Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

DANIELA

"Do you mind staying in the car?" I asked Leo as he pulled into a parking space at the cemetery. "Isaac and I really need some time alone with her."

"What if I stand right at the gate?" he suggested. "Then you'll still have privacy, but I'll be able to get to you quicker if something happens."

I nodded and sighed. "That's fine."

As much as I hated it, I knew that was smarter. There was , after all, still a psycho bitch who was fixated on Braden out there somewhere. And if Braden was right and it was his publicist, that meant she knew all about me – and, more horrifyingly, Isaac.

Getting out of the car, I double-checked that the baby wrap I'd put on before leaving this morning was still secure before opening the back door and getting my little man out of his car seat. Once he was safely snuggled against my chest, I grabbed my purse and the flowers I'd brought and started to head into the cemetery. As promised, Leo stopped right at the gate, letting me carry Isaac toward my sister's final resting place alone.

My nose started to burn and my throat clogged up with tears as I approached the headstone that Malachi had paid for without a second thought. My sister's entire life summed up in four short lines.

Amara Luisa Ramos

2001 – 2024

Beloved Daughter, Sister, and Mother

Bigger Than the Whole Sky

Supporting Isaac with one of my arms, I knelt in front of the headstone, taking the old, dead flowers out of the holder and putting the fresh ones in their place. Then I took my phone out of my purse and pulled up Taylor Swift on Spotify. She had provided the soundtrack for so many moments with Amara, and she would always be one of my favorite artists because of that. Today, though, rather than playing any of the songs that held memories for us, I went for the one that had inspired the inscription on her headstone. Because that was what she'd always been: bigger than the whole sky.

"Feliz cumplea?os, Mar," I murmured, sniffling as the tears started to trickle down my cheeks while I sat on the grass. Happy birthday, Mar.

"God, everything's a mess. Everything we thought we knew. Everything you died believing. Braden didn't know about Isaac. He didn't know we tried to reach him on his old phone number. And now… Damn it, part of me wishes I'd never signed that stupid contract, but if I hadn't… If I hadn't, I never would have gotten to know him.

"I tried so hard not to fall for him, Mar. But I couldn't help it, and now I don't know what to do. I don't know if you're looking down on me and Isaac. I don't know if you could see how hard we had to fight before Braden came into our lives, and I don't know if you can see how sweet he's been to me and Isaac in the past month and a half. How much he's helped us and gone above and beyond what that damn contract said he was supposed to do."

Isaac started to fuss in the wrap, so I gently bounced him a little to adjust it, then swiped at the tears that were flowing out of my eyes like a river before kissing him on the head and rubbing his back lightly, and he quieted again.

"I don't even know why I'm telling you this," I sighed. "Maybe I'm looking for a sign. Something to show me that you're okay with the way I feel about Braden, or at least that you forgive me for it. Because I don't know how not to love him. I don't know how not to want him. And maybe I'm setting myself up for heartbreak, but for once, I don't care. I just… If there's a chance in hell that he still feels any part of what he said to me before I dropped that bombshell on him, I have to take it."

As I wiped more tears from my face, taking a deep breath, "Bigger Than the Whole Sky" ended and Spotify started to shuffle to the next song. And just when Taylor's version of "You Are in Love" started to play, a gorgeous monarch butterfly flitted over to us and perched on my sister's headstone.

Another sob bubbled up in my throat as I reached for the necklace I'd never taken off. If it was true that loved ones watched over us after they passed on, and if they could send messages from the great beyond…well, this seemed like the closest thing to an approval I was ever going to get.

"I wish you were still here. I wish you could see how fast your beautiful little boy is growing and what a sweet baby he is. God, I wish you could meet Lina too. She's so good with him, and she's become like family to us. He is so loved, Mar. It hasn't been easy, but we're okay now. We're finding our new normal. And that's thanks to Braden. He provided for his son before he even knew he was doing it, and he's still doing it, even when I tried everything to push him away. But I don't want to push him away anymore. I want to give whatever there is between us a chance if he's still willing to. So thank you for being okay with it. Thank you for understanding."

For a little while, I just sat there, enjoying the beautiful warm weather and clear skies and the shuffled Taylor Swift playlist while cuddling with my son. Because that was what he was. Not just my nephew, but my child. I'd always make sure he knew about his other mamá in heaven, but I was the one who was raising him. And I needed to start owning that.

When my text alert sounded over "Fearless," I jumped a little, not expecting it. I grabbed my phone off the grass next to me to check the message and saw it was from the man I'd just been sobbing to my sister about. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as I read it.

Braden

Hey, beautiful. Can you send me a picture of Isaac? I told Ian, Ky, and Melissa about him this morning. They wanted to see him…and I realized I don't have a single picture.

Quickly scrolling through my camera roll, I found one of my favorite pictures of Isaac and sent it to him, and then I snapped a selfie of us sitting here and sent that too. And I immediately knew that one of the first things I needed to do when he got back was make sure to take a bunch of pictures of them together. Every father needed pictures of – and with – his child.

Braden

Thank you, sweetheart.

Wait a second. Is that a cemetery? *raised eyebrows emoji*

Shit. I hadn't realized the headstone was visible in that picture.

Me

Yeah. Today's Mar's birthday. Don't worry, Leo's here too. Waiting by the gate.

Braden

I wish I was there with you. I hate that you had to go visit her alone. *sad face emoji*

I took a long inhale through my nose and let it out slowly. I'd done enough crying today.

