THE LAST CHAPTER.

"Every single time that I look at you, I fall in love again."

~

Fighting Temptation: Capítulo Trenta

"Hey, how are you doing? Are you feeling better now?" I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face as I turned to look at the concerned expression written all over my best friend's features. "Derek said that you didn't want people over and if I wasn't for the gun hidden in his belt, I would've fought my way through to see you." I chuckled as I looked into the eyes of Arabella Jacobson. "Yea, hun." I smiled stupidly. "Actually, I have never been greater." I shrugged casually as Vincent rolled up behind me, throwing his arm over my shoulder. "It's good to see you back, my dude." I sighed in contentment, happy to be back in my safe place.

I felt content, satisfied even. I was back where I belonged and nothing felt more right.

"Did you guys ever figure out what happened to Maximilian?" I questioned smoothly, trying to figure out what they really knew as I adjusted my lab coat, the familiar smell of alcohol filling my nostrils. "We know, Ramiro." Arabella said quietly and I nodded. "I bet y'all do." I mumbled. "If he wasn't already dead, I'd kill him." Vincent growled as he mushed my hair together and I went to flick him. "It's all over," I said, the memories playing through my mind, how Antonio looked at me with those eyes.

Stop. It's all over. He's yours now, forever and always.

"Everything is fine now." I confessed, feeling higher than ever. I felt like I was on top of the moon, feeling so accomplished and such. "In fact, everything is better." It truly was. "That's good to know." Arabella nodded in reply with such enthusiasm. "It's good to see you and Dr. Esposito back in higher spirits." She cheesed and I tried so hard to fight the blush that made its way onto my face. "Yeah," Vincent ran a hand through his hair as he raised a brow. "I didn't realize that you two were a thing until I walked in on him, staring at his phone, you know, the day after Maximilian or whatever, was killed?" I motioned for him to get to the point. "Well, he was staring at his lock screen and I didn't know what it was until he turned it slightly and I could see that it was a picture of you guys." Vincent didn't know that all that he was saying to me, all that he was telling me as if it meant nothing, it meant everything.

"You losers are goals." He mocked in a high pitched voice and I scowled. "Don't be mad because you have no one to love, you little bitch." I flipped him my middle finger as he poked me in the cheek and there was a buzz that came from the television, halting my retaliation towards him.

"Breaking news," I chuckled deeply, full of sadism as I peered over to the television that took up most of the wall of the waiting room. The reporter began to quickly relay crimes with pictures and I couldn't help the excitement that shook my body tremendously. "The murder of New York City's all-time business mogul, Ruben Grant, was found dead in his office of Grant & Johnson, his law firm. Officials are saying that he was suspected in foul play as he was first poisoned orally and then dismembered..."

I couldn't stop the shrill smile as I thought to myself. Everyone really did a good job. They even left behind a mark of our sigil, LK, on Grant's mahogany table as a remnant.

Excellent.

That'll teach future enemies not to underestimate us.

In the midst of my evil smirking, I felt my phone vibrating on the counter and I picked it up to check, watching Arabella and Vincent bicker about something pointless. I peered in closer, ignoring the background of my man and I, seeing that the text that I received was from Antonio. Where was he? What was he doing? He was supposed to be here.

Turn around.

I stared at the text in confusion as I turned around, facing away from the nurse's station as I looked around, my eyes landing on the Adonis, walking as suavely as ever, decked down in grey slacks with a light blue button-down shirt with the sleeves folded up, donned with his lab coat as his hair laid tousled over his eyes. Every time I saw him, it always felt the breath was taken out of my lungs. He always managed to make me breathless. He always managed to make me feel on top of the world. I always felt hot in a cold room whenever his eyes were fixated on me.

Nevertheless, that didn't stop the goofy grin as I lifted my hand up, waving to him like this was the first time I had ever seen him in a while. I probably looked dumb, embarrassing even, but that didn't stop Antonio as he waved back with the same enthusiasm.

