Page 67 of Worth the Heat
Her eyes appear glassy as she nods. “I really do. I’m sorry I didn’t realize it earlier, and that I didn’t give you a chance.”
“We happened at the exact time we were supposed to happen, and you’ll never be able to convince me otherwise. I wouldn’t change a thing about how we got together,” I tell her quietly. “Well, maybe the whole Rick the Dick thing. I could really have done without him being in our story.”
She laughs lightly. “Honestly? Me too. But I’m glad he forced me to finally see the amazing man I’ve had standing in front of me for years. I had blinders on, thinking we could never work. But you see me for me, and you accept me anyway, bad traits and all.”
I apply a quick kiss to her forehead. “Mi vida estaría vacía sin ti.”
“What did you say?” she whispers, her gaze riveted to me.
“My life would be empty without you.”
“It sounds so much better in Spanish,” she jokes.
“Well, you know I call youNaranja, which means orange, but it also means ‘my other half’ or even my better half.Eres mi media Naranja. You’re my better half, Isabella, and I swear on my soul that I’ll spend the rest of my days showing you how beautifully loved you are.”
“I love you too, Sebastian,” she says solemnly, before pushing onto her tiptoes to give me a soft kiss.
A throat clears, and we break apart to find Leo standing next to us. “It’s great that you love each other. Really. But go get some food, because I have to leave in an hour. Unless you want to explain why we’re all here right now, on an empty stomach.”
I’m not sure which is the better option: nausea because of an empty stomach, or puking because of nerves with a full stomach. At least I can mostly place the blame on my daughter for either option.
Leo looks back again, a tiny smile on his face. “I guess I’m the lone holdout now.”
“For?” I ask.
He points toward the door. “The threshold. True love. All that bullshit.”
Isabella gasps. “Oh! I didn’t even realize we’d done it!”
I slide an arm around her waist, pulling her into my side. “If I’d have convinced you to try this ten years ago, do you think you’d have believed we were destined to be together?”
She shakes her head. “I’m glad it didn’t happen that way.”
“Why?”
Her gaze drifts to where Camila animatedly talks toAbuelaandNonna. “Because we wouldn’t have her.”
ISABELLA
Ibarely ate a thing from the smorgasbord my family managed to put out for us with only a day’s notice. Sebastian’s mother and grandmother brought a couple of dishes as well, and I realize the combining of a large Italian family with a Puerto Rican family will mean we will never go hungry.
“Belly,” Arianna says quietly. “Are you doing okay?”
We’re sitting on one of the couches in my parents’ oversized family room. These couches have seen many family meetings, Christmases, and celebrations of birthdays and new babies. I never thought we’d be meeting to discuss my safety and an ex-boyfriend who may or may not be out to get me. Two large brown leather couches face each other, with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace covering the wall on one side. Two small chairs with a side table surround the couches, and my parents have pulled every dining chair into the space for our large congregation to sit. Alex’s oldest daughter, Abbie, corrals all the children into the basement so they’re out of hearing distance. I watch as Camila excitedly waves to me before she takes Abbie’s hand and goes into the basement.
I sigh. “As good as I can, I guess. This is all incredibly surreal.”
She takes my hand, squeezing it. “We’re here for you, and we’ll get you through this. Well,whateverthisis.”
I give her a small smile, but my insides are churning.
Mom sits on the other side of me, patting my knee reassuringly. Sebastian watches from the other side of the room, surrounded by my brothers, as they pester him with nonstop questions. His eyes warm as he gives me a small smile, and I notice his finger tapping along his hip bone, pointing to the spot where my tattoo is on his body. My entire being relaxes, melting into the back of the couch.
I love that we’ve both marked the other on our bodies. I love that, no matter what, I’m carrying him with me. Looking back, I can see how he slowly infiltrated my heart. While it may seem sneaky, I know it wasn’t. He did it patiently, only when he knew I was open to it. He’s always listened to me and respected my boundaries.
“Girl, you better quit looking at him like that, or you might end up pregnant right now,” Arianna teases. “Although I’d sure love another niece or nephew.”
“I basically just gave you a five-year-old niece. Can we maybe wait to breed me for a little bit? I’d like to enjoy Sebastian by myself right now.”
