Page 106 of Can't Take My Eyes Off You

‘Would it make you feel better if I admit I’m scared too?’

‘Why are you scared?’ She seems truly surprised by this.

‘Because if I don’t do things right this time, I risk losing you forever. The last three years have nearly killed me. I love you with everything I am, Berx, and if I lose you for good, I don’t kno—’

She pulls me to her by my jacket, kissing me. It only lasts a moment before she pulls away, looking into my eyes. ‘I love you too.’

I pull away, cocking my head, staring at her, completely bewildered by what she’s just said. She hasn’t said those words since that day she found out I’d signed on to do the show. Maybe I didn’t hear her right?

‘You love me? Like in thepresenttense?’

She nods. ‘I couldn’t say it until I knew you were mine, and tonight you made me feel like you were.’

I let out a long nervous breath. ‘Baby, I need to ask you something.’ I’ve known this woman my entire adult life and I definitely didn’t expect to be this nervous to say four words that’ll forever change my life for the better. Hopefully our lives for the better.

‘OK…’ she says nervously, her eyes growing wide as I reach into the inside pocket of this ridiculous jacket. I had the ring in my car and I grabbed it in the darkness of the parking garage while she wasn’t looking.

‘When you told me off at that Halloween party – or pretty much any time you’ve let me have it – I already knew what I wanted. What made me happy in life. I went to every counseling session available while in rehab. I even did yoga therapy, and you know how good I am at yoga.’

She laughs. Once I went to a yoga class with her. Once. That was all it took to know I hated it.

‘I needed something to keep me going. A reminder of what it was that made me happy so I could work towards getting there.’ I pull my hand from my jacket, the diamond now on my little finger. ‘So I wore this the entire time, to remind me of where I wanted to end up.’ I open my right hand and her eyes move right to it.

She gasps, but not like she’s in shock, morefinal-fucking-ly. ‘Is that a—’

‘Yeah,’ I say with a nod. ‘Bought just for you on my way to rehab in preparation for this moment. I wore it just like this and anytime I felt like I couldn’t keep going I looked at it and immediately I knew I had it in me. You inspired me to become a better version of myself, Berx.’

She grins, but her chin quivers and her brows push together as her eyes glaze over.

‘I don’t want you to be my girlfriend, baby. I want you to be my forever. Maybe this is too soon, considering everything that’s happened, but I don’t want to wait another second to ask you this…’

‘Yes!’ she says excitedly, not allowing me to actually ask.

‘I haven’t even said the words yet,’ I say through a chuckle, an absolute giddy grin on my face.

‘Well, could you say them already?’ she says.

‘Berkley,’ I say, a little less nervously knowing her answer already. I pull the ring off my finger, hoping to God I don’t drop it to the ground from where we are. ‘You’re my best friend, and the love of my life. I never want to spend another day without you. Will you marry me?’

I thought about doing this a million ways. Skywriting. Using her favorite romance novel. At the store. In front of her friends and family. But ultimately I know Berkley, and just the two of us, without the eyes and ears of anyone else, is how she’d want this.

‘YeahI will!Hellyes!Finally,yes!’ Her hand shakes as she holds it out for me, allowing me to slip the ring on her finger and when I do she sighs with relief. ‘I love yousomuch,’ she says gleefully, planting a kiss on my lips.

‘I’ve never loved you more. So, we’re doing this?’

‘We’re doing this!’ she says, now staring at her hand, held out in front of her. ‘Holy Moses, this thing is gorgeous.Pleasetell me it’s insured?’

‘It’s insured,’ I reassure her. ‘Berkley…’ I slide my hand down her thigh. She looks up from the ring, tears falling down her face, but this time happy ones. ‘You’re going to be mywife.’

‘Yourwife,’ she repeats. ‘Wow. Which means you’ll be myhusband… oh, I like the way that sounds.’

‘Me too.’

The ride slows to a stop, and once we unload we walk slowly hand in hand down the waterfront walkway, towards my car. Every few seconds Berkley lifts her hand to look at the ring.

‘It’s so beautiful, Will. You did good.’

‘I know you pretty well.’

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