Page 167 of Always Be an Us

But then suddenly the music stops. Everyone around us pauses and then Declan finally smiles, putting his hands on my shoulders and turning me around.

I gasp and slap my hands over my mouth.

There are words in the sky. I don't know how he got them up there, likely with kites, but there are letters suspended over the lake.

It's such a beautiful sight that I'm in awe and it takes me a second to read the words.

But when I do, my heart stops.

It spells out: "Will you marry me, Emma?"

I look around and notice that everyone has stopped whatever they're doing and is now staring at us.

Declan just proposed to me.

My mind slowly processes it.

He planned this whole thing to propose to me.

In a daze, I glance back to Declan who is now on one knee, holding a glittering ring in his hand.

"Emma, my sunshine, the love of my life. I don't have enough words to tell you how much you mean to me, and how much I want you to be mine. Will you marry me?"

I jump up and down on my toes, squealing so loud that I probably trigger any wildlife for miles. As Declan straightens, I jump right into his arms and he winces.“Oh I’m so sorry! Did I hurt you?” I retreat instantly, but Declan laughingly pulls me back into a sweet kiss. Choruses and cheers break out around us.

"I can't believe you planned all this," I practically sob from happiness when we finally come up for air.

"I helped," Amelia says, trots up from behind her dad. She hugs both of us simultaneously. "And mom did too. She's the romantic one out of all of us."

"That I am," Rachel says with a proud sniff. She gives me a genuine grin. "Congratulations, Emma."

"Thank you," I let go of Declan to take her hand and draw her into a hug. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, sweetie," Rachel responds, hugging me back.

"Well, I guess I missed out on my chance." This comes from Micah who saunters up to us. Declan shoots him a mild warning glare, to which Micah holds up his hand defensively.

And then I feel a finger tap my shoulder turn around to see Poppy and...."Tate?"

I gape at my best friend's freckled face as she smiles. "Hey babe. I'm back."

"Tate!" I throw my arms around my best friend and we squeeze each other tight while making barely intelligible noises. "Oh my God. I didn’t know you were coming."

"Of course, I was going to be here," She pulls back and her eyes are also misty, her red curls escaping her bun and falling around her face. "My best friend is getting married, I wasn't going to miss the proposal."

My eyes widen. "Wait, you knew?"

She nods. "My mom told me."

I turn to Poppy who gestures to Declan. "He told me and asked me if I could get Tate to come."

"Wait, you two talk?" I glance between them. Last I knew, Poppy hated Declan.

But now she shrugs mildly. "He's not so bad," she says, which for Poppy is pretty much a love declaration.

I’m amazed and wonder how they started talking in the first place. It probably has to do with Declan dropping Nate Huntley’s charges, and Poppy’s determination to put that boy back on the straight and narrow. According to her, that’s why she went to see him in jail so many times, trying to get through to him.

“I knew his grandmother,” she told me. “Nice lady. I thought it’ll be a real shame if this is all her grandson amounts to.”

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