Rolling over and squinting at the shimmering morning light I gaze at Tobias’s back. He’s on the balcony, hands gripping the railing, lost in uneasy thought.

I glance to Sofia’s sleeping face on the pillow beside mine and see her relaxed and breathing evenly, mouth a little open on a snore.

Not a care in the world.

I don’t know how she does it.

Gabriel and Ben are passed out on the floor, with the extra pillows from the roof, the one extra blanket stretched over their torsos. Ben’s on his stomach. Gabriel’s got his arm above his head like he used to sleep when he was a child. On a grown man it’s kind of adorable.

Ethan and Emma went back to the Wyndham to wait, and Andy left for his own apartment since he lives in town and had to open the gym at six this morning for the die-hards.

Slipping silently off the bed I step over the empty pillow Tobias slept with on the floor, and join him in the fresh salty air, closing the door behind me so we can talk privately. His body jolts and he looks to see if I’m alone. Pulling me to him, he buries his face in my hair. “Haven’t slept.”

“Not at all?”

“What if he calls the cops on her?”

“We have to wait.”

Shaking his head he lets me go and stares at the view, only seeing uncertainty. His phone vibrates in his pocket. We all slept in our clothes. He sighs and digs it out. “It’s her.”

“Carla?”

He shows me the phone, her name glowing from it. Answering, he gives her a brief and guarded, “Yeah?” His lips tighten as he listens. I’m going out of my mind, impatiently waiting to hear why she’s calling him. The timing can’t be coincidental. “What do you mean, what did I do?” Meeting my eyes, he mutters, “Nothing. Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, Carla. Why are you even calling me?”

I roll my eyes as he gives me a look that he hates all of this.

His gaze wavers to the water on a deep frown as he listens to her for a long time. “What do you want me to say? It wasn’t me. Did he give me credit because I fuckin’ doubt that since I was nowhere near him.” After a pause, Tobias grumbles, “There ya go. Just take the gift and enjoy it.” Another pause while I chew the cuticle on my thumbnail in anticipation. Tobias glances to me as he tells her. “Congratulations. Guess you got what you wanted. Have a nice fuckin’ day.” He hangs up.

“What?! What did she say?”

He blinks a few times as he slides his phone back into his pocket. His chest is rising with halting breaths. “She thought I broke his hand.”

“You said she would think that.”

“Yeah, but she can’t figure out why he wants to marry her all of a sudden.”

My eyes go wide. “So, he’s going through with it?”

Tobias slowly nods like he doesn’t want to get his hopes up. “She said, and I quote, ‘Vance came in this morning all worked up that you were coming off like the dutiful husband.’ Then she said he told her she was his woman and he needed to make her his wife.”

“I have to wake Sofia.”

“No, not yet.” Tobias pulls me close, breathing heavily. My arms wrap around him and squeeze as hard as my strength will allow. “Holy shit, baby. He didn’t even bring up the green card,” Tobias hoarsely whispers in my ear. “He’s sticking with the story he’s gonna tell the press. Fuckin’ smart move, and…holy shit. This is gonna happen. I’m free.”

He pulls away, face twisted with emotion.

I’d been so caught up in how this affected me I’d not realized how deeply helpless he’d been knowing he couldn’t send his cousin to immigration, nor ruin his reputation with a felony. Cupping his face I smile into his eyes. “You’re free. It’s over.”

He grimaces to hold back the volcano of feelings. He takes my wrists and pulls them around his neck, kissing me quickly and painfully, then pulling away to mutter, “I need to brush my teeth or I’d be…”

“Me too,” I laugh, keeping my mouth turned away.

Movement in our peripheral vision causes us to quickly look inside the hotel room. Ben’s standing up, watching us, and Gabriel is sitting on the floor, rubbing his eyes, also looking our way. I nod to them, telling them quietly that the worst is over.

Tobias and I go inside. Smiling like a man whose heavy chains have been removed, he says, “Vance is going through with it.”

Gabriel and Ben exhale relief.

“We should wake Sofia and tell her,” Ben says.

All of us are watching her snore.

Gabriel mutters, “Don’t think she’s stressing over it.”