Page 150 of Betrayed in the Dark
My chest tightens as I stare at the words my father wrote to Eli.He gave him his blessing. A smile forms on my face as I reach up to brush away my tears. “I can’t believe he—” The words fade in my throat as I turn around and see Eli kneeling in the snow, holding out a ring box that contains the same beautiful engagement ring I found in his nightstand drawer.
“Madeleine Alarie,” he begins, his eyes bright with genuine happiness, making my heart thunder beneath my rib cage. “Most people aren’t lucky enough to meet their soul mate until later on in life, if they meet them at all. But the world did me a kindness when it placed me in the home of the Alarie Estate, intertwining our lives and our stories.” He pauses for a moment before continuing, “I’ve loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you, and I will love you even after the world stops spinning.” He drags his fingers nervously through his hair. “I know, we technically already got married, but I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t officially ask you.” His eyes water, but he clears his throat and says, “Madeleine Alarie, will you marry me?”
I nod, my vision blurring as tears fill my eyes. “Yes, Eli Lyon, I will marry you.”
He places the ring on my shaking finger, and the second it’s secure, I jump into his arms, knocking him down onto the snowy ground. We laugh as our lips meet, both of our hearts beating as fast as one another’s.
“I’m going to spend forever loving you,” he promises me. His hands cradle my cheeks as he pulls me toward him, pressing his lips to mine. He pulls away, rolling our foreheads together. “Although, to tell you the truth, forever doesn’t sound like enough time.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t.” I brush my lips over his, my fingers tangling in his hair. How did I get lucky enough to be able to callthis man mine for the rest of my life? Softly, I place a kiss on his lips, lingering for a moment before pulling back and saying, “So, let’s make the most of the time we have together, starting right now.”
Epilogue
Madeleine
Eight Months Later
A warm breeze flows through the open French doors, and the pink and gold sky reflects off the pristine lake, evoking a scene worthy of a museum painting.
It’s a beautiful day—perhaps the most beautiful day of the year.
And it’s time.
“You look so stunning,” my mom says as she greets me, holding out my bouquet of white roses. She gazes at my ivory mermaid-style off-the-shoulder lace dress with admiration in her eyes. “This dress was made for you, sweetheart.”
“Thank you.” I bring the flowers up to my nose and inhale their perfume.
She reaches out, gently tucking a loose strand of hair back in place. “I know your father is watching over you. He’s here rightnow. I can feel it.” Her eyes glisten with tears, and mine follow suit. “And I know he’s so proud of the woman you’ve become.”
I nod, my throat tightening. “I can feel him here too.”
She smiles, wiping carefully under her eyes. “Well, I better get out there.”
“I’ll be right there.” I pull at the top of my dress; the bodice suddenly feels tighter than it did when I last tried it on a week ago. Or was it always this snug?
Just as she steps outside to head toward the dock and take her seat, Vin approaches, lost in thought, peering down at the grass.
With every step he takes, it becomes increasingly difficult to hold back my tears. I suddenly don’t feel like a twenty-five-year-old woman, but rather like a little girl—one on the brink of having to say goodbye to the man who has been the missing father figure in her life for the past eight years.
Which is silly, of course, because I’m not going anywhere.
And neither is he.
But there’s something about weddings that bring out the damn tears.
As he walks through the door, he looks up and smiles with tears in his eyes, and I can’t hold back anymore.
“Ugh, Vin.” I wave a hand over my eyes in a futile attempt to dry the tears.
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Oh, fuck, Madeleine. Why is this so hard?”
“Because we love each other, idiot.”
We both share a lighthearted laugh as he approaches my side.
“You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” he tells me with sincerity in his voice.
“You probably say that to all of the brides before you walk them down the aisle,” I tease, knowing he walked Scarlett down the aisle only a couple of months ago.
