Page 196 of Rewind It Back

The engagement ring isn’t a family heirloom or anything like that. We don’t exactly have the greatest track record with marriages in our family, so this is brand new and all Hallie’s. And yeah, one day it’ll become something we’ll be able to pass down, but she’ll be the first to wear it.

Indy came with me to my initial appointment with the jeweler, but once we were there, I realized I didn’t need as much help as I thought I would. There’s no one who knows my future wife better than me.

The mix of white and yellow gold in the band screams Hallie Hart and I can’t wait to see it on her hand. Which is fitting that it’s going to happen tonight, seeing as she just got her nails done and painted each finger a different color.

The ring makes it back to me and I carefully tuck it back into my pocket.

“Do you think she’ll say yes?” Isaiah asks.

We all whip our heads in his direction.

He holds his hands up. “What? It’s a valid question.”

Kai smacks his brother on the shoulder. “I guess he could always take her to Vegas and get her drunk to make sure she agrees to marry him.”

A sneaky smile lifts on his lips. “That did work well for me.”

Chuckling, I shake my head. “She’s going to say yes. We’ve been talking about getting married since...fuck, I can’t even remember. Feels like we’ve always known we’d marry each other.”

“When are you going to do it?” Zee asks.

“Tonight, after you all leave.”

Ryan takes a swig of his drink. “And how?”

“I’m going to take her on the roof of the house and do it there.”

All four of them look at me like I’ve lost my goddamn mind, but I swear, if I would’ve told their wives my plan instead of them, I’d be rewarded with resounding approval from all four of those women.

And they wonder why I like attending girls’ night.

But I don’t feel the need to explain the significance of that proposal location to anyone else. She’ll understand it. Hallie and I fell in love on the roof that connected our parents’ homes. I’m going to ask her to spend forever with me on the roof of ours.

Max Rhodes comes padding over to his dad, huffing and puffing from all his running around. He chugs from a straw of a water bottle that Kai holds out for him, and without saying a word, turns and runs back to continue playing with the other kids.

Four of them—Max, Taylor, Navy, and Iverson—are running around chasing one another, but Emmy is upstairs sleeping in one of the spare rooms. Kai’s phone is sitting on the armrest of his chair with the baby monitor connected and displayed on the screen.

“Are you and Hallie going to add to that crew?” Ryan asks, nodding towards the kids.

“Hopefully, one day. But she’s spent so long taking care of someone else, I want to make sure Hallie gets to do everything she wants to do before we start trying. But yes, eventually, we want to.”

Zee clinks his bottle with mine. “Good man.”

The girls are gathered on the back deck, talking and laughing with each other. Hallie joins the other four after taking her family on a house tour, and as soon as she does, Miller wraps her arm over her shoulders and pulls her into the conversation as if she’s been a part of it the whole time.

She looks so at ease, like she’s known them for so much longer than she has.

Hallie just fits, but that’s no surprise. She’s always been outgoing and friendly, and now, I’m even more thankful she is who she is. Jumping into a very well-established group of nine friends would’ve been intimidating for just about anyone else, but not her. We were always meant to find our way back to each other, and she was always meant to be a part of this group.

There’s not a world in which I could imagine anything different.

I watch as each of my friends catch their partner’s attention from across the yard. I’ve witnessed this happening for years. This silent check-in in a crowded room. A soft smile before continuing their conversation. A discreet wink. A little smirk.

I’ve constantly felt like the third wheel catching a private moment I wasn’t supposed to be a part of, but at the same time, it was something I longed for in my own life.

I’ve always wanted what my friends had.

I always wanted whatIonce had.

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