Page 115 of Puck Princess

“Owen, I?—”

“I should’ve said it before this moment. I might be doing this out of order, but it feels right to me.Youfeel right to me. I’ve been stubborn and bullheaded about it, but I’ve known for a whilenow that I love you. Since the first time you were in my bed, and I realized I didn’t want you to leave.”

The night we met. The night that was the beginning of the rest of my life.Ourlives.

My chest hitches with a sob. “Owen, I?—”

He keeps going, the words racing out of him like he can’t say them fast enough. “You’ve changed me, Callie. I didn’t think I wanted love—I didn’t think I was capable of it. But you make it so damn easy. Loving you comes as easily as breathing, as easily as laughing at your sarcastic jokes or making you moan my name.”

“Owen!” I swat at his chest, and he catches my hand with fire dancing in his eyes. Leave it to him to compliment himself in my proposal.

I can’t even be mad. I love him for it.

“You made me realize that I want love, but I don’t want it with anyone else. It’s you or nothing, Cal. I want all of you for the rest of my life. Come rain or shine or drama or chaos or whatever. Because I love you.”

He said it again and my heart is overflowing. I can’t stand here another second.

I rush over to him, bending down to kiss him. We get lost in each other for a moment and it almost seems like we are going to make love right then and there when he pulls back, breaking the magnetism between our lips.

“I wasn’t finished,” he chuckles.

“If you keep going, you might kill me,” I gasp. “It’s so— You’re so— I love you! Of course, I love you, too. You know that, right?”

“I was banking on it. Actually, I still had more to say—” He smirks, holding up the ring box.

“Oh my God. Right, sorry. Go on.”

He kisses my cheek, his lips whispering against my ear. “You have to stand back up.”

“Right! Sorry!” I stand, wiping my eyes as Owen clears his throat.

And even though I see it coming, even though he is on one knee, and I know what’s coming next, nothing can actually prepare me for it.

“Callie Coleman, will you marry me?” He pops the box open, but beyond noting the general size and glitz of what must be the largest ring I’ve ever seen, I barely even see it.

I’m too busy looking at him. At the man I love. The man I’m going to marry.

I levitate out of my body with sheer joy as I nod, tears rolling down my cheeks. “Yes. I’d love to marry you.”

He stands and takes my hand, sliding the ring onto my finger. I hold it out and have to blink twice. Partially because my eyes are full of tears and partially because I just can’t believe it’s real.

“Do you like it?” he asks.

“I love it.” I stretch onto my toes and wrap my arms around him. “And I love you.”

It’s so easy to say. So simple. As he pulls me against his chest and kisses me, I’m not sure why we haven’t been saying it all along.

Suddenly, there’s a crash. We turn to see Lance and Kennedy on the balcony.

“What the hell?” Owen lets out an irritated sigh and marches through the rose petals to rip the balcony door open. “You were supposed to go toherbalcony!”

Lance holds his hands up in surrender. “I did! But she shoved me back and told me to help her over here. Ruining the moment, as usual.” Lance glares at Kennedy, but she is a tearful mess of laughing and crying as she rushes in to hug me.

“I am so happy for both of you. I can’t believe we pulled this off!”

“Almost pulled it off.” Lance shakes his head. But Owen can’t fight the joy spreading across his face. He hugs his best friend and the moment isn’t ruined at all. It’s better with them here.

“A baby showeranda wedding?” Kennedy blubbers blissfully. “Listen, if I have to have a painfully boring life and live only vicariously through someone else, I am so glad it’s you! I can’t wait to plan all of it.”

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