Page 166 of Taste of Addiction

“Okay…”

“But we are here at our destination,” he says, slowing to a stop and putting the car in park. I hear his door open and close, followed by mine. “Take my hand.”

He pulls me gently from the car, keeping a hand on my head, as to not crack it on the roof. It is chilly but the air feels calming against my flushed skin. My nerves get the best of me and my breathing accelerates.

“Hey,” he says, pulling me into a hug. “Relax, baby. I got you.”

I smile. “I know.”

Like before at the penthouse, he scoops me up and carries me up some stairs. It is so quiet here. We must pass through some building because the air temperature changes almost immediately.

When we get outside again, he places me on my feet, making sure I am balanced on my own. Then he steps away.

“Take off your blindfold, sweetheart.”

I reach behind my head and undo the tie he secured, letting the scrap of material fall to the ground. He is standing before me, under a thousand little Christmas lights, in the exact place where our eyes first met.

I gasp, as my hands cover my mouth in awe. “Graham.”

His smile is bright and his eyes sparkle—no longer bearing the mystery they once did four months ago. So many things have happened to us in such a short amount of time. And while we stand in the present, we both have a rich four-month past—full of memories and love—to look back on.

“We are coming full circle,” he says softly, stepping toward me, sweeping his hand out at the patio and pool area that is decorated for a celebration.

Colored lights shine on the water making the surface look like a reflection of Aurora Borealis. Strands upon strands of lights cross overhead. It is like I am standing in one of those holiday light shows or my very own Hallmark movie.

Music is playing through a hidden sound system, similar to the night of the mixer event. Every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed.

I move a step closer and wrap my arms around him, hugging him so tight that it hurts. I look up at him and mouth, “I love you.”

“You changed my life by walking into it four months ago. I did not know love until I met you. I did not know I was capable of change until I met you. You make me a better man, Angela. You are my past, my present, and please do me the honor of being my future.”

I watch through a filter of tears as Graham gets onto one knee, reaches into his back pocket, and pulls out a ring that sparkles brightly under the canopy of twinkling lights.

“This ring is a symbol of my love. But the promise of forever is what my heart desires. Angela Renee McFee, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” I yell, falling to my knees and crashing into him. “A thousand times, yes!”

Our lips lock and stay together, as he picks us both up from the cold concrete, spinning me around. I feel dizzy from the emotion.

“I have one more thing to give to you,” he says. “Stay right here.”

He moves over to the table area and grabs a bag I didn’t even notice from the chair. He carries it back over to me and reaches into the sea of tissue paper, pulling out a huge circular rainbow spiral lollipop on a wooden stick. He holds it up to me and turns it slowly, revealing the words, “She Said Yes!”

I hop into his arms, grabbing the candy, thrusting it into the air like a torch.

“She said yes!” he yells into the night sky. “She said yes!”

An eruption of clapping and chanting fills the area, as a rush of people flutter out of the French doors from the mansion.

“Well, thank God,” Donna says, rushing toward me. “I gain another daughter.” Graham releases me from his hold so I can be greeted properly. His mom squeezes me tightly in a loving hold, looking over to her son with pride. “Thanks for not messing this up, son.”

I laugh over her bluntness. She is never one to mince words.

Claire and Blake clobber me with a group hug, nearly knocking me backward into the pool. Even Zander gives me a warm smile, and it feels like all of the tension we once had between us is finally ironed out.

“You are going to make the most beautiful bride,” he says, enveloping me in his arms. “You deserve to be happy, and I’m so glad that I can witness it.”

I lean up on tiptoes and kiss Zander gently on the cheek. “Thank you, Z.”

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