Page 186 of Scarred

“It’s all so surreal,” she whispers, swiping at a tear.

“Wait until you see the size of the tub in the master bath,” I chuckle, taking her hand and walking across the wooden floors.

“Holy cow,” she laughs, her eyes going wide. “You could fit three people in there.”

“Or one very beautiful dancer and a large goalie,” I say, my lip tugging at the corner.

“Or that,” she giggles. “The shower is massive as well. It’s bigger than my entire bathroom.”

“More room to have fun in,” I grin, giving her a wink.

A blush spreads up her cheeks as she stares at the shower.

“Picturing me naked in there?” I ask, raising a brow.

“No,” she giggles, “well, maybe,” she says, breaking out into a grin.

“God, I love you,” I chuckle, taking her hand and lacing our fingers together. “One more surprise to show you,” I smile, walking us through the bedroom and back toward the opposite end where the other bedroom lies.

I gesture toward the closed door. “After you,” I say softly.

She turns the knob and walks in. I hear her gasp as I follow in behind her.

Floor-to-ceiling windows line the wall, showing off the blue waters below, but it’s the rest of the room that has her hand to her mouth and tears streaming down her face.

Mirrors reflect our images as I watch her hand run over the smooth wooden barre I had installed.

“It’s a dance studio,” she whispers, brushing back a tear.

“I thought my girls needed a place to dance.”

“Cayden…” She shakes her head, and her eyes meet my reflection in the mirror. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”

“Haven’t you learned by now that there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you?” I smile, lowering to one knee.

Whirling around, her green eyes widen in surprise before a love so blinding steals my breath, and it takes me a second to find my voice.

“Before you,” I say quietly, “I thought my heart would forever be scarred, wounds so deep they would never fully heal.

Then I met you. And everything I thought I knew got turned upside down.

My scars slowly began to fade, and for the very first time in a long time, my heart began to beat for another.

You breathed life back into me, little moon,” I say softly, as she drops to her knees in front of me, smiling through her tears.

“I’m not asking you to move in with me,” my lips quirk up, remembering her guess from earlier as I pull out the small box from my pocket and open the lid.

Her eyes take in the sparkling round diamond in the center with two diamond crescent moons on either side as tears fall silently down her cheeks.

“I’m asking you to marry me, Luna Marie Bennett.

I’m asking you to be my wife and for us to spend the rest of our lives choosing each other. I want Scarlett to grow up knowing this is what love looks like.

If loss taught me anything, it’s to grab onto the happiness while you still can. I don’t want to wait another minute to start our future together.”

“Yes,” she smiles, laughing through her tears. “I would love nothing more than to be able to love you and Scarlett for the rest of my life.”

“And I’ll love you for the rest of mine.”