Page 55 of The Final Deal

His brows knit together. “You okay?”

Unthinking, I rush toward him, wrap my arms around his neck, and crush my lips onto his.

I need him to know how much I love him—that I’d do anything for him to make things right. To be able to spend the rest of forever with him and his brother.

He chuckles softly as he pulls away. “Didn’t you get enough last night?”

“No,” I respond, trying to kiss him again.

He tries to pry my hands from his neck. He pecks my lips once more, acting like that will ease the blow. “C’mon, babe, gimme a break. Think last night mighta broke my dick.”

I sniffle. New tears tumble down my cheeks. “Do you love me?”

Zak gently wipes the tears away. “Yeah, of course, I do. More than anything.”

“Hey. What’s wrong?”

I turn away from Zak and toward Adrian to cling to him. My sobs renew against his chest.

His arms close in around me. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“I just…” I take a deep breath, and the word vomit flows freely. “I love you both so much. Y’all are my everything. But…” More sniffles, and a high-pitched sob follows. “I want more. A-and I don’t know what that means, but I want more.”

“What, getting fucked by both of us at the same time wasn’t enough?” Adrian teases.

I chuckle sadly and lightly slap his chest. “Dree!”

He snorts and covers my hand with his, bringing my knuckles to his lips and kissing them. His thumb passes repeatedly over my hand on his chest, and he studies me carefully. “What do you think more is, princesa?”

I sniffle. “I don’t know!”

“I know what it means.” Zak pivots toward his hallway and strides until he disappears into his room at the end.

The pads of Dree’s fingers brush the streaming wetness from my cheeks. “Baby, what brought this on? Was last night too much?”

“No!” I shrill. “Last night… last night was perfect.” I wrap my arms around his slim waist and pull him closer. My cheek rests on his bare chest, and my tears thoroughly soak his skin within seconds. “I want… need you…”

I need them to understand what I’m willing to do for them; what I have done for them. What I’m going to do for them.

Even if the person they hate the most is trying to destroy it all and make sure they hate me forever.

Zak appears, approaching reverently with something in his hands. He uncovers the thing he holds: a small, black velvet box.

My heart explodes into a million pieces. It rises from the smoking ashes as he lifts the top.

It’s like I’m on stage at New Year’s Ball all over again, unable to see it from all the tears blurring my vision, feeling like one of the worst people on the face of the planet as Adrian holds me tighter.

“I know what ‘more’ means, babe,” Zak murmurs.

I blink rapidly and drag my hands over my cheeks in a desperate attempt to clear the waterworks, and he helps, but it keeps flowing. “Hon, I don’t…” I snivel and clutch Adrian’s arm in reassurance. “What about Dree?”

“Hey, I never said anything about going down to the courthouse or the church,” Zak says. Adrian quirks a brow at him. “I don’t need a piece of paper to tell me or anyone else what we already know.”

“Then what is this, Z?” I question as I dry my cheeks. “Because you’re a good Catholic who’s always wanted a big Catholic wedding and kids to go to Mass with every Sunday.”

Zak touches my cheek. “I know we’ve talked about our wedding and what we wanted, but… I think some of our dreams have to change.”

I press a kiss to his palm and nuzzle it. “I think so, too.”

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