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Ink-spiration, Johannesburg (2026)

28/07/2026

THERE IS NO LOVE HERE
CHAPTER 76
“Pure love and suspicion cannot dwell together: at the door where the latter enters, the former makes its exit.”
― Alexandre Dumas
The four ladies sat together in the large living room of the Vacarro household.
Emery was painstakingly holding up swatches of material to her hand.
“This is so confusing,” she said, turning to Mia, who was discussing flower arrangements with Emery’s mother.
Mia shook her head at Emery. “You know you are going to choose red, so why bother with looking at anything else?”
Emery stuck her tongue out at Mia, and they all laughed.
Mia felt her heart lighten. This is what she needed: time with her family and best friend. Karina had been overjoyed at the idea of a double party and started emailing as soon as Mia told her.
The party would be held at the Nikolai household. Emery’s parents had no objection, but they had made Emery promise that the wedding would be a grand affair. She was their only child, and they wanted to celebrate in a way that would be remembered.
Mia smiled as she thought of what Emery had said, “Mama, you want me to get married in a confection of taffeta and silk with satin bows everywhere. I'll do it, as long as Victor is waiting for me at the end of the aisle. I'll wear anything.”
Mia looked at her friend with tender eyes. For as long as she could remember, Emery would always be looking at wedding magazines and telling Mia that they would plan their weddings together, have a double wedding, and marry two brothers.
A soft laugh left her mouth.
Everyone looked at her.
Mia shook her head and smiled, “I'm just thinking about what you said when we were younger, that we would have a double wedding and marry brothers. We're not having the double wedding, but we are marrying brothers.”
Emery gave her a wide smile. “And now we will be sisters for real.”
She reached out and squeezed Mia’s hand.
Mia squeezed back and pulled her into a hug.
She pulled back, looked at Emery and winked.
“I was thinking red for the engagement and black for the wedding,” said Mia with a wicked glint in her eyes.
Emery smiled with the same wicked glint,” that’s the most perfect idea I have ever heard.”
They both turned to their mothers, who wore identical shocked expressions, mouths dropped open.
Mia and Emery burst out laughing, and the women shook their heads.
Calista looked at Mia, smiling, “We didn’t get to plan a wedding together, Mia, but I'm sure we'll get to do it when there's a baby shower to plan for.”

Mia’s jaw dropped,” Mama, there are no babies.”

“Not yet,” said Calista with a wink and a smile.

