Chapter 127 Deflated

• Cheers erupted. Applause, whoops, and laughter filled the hall. From the corner of my eye, I saw Derinem holding Maya, who wiped tears from her face, glowing with pride.
• My cheeks burned. Nico had said he loved me. He’d said… was I dreaming? If I pinched myself—
• “I need you,” Nico murmured, nuzzling my shoulder. “I want to sleep and wake up beside you, watch you model lingerie by the windows, tease you about being a Sardinian girl who can’t swim.”