The Ruin (Convenience #3) - Stella Gray Page 0,79
want you sacrificing yourself for me like that ever again.”
My eyes start to blur. “But I heard you on the phone. You told Guy that—”
“I know,” he interrupts. “I said those things to save the company, and maybe it was the best thing for DRM at the time, but I shouldn’t have done or said anything without talking to you first. We should have figured it out together, and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
I fall into his arms, blinking back tears.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come home. After the Monica story hit, I went to your office right away but you were talking to Guy and after I heard what you said, I just…ran. Spilling the story to TMZ seemed like the only way out for me. I thought we’d both be better off if I just…I don’t know, removed myself from the equation. So you all could move on from the scandal as a family. I’m sorry I couldn’t face you.”
Luka squeezes me. “You are my family, Brooklyn. And look, I know I haven’t made you enough of a priority. But the truth is, you’ve been the most important thing in my life for a long time now, and I’ve done a terrible job at showing you that. It’ll never happen again. And I’ll prove it, if you’ll just give me another chance.”
My lower lips quivers at the sincerity in his voice. “Of course I will.”
He pulls back to look me in the eye again. “I love you, Brooklyn. My family loves you. We’re all behind you, no matter what. We’ve got each other and that’s what matters.”
“I love you, too,” I say.
Luka leans down to kiss me. Then he scoops me up in his arms and carries me to the bedroom, setting me gently on top of his bed. Our bed.
“I want to be with you. Always,” he says, dropping kisses down my neck. “I want to build a life with you, and Mr. Kibbles, and I want us to be happy together.”
I run my fingers through his hair. “I want to be with you, too. I couldn’t stand being away all this time. I’m sorry for making you leave all those voicemails.”
“So many,” he murmurs in between kisses. “I made myself hoarse. But I meant them, every single one.”
I wince a little. “I…actually, I couldn’t bring myself to listen to them.”
He draws back in mock horror. “None of them? I poured my heart and soul out to you!”
I kiss him, slow and soft, and then I kiss him again harder. “I’ll make it up to you. Promise.”
Luka settles himself between my legs and tugs my shirt up, cruising his lips along my ribcage and making me laugh. “Hell yes, you will.”
I pull his face back up to mine and catch his eyes. “I promise not to hide from you ever again.”
“Unless we’re playing a sexy game of hide-and-seek, you mean.”
“Yes.”
He traces my jaw with a finger. “I promise to always put you first. Always.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Luka sits up to whip his shirt off, and then takes my hand and places it on his bare chest, right over his heart. “This is yours, okay? It’s gonna be me and you, together. Always.”
I loop my arms around his neck and tug him back down on top of me. “I really like the sound of that. And I think we should start now.”
Epilogue
Luka
Two months later
There’s a knock on the door.
Brooklyn rushes to answer. So does Mr. Kibbles, who is determined not to let us out of his sight now that Mommy and Daddy are happy again and giving him all the scritches and walks he could possibly dream of. The funny part is that both of us have to walk him now, together, like a little family, or else he refuses to do his business.
I’d say Mr. Kibbles is thrilled that Brooklyn is home to stay, and he’s determined to do whatever it takes to keep us all together. I’m with Kibs on that.
The florist delivery people come in with two huge urns of pale pink, periwinkle blue, and soft yellow flowers, and other assorted greenery. Brooklyn directs them to place the urns near the sofa. My chest swells as I watch her putter around. It’s a big day for us. We’ve had several of those recently, and honestly, I’ve never been happier.
We sidestepped most of the fallout and increased drama caused by Monica’s exposé, though it seems like her story has gotten buried in the wake of