Leo watched the nurse help Victor into the wheelchair, taking careful note of how he manoeuvred Victor’s legs.
Victor grimaced.
“Are you in pain?” Leo asked
“Feels like a thousand needles pricking my toes.”
“That’s actually a good sign,” said the doctor as he walked in. It means your nerves are waking up. It's uncomfortable, but I would be more worried if you weren’t feeling anything. In about two weeks you can start physical therapy.”
“Can't I start now?” asked Victor.
“Ok, get off the wheelchair and move to the bed unaided. If you can do that, you can start your therapy tomorrow.”
The doctor motioned for the nurse and Leo to move back.
They all stood in silence and watched. Beds of sweat broke out on Victor's forehead, but try as he might, his legs wouldn’t move.
“Like I said, sir, two weeks or more and you can start physical therapy. The pricking sensation is going to get worse, but perhaps in a week you should start having more feeling in your legs. Do not rush this; a spinal injury is no joke. You will listen to everything I say, or would you rather risk paralysis for life?”
“You're an asshole,” said Victor.
The doctor smiled. "I am, but I also have the best interests of my patient at heart." “
He turned to Leo and handed him a folder.
“These are the daily instructions for what he needs for the next two or three weeks. Please see to it that his aide gets it. I'll get started on his discharge papers, and tomorrow morning you can take him home.”
The doctor nodded at Leo and Victor and left the room.
“Don’t be an idiot, Victor. You want to walk down the aisle with Emery, don’t you, so we are going to do exactly what he says.”
Victor muttered something under his breath, and Leo’s lips twitched. “And the same to you, brother. Now let's try wheeling the chair out of here.
Leo spent the next hour with Victor, slowly following him as he wheeled the chair through the corridors.
Milena kept sending him messages about her son; Leo made sure to delete every one as soon as he read them, but every time he did, he felt a twitch of guilt.
Perhaps he should tell Mia about this. He hated lying to her, hated that he couldn’t answer the phone in front of her in case it was Milena. These underhanded dealings were leaving him with a bitter taste in his mouth.
Victor wheeled himself back to his room, and Leo helped him into bed. Victor was asleep before he left the room.
Leo walked out to his car, but as he sat down, his phone buzzed, indicating a message.
Leo let out a suffering sigh. It was Milena begging him to come to her again.
Leo called her. He didn’t bother with a hello.
“Milena, I gave you the money. More than what you asked for. I'm not coming to see you and Milena. This is the last of it—no more. I'm married now, and I'm not lying to my wife anymore. You want more help, then you have to let Mia know.”
He cut the call to her screaming and spluttering. He felt lighter. Mia was his wife, and there would be no secrets between them.
Milena screamed and threw her phone on the floor. Enzo sat and said nothing, waiting for her temper to cool down.
“We should just drug him and put him in bed with me, send the pictures to that w***e he married,” screamed Milena
“Princessa, when you think with emotion, you're not thinking at all. Trust me when I tell you the pictures she will see will paint more than suspicion in her mind.”
Milena sneered at him, “How can you be so calm knowing that he is fu***ng the woman you love every night?”
Enzo stood up, a dangerous smile crossing his face, and Milena felt a ripple of fear run through her.
He bent down and grabbed her chin, squeezing it; he looked her in the eyes.
“And how do you feel fu***ng another man when the one you want isn’t here, doesn’t that make you a w***e?”
Milena lifted her hand to slap him, but Enzo was too quick. He grabbed her wrist and twisted it.
Milena whimpered softly.
Enzo pushed her down on the bed.
“Now pick up that phone, message Mia and play nice. Invite yourself over for tea. We do things my way, princess, or they don’t get done at all. “
Enzo lowered himself onto Milena. His arms on either side of her, his face inches from hers.
“We do things my way.”

21/07/2026

There is no love here
Binte Nazir
CHAPTER 75

"Once suspicion is aroused, every thing feeds it." ~ Amelia Barr

Leo played with the tattoo on her back, punctuating every caress with a kiss.

Mia sighed blissfully; she didn’t want to move.
Leo worked his way down her back and playfully nipped her butt with his teeth.
“We have to get up, Leo.”
“No, we don’t,” he mumbled between kisses down the back of her thighs.
He flipped her over and bit her hip bone. Mia arched her back, and Leo moved.
“Lie still, Tsaverina, I'm about to practice page 72.”

Mia let out a deep gasp as he used his tongue on her.
She bit her lip and tried not to scream.She didn’t last long, and Leo looked up with a smile that said everything. Mia looked at him and shook her head.
“At this rate, you'll kill me before the year is out, she said.
Leo winked at her, “But what a way to go, my love.”
She pulled him towards her, and they lay in each other's arms.

A while later, the phone rang, and Mia didn’t even know when she had fallen asleep. Leo was fast asleep beside her, and Mia took a moment to admire her husband. She answered the phone, still looking at him.

It was Emery. She barely gave Mia time to say hello before launching into the conversation.
“So it took a long explanation, I won't bore you with the details, but Mia, my parents agreed. They agreed to Victor and me.”
Emery's voice brimmed with happiness, and Mia could practically see her bouncing up and down.
“I'm at the hospital now. The doctor says Victor can go home in three days. I was hoping we could give him a welcome home party.”
Mia suddenly had an idea.
“Emery, can I speak?”
Emery laughed, “Sorry, Mia, I was just so excited to tell you.”
“Why don’t we have a double party- Victor’s welcome back home and your engagement party, or do you want to do it separately?”
“Mia, if I could marry him in three days, I would do it, but my mother would kill me. An engagement party sounds perfect. You think we can pull it together in three days?”
“Let Victor come home, well settle him in first and then on the weekend we can have the party, what do you think?”
Emery squealed so loudly that Mia held the phone away from her ear, smiling as she did.
“Ok, perfect,” said Mia.
“We are coming to the hospital now. Will you be there?”
“I'm here till they throw me out of the night,” said Emery.
They spoke for a few more minutes, and Mia hung up the phone.

