That hit different.
“Absolutely breathtaking,” I murmured, but I wasn’t talking about the sky.
I was staring at her.
The fading light wrapped around her like something sacred. It kissed her cheekbones, highlighting every curve of her smile.The sun turned her golden-blond hair to liquid light, and her eyes—God, her eyes—looked like they were lit from the inside out.
I didn’t need the beach. I didn’t need the view when I had her.
With the open stretch of sand ahead, I gently nudged Ellie to the right, steering her toward the setup I’d arranged.
“What is that?” she asked, squinting as we walked toward it.
“Looks like a blanket,” I said, feigning curiosity. “Maybe a basket? Are those pillows?”
I knew damn well they were.
“That’s one lucky girl,” Ellie murmured, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her face.
If I hadn’t been the one who planned it, I might’ve felt guilty for the hint of disappointment in her tone, like the reminder that someone else could be loved like that stung a little.
She was that lucky girl.
All of this was for her.
“Let’s go sit on it,” I said, nudging her gently again. The blanket and basket were fully visible now, glowing in the golden light of the setting sun. But Ellie stopped cold. She grabbed my arm, trying to tug me back with a sudden burst of panic.
Her heels dragged in the sand like a cartoon character putting on the brakes. “No! Logan, that’s someone’s setup! We can’t just sit on it!”
“Why not?” I grinned, turning to face her, my back to the display.
“Because we don’t know when they’re coming back!”
I made a show of scanning the beach for signs of people, then took her hand and started walking forward, slow and deliberate, until my heels brushed the edge of the blanket.
“Looks like they’re already here.”
Ellie’s eyes widened, her mouth parting slightly as she took in the gingham blanket behind me, then looked up at me, and then back again. Her gaze locked onto mine, the dawning realization written all over her face.
“You?” she whispered, her voice thick with disbelief and something softer underneath.
“Me,” I said.
Her hand stayed tangled in mine as I pulled her a little closer, my body casting a shadow over hers in the dipping sun. She looked up at me, her expression a mixture of awe and confusion.
“You deserve to feel special, Ace.”
Her breath caught. “How did you even do this? We’ve been together all day.”
“I hired someone online. They came out while we were at dinner, got it all set up.”
I nodded toward the blanket, smiling. “Come on. Sit.”
She let out a quiet, disbelieving laugh and followed my lead.
Now we were side by side, the ocean in front of us, the sky painted in streaks of gold and coral. A bottle of champagne peeked out from the basket, catching the light.
And there she was, Ellie Cassidy—wrapped in sunset, soft laughter still lingering in the air—lying beside me like she belonged nowhere else.
