Page 143 of Hidden Memories

She smirks, gloriously wrecked but still taunting. “Only an hour? I thought you were God’s gift to women.”

I narrow my eyes, rolling onto my side to pin her down again. “You wanna test me, baby? I’ll edge you ’til gravity stops making sense and the only thing keeping you grounded is me.”

Her laughter is the most beautiful sound in the world right now.

I chuckle, but something about her features—vulnerable, unguarded—changes the mood. There’s no distance between us now, no shadows lurking in the corners. Just her, radiant.

I should be so damn sure of what we are, of where we stand.

And yet?—

The thought creeps in, settling deep before I can shake it off.

Would she still love me if I didn’t have this?If I didn’t have Monarch Hills, if I wasn’t this version of me, if I hadn’t built something for myself—would I still be enough?

I hate that the thought even exists. I know Kat. I know what we have is real. But there’s this piece of me—the one that spent years telling himself love like this wasn’t meant for me—that still aches at the possibility.

“You’re quiet.” She traces the ink on my ribs.

Before I can talk myself out of it, I let the words slip.

“Would you still love me if I didn’t have any of this?”

Her brows knit. She’s genuinely confused. “What?”

I hesitate, the words sitting heavy in my chest. I think about the way I spent my whole life trying to become more,do more and prove to people like her father that I was worth it. Kat never asked me to prove anything…

I swallow hard. “I guess I just want to know. If I wasn’tthisSanti. If I was just… some guy, no Monarch Hills, no business, no land…” The words sound ridiculous the second they leave my mouth, but I can’t take them back.

Kat pushes herself up, blue eyes searching mine. “Where is this coming from?”

I shake my head. “It’s nothing. I just?—”

“It’s not nothing.” Her fingers slide up my jaw, gently tipping my face toward hers. “Talk to me.”

I exhale, staring at her like maybe if I search hard enough, I’ll find the answer.

“I think about the kid I was back when we met. The one who had nothing except a big, stupid dream and a girl who looked at him like he hung the damn stars.” Emotion claws its way up, impossible to hold back. “I don’t know if I ever really believed I could keep her.”

Kat’s breath catches, her eyes are intense with exactly what I need right now– recognition.

“You had me,” she whispers. “You always did.”

The words hit like a slow, shattering impact, knocking the air out of my lungs.

“Santi.” She cups my face, her thumbs brushing my cheekbones. “You’re still that same young man. The one who held my hand under the midnight sky and told me we could be anything we wanted. The one who made me feel safe long before I even knew what safety was.”

My throat tightens.

“It was never about what you had,” she murmurs. “It was about who you were.”

She locks on to me, the moment thick with meaning.

“I loved you then,” she whispers. “I love you now. Andif we had to start over tomorrow—no land, no businesses, nothing but you and me—I would still choose you. Every damn time.”

This moment is as real as it gets—plain, simple, and sure as hell undeniable.

“Santi, I spent my whole life believing love was something I had to earn. That it came with expectations, conditions. That if I stopped being what people needed, they’d leave.”

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