She couldn’t remember when she had last been this happy.
Her husband loved her, she loved him, and her best friend was getting married to a man who looked at her like she hung the moon.

Mia smiled and gently shook Leo awake. He opened his eyes and groggily looked at her.
“Ready for page 76, Tsaverina?”
Mia shook her head and cuffed him on the side of his head.
“We need to go and see Victor. Emery called, the doctor said he can come home in three days.”
Leo smiled broadly.
“And my darling husband, we have a few days to throw together an engagement party and a welcome home party for Victor, so give up on page 76 and get out of that bed.”
“I’ll make you a deal, Tsaverina. You come and shower with me now, and we'll make our own pages, and I'll leave you alone to sort out the party.”
Mia laughed, “Deal,” she said as she quickly moved off the bed, walking naked to the shower.
At the door, she turned and gave Leo a wink.
He jumped off the bed and followed her.

A half and hour later, Mia walked into their bedroom with a towel wrapped around her, and bent to pick up their clothes strewn across the floor. She picked up Leo’s shirt, and once again, the smell of gardenia hit her. She put his shirt to her nose and knew she wasn’t imagining it; she was about to throw it into the laundry basket when the smudge of lipstick caught her eye.
It was on the back of Leo’s collar, and it wasn’t a colour she would wear.
He had left her this morning; he hadn’t told her where he was going.
Mia shook the thought out of her head, but the lipstick on his collar left a lingering image in her mind.
Leo called her name, and Mia looked at him, still holding the shirt.
“Are you going out like that?”
Mia smiled at him and shook her head. She quickly changed, and they left for the hospital, but the scent of gardenias still tickled her nose, and the lipstick-messed collar was burned into her mind.

They got to the hospital, but before they walked in, Leo turned to Mia.
“Are you okay? You were so quiet the whole way here.”
She put her hand to his face,” I'm just tired.” Mia kissed his cheek, and together they walked into the hospital, but just as Mia knew his moods, Leo knew hers. Something was troubling her, but he forgot it as they walked into the hospital room and saw Victor and Emery.
They spent the next hour discussing the party, which Victor insisted he didn’t want, and that he would marry Emery right here in this hospital if he could.
“You do that, Victor, and my mother will make sure you're never found”, said Emery, kissing him on the cheek.
The doctor came in a little while later and, after discussing Victor’s condition and receiving assurance from Leo that the house was being prepared to accommodate Victor’s wheelchair.

As they walked out, Emery told Mia that she would be by tomorrow so they could discuss the party. Mia nodded. Emery pulled at her arm.
“What’s wrong Mia, and don’t say nothing. Something is distracting you. What happened between the time I called you and you coming to the hospital?”
Mia looked at Leo, who was on his phone, pacing as he spoke to whoever was on the other end.
Emery followed her eyes, “Did Leo do something?”
Mia hugged her friend, not wanting her to see the doubt in her eyes.
She gave Emery the same excuse she had given Leo: she was just tired.
Emery nodded at her, but Mia could see that she didn’t totally accept the excuse.

Leo cut the call as soon as Mia walked up to him.
Mia noted that it was the second time today he had done that.
“Everything ok?” she asked.
“Yes, just a little problem, but it's handled now.”
Leo took her hand and laid a kiss on her palm, his eyes never leaving her face.
Leo pulled her into a hug.” I love you, Tsaverina, just you.”
Mia felt herself settle, but not completely. The lipstick stain still played in her mind.

15/07/2026

There is no love here
CHAPTER 74
Binte Nazir
“nothing in this world was more difficult than love.”
― Gabriel García Márquez

Karina watched her daughter-in-law walk into the kitchen, she noted the softness in Mia’s eyes, and in her heart she knew something had changed between Leo and Mia.
“Mia, my love, can I get you some coffee?”
Mia nodded to her mother-in-law and sat down at the kitchen table. Karina handed her a cup of coffee and told the maids to clear the kitchen. She would finish the cooking.

