Page 176 of The Fake Out Flex

"Why would I mind that?"

His eyes darken. "You know, the curse and all."

"What curse—ohhh, the twelve-month curse. You know, it totally slipped my mind."

Guess that's what happens when you find yourself a great guy and are in a stable, honest, and healthy relationship. You don't worry about silly things like getting dumped after a year.

"Good. I'm glad. That's why I wanted to do this a week before our one-year anniversary. I wanted you to go into that special day feeling secure, knowing I would never leave you."

This. Man.

Can he get any swoonier?

"The curse is broken, Fraser. You're my forever person."

His face lights up with a bright smile, and then we kiss.

With all my heart, with every fiber of my being, I know Fraser is an incredible, kind, thoughtful man who would never deliberately hurt me or deceive me.

Or dump me after a year of dating.

Or publicly humiliate me by breaking up with me on live TV.

That all feels like a lifetime ago.

He lowers his voice so no one dancing near us can hear. "And are we still all good on the waiting thing?" he asks.

"Of course. Why? Have you changed your mind?"

"Every single day about a hundred times a day," he replies jokingly. "I want you so much, Evie. You're the most beautiful woman in the world. But I know it will be so much more special if we wait."

His words ebb through me like a slow-moving river, and I feel the soul-deep rightness of this decision for us. Because part of me wants to race ahead, too, but like he said, it'll be so much more special if we hold off until our wedding night.

"You mentioned something about a long engagement?" I say.

"I did. I don't want you to feel pressured or rushed."

"You know, I'd still be happy with eloping to Vegas."

He chuckles. "So that hasn't changed since high school?"

"Nope." I smile, then reconsider. "Let's put the tacky Vegas wedding into the maybe pile."

"Fair enough."

"Just promise me we'll get married the way we want to get married, okay? If we want something small and intimate, then that's what we'll do. I can just picture our mothers getting together to organize the wedding of the decade, and that's literally the last thing I want."

"Same here. Although, when it comes to your mother, I'll let you handle her."

"Awww, you still scared of her?"

"Completely. Even dressed as Wilma Flintstone."

"That was a terrifying sight." I slide my hand through his hair. "I realize we haven't exactly done things the traditional way. But I wouldn't go back and change a single thing."

"I would…The family dinner, hello."

"Oh. Yeah. That was bad."

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