Page 130 of From Us, Forever

“It’s insured or.” He raised a brow. “I can buy you a new one.”

“No,” I shrieked, holding it to my chest. “I will take good care of it.” I once again held my left hand to my face, taking in how perfectly it fit me. “I love it.” I sighed.

A smug grin pulled up his lips. “I know what you like, Evelyn.”

“Smart-ass,” I commented before realization hit me. “Wait.” I gaped. “Did you just propose to me in a cemetery?”

He shrugged, the grin still dancing on his face. “Death is the beginning of life.”

But my throat lodged thick with emotion. “In front of Auntie M? Is that why you waited?” My voice cracked.

“Yes.” His eyes filled with love. “I knew how much you would’ve wanted her to be with you on your big day. I couldn’t give you that, so I gave you this instead.”

My heart squeezed as tears started to pour out of my eyes once again, and I buried my face in his neck. “I thought you didn’t want to marry me. That’s why I was so sad.” I blubbered like a mess.

“Evelyn.” His forehead planted on mine. “I wanted to marry you the moment I met you.”

“Thank you.” My lips wobbled. “For including her.”

He kissed my lips, taking my hand in his. “I waited so long for this. Trust me, my patience was running very, very thin.” He laughed dryly. “Do you know how fucking embarrassing it is when your baby sister gets married before you?”

I giggled. “She deserves it, but I was a little jealous too. But I’m not anymore. I can’t wait to get married.”

“Good.” A cheeky grin plastered his lips. “Because we’re getting married on Sunday.”

“What!?” I jumped on his lap. “That’s two days away.”

“Yes.”

“How is that possible? Are we going to Vegas?” I wrinkled my nose.

“Nope.” He kissed my nose. “You just worry about being pretty, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Okay.” A bright smile lit up my face. “But what about a wedding dress? Can we get one in a day?”

“For you, yes. I’ve asked the boys to bring the girls in tomorrow. I’ve booked an appointment in the morning with the designer. They’ll take care of everything.”

“What about Strawberry?”

“Lily packed her up too.”

I nodded. “Where are we getting married?”

“That’s a surprise.” He leaned forward, swiping his thumb along my chin. “Unless you want to plan—the flowers, decor? Is that something you want?”

I shook my head, smiling. “I don’t really care. I just don’t want you to see me before the wedding or see my dress.”

He groaned, nuzzling my neck. “Does that mean we can’t spend the night together tomorrow?”

“Yes.” I threaded my fingers through his wet hair. “But after that, you’ll have me forever. It’s just that I read somewhere it was bad luck, and it got stuck in my head. Traditionally, it was back in the day when marriages used to be arranged so the bride couldn’t run off if the groom was ugly.”

He laughed. “Thank God you established that I’m not. Or I would’ve chained you, you wench.”

“I don’t know, I think I might need to get my eyesight checked.” I dragged my teeth along his cheek.

He gripped the back of my neck, his eyes darkening as he brought his lips to me.

My breath hitched.

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