She sat down opposite Mia, saying nothing but smiling gently at her.
Mia looked at her, ‘Karina…Mama.” Mia stopped.

Karina took her hand.
“You can call me whatever you are comfortable with,” as she squeezed Mia’s hand.

“I wanted to thank you for everything. I don’t think I have. From the first day that we met, you have gone out of your way to make me feel comfortable. You have shown me nothing but understanding and care.”

Karina smiled at her,”You make it easy. I was worried, we all were when you first came. I lived in fear that you would walk out that door and take peace with you, but you’re your mother’s daughter. Strength forged in steel and fire.”
Mia smiled at her,”Can I ask you something, please?”
Karina nodded encouragingly.
“You and Leo’s father, did you love him when you got married?”
“Those days were different; our parents chose for us, and we never got a say. You stayed in the marriage whether you were happy or not. You bore him children, and you never said a word, but it was different for Oriel and me.”
Karina smiled as the memories washed over her.
“It wasn’t him I fell in love with first, it was his laugh, that booming laugh that made you laugh with him. He wasn’t the man my family chose for me, but when I heard that laugh, I knew in my heart that a man who can laugh with such unfiltered joy would love just as fiercely.
We fought for each other. My parents wanted a marriage that would forge alliances and expand the business. I wanted stars in my eyes and butterflies in my belly. Oriel gave them and me all we wanted, but loss and pain came with it as well. You know this, Mia. The bloodshed that followed your family and us through the years, but now with you and Leo loving each other I hope it will come to an end.”

Mia looked startled, “How do you know that?”
Karina smiled at her, “Your face today, it has that glow. A look of peace that only comes from the knowledge that a man loves you with all his heart, and Leo is like his father. Out of all my sons, I knew the day Leo says I love you to someone, he would mean it with his whole soul, and you love him too.”
Mia smiled and looked down. “I do, but I’m so scared. What if this love burns us both up until there's nothing left?”
Karina took her hand and squeezed it, “and what if, Mia, it binds you both with something stronger than both of you?”
Mia had no response to that.
“One day at a time. You have laid the foundation, now you both can add the bricks.”

Karina came around the table and kissed Mia on the head.
She left her alone in the kitchen with her thoughts.
Mia realised something as she sat in the kitchen watching the sunlight stream through the windows. She felt happy, a softness filled her body and a calm hit her heart. Was this what her mother felt? Was this what Emery felt with Victor?
Was this what Leo felt?
She stood up and walked out into garden.

She saw Leo pacing with his phone to his ear. She didn’t know when he had returned, but as he turned and caught sight of her, he smiled.
Mia walked to him and he cut the call.
He kissed her and Mia caught a whiff of gardenias coming off him. Where had she smelt that before?
“Did you sort out what you had to?”
“It was nothing Tsaverina, just a small business matter that needed my attention.”
There was something else, Mia could see it in his eyes, but she said nothing.
He pulled her closer, “Wife,did I tell you I love you today?”
Mia tilted her head to the side and scrunched up her face as if she was deep in thought.
“Not that I can remember, husband.”
“I love you Mia. Only you.”
“I love you too, Leo.”
He hugged her tightly, and Mia once again smelled gardenias on him.
Where had she smelled this before? The thought niggled at her mind, but Leo drew her thoughts away.
“Let’s go upstairs, Mia. I need an explanation for one of your scenes. How exactly does the main character use that feather again?”
Mia laughed. She put her lips to his ear and bit his earlobe.
“I’ll show you,” she whispered.
Hand in hand, they walked back to the house. Karina watched them through the glass and felt her heart settle. Mia and Leo were going to be just fine.

05/07/2026

Disclaimer :
If you're sensitive about stuff, DON'T read this post!

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30/06/2026

There is no love here
Binte Nazir
CHAPTER 73

"There are no secrets that time does not reveal." — Jean Racine

It was different that night, different in a way that couldn't be explained.
It could only be felt. Every time they had slept together, it was like gasoline poured onto a naked flame. White hot heat that burned through your bones and melted everything in sight, but tonight was different.

