Page 60 of Wreck Me

Shortly after the coffee date that left her in shambles for a few days, Isla received the news she’d been waiting for—she’d be starting veterinary school in the spring.

Isla’s father has still never reached out to her, but that was a loss she had no problem letting go of.

And for me, their loss was my gain. The navy blue velvet box in my pocket was lighting my skin on fire—so eager to pull it out and drop to one knee, the thought practically consumed my entire graduation ceremony. But with that eagerness also came a ball of nerves I had trouble swallowing down. We were still pretty broke, and I couldn’t afford a real engagement ring—at least not like what she deserved.

Instead, I was proposing tonight with my mother’s necklace. She knew what the necklace meant to me, and what it symbolized for my mother and me when I was a child.

It was a promise we’d always be together. Me and her. The same promise I was giving to Isla.

My person.

My guide through the dark.

My Starlight.

EPILOGUE

“Are you hungry?” I asked Caleb as we walked hand-in-hand up to our apartment. Watching him graduate from the police academy brought tears to my eyes—I was so proud of him for following his dream and working tirelessly through his training and work schedule. Not once did he complain or doubt his abilities to achieve success. He was truly awe-inspiring, and I hoped to have his positive attitude and confidence once my own schooling started.

Moving in together was the best decision we could have made, not only for our relationship, but for our financial situation as well. With Caleb’s help, I replaced him at Pack N Mail and started working full-time once he moved on to work at Dave’s. Having dual incomes made things less stressful for both of us, and I loved waking up beside Caleb every single day.

The last ten months had been taxing—a rollercoaster of emotions for both of us—but also some of the best months of my entire life.

Being with Caleb was as natural as breathing. The love I felt for him was one I thought only existed in the romance books I read. I could envision my entire life with this man and I knew we’d overcome anything so long as we did it together.

“Uh, yeah,” Caleb replied absentmindedly a few moments later. His hand was clammy in mine, and I noticed he’d been a little quiet since we left his graduation. I figured he was just processing his accomplishment–it wasn’t abnormal to have the feeling of ‘what now’ after a life-changing event. I’d felt the same once it sank in that I no longer had a connection to my parents and their plans for me.

Caleb removed his keys from his jacket and unlocked our front door, flipping on the light as he stepped into the entryway.

“Should we order in? Or go out? It’s your night, you tell me what sounds best, Officer Hart.” Shrugging my jacket off, he took it from me and hung it on the hook behind the door.

When he turned his attention back to me, his eyes blazed as he pulled me to him and kissed me. I melted into him, no longer sensing the uncertainty he held on our way up here.

Breaking the kiss, he smirked at me and he produced a satin blindfold from his pocket. He said nothing as he placed it over my eyes. “What are you—”

“Shh,” he whispered. He finished securing it, and his right hand floated down the length of my arm, catching my wrist. Gently, he tugged me further into the apartment and over to what intuition told me was the living room.

“Sit down, Starlight.” He held onto both of my arms as I slowly lowered myself to the floor and got comfortable. Tucking my legs beneath me, I sat cross-legged and touched the floor with my palms, feeling that I was sitting on a plush blanket. That hadn’t been there when I left this morning…

Caleb moved around the room and I could hear the faint flicks of a lighter, and a few moments later the refrigerator door closed. When he finally joined me on the blanket, I couldn’t help but smile. I had a feeling what he might be doing, but I also didn’t want to get my hopes up and be disappointed if I was wrong. Still, my heart raced as I sat without my sight, letting my imagination get the best of me.

“Can I take this off?” I asked, my fingers brushing against the smooth satin covering my eyes.

“Not yet.”

Caleb expelled a shaky breath. The sound of clothing rustling told me he was likely removing his jacket. Was it wrong that I hoped he’d be naked when my blindfold finally came off? Images of me and Caleb celebrating his graduation in filthy ways flooded my brain.

“Okay,” he murmured as he reached behind my head to undo the knot holding the blindfold in place.

As my eyes readjusted, I inhaled a sharp breath and took in my surroundings. Cream-colored candles lined the coffee table that was now pushed up against the couch, allowing us room to spread out on the blanket he had placed on the floor. Next to us was a basket filled with wrapped up deli sandwiches, chips, and cookies, and the most gorgeous bouquet of hydrangeas sat next to me, tied together with a black lace bow.

But the most breathtaking sight was the man in front of me, bent on one knee, still dressed in his new police uniform. He held a closed velvet box in his hand and my heart exploded within my chest as he stared at me with love and adoration shining through his eyes.

“Caleb…” I managed to whisper before a tear spilled over and slid down my cheek.

He reached out and wiped it away with his thumb. “We never did get to go on that picnic, Starlight. I thought I’d finally bring the picnic to you.”

I choked out a laugh, thinking back to the day we had planned to skip class, but instead had our first sort-of fight. That night changed so much for me—it was the night I realized I was falling in love.

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