Page 105 of Heart Thief

He runs one hand through his hair and continues. “I’m sorry my silence hurt you. The truth is, I thought I had plenty of time to talk to you when Ryker was done with his tirade. He always fizzles out quickly. I knew I could explain everything in privacy later, but not right then, not with him watching and listening.”

Zane gathers his thoughts before going on. “I didn’t know that everything was about to change in a big way. I wasn’t expecting what happened next. It was the worst moment of my life, seeing you hurt and in pain, and knowing what an injury to your hand meant. After that, everything caught up with us and spiraled out of our control. It feels like it’s been that way ever since.”

“Not anymore,” I whisper.

“Not anymore,” he repeats. “We’re taking control now. I want this. I want you, Mila. I want to be here for your dark moments and your happy moments. That’s what a relationship is all about; helping each other through hard times. As long as we’re together, we can get through this.”

My lips tremble as I’m overcome with emotion. But there’s still one more question I need to ask, one more thing I have to know before we can move on.

“One more thing.”

He exhales and looks down for a moment. “Go ahead.”

“Is it true what Ryker said about you attending the symphony? You were there to see me? Several nights in a row? Before we ever met?”

He closes his eyes as though he’s in pain. “I know how that sounds. But the answer is yes.”

No.I cover my face with my good hand. “What does that mean?”

It should feel creepy. But it doesn’t. It feels like the most romantic thing in the world. And yet I’m scared of his pending answer, because I don’t want it to be creepy.

Zane approaches slowly and lets Artie jump onto my lap. He takes my hand away from my face and lowers it down.

With his eyes never leaving mine, he slowly removes his suit jacket and tie. I watch him with a greedy gaze. He kneels in front of me and holds my good hand.

“Is this okay? Because I can’t stay away any longer.”

I nod and curse my tears. Except they’re happy tears now. I have a feeling what he’s about to say is going to be good. So good I won’t be able to bear the happiness that’s about to enter my soul.

“What it means is that I’m exactly like my father,” Zane says, in an emotion-filled whisper. “He knew my mom was the one for him long before he actually met her. He watched her for days before summoning up the courage to talk to her. I saw you perform for the first time, and I couldn’t take my eyes off you. The way your fingers flew over the keys, the arch of your back, your smile when you were done performing. I’ve never felt so captivated in my life. I couldn’t stop. I kept coming back for more. I simply wanted to see you. Just having my eyes on you was enough. This was right after Dad had his stroke. I needed something in the evenings, something to fill me. You became my obsession, the thing that brought me happiness during a dark time. I didn’t even think about introducing myself. I was content to watch.”

He gives my hand a squeeze. “Then I had to return to my military assignment. But I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Every day, you were on my mind. I knew when I returned home, I had to try to meet you, and I planned to do just that.” He shakes his head. “You could’ve knocked me over with a feather when I saw you in Ryker’s penthouse that day. I couldn’t believe Ryker went to the trouble of seeking you out. I was floored. I wondered how he could do that to me. And to you. My relationship with him is... messed up.”

He reaches out, tracing my cheeks with his fingers, wiping away my tears. “Not only were you seeing Ryker, but you were practically engaged. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. When we started to click, I knew I was on dangerous ground. I tried to hold back, I really did. But when you told me your relationship with Ryker was over, I couldn’t. I just couldn’t anymore.”

“I didn’t want you to.”

“I got that. Loud and clear, and I loved it. The thing is, there’s a reason why I was so taken with you when I saw you at the symphony, that just seeing you in the flesh captivated me. I didn’t know it then, but I know it now. You were the one for me, my soulmate. Some inner voice was telling me you were the one from the very beginning. I fell in love with you long before I actually met you.”

“And after you met me?” My voice shakes with emotion.

“Everything that’s happened since has only confirmed what I’ve felt from the very beginning.”

“And what’s that?”

“That I’m knocked flat and turned upside down in love with you.”

That’s a Zane way of saying he loves me. I adore it.

“It’s you, Mila, you. You’re the love of my life, the one I want to marry, the one I want to have children with. I know you think your life is over, but you once told me you had another dream besides the piano. And I want to give you that dream. A houseful of children, made by me and you.”

“Little urchins who get crumbs all over the place and call you dad?” I say, repeating what he said to me a while ago.

“You remember that?” He smiles. “Yep. That’s what dreams are made of, right there.” His face grows serious. “And if you can play the piano again, then wonderful. I believe you will, but if you can’t, we can still find happiness in this life. More than you can comprehend. More than you can contain inside of you.”

My entire body is shaking in response to his words. “I want that too. If I have that, I can be happy.”

“You got it. I’m yours.”

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