Softer, calmer like a breeze that drifts off the ocean, kissing your skin and carrying a warmth so comforting you want to sink into it. This was what making love felt like; now Mia knew the difference.

Afterwards, they lay wrapped in each other’s arms, her head on his chest as Leo played with her hair.
“Did you ever think we would be here, ever say those words to each other?” asked Mia without lifting her head from his chest.
She felt him take a breath in.
“This is not something I ever thought I would have. I would have done the dutiful thing, married whom my parents chose and given her children, but love, I didn’t think I deserved it. Not with the blood on my hands, not with the stain of everything I ever did and still do.”
Mia felt her heart crack at the sadness in his words.
She shifted and looked at his face. “Everyone deserves love, Leo, everyone.”
He looked down at her, and she saw it in his eyes, the love, the understanding and her mind flew forward to the future. She just knew in her heart that he would always look at her like that, and Mia felt her heart untangle that last knot.

The moment was so serious, the silence so profound, the world around them ceased to exist, and it was the two of them.
Leo broke it.
“If I'm being honest, I thought you had stabbed me by now.”
Mia burst out laughing, “I might still do that, Leonid.”
His eyes widened at the sound of his name on her lips. He felt his body stir, and Mia winked at him.
It was his turn to laugh as he pulled her up onto him. He moved himself up and lay his mouth on her shoulder, biting and sucking. Mia moaned and grazed his back with her nails.
His phone buzzed, but Leo ignored it, his concentration on his wife’s body.

It buzzed constantly, and Leo swore under his breath.
Mia pulled away from him, glancing at the clock on the bedside table. It was three in the morning.
“Check it, it could be the hospital,” she said, sliding off Leo.
Leo swore under his breath, but then stopped breathing when he saw the messages.
Mia felt the shift in his body, heard the change in his breathing and saw that cold stillness come over him.
She knew exactly what he was going to say before he said it.
“You have to go?”
Leo hung his head, “Not right now. It can wait till morning.”
Leo got back into bed, but their lo******ng was different again, possession, claiming like he was afraid he would lose her. Mia didn’t want to think about losing him.

He was gone when she woke up later that morning.
There was a note on the pillow.
“I'll be back later. I love you.”
The same loping L that she had seen on every other note he had written for her. Mia picked up the note and walked to her wardrobe. She pulled out a box from the top shelf. Inside was every note he had given her. She smiled as she added the latest one. First, I love you.
She hugged herself and smiled. Her husband loved her, and she loved him right back.

Leo looked at his phone, and guilt surged through him. Guilt for lying to Mia and guilt for keeping this secret. But he had given his word, a bitter taste built in his mouth as he made his way to the seedy hotel at the edge of town.
He couldn’t take the chance that he wouldn’t be spotted if they met in town. Secrets always had a way of coming to bite you.
Milena smiled as the message came through. She knew he would come, no matter that he was married to that Italian bitch.

This was the one thing that would bring Leo to her.
It had been so easy. “He is sick, he needs help.”
No explanation had been needed. Leo knew exactly who he was. Over the years, they had both kept tabs on the son she had given birth to. He was placed with a lovely family who gave him all the love and affection he needed. Once a year, Milena would get a picture on his birthday. She would always forward it to Leo, but he never responded. She would feel a twinge of remorse when she saw the picture, but then her selfish nature would take over.
It was better for him, better for her. The secret had to be kept.

She looked out the window at the van that was parked on the other side of the road. Enzo sat in that van with his high-powered lens. A picture is worth a thousand words.
She smiled. Leo was going to be hers no matter what.
Leo pulled up to the hotel. He had hated leaving Mia alone in their bed to come to this decrepit hellhole that Milena had chosen.

Milena had carefully run a thin line of ointment under her eyes, giving them a swollen look as if she had been crying; she had deliberately worn very little makeup and had smudged her eyeliner.
Enzo had messaged that Leo had pulled up. She sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing the heels of her hands into her eyes until they were red and swollen. She had actually cried; her face looked blotchy and pale as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

Leo knocked once, and Milena stood up to open the door.
As soon as she saw him, she threw herself into his arms. Leo reared back, but Milena positioned her hand on his shirt and pulled him, angling so that his body didn’t block her face.

