Page 82 of Dig Your Grave

Tears pricked my eyes.“You set this up?”

He nodded, pulling out a chair for me.“Yes.Freed from police tape for the weekend, so I asked a few friends to help me arrange a table, some lights.”A sheepish grin.“Figured it’d be a private spot for us.”

I sank into the seat, heart racing.“It’s beautiful.Thank you.”

He took the opposite seat, snapping his fingers.A moment later, from behind a camouflaged tarp, Kate and her friend poked out, carrying plates of catered food.My mouth fell open.

“Don’t mind us,” Kate teased, winking.“We’re just your waiters tonight.Romantic as hell, right?”

I burst into laughter, tears shimmering.“I can’t believe you roped Kate into this.”

Anubis shrugged, face warm.“She offered.I wanted a special evening.”

The next hour felt like a dream.We ate roasted vegetables, lobster, his favorite that I’d never tried before, and sipped sparkling wine.The candlelight flickered, reflecting in Anubis’ eyes as we reminisced about our journey, high school, our meeting on move-in day, our time in the grave, Toccara’s tragedy, the brand.Painful recollections but laced with relief that we’d endured.

Finally, the empty plates were whisked away by Kate, who bowed theatrically and disappeared behind the tarp.Silence cloaked the site.The faint chirp of nighttime insects replaced the caretaker cottage’s old hush.

Anubis cleared his throat, reaching across the table for my hands.“Suede,” he murmured, voice trembling.“You changed my life.You gave me a reason to fight.With everything we faced, you stood by me.I… I can’t imagine a future without you.”

He stood, gently tugging me up.In the candlelit dirt patch that once held secrets, he sank to one knee, pulling out a small velvet box.My breath stopped, tears flooding my eyes.

“Will you marry me?”he asked, voice raw with emotion.“Not because of any stupid family legacy or forced tradition, but because we choose each other, free and clear.”

My throat constricted.The flicker of the brand’s memory burned, overshadowed by overwhelming love.“Yes,” I whispered, tears spilling.“A thousand times yes.”

A radiant grin lit his face.He slipped a delicate ring onto my finger, a gold band, adorned with a single emerald that matched my dress.Applause erupted from behind the tarp, Kate and her friend were filming, of course.

I laughed through tears, pulling Anubis to his feet and into a tight embrace.My world spun with joy.We are free.We are forging our own path.

The caretaker’s cottage might be gone, the Skulls’ control shattered, but here we were, building something new in the rubble.

The next morning, the sun rose over Edenvane, gilding the half-finished construction for new campus expansions, the brand-new banners announcing the Toccara Memorial Scholarship, and the hush of dorms as students woke.My phone glowed with congratulatory texts from Kate, my mom, and a few close friends.Word spread quickly:We were engaged.

With the ring warm on my finger, I strolled across the quad, heart light despite the bittersweet memories.Anubis waited under the big oak near the campus statue, a familiar spot.He wore casual jeans and a content smile, arms folded as he spotted me.

“Hey, fiancée,” he teased, pulling me into a soft kiss.

I beamed, a flush creeping over my cheeks.“Hey.”

We walked hand in hand, heading nowhere specific, just savoring the day.Eventually, we ended up by the Toccara Memorial plaque near the library steps.Students passed by, some pausing to read the plaque’s inscription:“In Memory of Toccara, who pursued truth and deserved justice.”

I bowed my head, remembering her bright smile, her fearless ambition.Anubis squeezed my hand, and we shared a silent vow:We’ll carry her memory forward.

A breeze ruffled the campus lawns, scattering a few leftover autumn leaves.My brand ached faintly, a ghostly reminder of what we escaped.But the warmth of Anubis’ presence grounded me.Life lay open before us, so different from the day I arrived with my trash bags of clothes and a scholarship I never understood.

We ended up at the bus stop in front of the administration building, the caretaker dean’s office to one side.Anubis nudged me.“Ready for that next step?”

I nodded, heart fluttering.“We promised we’d help shape the new era, right?”

So, we stepped in, scanning our IDs to sign into the building.A staffer directed us upstairs to the panel meeting for the Toccara Scholarship initiative.My chest thrummed with both sorrow and pride.We’d be shaping a scholarship in her name, ensuring future students wouldn’t face the same illusions and traps.

Anubis caught my eye, voice low.“Whatever we do next, we do it together, fiancée.”

I smiled, lacing our fingers.“Together.”

And as we made our way to the conference room, the swirling tapestry of heartbreak and triumph behind us, I realized that love, once overshadowed by darkness, had found a way to bloom.The Skulls were gone, Toccara’s story was told, and here we were, forging a life beyond fear, beyond forced legacies, building something bright and honest in the sunlight.

Chapter 32

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