"Hey! Look at baby over there!" I screeched as Arabella and Vincent groaned simultaneously. "What's up? Amorcito, come here." Antonio played along with me and he sang back to me as he inched to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "You guys are cute yet so disturbing." Vincent mused as I leaned up to kiss Tony on the cheek. "You're just mad cuz' you don't have anyone to sing with." I stuck my tongue out as I turned around in my love's arms, never having felt more at peace than I did at this moment.

This was where I truly felt at home: in the place that I loved to work, surrounded by the people that I loved. Before Antonio, I enjoyed coming here, tending to patients and getting to know them, hanging out with my friends and co-workers as we found something new to do every day.

There was just one new addition: the love of my life and the sudden heart palpitations that came every minute of the day.

"Hey, Valentin and I need to go do our rounds," Antonio said it in such a dominating voice that Arabella and Vincent before nodding. "Thank you." He gripped me tightly before pulling me along, placing kisses along my cheeks as we smiled at the coos of the people we passed. "Stop it, you loser." I chuckled as I pushed his face with my hand, stopping in front of the door. "Calm yourself." We looked at each other, bursting out in laughter. I knocked on the door before entering, composing myself.

We always acted like teenagers around each other.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Sanders!" I beamed in a cheery tone as I entered the room, my Adonis slowly but surely trailing behind. "Hi," Rocamora whispered as she kept her head down, her brown hair pulled back. "It's so weird not to see your partner." She let out a small sigh and I couldn't help the goofy look that took over my face once the door closed completely. "Good to see you too." The third voice spoke up in amusement.

There were no words to describe the epitome of joy that transformed her face as she lifted up her head to see Antonio standing in front of her. "Dr. Esposito!" She screeched as she reached over, yanking him into a hug. She looked so bright like his presence changed the game. Antonio chuckled in response as he patted her back, soothing her. It seemed like I wasn't the only one who craved his mere being.

"Seems like you two fixed everything, huh?" Rocamora leered as she gazed at me, a knowing look in her eye. I nodded in reply as I turned my eyes to look at Antonio. "I take it that I will be seeing more of you, huh?" My sexy man clicked his teeth in reply, not looking at her, but at me. There was this tickle in my cheeks, prompting me to smile and I watched as Tony followed in unison, our facial expressions mirroring each other.

"That's for sure."

After we checked her up and gave her the necessary prescriptions and warnings of what not to do in case she had to come back again for her scan on her brain to see if there was any remainder of the tumor that used to be on her brain. The surgeons here quickly took care of that once I spotted it, and so it was just protocol to make sure that the medicines were treating her well. 

"Alright," I tilted my head as Antonio and I walked down the hall, step after step, matching each other's stride without even trying. "We have one patient left." He winked down at me mischievously and I rolled my eyes, hitting him on the arm as we snickered at each other. 

I knocked on the door once I reached it, before opening it. "Today's my lucky day, eh?" I saluted Immanuel Granger as I entered room 307, hand sanitizer in hand as I proceeded to look through his clipboard of information, already aware of what we needed to do. "You're just making me happy today, aren't you?" He said and I didn't understand why he seemed to be so elated. "You brought back the shadow." He wasn't looking at me but at Antonio, who was perched right behind me. He was so damn close and I could feel his body heat, how warm he was.

That's what he meant.

"Yea, I sure did." I snorted in reply as Immanuel closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Now, he's become permanent."

I had no idea what he meant by that and even after I left his room, sending him off with a hug and goodbye, I still didn't know. I still had no clue even when I was exiting out for the day, Antonio in tow as he donned a casual outfit, some jeans with a red polo shirt. "Why do you look so, normal?" I grunted out as I pointed at him. "We're going on a date." I was clearly shocked as he began driving south of Manhattan, his hand on my thigh as he played some soft music in his good-smelling Camaro.

"Where are we going?" I asked for the 87th time and all he did was raise his eyebrow in my direction before turning back to the road. He didn't say a thing, but he cocked a conceited grin and I wanted to slap it off of him. "We'll be there soon." He said and I narrowed my eyes at him, watching the road. 

