She swats at me, laughing, but doesn’t move away.
And for the first time in a long damn while, I’m not haunted by what I’ve lost.
I’m anchored by what I found,her.
Her laughter lingers, bringing me back to the present, echoing off the old wood and neon hum.
Fuck, I’m about to propose to her, and I’m nervous.
“Reed,” she says softly, a small crease forming between her brows as she taps my forehead. “What’s going on in that head of yours? You look like you’re about to give me bad news.”
I huff out a laugh, shaking my head. “No bad news, sunshine. Just trying to get this right.”
She narrows her eyes playfully. “Trying to get what right? Oh my God, are we going to have some fun on the mechanical bull, again?”
Her teasing is gentle, but it’s the exact push I need. My heart pounds so loud I swear she can hear it.
“No, baby,” I admit, gently pushing her forward as I step back, my boots heavy on the wood floor. “It’s something else.”
She blinks, her lips parting slightly as I stand to my full height and stop in front of her.
My hand rises to cup her jaw, my thumb brushing thecorner of her mouth. “You have no idea how much light you brought into this place,” I mumble. “Into me.”
Her voice drops, barely audible. “Reed…”
I take a slow breath and drop to one knee.
Her hand quickly moves to her mouth, eyes wide and shimmering immediately.
The bar falls silent except for the rain and the faint thrum of my heartbeat in my ears.
I reach into my pocket, pulling out the small velvet box I’ve been carrying for weeks, through bar shifts, nights in bed with her head on my chest, and every moment I wanted to tell her how much I love her.
With careful fingers, I flip it open, and she gasps. The ring isn’t flashy; it’s gold, carved with tiny sunflowers all around the band, with an oval diamond sitting on top.
The carved sunflowers are just like the ones she plants by our porch; the same ones I grew for her when I didn’t know how else to show love.
“Layla,” I begin, voice low and trembling, “I used to believe the fire took everything I had. My home, my purpose, my family. I looked in the mirror every day and saw a man too broken to deserve anything good again. But then you walked in here years ago, smiling, glowing, proposing this idea to flim here, and I swear, sunshine, you turned my whole world upside down.”
Tears fall down her cheeks, catching on her trembling lips.
“You didn’t just walk in here,” I continue, “you walked right into my heart. Into the quiet I’d been drowning in. You made me laugh again. You made mewantagain. You took all the pieces of me that were burned, scarred, and treated them like they were still worth somethin’. And now…” I swallow hard, caressing the backs of her legs. “Now I can’t imagine breathin’ without you beside me.”
I look up at her, my eyes watering. “Marry me, Layla. Let me spend the rest of my life making sure you never doubt what love feels like. Let me be your home.”
She’s crying before I even finish, her knees hitting the ground as she drops in front of me.
Her fingers cradle my face, her thumbs brushing away my tears, though hers are falling faster.
“Reed Hayes,” she whispers, voice trembling yet steady, “you have been my home since the moment you opened that damn bar door for me. You were the first man who didn’t want to change me. You saw all of me—the broken parts, the scared parts, the pieces that still shake at night—and you never looked away.”
Her breath catches. “You make me feel safe. You make me feel seen. You remind me every day that even wrecked things can still be beautiful. You’re my light, my safe place, my best friend. And yes, I’ll marry you. I’d marry you a thousand times over.”
The box trembles in my hand as I slide the ring onto her finger. It fits perfectly, because it was made for her.
She gazes at it, then looks up at me through wet lashes, laughing breathlessly. “Reed,” she murmurs, “you didn’t have to get me sunflowers.”
I smile, brushing my thumb over her cheek. “Sunshine, you’re the reason they grow.”