Me

I kinda wanted to be alone anyway. Had some stuff to get off my chest.

And we've just been sitting here listening to Taylor Swift for a little while. It's nice. Peaceful.

Braden

Fuck. Don't tell me you're one of THOSE people. *wacky tongue-out emoji*

Me

*laughing crying emoji* You're gonna have to get used to it. Die-hard Swiftie here. So was she.

Braden

I guess I can learn to deal with that if it means keeping you in my life.

Damn it. There went the waterworks again.

He still wanted me. Even after everything I'd done to him, all the horrible things I'd said in the heat of the moment, he wanted me.

Me

Is it stupid if I say I miss you?

Braden

Only if it's stupid for me to say I miss you too.

Me

When do you get back?

Braden

I switched my flight. Leaving on a red-eye tomorrow morning.

Oh, my God. Was he…

Me

Please tell me you're not doing that for me. You need to be with your friends.

Braden

Ian and Ky's engagement party was yesterday. Where I need to be now is with you and Isaac.

God, he had no idea. I needed that too. So much. I needed to be in his arms again. I needed more of those kisses that made me forget everything and everyone around me and made me weak at the knees. I just needed him.

Me

Ditto. Can I make you dinner tomorrow night?

Braden

It's a date, beautiful. Can't wait.

My stomach started doing flip-flops when the knock came on my door.

What the hell was I supposed to do tonight? Did I just come out and tell Braden that I wanted to give this a shot? Wait for him to say something?

I hadn't even been on a date in over two years, and neither of my past relationships had been that serious. There hadn't been any kind of spark with them, and they'd fizzled out within a couple of months. One the guys realized they weren't going to get into my pants that easily. I had no idea what the hell I was doing, especially with a man like Braden. The way I felt about him was something I'd never experienced before. Something bigger. Something wonderful, terrifying, and exhilarating all at once.

Taking a few deep breaths and shaking out my anxious energy, I opened the door to find the man I was head-over-heels for holding a huge bouquet of flowers and an obscenely large gift bag. And when his face lit up with one of those smiles that had always been my undoing, it made the nerves subside and replaced them with those now-familiar butterflies.

"Hey," I mumbled, unable to meet his eyes.

Instead of answering me right away, Braden just stepped inside, kicking the door closed with his foot, then pulled me into his arms – flowers, gift bag, and all – and kissed the top of my head. I melted into his arms, for once not the slightest bit guilty or confused by the way I felt. For once allowing myself to bask in the safety and security I'd always known with him, even when I'd tried so hard to deny it.

"Fuck, I missed you, beautiful," he whispered, so low it was barely audible.

"I missed you too," I sighed against his chest. "How was your flight?"

"Awful, thanks," he chuckled nervously. "It took for-fucking-ever and all I could think about was getting back to you."

And there he went yet again, making me question why I'd ever thought he was capable of the things I used to think he'd done.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "If it makes you feel better, I've been a nervous wreck pretty much all day."

Braden took a deep breath before releasing me and setting the flowers and gift bag on the floor. Then he took both of my hands in his before speaking.

"I've been a mess this whole week," he said, dragging in a slow inhale. "The whole time I was away, I couldn't stop thinking about how we left things. I should have been happy, should have been present in the moment celebrating Ian and Ky, but all I could think about was you. I hated that we left so much unsaid. I hated that you didn't feel like you could talk to me anymore, like you used to before you told me about Isaac. And I hated that I just kissed you and walked away instead of telling you that nothing's changed for me. That I still want you more than I want my next breath, and there's never going to be a day when I don't. That I know I don't deserve the time of day from you, but if you'll let me, I want to spend every day of the rest of my life trying to become the man you deserve."

It felt like all I'd done lately was cry…but I couldn't help it. Tears sprang to my eyes and started to trail down my cheeks as he spoke. But at least this time, they were tears of joy and hope, not heartache.

"You already are, Braden," I murmured as I wrapped my arms around his neck, stood on my toes, and pressed my lips to his.

With a sharp inhale, he pulled me flush against him as he licked at the seam of my lips, asking for entrance, which I happily gave him. And the quiet groan he emitted as I curled my tongue around his – tasting, exploring, savoring, worshiping – made those butterflies in my stomach turn into sparks that raced all over my whole body. Sparks that soon ignited into a blazing inferno, making me want things I'd never even thought about with anyone else.

Because no one had ever known me the way Braden did. Despite all my attempts to keep this man at arm's length, he'd still managed to get under my skin. Still managed to learn more about me than I even knew about myself. Still managed to get me to let my guard down enough to build the kind of connection I needed to feel physical attraction.

I could feel the hardening bulge in his pants against my stomach as he fisted a hand in my hair, holding my lips hostage as he deepened the kiss even more, and for the first time ever, I loved that I was affecting a man this much with just a kiss. That he wanted me the way I wanted him. And I did want him. Desperately.

When he finally broke the kiss, panting for breath, he still kept brushing his lips against mine for several long, unhurried moments. Like he couldn't get enough. Like he just wasn't ready for the moment to end, the same way I wasn't.

"I've literally never said these words to a woman before," he breathed against my now-swollen lips. "And part of me is scared shitless to say them now. But I love you, Daniela Ramos. So damn much."

I laughed softly, sniffling as I swiped at the water on my cheeks. " I love you , Braden Hicks."