Page 97 of Survival

“What? Are you sexist now? Just tell me, please. I wanna know.”

I laughed. He was in a weird mood, very giddy for Tucker. “I’m thinking about how good it feels to live again.”

“Living,” he murmured, the sound content. “It’s better than I remembered.”

I ran my hands through the dirty blonde strands that laid across my middle, smiling at Tucker’s relaxed sigh. “What areyouthinking?”

“You really want to know?”

“Of course.”

He sat up, repositioning himself on an elbow to find my gaze. He had me almost nervous, seeing the excitement in his eyes, but I was dying to know. Tucker didn’t get like this over nothing.

“What would you say if I told you I was dying to ask you to marry me again right now?”

My eyes popped open, that familiar apprehension bubbling up, but as soon as it surfaced, I dismissed it. Those fears were from before. How did I feel now?

“Before I answer, tell me what brought this on.”

“Tonight. This. Us.” Tucker beamed and gave a happy, one-shouldered shrug with the arm that wasn’t against the blanket. “It just feels right. Gotta shoot my shot.”

“Oh, God, that last part’sromantic.” I playfully rolled my eyes, and Tucker’s brow rose.

“Shit. You’re not saying no. Hang on. I can do romantic.” He hopped up and raced for his truck, a small black box in his hand as he came back.

My heart skipped before thudding in my chest, and my pulse raced. I sat up, tucking my legs under me as I pulled my hair behind my shoulders, not sure what to do with my hands. Because Tucker was freaking about to propose. Again.

He knelt down on one knee when he reached me, those whisky eyes that I loved so much locking with mine. I forgot how to breathe. How to think.

“Isabel Faye Donovan, you are everything to me. The reason I wake up in the morning. The peace that holds me together at night. You’re the very breath in my lungs. My world. I love you with everything I have in me. Will you marry me?”

I stared, the night quiet besides the wind and the waves in the background as my mind still tried to process and take it all in. This man was my world. He was my rock. My protector. He was my everything.

Tucker swallowed, waiting for my answer, and suddenly, I knew what I had to say.

Moving to my knees, I took Tucker’s hand to place it on my chest over my heart and then reached out to place mine over his. “I promised you every bit of my heart that I could salvage, so yes, I would love to marry you.”

A grin split his face, and he let out a giant whoop before pulling me into his arms. We fell back to the blanket, laughing as he scrambled for the ring box he’d dropped. I held out my hand, and when Tucker slipped it on, my heart filled, emotion ready to burst through my chest, I was so happy. I stared at the band of diamonds, the large center stone sparkling in the last of the moonlight.

“Do you like it?” he asked, and I grinned up at him.

“I love it. It’s perfect.”

“Good.” He pressed his lips to mine. “Now, we just have to set a date.”

I laughed. “You’re in a hurry.”

He shrugged. “I’m happy, and I know what I want.”

My heart flipped. “I know what I want, too. But I don’t think we should rush this. As amazing as we’re feeling tonight, there’s still a lot going on at home, and I’ll be honest… I’m going to want an amazing wedding. It’s going to take time to plan.”

“Fair.” Tucker nodded. “But I want the date to mean something.” His brow creased, his fingers tapping against the blanket.

“What about next summer? July twenty-eighth.”

He frowned and then realized, “Our anniversary.”

“Yes.” I play-slapped his arm for almost forgetting. “It’s special, we’ll have time for a honeymoon before the fallsemester starts for college, and it gives me at least a full year to plan. What do you think?”

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