In the van, Enzo smiled. Milena was a vicious bitch.
“Thank you for coming, Leo.” She put her arms around him and hugged him again, tightly. Leo pushed her away, and inside, Milena screamed. He never pushed her away before.
She sat down on the bed, but Leo remained standing, looking at her.
“Tell me what's happening.”
“Simon is ill, and they need money.”
Leo looked at her, looked at her face with its tearstains. His gut was telling him to leave, to walk out the door and forget this ever happened.

Milena saw the thoughts flicker through his eyes. Leo believed she didn't know him, but she did. She knew every look, every subtle shift in his expression, every nuanced movement of his body, and she knew exactly how to use them to her advantage.
She burst out crying.
Leo sat down next to her and gently put his hand on her back.
“I know I'm being dramatic, but something in me broke with this message, Leo. The thought of my son being ill and not being there. I don’t know why it hit me this time, but Leo, please, will you help me? I need money.”

“I can't touch my accounts because if I draw cash, my father will want an explanation. He knows I never carry cash. Please help me, Leo. I'll pay you back every cent.”
“I'll always help you with this, Milena. Don’t worry, no one will know.”
She couldn’t help herself; she had to know.
“Did you tell Mia?”
Leo’s jaw tightened; he didn’t want to hear Mia’s name on Milena’s lips.
“I made a promise all those years ago, Milena. I don’t break my promises.”
“Send me a message with the amount. I'll have someone bring it to you.”
“Oh, thank you, Leo. She threw her arms around him again, and Leo awkwardly patted her back.
Milena surreptitiously smeared her lips on his collar, not a full lip print, just a smudge of lipstick where he wouldn’t see it.

Leo got up, nodded at her and walked out the door. Milena quickly stood up and stood at the open doorway, her eyes on Leo’s retreating.
She smiled as he drove away. Enzo in the van smiled even more.
A picture is worth a thousand words.

27/06/2026

There is no love here
Binte Nazir
CHAPTER 72

"Nothing gold can stay."
— Robert Frost

Emery held out her left hand—the paper ring on her finger.
“We are getting married,” she said.

For a second there was stunned silence, but then Mia ran to Emery and hugged her. Leo looked at Victor, said something in Russian and burst out laughing.
Mia looked at Emery, saw the happiness pouring out of her. She watched Victor watch Emery and saw the love in his eyes. A small seed of envy hit her; this is what Emery had always wanted. A visible love, a shining thread between her and the man she would love.

Mia was coming to care very deeply about Leo; love was somewhere on the horizon, but she could only see the start of it. She dampened down the feeling and smiled at her friend.
“We came in here expecting sadness and pain, but we walked into a room filled with light and joy,” said Mia.

Leo was about to say something when the doctor walked in. They stopped and stared at him.
“Since you are family, you are welcome to stay. The swelling can go down in two days, two months, or even longer. Or it might not. We have to prepare for all eventualities. The good news is that Victor is healthy and has no underlying conditions; however, we have to keep him for observation for the next week at least.”
He looked at Leo, ”His home will need some preparation, especially the bathroom. A nurse outside will give you a pamphlet and the numbers of some contractors who deal with remodelling homes for patients who are in a wheelchair.”

Victor made a sound, and everyone turned to look at him.
“I can manage on my own.”
The doctor looked at him. He was a no-nonsense man who knew men like Victor and Leo and never expected they might be weak and need help. Weakness equalled death for them.
“No, sir, you cannot. Don’t test me on this; otherwise I'll keep you here for the next two months. You do need help, and you will take it. Tell me something, Mr Orlov. Right now, can you get yourself to the bathroom? Can you physically lift yourself from that bed and help yourself?”
He fixed Victor with a steely stare. Victor lowered his gaze.
“I'll leave you to discuss, but Mr Orlov needs his rest. You have fifteen more minutes, and you have to leave.”

