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The muscles in his face spread thin. “Shewanted it to be a surprise,” he emphasizes.
He scratches at his temple and my cheeks are already widening, knowing what I’m hopeful he’s about to say.
“Hailey’s plane flew in earlier this morning.”
A scream rips past my lungs and I’m pretty sure I even get a few jumps in before a groan pushes out his mouth. He’s still reluctant in his decision to tell me.
I hardly register that flash of something else there too, something he’s not saying, because she’s coming.She’s here.
The entire drive home, I’m sitting on the edge of my seat. I’m so giddy I almost forget that we’re heading back to celebrate Abram’s birthday.
Cole’s grip on my thigh during the hours-long drive, I’m positive the only thing keeping me from floating into oblivion. I can’t wait to see her.
His hold is on the small of my back as we move inside the too-familiar walls of the Casper mansion.
My unconcern for anything else blinding me, as he effortlessly walks us down the checkered hallway and into my glass kingdom.
Momentarily, my steady thoughts are shifted to the one item I haven’t seen in years. Not since that day I’d given it back to Abram in his office.
My gaze zeroes in on the familiar red-bound leather. The gold etching of the girl on the cover drawing me in the same as it had when I was a child.
Picking it up off the fountains edge, my fingers tingle with awareness. Only this time when I open the book, there aren’t only those too familiar handwritten words pressed inside the cover.
“A closed chapter does not mean the book is finished,” Cole starts, and I whip around so quickly I see stars. Or are those sparkles from the reflection of the diamond ring now in my hand?
The water from the fountain beside me rushes, crashing as hard as my heart is right now. He’s on one knee.
“We make our own endings,” I finish because my brain can’t seem to process anything else. Not even the way his smile dips or that it’s as overwhelming as it is authentic.
He’s on one knee, and I have a ring? What the fuck.
“Marry me,” he blurts out suddenly.
No hesitation, no uncertainty. All him.
“And if I don’t?” I challenge, tears already threatening to fall at the corners.
His lips curve higher at my defiance like he’d be disappointed with anything less than me defying him.
“Aurora Casper, you are one dilemma—I may never understand—but would happily like to spend the rest of my life trying to figure out anyway. Say yes, Princess.”
The beautiful oval-cut diamond gleams, sparkling as bright as the walls of the room we’re in.
“Yes,” I gush. The tears are full force now as I let them free-fall.
Swooping, his smile turns megawatt. Kissing me through my tearstained laughter as soon as he straightens back to his full height.
Shouts and hollers chant all around us and I choke back my laughter. I hadn’t realized in the whirlwind of it all that we had an audience.
The room is now filled with every person I care about. Finn, Eli, Abram, and even Hailey. She’s in the farthest possible spot away from Finn but I hardly notice because they’re all too busy rushing us with their varied waves of excitement.
“You’re mine,” Iceman whispers before they can reach us.
“Forever,” I echo back.
