Page 109 of We Own Tonight
“I’m doing what I’ve wanted to do for a longtime.”
My hand covers my mouth as he pulls the lid back on the black box. “Heather Covey, I’ve spent a lifetime waiting for the woman I’d want to share my heart with. We met at this concert, we made love on this bus, and you’re the only person I want by my side. I know we’ve said we were happy with how things are,but—”
“Yes!” I scream out, unable to hold it in anylonger.
“I wasn’t done yet,” he complains with alaugh.
I get on my knees with him and giggle with tears in myeyes.
“I want it all, baby. I want you to be my wife. I want us to share everything. I need to give you my name just as I’ve given you my heart. So . . . will you marryme?”
I launch myself into his arms and kiss him hard. “Yes, yes, yes!” I say and then kiss him again. “I love you somuch.”
“Good.” He kisses my tears ofhappiness.
Then I watch as he puts the stunning princess cut diamond on my finger. I stare at it shimmering in the candlelight. I’m going to be his wife. Our lives have fit together seamlessly. We find true happiness in each other like I’ve never known. My eyes meet his again, and I touch hischeek.
“I don’t know how I ever lived before you.” I rub my thumb against his stubble. “I love you so verymuch.”
Eli stands and then pulls me to my feet. His arms cinch around me, and we hold on to each other. “I wasn’t living before you. I waswaiting.”
“No more waiting.” I smile, remembering the same words I spoke to him yearsago.
His eyes meet mine, and there’s so much love in his gaze, it takes my breath away. “I’d wait forever if it meant I foundyou.”
I can’t wait another second to kiss him, so I do. Eli leads us to the bedroom where we make another memory. This time, there will be no running awayafter.
I lie in his arms, loving the way we fit together. After some time, my mind fills with a pinch of sadness. My first wedding was a justice of the peace deal, but with Eli, I know he’ll want it all. My sister isn’t here to see us get married, and I have no one to give meaway.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” heasks.
He can always tell when my feelings go dark. I seriously need to work on hidingthat.
“I wish Stephanie could be here, and my parents. I know my dad would hate you, but my mom would be completely over themoon.”
His arms tighten. “I wish I could give you that, but it’s the one thing Ican’t.”
“I know, and I know if you could, youwould.”
“There’s nothing I won’t do for you,” Eli promises. “And wait, what do you mean, your dad would hateme?”
I sit up, smiling as I think about my daddy. “No one was good enough for his little girls. Also, he didn’t like you. He had to hear all about how I loved you and how amazing you were. On top of that, he had to listen to all your songs—he wasn’t impressed. He told me to avoid dating any musicians. Clearly, I didn’tlisten.”
When Four Blocks Down came out, I was obsessed and told my father one day I would marry Eli. My father told me boys were all stupid and I should stay away, but boys in a boy band were the ones I should run from. I want to believe he’d have changed his tune after meeting Eli. Regardless, it would’ve been funny towatch.
Eli moves so we’re eye to eye and smiles. “I would’ve won himover.”
I touch his cheek; the diamond on my finger catching the light and sparkling. “Daddy would’ve seen that you weren’t a spoiled, self-centered, egotistical jerk who uses girls and leavesthem.”
“That’s what hethought?”
I laugh. “Probably.”
He moves quickly, pulling me beneath him. “Well, in a few weeks you’ll be mywife.”
“Weeks?”
He nods. “Weeks. Three to beexact.”
