Page 113 of Falling Like Stars

“I wish I could take credit.” I nod at the card. “They’re from my team. Syd, Chase, Courtney, and Andrew.”

“How sweet,” Rowan says. “It’s so lovely in here now.”

“It is,” I say.

It’s kind of perfect. No more excuses.

The limo gets going and we sit in traffic along Hollywood Boulevard, one in a cavalcade of limos as we wait for our turn to walk the red carpet. I should wait, but why? I love her too much to wait one more second.

“Rowan.” I get down on one knee on the floor of the limo.

She stares. “What are you doing?”

“Something I’ve been wanting to do for so long. Because I’ve wanted this with you for so long. This life, that you’ve made better in every way.”

I reach into my pocket and pull out the box. She makes a little gasp, and her hands fly to her mouth.

“I love you. I love you like I’ve never loved anyone. You have my heart and always will. It would make me the happiest man alive if you would be my wife.”

I open the box to show her the antique ring with its clusters of round diamonds surrounding the center.

“Will you marry me?”

Rowan stares at the ring, then she’s down on her knees on the floor, wrapping her arms around my neck and holding on tight.

“Is that a yes?”

She pulls back and her eyes are shining with tears. “That’s a yes. I will absolutely marry you.”

I take the ring out of the box and slide it over her left ring finger, then look at her uncertainly. “Do you like it?”

“Like it?” she breathes, holding up her hand. “This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s old.”

“It’s perfect.”

My heart swells with love for this woman. We climb back into our seats, and I pop the champagne.

“I’m a mess,” Rowan says, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. “I can’t believe you just asked me to marry you in a limo on the way to the Oscars. What is this life?”

“It’s surreal,” I agree. “This happiness.”

Finally, the limo pulls up to the Dolby Theater and we step out. The paparazzi shout at us as flashbulbs go off, a hundred per second. A crowd of spectators in bleachers set up near the entrance are waving and cheering.

I smile and wave back, overwhelmed with gratitude.

“Zach! Zach! Just you.”

Rowan shoots me a smile and steps aside so they can take pictures. She looks so proud, it damn near makes me tear up. I join her again for more photos, and then it’s time for interviews with a dozen different outlets.

Ryan Seacrest asks me about my thoughts on possibly winning Best Actor for Midnight skies.

I give Rowan’s hand in mine a squeeze. “I think that would be icing on a pretty big cake.”

Other outlets ask me about the grueling process of filming No Man’s Land that wrapped two weeks ago and tell me the early buzz is huge. When we’re finally free of the interviews, we head in. I see Rob Melvin, the creator of Godsent and now Hellbent. We lock eyes. He gives me a nod and a small, apologetic smile. I nod back.

Eva plead no contest to aggravated assault and battery. She was given three years’ probation, community service, and mandatory counseling. Rob either didn’t care about the tabloid frenzy, or he was too deep in Hellbent to scrap it or replace her. Last I heard, they were about to wrap filming on season one. I’m glad. Eva’s getting help and doing her own thing, and I’m free to never have to think about her again. She’s in the past. The future is holding my hand and wearing my ring.

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