Page 72 of In Too Deep

“I should’ve been honest with you upfront, but I don’t think I was being honest with myself either.”

“So…do you love him?”

“I think I do.”

“Then you should tell him. Don’t let your happiness slip away,” I say, giving her the same advice I was given.

She bobs her head in agreement, but I can see the fear and doubt as it creeps across her face.

“And what about you? Are you holding on to your happiness?”

Chewing my bottom lip, I nod. The last time we spoke about Lawrence, she made it clear what she thought about him and my feelings for him. So, I’m a little nervous to tell her about our current relationship status.

“It took me some time to get my head on straight, and a little convincing from your sister, but I am. Lawrence and I have been dating for a couple weeks now, and we’re very happy.”

“So, you really never stopped loving him? Even after all these years?”

I shake my head. “I tried, and there was a time when I believed I had. But, deep down, I knew I was lying to myself. Love doesn’t work that way.”

To my surprise, Lori nods in agreement, a thoughtful expression on her face as she picks her muffin apart. “Yeah…I think I’m starting to understand that now.”

Her admission causes my heart to squeeze. Lori has finally fallen in love, but she’s been depriving herself of it because of me. I hate that it took me so long to make this right. She lifts her gaze to meet mine, her eyes seeming brighter as she smiles.

“I’m glad everything is working out, truly. I know I wasn’t very supportive when you told me what happened with Lawrence, and perhaps even a little judgmental. I’m sorry about that. I want you to have whatever and whoever your heart desires.”

“I want the same for you.”

“All right then. So, what’s next?”

“I’m going to start my forever, and you’re going to go get your happily ever after.”

I laugh as she groans and rolls her eyes, sticking her tongue out as if she’s gagging.

Lawrence may be my forever, my soulmate, but Lori is my soul sister.

There’s no happy ending for me without her.

EPILOGUE

Lawrence

My heart races as I stare out the window and wipe my sweaty palms down my black dress slacks, feeling for the little black box in my front pocket. Today is a big day for me—for us. It’s been two years since Cat came back into my life, two blissful years. Not to say every minute of every day has been perfect. We’ve fought. A lot. Sometimes, I feel arguing is like a sport for us. But, in the end, I know it’s a result of our intense passion. A point proven every time we make up.

We have real, raw, unconditional love.

We bring each other to life. And that’s what makes every day we’re together pure ecstasy. If today goes according to plan, we’ll be living that way for the rest of our lives.

I’ll be honest, I’ve been ready to do this for a long time, but Cat wanted to take things slow. She said we needed to take the time to get to know each other again, to give ourselves time to fall in love with who we are now instead of who we were, and I suppose that was the smart thing to do. Though, I’ve known my soul belongs with hers since the moment I laid eyes on her.

I’m done waiting now, and with the help of Cat’s baby sister, I’m going to pull off the perfect proposal. After my business took off last year, I hired Lizzy to be my interior designer. We now offer full remodels, which is where my proposal idea began. Lizzy had been working with me for a few months when I asked her to help me find the perfect home for Cat and me, one that could be remodeled into Cat’s dream home. Three months ago, we found it. As of yesterday, the place is officially ours.

Some might say it’s a ballsy move to pick out the house that’ll be our home without Cat’s input, but there’s no doubt in my mind she’ll love this place. It’s off the beaten path, but still only a stone’s throw away from town. There’s a front porch with fans where she can sit in a rocking chair and drink her coffee in the morning, and a back patio that will be perfect for family gatherings. There are two gas fireplaces, one in the formal living room and one in the informal living space that will be a perfect little reading nook for her. And she’s going to love the fact that it’s not move-in ready, so she can put her own touches on the house. This is a slam dunk.

Lizzy is on her way here with Cat now, who believes she’s merely checking out a project Lizzy has been working on. Cat’s sister isn’t great with keeping secrets or telling lies, so we thought it would be best to throw a little truth into the mix. When they arrive, Lizzy will give her a tour around the home, making this room their last stop, where I’ll be waiting.

The room is decorated with twinkling white lights and dahlias, Cat’s favorite flower. I’ve got champagne and the ring. All I need is my future bride.

Catelyn

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