My eyes went wide as I peered up at him, taking in the rich warmth of his deep blue eyes. I could stare into those eyes every day of forever and feel that everything was right with the world. Would I want Nico to kiss me? My heart stuttered in my chest and a tingling warmth spread from my hands up my arms. Yes. I would definitely be interested in knowing what it was like to kiss Nico. The rush of thoughts raced through my mind as I stared up at him blankly. Fortunately, I didn’t have to say a word.

“I’ve wanted this for a long time, but we were too young before. Now we’re both in junior high, and I want you to be my girl.” He nudged my shoulder with his, a small hint of uncertainty slipping through his masculine bravado. “Tell me you’ll be my girl, Ladybug.” His softly spoken words had a slight rasp, his voice transitioning to something deeper and more masculine.

I wasn’t sure what being his girlfriend entailed, but I didn’t care. Being Nico’s girl was a no-brainer—there was nothing else on this planet I’d want to be. “I’m pretty sure I’ve always been your girl,” I answered back with an awkward smirk.

“Yeah, but I want it to be official. I want everyone here to know that Sofia Genovese belongs to Nico Conti, so there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind.”

“Well, I guess you’ve got a girlfriend then.”

Nico dropped my bag and wrapped his arms around me, lifting me off the ground in a bear hug and spinning us in a circle with a loud whoop. I had a lot of happy days with Nico, but that was one for the highlight reel.

I was Nico Conti’s girlfriend.

In for a penny, in for a pound—that was what my mom always said. Some things in life were all or nothing, and Sofia was one of those things. The connection that pulsated between us wasn’t exactly something that could be turned on and off. My awareness of her was always there like moonlight in the dead of night. Whether it was a brilliant full moon or a new moon only present in the faintest hint of a shadow, it was always there.

Closing my eyes had kept me from having to see her radiance, but now my eyes had been opened. I’d been forced to remember what it was like to have her in my life. There was no way to undo that knowledge. Nor could I walk away before more damage was done.

I’d been ordered to keep her safe, and to do that, I’d need to be close to her. Even if I could protect her from a distance, I couldn’t keep her at arm’s length any more than I could stop myself from breathing. If I was going to be near her, I’d want all of her. But there would always be so many secrets between us that we were doomed to fail. Starting anything with her was messed up and could only end in a bloody disaster, but I saw no way around it.