Page 43 of Unconditional

My heart stars jumping in my chest, coming to life for the first time in nearly a year I watch her as she talks and smiles at the... my eyes move up, landing on the fucking prince. I grit my teeth so hard I’m surprised I don’t crack a molar.

Jesus, I want to smack the smile off his face. The way he looks at her, like she hung the moon and the stars. She did. But nothis. My piccola hung my fucking moon and stars. Sheismymoon and stars. Mine. My everything. And this asshole thinks he can just take her from me.

Not a fucking chance.

I move towards her, like a magnet being pulled to its other half.

Home. That’s what she is. I feel it with every part of me. My whole body is so alive with need for her. But calm. It’s a contradictory statement, but it is what it is.

Not ten feet out, she stops her conversation. Her brows furrow, head cocking. I watch as her pulse kicks up. I know she senses me like I sense her. We are ingrained in each other.

I step closer. Her head lifts in slow motion.

My heart jackhammers in my chest. This is it. I’m about to look into my piccola’s eyes. Eyes that I love with everything in me. Eyes that I haven’t gazed into in almost a year.

She takes a breath. Her eyes squeezing shut before they pop open. Her gaze meets mine. Grey clashing with blue. Her breath hitches. Something drops to the ground. What it is, I’m not sure. We are sucked into our own little world. A world where only Thalia and I exist. I don’t know how long we stare at each other, but it feels like forever. I want to stay here. But I need to speak. Say something. Anything. My lips part. My piccola’s eyes widen as her mouth drops open.

“Piccola.”