Where could he be taking me?

I couldn't help the glee that ran through my veins once we arrived at this established date, one that was so random. He parked the car and we got out, automatically intertwining our hands as we entered the building, nostalgia flooding my soul as I became reminded of my childhood and coming here with my friends.

"OOOH!" I jumped up and down in pure excitement as I entered the building, shoes in hand after Antonio paid for our entry. "I haven't been here in a long time!" I took in the smell of the nachos, the crisp and buttery popcorn, the bright colors of the disco ball twisting and turning in the center as the sounds and buzzes of the arcade games echoed all around us. I heard music bumping around us as we made our way to the tables, cheers of children and laughter from adults filling the large building.

"Yea," Antonio rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, putting on his roller skates. "My dad was the one who told me about this place. He said, 'the little rabbit seems like he would like this,'" Antonio mocked the asshole dad with his deep and guttural voice and I couldn't help but let out a cackle. He didn't have to do much to make me laugh. "It's cute that you ask him about these kinds of things. Also kind of weird that he knows about these things," I grimaced, thinking of how scary Anton Kozlov was. I see where Tony got his demeaning stance from. 

"Shut up, Valentin," Tony rolled his eyes as he stood up, switching his feet back and forth on the skates. "Let's go," He held a hand out to me as he helped me up, his hands on my hips to help stabilize my movement. We made our way to the large ballroom floor, seeing the many people riding around with their hands entangled with each other.

They were at peace.

"Hey."

"Huh?" I stared in confusion as Antonio grabbed my hand, pulling me along the floor as the beat of the music began to get louder. He grasped my chin with his free hand, his mouth opening as he started to utter the most beautiful, tenor voice, hinted with a bit of an exotic feel. He sounded so heavenly, so deep and gravely as his mouth hummed, his eyes looking deep into mine as the people around floated in the distance. I was in awe, everything about him was perfect. "And how you got me blind is still a mystery," He sung to me, caressing my cheek and there was nothing else in his eyes but me. "I can't get you out of my head," We kept moving, swirling around in a circle, our hands intertwined as I blushed heavily, the darkness of the room doing nothing to dim the lightness of his hazel orbs.

"Don't care what is written in your history," I murmured as I sung along, mindblown and breathless as I stared up at him, taking in his scent as he smelled delectable, like citrus and wood and all things gorgeous. "As long as you're here with me," I mumbled, my heart thumping in anticipation as the sighs of the women around us disappearing and it was just nothing but us at the moment. "Listen, Valentin," Antonio unwrapped my hand as he placed his arms around me tightly, skating backward in swirls of lines. It was truly beautiful. "Listen to what I say."

"I don't care, who you are, where you're from," His voice got louder, clearer and I was enamored by the baritone of his voice, wondering where he had learned to sing like that. I was in awe as he smiled down at me, nodding in agreement with his words. He gripped me tightly, holding me close and it was obvious that we were made for each other. His breath became my breath as our heartbeats synced together. He was beautiful and he was mine. We could've danced the whole night away.

"What you did as long as you love me."

This point in time when I looked at him, I saw everything that I wanted. I saw the moon, the sun, the stars, the clouds in him. I saw the happiest morning with the birds chirping as they flew through the sky, and I also saw the darkest night with nothing but the sound of the wind outside. I saw beautiful days but I also saw the rainy days, decorated in a gloom.

I saw every single thing.

That meant that I wanted everything he had to offer.

He made my poor heart thrive in anticipation, my smile grow unconsciously, the butterflies in stomach flutter and he made me feel things I've never felt before. It was bittersweet yet so heartwarming to know that even if we were many skies apart, we'd always find our way back to each other. I grinned as I looked at the man of the hour, the alternating lights of the shiny silver ball reflecting off of his features, knowing that he wasn't good for my health.

But even so, I would never avoid Antonio Esposito.