Gypsy

Chapter 44

·Adam·

I am lying in our bed with Zara's head on my chest. My arms are wrapped around her, just as they have been every night now for weeks. I've been waiting to talk to her about something for a while, ever since the idea occurred to me the day Noah had brought up wanting to retire.

"I've been thinking."

"About what?" she asks.

"The future."

She laughs softly. "That's a pretty broad subject there."

I smile and kiss her forehead. "I was wondering what you want to do. I mean, after we're married. Do you want to live here, get a place of our own, or would you maybe want to travel around a bit."

Zara raises her head to look at me, and I can clearly see the confusion in her eyes.

"What do you mean, 'travel around a bit'?"

I smile at her and shrug my shoulders.

"I thought since Maddox is doing such a good job, maybe we could do the gypsy thing for a while. We could go different places. You could play your guitar and I could be your groupie. There are a lot of places like Café Banter, places that would pay you to play."

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

I chuckle, then look up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Do you remember the night you took me to the tower and I asked you what you used to dream about?"

"Yeah."

"You told me that you used to dream you'd stand out someday like the lights of the city, that someday you'd be a star like one of them."

"That was a long time ago, Adam."

"I know, but there's no expiration date on dreams. What if we did that? I mean, there's nothing saying we can't, right?"

"No, but--"

I roll over to look at her.

"In three days we're gonna be married, Gypsy. In three days, what's yours will be mine, and what's mine will be yours. That means your dreams will be mine, too. And if that's something you still dream about, I will bend over backwards to make sure it happens."

"Adam, I don't think--"

"I don't want you to think, Zara. I want you to do what you wanted me to do the night I proposed to you. I want you to be honest with me. Now, do you still dream about that or not?"

I watch as she chews her lip before I reach out and cup her face in my hands; I gently turn it to mine. When she meets my gaze I can see it in her eyes. She wants it, but she's afraid to tell me so.

"Zara, I'm serious about this. I've been thinking about it for a while. This isn't something that just now popped into my head."

"But what if it doesn't work out?" she asks, her normally sharp tone softened by doubt.

"And what if it does?" I counter her question.

I can see the war of indecision in her eyes now, the wanting what she'd given up on versus the fear of failure if she tries.

"Don't overthink it, sweetheart. We have the money and the means, all you have to do is give me an answer."

"What about The Lock Box?"

I laugh lightly at that. "I'm not worried about it. Maddox can run that place with his eyes closed now, and with Andre helping him out, that's the least of my concerns. Now, what else are you worried about?"