“Yes, but you didn’t have me then.”
“Mm, I have you now, though, so I don’t have any doubts that I’ll be OK.”
“Clever little thing,” Klaus said, kissing me again.
I smiled against his lips, which only seemed to make him want to kiss me more.
“Promise me you’ll still be mine,” Klaus said softly.
“I will always be yours,” I answered back.
“Then marry me, hummingbird.”
I pulled away from him and stared into his face. “What?”
He placed me on the couch and went to his knees in front of me. Anson and Evan sat forward, and Ellis came running. Evan scooped her into his arms. I looked behind Klaus to see Ryder was sitting forward, his elbows on his knees, watching.
“Rosalie, you have been everything I didn’t know I needed. My night was dark before you came, but you became my north star, guiding me to a better life. I want to give you the world in this life and for eternity. I’m not good at pretty words like Anson and Evan are, but I know that I love you, and I would die for that love. You, Ellis, Anson, Evan, and even Ryder, have become my family. I want to make it a forever sort of thing. So… Hummingbird, will you marry me?” He opened a velvet box. A beautiful diamond band lay on the cushion. I loved that they were stacking my main ring. It was beautiful.
“Yes,” I said, my voice shaking. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”
He slid the band onto my finger next to Anson and Evan’s rings before dragging me into his arms and crushing his lips against mine.
I kissed him back, my cheeks damp with tears.
“There we go.” Anson clapped. “Hell yeah.”
“Daddy is marrying Mommy, too?” Ellis squealed. “I get more dresses?”
“You can have as many dresses as you’d like,” Klaus said, hauling her in for a hug with us. She squirmed and giggled as we held her close.
Evan’s warm arms wrapped around us next, before Anson joined in. Finally, Ryder added to the pile.
“Congrats, baby,” Evan murmured. “Our family is growing. I love it.”
“Mm, me too,” I said, feeling so loved.
Anson’s phone buzzed, and we separated so he could answer it.
“Did you ask John?” Evan asked.
Klaus chuckled. “Yes. He sighed and told me he wished he’d have kicked my ass when we were younger, but he did give his blessing.”
Evan nodded, smiling. “He’s a good dude.”
“He is.” Klaus kissed my forehead as I stared down at my pretty rings. “You like it, hummingbird?”
“Love.” I kissed him. “So much.” I kissed Evan next. He didn’t hesitate to deepen it.
“Ew,” Ellis called out, giggling.
“Get over here, sweat pea,” Ryder said, chuckling at her antics.
“Enzo, hey,” Anson said, clearing his throat. “Yeah. Yeah, we talked.”
I breathed out.
Evan rubbed my back.
