Page 123 of Future Like This

“Here we are.”

The blindfold comes off, and she takes my hand.

I pop my eyes open, letting them adjust, and… oh.

Oh my god.

We’re standing in front of a house. But not just any house. My cute little dream house. If I turn to the left, I could see Aaron and Rae’s farmhouse in the distance.

My stomach whirls, butterflies going wild. “What—”

“I bought it.”

I spin to face her, eyes massive. “You bought it? What—when—”

She turns toward me, taking my other hand as well. “When Rae and Sarah mentioned the house being for sale, this feeling went up my spine like I couldn’t let it go. Then you talked about it being your dream house and my heart sank at how sad you looked that you couldn’t afford it. That’s when I knew I had to buy it. I live with Liz and all my meals and hotels are paid for by my job. I still have my tainted trust fund. So I decided to put it all to good use. I bought the house with cash. It made closing go faster. I fixed up some of the problem spots, painted, redecorated, and fenced in the backyard.”

“This is what you were buying things for at the hardware store?”

“Mhm.”

“This… you did this for me?” My mind is racing. The thought that it’s just for me is too much, but she squeezes my hands tighter.

“No. I bought it for us. The cottage with a garden and two dogs and woods to wander through. That wasn’t just your dream. It was ours. All the nights I was supposed to be a friend sleeping over at your house, but really I was lying in your arms and falling in love with you—those late nights were when we dreamed this dream together. And I never let go of it. Like I never let go of you.”

Tears prick in my eyes because she’s right. This was our dream, and despite everything we’ve gone through, she’s trying to turn it into a reality.

Reaching up with one hand, she brushes her thumb over my cheek.

“I fell in love with you when I was seventeen. Admitting it was next to impossible, but when I finally did, for a short time, I felt free. But then I screwed it all up, handling life out of fear and doing the wrong things for the wrong people. I fell apart, but I never fell out of love with you. I don’t think it would be possible to do that. I had to fight and claw through the worst of my pain to find a better version of me, and I have. I’m proud of how hard I’ve worked and how far I’ve come. It took time and a lot of healing, but I made it. I have everything I want in my life now. Everything but you.”

My heart is beating so hard I’m afraid I might pass out, but all I can focus on are her eyes, filled with love and determination.

“I know we have a lot of work to do,” she continues. “But I want to do it. Here. Mackenzie, will you move into this adorable little house with me and start the future we dreamed of together?”

Oh my… holy shit.

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