Page 121 of Hope & Harmony

“Marry me, sweetness.”

HAYLEY

Did I want to marry him?

I inhaled a deep, solid breath while he held onto my grasp. Joshua always went from zero to a hundred and this was just another one of those circumstances. He didn’t half-ass anything ever.

One thought would occur while the next one was forming.

I did love him …

Did I want to be his wife?

Everything was changing at a moment’s notice and I was hanging on by a very thin thread that felt as if it was going to snap any second.

“Have you lost your mind?!”

“Actually, for the first time in my life, I’m thinking pretty fucking clearly.”

“Joshua, you’re insane!”

“Insanely in love with you.” He pulled out a ring box from the inside of his jacket.

“Joshua …” I warned, my voice laced with unease.

“What?” he played coy.

“Joshua …”

“Don’t you want to open it?”

“No.”

“No?”

“What’s in it?” I asked.

“You know what’s in it, Joshua.”

Since I wasn’t moving from the spot I seemed cemented to, he opened the box for me. As soon as I saw the three karatprincess cut diamond ring shining bright against the sun, I loudly gasped and my hands shot to my mouth.

Fervently shaking my head, I yelled, “Oh my God! I can’t believe you. I don’t even know what to say to you.”

“A yes would be great. I want you to be my wife because I love you. I’m done playing games. I want you in my life forever and I’ll do whatever you need to make that happen. It’s really quite simple.”

I placed my hand on his chest. “I think I’m having a heart attack.”

He chuckled, “Hayley … That’s your reply? What about everything else I just said?”

“You’re not making any sense and if you took a second to think about that, you’d realize it.”

“Quite the contrary. I’m completely rational.”

I didn’t move.

I didn’t speak.

I was barely breathing.

He grabbed my hand, kissing the palm for a couple seconds. Allowing his lips to linger on my skin before he declared, “I’ve loved you from the moment I set my eyes on you. There is no me without you. I love you. You’re mine, Hayley. You’ve always been. Now,” holding up the ring, he repeated, “marry me, sweetness.”

My mouth was wide open. “I … I … I don’t know.”

“Well.” He cocked his head to the side. “At least it’s not a no.”

And I couldn’t hold back any longer, I shouted …

“Yes! I’ll marry you!”

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