Page 31 of Take 2
“Thankme?You’re the one who just … I can’t believe …” I’m actually sobbing now. Of course, I am.
“Bella.” He swipes his thumbs over both cheeks. “You just gave me the best gift ever—you. Forever.”
We’ve been together for three years. It’s not like I’m surprised to find out he loves me. He’s shown me in a million ways. I hoped we’d take this next step someday, yet getting to it is an overwhelming wash of emotions.
He wraps his arms around me and rubs my back. “Okay, I’m going to be honest; this doesn’t feel like happy tears anymore.” The tears may also be born of shock and confusion. The whole party was a little bittersweet. Namely, the part that was the going away party.
I laugh and pull back so I can look into his eyes to reassure him. “I’m beyond happy. I don’t know words anymore.”
“Shit, that’s going to be a problem for your writing career.”
A bigger laugh and a sniffle get me back to a somewhat more stable state. “Well, after I come down from this high, it’ll probably provide some inspiration.”
“Are we going to come down?”
“Rumor has it marriage is kind of hard.”
“We’re going to work hard, so we got this.”
“Yeah, we do.” I find my phone and swipe away a million notifications. “Name change time!” I open his contact and correct his name to ‘My Fiancé Ryan.’“Um, get yours.”
“I changed mine earlier.” He shows me my contact card. Under a picture of us kissing, my name is ‘Bella Is Going To Marry Me.’
“Wow. Pretty confident in my answer, were you?”
“This? This is what makes you think I was too confident?” He tosses his phone and swings me onto his lap, facing him. “Not that I got the ring, or proposed in front of a bunch of people, or got the limo, red carpet, the step and repeat?”
“We’re using the step and repeat again.”
“For every event ever. And it’s going to be up in our apartment.”
Our apartment.“Ryan, you’re moving to LA with me?”
“Did it not occur to you that getting married would mean we live together? Because it’s too late to take back your answer.”
I kiss him. “Not a chance. I’m just … wow. That was the only thing I was dreading. I was going to miss you so much, and—”
“I couldn’t just let you move across the country. I want to be there to see you spread your wings.”
“I want you to fly with me.”
Our mouths crash together. The entire universe could cease to exist, and we wouldn’t know the difference because this is already heaven. His lips, his hands, his growing arousal under my hips, are the whole world. I’m about to ask if Oscars-dress sex is happening in the limo when we come to a stop.
I pull back and press my lips together as I catch my breath. “Hope you don’t have anything to do tomorrow.”
He squeezes my thighs. “Just you.”
A smile tugs into my already sore cheeks. I smooth my dress and move onto my own seat just in time for the door to open. It’s a testament to my euphoric haze that it takes me a second to realize we are not in front of Ryan’s apartment building.
Ryan thanks the driver and leads me into The Edgewater Hotel with a hand at my lower back.
“Ryan, I don’t have anything to—”
“Your things are already in our room. It overlooks the lake. And we have it tomorrow night too, so there is nothing to wake up for tomorrow.”
I bite my lip as we step into the elevator. It’s mirrored on one side, and I focus on my reflection.
“You’re gorgeous.” He brushes a kiss on my neck and spreads his hands on my hips. “What are you thinking about?”
