Page 89 of The Fake Play

Luke reaches for my hand, his thumb gently tracing circles on my skin, and my heart skips a beat, half-expecting him to stop, turn, and pop the question I’d been waiting for all night. But he just keeps walking, leading me along the winding paths, glancing at his watch every few minutes, a coy smile playing on his lips.

“Luke,” I finally say, unable to keep the impatience out of my voice. “What’s with the watch-checking?”

He grins, shrugging slightly. “Just keeping an eye on things.”

I narrow my eyes, trying to decipher what that means. “Are you meeting someone later? Am I keeping you from something?”

“Not at all. There’s no place I’d rather be.”

His words are reassuring, and the anxiety eases a bit, but the fear I’d missed my chance still nags in the back of my mind.

As we make our way back toward his condo, disappointment settles in my chest, reminding me of an old saying I heard when I was younger, “Money isn’t the root of all evil—desire is.” It isn’t the money itself that’s bad, but the desire for more that drives people to the brink.

I was getting close to that brink myself.

He isn’t going to risk another rejection and that’s completely my fault.

“What are you thinking?” he asks as he parks his car.

I can’t tell him. If I do and he proposes now, then I would never know if he did it because he wanted to, or because he felt pressured to. I want him to do it because hewantsto propose.

I keep a phony smile on my face. “Nothing.”

He unclips his seatbelt. “Then let’s go home.”

His condo has become our home. But when the baby comes, we’ll need more room. I’ve been looking for a new condo for us while reading books, learning what the hell a pregnancy does to a woman’s body. It’s been one crazy thing after another—both the shopping and the pregnancy.

I follow him inside, still trying to make sense of what’s going on. As soon as we step into the living room, my heart stops and I freeze in place. My voice is hoarse as I ask, “What’s going on?”

The entire room is filled with candles, their warm light casting a glow across every surface. Fresh flowers are arranged in vases throughout, their petals vibrant among the candlelight.

The scene is breathtaking.

Luke turns to me as he takes my hand, guiding me further into the room. He reaches into his pocket, my breath catching as he pulls out a small, velvet box, holding it between us.

“Keke,” he begins, his voice low and steady, “I know I didn’t get it right the first time. I know I’ve been a mess, that I’ve made more mistakes than I can count. But I also know that I love you more than anything, that you’re the only person I want to share my life with. You’re my best friend, my partner, the one who makes me want to be better. You’re my person, and I can’t imagine my life without you.”

He drops to one knee, his eyes never leaving mine as he opens the box, revealing a beautiful, delicate ring that sparkles in the candlelight.

“Keke Graham,” he says, his voice heavy with emotion, “Will you marry me?”

Tears fill my eyes, and a lump forms in my throat as I look down at him. This man had fought his way into my life. He refused to let me push him away.

He’s shown me what it means to be loved.

Luke Smith is everything I never knew I wanted and so much more.

I nod enthusiastically, unable to speak as I blink back tears, indescribable emotions spreading through me. “Yes,” I whisper, “Yes, I will marry you.”

He beams as he slips the ring onto my finger. When he stands, he pulls me into his arms, his lips finding mine in a kiss that’s both tender and fierce, a promise of everything still ahead of us.

I am so glad I’m not showing yet because there’s no belly in my way as I jump into his arms and throw my legs around his waist as he catches me.

I knew he’ll always catch me.

I kiss him ravenously as he carries me to our bedroom, formerly his bedroom. I moved in when he came home from the hospital. I pull my dress over my head, not worrying about where it lands. He strips me naked quickly, and then we work him down to skin before falling into bed together.

He moves over me, kissing his way up my throat as hungrily as I go after him. “I need you.”

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