Page 162 of As the World Falls

“You looked it,” he remarks. “How can I get you to dance like that at home?”

I laugh. “Make me deliriously tired and add a little alcohol to it.”

“Hmm,” he hums as he leans forward, brushing some of my hair behind my ear. “What if I asked you to be my wife? Would that make you dance more at home?”

I feel like I’m electrocuted—like my brain just short-circuited. Did I just hear him right? My hands shook slightly on my lap, and my mouth hung open like a fish out of water. I was sure my eyes were gaping just as wide.

“What did you…what?” I sputter.

“Marry me,” he murmurs. Nothing else. Just that. He was so calm and still, like he wasn’t scared at all. His eyes pierced mine with a fierce resilience that I felt all the way to my bones.

“Why are you asking me this?” My voice is trembling—No, my whole body is trembling. He smiles softly and rubs his large palms up and down my thighs in an effort to calm me. He stops and wraps them around my waist, locking them between my back and the chair.

“Because I want you to be my wife. I want to be wholly surrounded by you, within you, every day for the rest of my life.”

Tears clouded my vision, and it was hard to speak. I sounded like a blubbering baby. “Is this what you were thinking about this morning?”

He nods, amused by my crying. “I was debating if I should wait until things were back to normal or not, but as soon as you left, I realized I didn’t want to wait any longer. I want to be tied to you in every way possible, as soon as possible.”

I blow out a long breath, trying to calm the nerves that feel like they are dancing and reaching their nonexistent hands out to James. “So, you’ve thought about this? Like really gave it some thought?”

He slips his hand into his pocket, pulls out a small black velvet box, and gently places it in my hand. “It’s all I’ve thought about since the moment you became mine.”

“Oh,” I squeak, fresh tears filling my eyes again. I slowly open the box, finding a gorgeous white gold ring with a pear-shaped blue gem in the center, surrounded by clusters of shining diamonds. Just looking at it took the breath right out of me.

His fingers caress my back as I sit still, trying to compose myself. “Are you going to give me an answer, little owl? I’m getting kind of nervous now,” he exhales, chuckling nervously.

“I’m sorry,” I cry, wiping my tears. “Of course, I’ll marry you.” I slide out of the chair and onto my knees in front of him.He takes the ring out and slides it onto my finger, then plants his hands on my hips and lets them travel up my sides until he’s cupping my face with both of them, and I’m rendered speechless when I meet his gaze, my teary one meeting his very own. They looked as if they were sparkling. I don’t think I’ve seen a sight more beautiful in my life.

He pulls me to him, kissing me hard. His hands slide into my hair, gripping it hard as if he was barely holding on. I didn’t mind the bite of pain that followed. It was the only thing that kept me tethered to the ground because I felt like I was simply going to float away.

I lean into him, deepening the kiss, my stomach swirling with a heady excitement and savage need for him. A growl rumbles from deep inside him, and he tears his mouth away, but his grip remains hard and tangled in my hair.

“Get your things. I’m taking you home now, or I’m going to make a promise on all the ways I could have you right in this library.”

I suck in a breath, debating if I should move or not because those promises sound awfully tempting right now. But the privacy of our home wins out in my brain, and I spring into action, standing from the floor, gathering all my stuff in my bag, and quickly pulling my coat on.

His grin is full of mischief as he watches me bounce excitedly toward the door. “You ready?”

I jump into him, looping my arms around his neck. “Take me home,” I chime happily.

He kisses my cheek, takes hold of one of my hands, and twirls me. I laugh as I spin, and he holds his hand out toward the doors. “After you, little owl.”

Epilogue

James

One Year Later

My throat burns as I suck in a lungful of cool air. It was hard to run in this suit. I had it made to fit my body perfectly, but I didn’t take running into account.

I should have.

Laughter and the sounds of champagne bottles popping in the distance reach my ears, but I ignore it all. The only noise I focus on is the sound of crunching fall leaves and excited breaths ahead of me.

Cecilia has gotten smarter inside the maze. She’s committed most of the passageways to memory and is currently using it to her advantage. Her muffled laughter sounds nearby, and I can’t help but smile, knowing she wore the same one even though I couldn’t see her at the moment.

I stop for a second, trying to catch my breath. “Are you trying to be some kind of runaway bride?” I shout into the distance.

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