26. Sebastian
CHAPTER 26
sebastian
M y heart pounded against my ribs as I led Maxine along the winding path behind the ranch house. Her hand fit perfectly in mine, warm and familiar, in the late afternoon sun. Brooklyn's voice echoed in my head. Don't mess this up big brother. But the ring box in my pocket felt more like a promise than a weight.
"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Maxine asked, and I could hear the smile in her voice. "Or is this another one of your mysterious adventures?"
"Patience," I teased, squeezing her hand. God, I loved how she always called me out. "Has anyone ever told you that you're terrible at surprises?"
"Only you. Every day." She bumped her shoulder against mine, and the casual intimacy of it made my chest tighten. "And I distinctly remember someone nearly spoiling their own birthday party because they couldn't wait to see what was in the boxes."
"That was different. I saw Brooklyn sneaking around with cake supplies."
"Uh-huh. And the Christmas presents you 'accidentally' found last year?"
I laughed, pulling her closer as we crest the hill. "Okay, maybe we're both terrible at surprises. But this one"—I paused as my pulse raced—"this one is worth the wait."
We reached the ridge where I spent the afternoon setting up. A small table sat in front of us, draped in white linen, the place settings gleaming in the golden light, dozens of twinkling lights strung between the old oak trees. It looked exactly as I'd envisioned. The view stretched for miles, and the setting sun painted the valley in shades of gold and purple.
Maxine's breath caught. "Sebastian..."
"I know this spot is special to you," I said softly, watching her face. "Your dad used to bring you here to watch the stars."
She turned to me, her eyes bright with tears, and my heart nearly stopped. "You remembered."
"I remember everything about you, Max." I brushed a strand of hair from her face, letting my fingers linger. "Like how you scrunch your nose when you're concentrating. How you always save the crossword puzzle for Sunday mornings. The way you hum when you're happy but don't realize you're doing it."
"I do not hum," she protested weakly.
"You're humming right now."
She laughed, the sound mixing with the gentle breeze, and I fell in love with her all over again. "Only because you make me happy."
My heart swelled. This was it—the moment I'd been planning for months. "You know, I had this whole speech prepared. About how we grew up together, how you've always been my best friend, my partner in everything."
"Had?" Maxine raised an eyebrow, and I fought back a grin.
"Yeah, because standing here with you..." I took both her hands in mine, marveling at how steady they felt despite my racing heart. "None of those practiced words seem enough. You're everything to me, Max. My compass, my home, my heart. My true north. You challenge me to be better, support me when I falter, and love me even when I'm being impossible."
"Which is often," she teased gently, but her voice wavered with emotion.
"Which is often," I agreed, smiling. Then I reached into my pocket and dropped to one knee, holding up the ring that shined in the last rays of sunlight. "Maxine Trevino, will you marry me? Will you build a life with me, face every challenge together, and let me love you for the rest of our days?"
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she nodded. "Yes," she whispered. Then louder as she laughed through her tears. "Yes, yes, absolutely yes!"
My hands trembled as I slipped the ring onto her finger, then stood and pulled her into a kiss that held all my promises for our future. When we finally parted, she rested her forehead against mine.
"I love you," she murmured. "Even when you're being impossible."
"Which is often?" I asked, unable to stop grinning.
"Which is often." She kissed me again, then stepped back to admire the ring. "It's beautiful."
"Just wait until you see what I have planned for the wedding ring."
Maxine groaned. "Please tell me you haven't already started planning the wedding too."
"Me? Never." I pulled her close as the first stars of the night appeared. "Though Brooklyn might have some ideas..."
"Of course she does." She laughed, settling into my embrace. "Think we can convince her to keep it small?"
"Not a chance." I pressed a kiss to her temple, breathing in the floral scent of her shampoo. "But we'll face Hurricane Brooklyn together."
We stayed there, until the stars fully emerged, wrapped in each other's arms, talking about our future and everything that lay ahead. When the night air grew cool, I draped my jacket over her shoulders and led her to the table where dinner waited.
"You know," Maxine said as we sat down, "for someone terrible at surprises, you did pretty well with this one."
I smiled, watching the starlight dance in her eyes, memorizing every detail of this perfect moment. "Only because it was for you."
And as dinner turned to dessert, as conversation flowed between memories and dreams, I knew with absolute certainty that every decision, every path, every choice had led me exactly where I was meant to be—here, with her, planning our forever.