Page 120 of Before It Was Love

“I hereby declare my love for you in front of the world.”

My jaw drops open. What is going on? “Is he serious?”

Weston saunters onto the stage. “Not so fast, Pirate Flynn. You can’t have my sister.”

I’m confused. “What’s happening?”

Flynn brandishes a sword. “I will fight you for her.”

Weston smirks. “You will not win.”

“I will fight to the death for her.”

Lana bangs a drum. “Bring forth the wench!”

Chloe pushes me forward. “Go!”

“I’m not a wench.”

Paisley rolls her eyes. “A wench is a young woman. You’re a wench.”

Fine. I’m a wench but, “I’m not going out there.”

Chloe stands and pulls me to my feet. “We have the wench here.”

The crowd roars and begins to chant. “Wench! Wench! Wench!”

I glare at my friends. “Did you know about this?”

Maya smiles. “Isn’t it romantic?”

“How romantic will it be when I steal your mail?”

She gasps but Paisley stands and blocks my view of Maya. “You’re breaking the rules of the festival.”

The opening ceremony is supposed to be fictional. Not a reflection of my life. But there’s no way I’m escaping this. The crowd surrounds us, waiting for me to act. And my friends aren’t letting me run away.

“Fine. Whatever.” I stomp down the bleachers and across the stage to reach Flynn and Weston. “The wench is reporting for duty.”

“Go Sophia!” Mom shouts and I bury my face in my hands. “Why is this happening to me?”

Flynn pulls my hands away from my face. “You wanted me to fight for you. I’m fighting for you.”

“I want you to fight for me because you can’t live without me. Not as some stunt at the opening ceremony of the Moonshine & Merriment Festival.”

He cups my cheek. “I can’t live without you, my little temptress. I love you. I’m sorry it took you walking away for me to realize how much I love you.”

Excitement skitters through my veins, but I can’t believe it. Not yet. “You love me?”

“Why do you think I didn’t fix the bathroom at your apartment?”

“What? You purposely didn’t fix my bathroom? You wanted me to live with you?”

He kisses my forehead. “I love you, Sophia Milton. I’ve been fighting my feelings for you for a long time. Ever since you kissed me at your high school graduation.”

“I knew that kiss was good.”

“You’re my everything, Sophia.”

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