“I guess I’ve gotten used to it by now.” Brooke exhaled a shaky breath. “Once the curse is broken, then Melinda and Lucas can be together forever, and all of her female descendants will be free. Everyone says I’m the spitting image of her. I get these flickers of memory from another time. And I’ve always been terrified of storms for as long as I can remember.”
“And you believe your fear of storms is linked to Melinda dying in one?”
She nodded. “I’ve been having these dreams about getting caught in a storm since I was a child. Over the past few weeks, they’ve become more vivid.” On the nights she stayed at his place, she’d been waking up shaking with the sound of wind and rain still pounding in her ears.
He placed a sweet kiss on her cheek. “Jesus, Brooke. I feel terrible. You should’ve woken me up, so I could’ve been there for you.”
His words made her melt. “I think I’m reliving the storm because I was Melinda in a past life.”
He rubbed the back of his head with doubt clouding his eyes. “I admit it’s kind of eerie that you look just like Melinda. What about Lucas? What did he look like?”
“I’ve always wondered. I’ve searched all the historical registries for years and never found anything. I don’t even know his last name.”
“Have you talked to your mom about all this?”
Her stomach dropped. “I haven’t seen her in a while. She was having an affair while she was married to my dad. Her infidelity destroyed him and broke up our family. She left when my younger brother Drew and I were young. When that relationship ended, she was onto the next one.” The pain dulled over time like a scab over an open wound.
“I’m sorry, Brooke.” His gaze pierced hers, and genuine sincerity burned in his eyes.
“We don’t speak much anymore. It must be hard for you to understand, coming from a loving family.”
“I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been for you,” he whispered, rubbing her back.
The weight of his concern allowed her to continue. “It was more difficult for Drew. We made it through, but I still have the battle scars.”Everyone leaves.
“You deserve love, and all the happiness in the world.”
“I don’t know what a happily-ever-after looks like, Nico. My parents fought all the time.” The admission sparked a host of ugly memories. “I used to hide in my room with my hands over my ears, praying to be anywhere but there.”
“I wish I could take that pain away from you.” Pressing his hands on her shoulders, she leaned into his warmth. “If I could, I would, but it’s what made you the strong, incredible woman you are today.”
Her heart somersaulted from his praise. “I took her rejection hard. I still struggle with self-doubt and feeling like I’m not good enough.” Talking about this gut-wrenching subject with Nico lifted some of the hurt away.
“You don’t have to feel that way anymore. I’m here. I’ve got you.” He pulled her against the hard wall of his chest and wrapped her in his arms. She found comfort in his masculine scent and the steady beat of his heart.
Several minutes ticked by. When she finally pulled back and looked up at his handsome face, some of her tension had melted away. All her secrets had been laid out bare. Her heart and soul stretched out before him. No more hiding. No more shame.
He traced the space between her brows with the pad of his finger. “What’s this about? Tell me what you’re thinking right now.”
“The curse compelled my mom into the arms of another man, but not keeping in touch with her children…that’s on her.” And then those same nagging fears and doubts flitted through her head, leaving her shaken and sick with dread. “What if I’m like her? What if that kind of detachment is genetic, something that burns in the veins?”
“You’re not like her. I know you. You’re warm and loving. You’d never leave your family.” Nico believed in Brooke even when she didn’t believe in herself. A bittersweet tenderness filled her, lifting the darkness that lived inside her by exposing it to light.
“Admitting this out loud and not having you judge me means everything.”
“A hurt that deep can hollow you out if you let it.” He kissed her temple and her eyelids, whispering words of sweet encouragement.
Her heart soared, tripping over every word. “Tonight, when I look up into the sky, I want to imagine we can rearrange the stars.”
“Me too, sweetheart. Me too.” He trailed his fingers up and down her arms, leaving a trail of heat and longing in their wake.
She loved that he couldn’t seem to stop touching her. Stars twinkled overhead and gave off a starry effect, drawing her gaze up to a full moon. Fireworks went off, adding to the dreamlike quality of the night. Bursts of red, gold, and silver magic flared.
Pointing to the blasts, Nico looked up. “It’s a gorgeous night. We’re supposed to be having fun, remember?”
“I want to bask in this moment.” Sharing secrets reinforced their connection and made them stronger. She wanted to lose herself in this man and not think about what might happen tomorrow. “The fates have kept me from living my desires, until now.”
“What do you wish for?”