They all nodded meekly.
Leo widened his eyes as the doctor left. “Quite an interesting bedside manner on that one.”
They all laughed.
Emery put her hand on Victor’s shoulder.
“I'll stay with you. I'll move in, and together we can do this, Victor. And I promise you two months from now we'll walk down the aisle together.”
Victor shook his head.
“This is not how we were supposed to start our life, Milaya. I'm supposed to be doing things for you. I'm the one who should be helping you. It's my duty to protect you.”
Emery rolled her eyes,”God save me from testosterone and hard-headed men.”
“No, Victor, this is what together looks like. In the good and the bad, in sickness and in health, we didn’t start now. We started the night of Mia and Leo’s wedding. The second you called me Milaya, my heart knew before my mind caught up.”
She kissed him on the forehead.
“I'll be back tomorrow”, she said, smiling.
She looked at Mia. “Let’s go plan my wedding.”

Mia looked at Leo and Victor, smiling she walked out the door with Emery, leaving Leo alone with him.
“Married. Engaged. Didn’t see that one coming, my brother. I knew you liked her, but love and marriage…” he trailed off.

Victor looked at him.
“Do you remember when Alexander told us about the heart that beats outside your body?”
Leo nodded.
“She’s it, Leo. She’s the heart that beats outside my body. When I woke up, my first thought was of Emery, and I knew, just knew that I wanted her forever. If she had said no, I would have left it, but I don’t think I would ever have recovered.”
Leo said nothing.
“You can hide it from everyone, Leo, but not me. I know you too well, and Mia is becoming your heart.”

Leo shook his head. “She doesn’t love me; what we have is just physical a wedding ring to make it legal. She cares for me, I know this, but love. Maybe one of us was meant to find love, Victor, and perhaps it's you.”
“That’s a load of bu****it, Leo. You think I don’t see the way you look at her. The way you search for her when she's not near you. She pulls you like the moon pulls the tides; now man up and tell her you love her. No rule says she has to say it back, but you need to be man enough, brave enough to test your courage against your fear.”

Leo looked at Victor. He smiled, “You think I need to plan another date?”
Victor shook his head. “No, you just need three words, and it will be worth a thousand dates.”
“I think the accident may have finally knocked some sense into you,” said Leo, laughing.
Victor gave him the middle finger, and they both laughed.

“We'll be back tomorrow, and we will discuss the situation. Now isn’t the time.”
Victor's eyes were already closing as Leo made his way out of the room.
He smiled as he thought of Victor and Emery together. Gasoline and Fire. He laughed silently; the show was going to be good. The pint-sized Italian firebomb and the deadly Russian- maybe Mia should write about them.

Mia was waiting for him.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
Leo kissed her on the cheek.
“Where is Emery?”
“Gone to her parents.”
Leo shook his head. “I wouldn’t want to be there for that conversation.”
“I think they will approve. Emery’s parents only want her happiness, and her father married a woman who wasn’t part of the Family. How can he begrudge his daughter her happiness?”
They walked out of the hospital together. The sun was beginning its descent, and dusk was approaching.
Leo pulled on Mia’s hand to stop her.
“Mia, I need to tell you something.”
She smiled at him,”of course, you can tell me anything.”
Leo cleared his throat, and Mia smiled. She was beginning to love that quirk of his.
“You don’t have to say anything, but I need to test my courage against my fear.”
Mia furrowed her eyebrows. “Are you quoting something and you need me to guess?”
Leo cleared his throat again,” No, no, it's something Victor said, and I need to find courage.”
Mia was getting more confused by the second.
Leo took a deep breath in, put his hands on Mia’s face and lifted her face till he was looking into her eyes.
“Tsaverina, somewhere between that disgusting t- shirt and hideous socks, somewhere between your dessert drink and hot showers, somewhere between you biting on the ends of every pen and me brushing your hair every night. Somewhere between all of that, I fell in love with you. Just three words, I love you.”
Mia was speechless.
Her heart turned over a hundred times and her breath caught in her throat.
He said it. He said the three words which sealed their souls together.

Leo waited with bated breath.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and then she hugged him and whispered the three little words in his ear.
Leo felt his heart explode; this was euphoria unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life.
His wife loved him, and he loved his wife.
In the parking lot of the hospital under the harsh lights, Leo kissed his wife and whispered the words over and over again.
He ignored the vibrating phone in his pocket.

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