Page 66 of Tailored for Them

Adam shifted closer to her, kissing the crown of her head as he studied the scenery around us.

“Oh, that reminds me—” I turned to face Beck head-on, “I’m sorry in advance.”

Beck cocked her head to the side, “For what?”

“Because I’m probably going to marry Nicole.” At my words, Nicole gasped and sat straighter, her head whipping toward me as I continued, “So you and Adam will be the only ones living in sin after that.”

Nicole’s eyes widened at me. “Did you just say, ‘living in sin?’”

Beck threw her head back and cackled, then composed herself enough to say, “You don’t have to apologize for that, T. Good god. Living in sin.” Beck was still laughing, wiping a stray tear from her eye as she leaned into her boyfriend.

“Are you all religious?” Nicole asked the group.

“No.” Beck shook her head, taking a deep breath, “Much to my parents’ chagrin.”

Nicole’s mouth shaped into anoh, before she nodded in understanding.

“Married, huh?” Adam asked with a raised brow.

“Hell yeah,” I glanced down at Nicole, who was blushing again, “Don’t worry, I’m not proposing right now.”

Nicole’s brows raised, “So, when will you?”

I rolled my eyes at her, “I can’t tell you that.”

“What ifIwant to propose?”

I shrugged and said, “Then I’ll say yes.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

Nicole scoffed, her cheeks holding their delicious blush, as she asked Beck and Adam how they met, and the conversation shifted.

I lay back on the picnic blanket, appreciating the peace of the cemetery. There were a few clouds left in the sky this morning that I gazed at as I listened to their conversation. Nicole would laugh at something Beck said every now and then, reminding me of that day at rugby that changed things for us all those weeks ago.

How quickly I went from “I’m probably never settling down” to “I can’t wait until she wears my ring on her finger” within weeks. I still didn’t care for weddings that much. But I knew Nicole did. It was a nugget of information I kept safe in my mental Nicole jar. Something I made sure to dig out when the time was right. Something I really, really wanted to do for her.

There wasn’t going to be anyone else in my life.

No one ever had a hold on my heart like Nicole did.

Might as well throw a kickass party and make it legal.

The human experience never ceases to amaze me.

“Babe?” Nicole asked, leaning over me to get my attention. Her short black hair fell around her face, so I reached up to tuck some of it behind her ear.

“Yeah?”

“Nothing.” Nicole smiled, before leaning down to press a kiss to my lips, “Just seeing if you’re okay.”

“I’m wonderful,” I sighed, “I’m at peace.”

Nicole bit her lip with a grin before pulling away and continuing her conversation with my friends.

I loved her.

Everything else seemed to be trivial compared to that knowledge.

Love was a powerful thing.

The elation of it was astounding. Knowing that there was one person in your corner, no matter what. Someone who fit me in all the ways I didn’t realize I wanted. Someone I wanted to show off. Someone I wanted to settle in with every night.

Two people who could find comfort in each other.

My name is Taylor Desmond, and even though it was unexpected, I had exactly what I wanted.

THE END