Page 101 of Marry Me Forever

Me (typed but deleted): I think so. Or, at the very least, I want to believe so.

Me (actual reply instead): Going home will be hard. But at least this has given me a taste of travel and I’m itching to do some more.

Cassie: Lucky for you that you have a rich fiancé with a private jet.

Me: There’s more to Nolan than that.

Sam: Like sexy? Tall? Probably a god in bed?

Me: You’re fishing there.

Sam: Hey, it’s a sister’s prerogative.

Cassie: So?

Me: It’s good.

Sam: Good? Oh, no, that’s bad news.

Me: It’s hot and sweaty and dirty and amazing. Better?

Cassie: Much, much better. And just how dirty are we talking?

Me: Oh, look. It’s time to go out.

As I watched the rolling waves, it was hard to believe I was standing on a beach in Mexico.

Yes, a lot of people came to the Yucatán Peninsula for the beaches and sightseeing. But it was more than that—Nolan had listened to me. Truly listened.

And when he came up beside me and held out a seashell, my eyes pricked with tears.

He said, “Maybe you can add this to that shelf you want to create, the one for shells from all over the world.”

As I gingerly picked it up, a tear rolled down my cheek.

I tried to brush it away, but Nolan beat me to it, wiping it away with his thumb. “What’s wrong, baby?”

I laughed. “Nothing’s wrong. You’re just too wonderful, is all. And…”

“And what?”

I bit my bottom lip. I hadn’t meant to add the “and” part. Because it would reveal too much about how I felt, about what I wanted, and about the future.

“Tell me, baby. Let’s not keep secrets from each other, even if we have to keep a few from the rest of the world.”

I cleared my throat a few times until I got my emotions under control. Then I said, “And well, sometimes I wonder, ‘why me?’ When you can have any woman in the world, why are you doing all of this for me?”

He cupped my face. “Because I care for you, Katie. It’s going to sound silly, but let me try to explain, okay?” I nodded, and he continued, “I’ve spent nearly twenty years of my life mostly alone. The death of my dad really splintered my family, and I didn’t have a sibling to be close to. Then I was betrayed by my best friend, and I had no one. And despite getting a break early in my acting career, I was even more isolated. Yes, there were and still are fans and actor acquaintances. But my colleagues are all busy themselves, and some view me more as a rival than merely another actor; true friendship is difficult. And fans only have a rosy view of me with no desire to know the shy guy who likes to read books and travel off the beaten path.”

Oh, Nolan. Just thinking of all the years he’d been lonely, I ached for him even more.

His gaze became more intense. “But from the beginning of this fake engagement idea, you were different. You didn’t treat me as some hero, as a man supposedly above others because of my fame. No, you treated me like any other guy, talking to me about the small things instead of constantly quizzing me on the latest Hollywood gossip. And if that wasn’t enough, I’ve never felt such a pull toward another woman as I do with you.”

His words were a lot to take in. It almost sounded like… “You think I’m your person?”

He tilted his head. “Your person? What do you mean?”

Even though my cheeks heated—maybe I was wrong—I answered, “You know, the one you can always turn to, rely on, and be yourself with. Even if you’re in a shitty mood or sick as a dog or about to fall apart, you turn to that one person because they will be there for you, through thick and thin. More so than anyone else in the world. They will always feel like home.”

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