Page 150 of Anything To Be With You

Luke looks up from his plate. "What?" he asks, wiping his mouth.

I shake my head and grin to myself, shoving a piece of carrot in my mouth. "Nothing."

Luke puts down his fork and leans his arms on the table. "I smell bullshit."

"I just—it’s nothing." I wave a hand and go back to my food.

Luke stands and rounds the table. I glance up at him. "What. Daniella." He cups my cheek and brushes his thumb over my scar.

I sigh. "I just never thought I’d be here."

He crouches in front of me. "And where’s that?" he tucks a piece of hair behind my ear.

"I never thought I would find someone like you, who accepts me and Mason. The other men I have dated could not understand why I’m a package deal."

"A package deal?" Luke takes my hand in his.

"If you’re part of my life, you are also part of Mason’s."

He nods in understanding. "Mason is your whole world and if I want to be part of it, I have to be part of his too. I know he will always be number one in your life and I'm okay being second as long as I get to be with you."

I blink away the tears that are about to fall and turn away from him.

"Sweetheart, look at me."

I shift my eyes towards him.

"Sweetheart."

I turn to face him fully and fish mouth a few times. "What are…ah, what…did you fall?"

"I didn’t fall, Sweetheart." Luke is down on one knee, with a small velvet box in his hand. "I knew the moment you walked into my office, that you were the one for me. I may not have shown it," he smiles, and I snort, "but I knew," he opens the box, "that you were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with."

My eyes widen at the size of the fucking rock on that ring. "Luke—"

"I want to marry you, Dani. I want to wake up with you every morning and fall asleep with you every night. I want the good days and the bad days. I want the fighting and the makeup sex."

I laugh as tears well in my eyes.

"I want to be there when Mason goes to college. I want to be there when you meet the family of the man Mason falls in love with. I want to be there when Mason gets married," Luke kisses my forehead. "I want everything with you."

All kinds of thoughts start running through my head but the one that stands out the most is ‘why?’ I start shaking my head. I cannot let him do this.

"How long are you willing to be second in my life, Archer?"

He stands and brings me with him, brushing my hair off my face. "Forever. I want forever with you."

"That’s not fair to you. You shouldn’t have to be second in anyone’s life. You should be with someone who can put you first."

"I don’t want anyone else, Dani. I want you." I open my mouth to argue, but he cuts me off. "And I will always want you. Over and over. Without pause, without a doubt, in a heartbeat," he kisses me sweetly, "I’ll keep wanting you."

Oh, God.

Here come the waterworks.

I cover my face with my hands. Luke’s arms wrap around my trembling shoulders, and he rests his chin on my head.

"So, will you?" he says after a moment and I laugh, nodding against his chest. He leans back, lifting my face with a finger under my chin. "What was that? I didn’t hear you."

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