Page 90 of Lost Room Lawyer
“Please go now,” I said in a hoarse voice, making every effort to hold his gaze. To my surprise, I noticed a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Leo adjusted his jacket and said, “You have no idea how much you remind me of Rina.” His voice was neither accusatory nor petulant. Instead, there was a sadness in it that even surprised me.
I opened my mouth but said nothing. The pain at the mention of my mother flared up in my chest.
“Take care,” Leo said, giving me one last nod before leaving the room.
A chill ran through me, and for a few seconds, I trembled all over. It felt as though the tension had lifted off me, a shield I had worn every time I had such conversations with my father. My breath hitched, and I wiped my forehead in disbelief.
Had I just confessed my love?
Had I won the battle against my father?
I didn’t know, but judging by the way my hands were shaking, it seemed that I had.
A heavy exhaustion washed over me, making me sink deeper into the bed. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, longing for rest and maybe get some sleep. Above all, I wanted to see Hector.
When he walked in with Dominic, I felt relieved. Dominic couldn’t stay long, but Hector remained by my side for the rest of the day.
He lay down beside me, wrapped me in his arms, and whispered incredibly sweet things in my ear. We kissed repeatedly, and I nestled against his neck while he gently stroked my head.
“I have to look after the kids tomorrow. Victoria works on Saturdays,” he said with a note of regret. “I would have loved to pick you up and take you home.”
“It’s okay.” I kissed his neck and breathed in his wonderful, resinous scent.
“This is serious to me,” Hector said, seeking my gaze. “You should know that. I will do everything to prove it to you.”
“You don’t have to. I’m just glad you’re here now.”
“Yes, I do, because … what I said last week … about you … to excuse myself with Victoria … that was … I was confused. An idiot. Completely lost.”
I snuggled closer to him, sliding a leg between his and holding him tightly. My body was exhausted, but I resisted sleep, wanting to savor every moment Hector was here. I couldn’t recall ever being this happy. Why hadn’t I fallen in love sooner? It felt incredibly good.
“Sleep a bit,” Hector whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“But the visiting hours,” I murmured with my eyes closed.
“I’ll wake you before they kick me out,” he said, lovingly combing my hair with his fingers.
“Hmm …” I murmured in response.
I savored every last second of feeling safe in Hector’s arms until I drifted into a deep sleep.
28
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Nico
“If getting flowers like this is the result, maybe I should take a few more pills every now and then,” I remarked as I sat down at the kitchen table at home.
Two enormous flower arrangements were on display—one from Grazia, the other from Linda.
“Not funny,” Dominic grumbled, setting a cup of coffee in front of me.
“Wasn’t meant to be,” I replied with a smirk, crossing one leg over the other and taking a sip.
“So, how are you feeling?”
