“It’s always good to hear it spoken aloud.”

He looked at her with hooded eyes. “Are you open to adopting?”

She considered it. “Only if the process is smooth. I’m not killing myself for it. So, if it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

He nodded. “Okay.” He paused and then said, “You’re only going to get even more famous. Areyougoing to become an asshole?”

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