Until You (Off-Limits, #1)

by Catharina Maura

This is for those of you that believe your past defines your future. It doesn’t.

She should’ve known there’s always space for her by my side.

“It does, Gray,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. He sighs, falling silent for a moment. “You’ll cook for me?” “I’ll make your favorite.”. “You still remember what that is?”

Even after all these years, I can’t deny her anything.

She walks up to me, and I hold my arm out for her. She walks into my embrace and I lift her off the floor with one arm, side hugging her.

“Because he doesn’t deserve you, and you should never let a man hold you back from chasing your dreams. Not Noah, not me, and certainly not Brad. Follow your dreams, Aria, and if he’s the one, he’ll follow you.”

You’re always beautiful, Aria. Always.”

I want to be covered in blankets and grab a good book, so I can lose myself in some fictional story, a story that’ll allow me to experience moments of happiness that elude me in my own life.

Elliot walks up to me. He grins at me, a knowing look in his eyes. “I fucking knew it,” he says, hopping onto my desk. He glances around us, and then he smiles. “Nyx, in the flesh. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to meet you.”

“Brad was a fool to mess with you,” he tells me, his thumb stroking the edge of my lips. “A fucking fool. When I saw those tears in your eyes… there’s no way he was going to get away with what he did. No fucking way. No one hurts you and gets away with it. No one. Not on my fucking watch. I will never sit there and watch your heart break, Ari.”

He cups my cheek, his thumb tracing over the edge of my lips. “You set off the silent alarm, Ari. This house is a fortress. It’s as safe as it’s going to get, sweetheart.

Her excitement brings a smile to my face. Scratch that. Aria brings a smile to my face. She always does.

But I did think you could do better. I’ll always think that, Aria. In my eyes, no one will ever be good enough for you.”

“You’re better than I am, Aria. You’re a better person, you’re stronger, you’re smarter. Don’t look up to me. Look in the mirror.”

I’m done for. The way she makes me feel… yeah. There’s no point in fooling myself any longer. I’m falling for my best friend’s little sister.

“Hot date?”

“If I’m lucky,” he tells me, and my heart twists painfully. I look away and wrap my arms around myself, a pang of jealousy tightening my stomach. “Come with me.”

“It was always you,” he tells me. “You’re the only one for me.”

“Tell me you’re mine, Aria. Tell me that from this day forward, I get to call you mine.”

I’m fucking crazy about you, and I have been for months. Hell… I’m pretty sure I love you.”

“I’m yours, Aria. I think I may well have been yours from the second you first smiled at me. When you welcomed me into your home and showed me what family looks like, what it feels like. Over the years you’ve stolen more of my heart, until eventually, I had none of it left because it was entirely in your hands.” I entwine our fingers and look away. “Do with it what you will,” I tell her. “It is yours to keep.”

“You’re worth everything to me, Aria. I have no doubt that Noah will think I’m not good enough for you, and he’d be right… but I’m willing to prove myself.

“I’m in love with you, Aria Grant. Head over heels. Butterflies and all that shit. I’ll wait a lifetime for you if you want me to.

“You’re it for me, baby. I want a whole life with you. I want your clothes next to mine, your makeup in my bathroom. I want you to have your own side of the bed, and I want to wake up to you completely disregarding that and lying on top of me instead, driving me insane.”

I want your every smile, your every thought.”

“I’m going to fuck every goddamn insecurity out of you, you hear me? By the time I’m done with you, you won’t ever wonder if I want you again.”

“You are, aren’t you? You’re in love with Nyx.” Grayson smiles at me, the affection in his eyes obvious. “Irrevocably.”

“Noah,” he says, looking my brother dead in the eye. “I’m in love with your sister.”

Noah nods slowly. “I know.” “I… you… what?” I stutter. Noah crosses his arms and stares Grayson down. “I knew you were falling for her long before you did, buddy. Nyx? Aria has had an illustration of the goddess Nyx in her room for years. She uses that as her username on all her gaming platforms. I knew from the second you told me about her. I knew you were falling for her, and I knew you’d be done for if Aria started working with you.”

He nods, his eyes moving between us. “Very well,” he says. “It’s about time.”

“And you weren’t much better. Aria is the only other person you really talk to, the only person you’re patient with. She always has been. The way you look at her? It’s like my little sister hung the damn moon. Don’t think I don’t know you went to beat Brad up after talking me out of it. The protectiveness you’ve always felt toward her… it wasn’t brotherly. It never has been. I never minded it, though. Not if it’s you. You’re a great guy, Grayson, even if you can’t always see it yourself. I couldn’t have picked a better man for Aria.”

But here’s the thing about that… just because he’s the love of my life doesn’t mean I’m his.

“I’m here today to thank you for bringing into this world the two people I love most. Noah has been my best friend for well over a decade, and Aria… well, your daughter… she’s the love of my life. She’s beautiful, astonishingly intelligent, humble, and she has a heart of gold. I can’t tell you what she sees in me, because I ask myself that question every single day. I’m well aware that I don’t deserve her, but for whatever crazy reason, she’s chosen to be with me. When times got tough and I wasn’t sure I’d make it through, she stuck with me. She is, quite honestly, the best thing that ever happened to me. And I know… I know I’m not good enough, but I’m working on being better.”

“I guess what I’m saying is that I’m here to ask for your blessing. I love your daughter beyond reason, beyond measure. I always will. I didn’t know feelings this pure existed until her. All I want to do for the rest of my life is show her how amazing she is. Every day, for as long as I live, I’ll do everything within my power to make her happy. I’ll cherish her and never stop appreciating all the little things she does. I’ll support her dreams and I’ll always be there to catch her when she falls. I’ll be everything she needs me to be, for as long as she’ll have me. Hopefully, that’ll be for the rest of our lives. So here I am… asking you for your daughter’s hand in marriage. I want nothing more than to make her my wife.”

“White tulips,” he whispers, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes meet mine, and his expression has me tensing. “They’re my mother’s favorite. My father always used to buy them for her.”

And oh, when you smile. Fuck, baby. When you smile, it lights up my whole world.