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Maia
Holyfuckingshit.
He’s on one knee in front of me.
I—I can’t believe this! I don’t want to yank him off the ground. I think that’s a good sign. I want him to keep going. No, Ineedhim to.
“Maia, I’m so lucky to have grown up with you as my best friend. For so much of my life, I never would’ve imagined we’d be here right now, but I’m grateful we are. Without you, I wouldn’t be the man I am. You support me, believe in me, and encourage me to grow. If I went back through my dream girl list, you’d check every box and add a thousand more I didn’t know I needed. With you, I’ve found my safe place, my comfort, my soul mate.” His voice cracks slightly, and tears prickle in my eyes. I can’t believe this is real. “I want nothing more than to take care of you and to keep building this incredible life we’ve started together. I know it’ll be messy and difficult sometimes, but I promise, I’m in. I’m always in. Because together, we’re everything. I love you with all my heart. Maia Barone, will you marry me?”
Words. Say them. Well, really just one.
“Yes.”
His eyes light up and he smiles.
“Yes!” I shout, as tears trickle down my cheeks.
He stands up and pulls me into his arms, giving me a long, steamy kiss as I occasionally mutter the word yes.
“I love you so much,” I whisper.
He steps back and pulls out the ring box. When he flips it open, I’m stunned. It’s huge. And gorgeous. And perfect.
Gently taking my hand in his, he slides it on. My mouth drops open, seeing it on my finger.
“Vince, this is—this—”
“It was my mom’s.”
My eyes snap to his, tears sneaking into the corner of them once again. “Ella’s ring?”
He nods as he looks at it on my hand. “Yes. It was her grandmother’s. Then it was hers. I had no idea about it—never even thought of it—until I told my dad I was going to propose to you. He sat down with Nick and me, and he and Nick agreed I should give it to you.”
“I’m honored,” I whisper. “You—you’re incredible. I—”
He pulls me into his arms again. “We’reincredible.”
Then he gives me a kiss so powerful, I can feel it move through my body, from the tips of my toes to the depths of my soul.
“And keep the kissing going,” Micah says as I hear a camera shutter.
That’s the moment I realize Vince plannedallof this.
I vaguely remember thinking Micah was bending down to tie his shoe right before Vince got on one knee. Nope. He was filming this.
“You arranged all of this?” I ask, staring at Vince once we finally break our kiss. “How long have you been planning this?”
He smiles deviously and shrugs. “I was thinking about it for a couple of months, but I didn’t get everyone else involved until about a month ago.”
“Everyone at the house knows, don’t they?”
“Yep.”
“That’s why we have the cottage. And—” I look down at my hand. “I knew Jenna didn’t care about having her nails done.”
He brushes his lips against mine. “Nope. It was all. For. You.”
“Us,” I whisper back.
