Epilogue
LUCAS
Jake and Claire’s house is packed when we arrive.
The living room has been transformed, with gold and silver decorations hanging from every surface.
Balloons cluster in the corners and a massive “Happy New Year” banner stretches across the fireplace.
Music pumps through the speakers, and at least thirty people are already here, dancing and drinking and celebrating.
“There they are!” Jake shouts when he spots Holiday and me walking through the door. He’s wearing a ridiculous gold party hat that says “New Year, New Me” in glittery letters.
Holiday grins at me. She looks incredible tonight in a black dress that hugs her curves and makes my mouth go dry. Her hair is down in those waves I love, and the ring on her left hand catches every light in the room.
I can’t stop staring at her. Can’t stop thinking about how, two months ago, I was angry and hurt when she walked back into my life. Now we’re living together and planning our future.
“Stop looking at me like that,” I whisper in her ear.
“I can’t,” she admits.
Even though the entire town practically knows by now, we decided to officially announce our engagement tonight. Christmas Day was spent telling our families. Now that those who are most important to us know, we no longer have to keep our love a secret.
We make our way through the crowd. I recognize people from high school and friends from town. Claire has outdone herself with the food. There’s a massive cheese board, sliders, and about five different dips spread across the dining table and counter.
“Lucas! Holiday!” Claire rushes over with two champagne flutes, her own party hat slightly crooked on her head. “You’re here!”
“Thanks for hosting,” Holiday says, taking a glass.
“Are you kidding? I love New Year’s.” Claire beams.
“I love it, too, wifey.” Jake appears beside us with a beer in hand. “Ready to tell everyone?”
“I guess,” I mutter.
Jake climbs onto a barstool so he towers over everyone, and Claire yells at him to be careful. My brother cups his hands around his mouth. “Everyone! Shut up for, like, ten seconds!”
The music gets turned down and conversations die out as people turn to look.
“My baby brother has an announcement,” Jake says, gesturing to us.
All eyes turn in our direction. Holiday’s hand finds mine, and I give it a squeeze.
“So,” I start, pulling Holiday closer to my side. “We’ve got some news.”
Holiday holds up her left hand and the diamond catches the light. “We’re engaged!”
The room explodes with cheers.
Even though Wendy and Bella already know, they rush over.
So do Sammy, Eli, Matteo, and Dean. Everyone is talking at once.
The girls surround Holiday, squealing and demanding to see the ring up close.
I catch snippets of their conversations.
The guys slap me on the back, and Jake makes a joke about me finally settling down.
“Dude, I knew you were waiting for Holiday,” Marcus, one of my old high school friends, says.
“That obvious?” I ask, watching her just a few feet away from me. Our eyes catch each other, and she grins.
I love that we can hold a full-ass conversation without saying a single word.
“Yeah, everyone knew you two had it bad.” He smirks.
Another friend, Ryan, hands me a beer. “Did you cry?”
“Like a baby,” I say with a chuckle.
Everyone laughs, and someone starts a round of congratulatory shots. Within minutes, Holiday and I are bombarded with the same questions over and over.
When’s the wedding?
Who’s in the wedding party?
Am I invited?
Holiday tucks some hair behind her ear as she shows off the ring. She’s glowing.
Every few seconds, she glances over at me. When our eyes meet, she smiles like we’re sharing a secret.
About twenty minutes into the celebration, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to find Hudson standing there, looking slightly out of breath.
“Hey, man. Didn’t think you’d make it,” I say.
“I’m not staying.” He glances around, making sure no one’s paying attention. “Can I talk to you for a second? Outside?”
“Yeah, sure.”
I follow him out to the back porch. It’s freezing compared to the party inside. Hudson reaches into his jacket and pulls out a cream-colored envelope. It’s thick, bulging with something more substantial than just a letter.
“Emma wanted me to bring this to you.” He hands it to me. “Give it to Holiday at midnight. Not before. She was very specific about that. And trust me when I say, you do not want to piss her off regarding this, okay?”
I turn the envelope over in my hands. It’s heavier than I expected. “What is it?”
“If I told you, it would be a death wish.” Hudson grins, but there’s something in his expression I can’t read. “But seriously, don’t give it to her early. Right after midnight, got it?”
“Why would she care—” I stop.
He claps me on the shoulder. “Don’t be a stubborn ass and just listen to me. Congrats on the engagement. You two are so good together. You always have been.”
“Thanks. You sure you can’t stay? Even for one drink?”
“Nah, I need to get back. Emma’s handling three kids under six by herself right now, including a very energetic Colby, who’s convinced he can stay up until midnight.
Doesn’t help that Mawmaw sent him home with a candy basket.
” He laughs. “I just promised I’d deliver that.
Midnight, remember. Not a second before. ”
“Got it. Midnight.”
Hudson just grins and heads back through the house. I hear the front door close a minute later.
I look down at the envelope, then tuck it inside my jacket pocket and head back to the party.
When I go back inside, Holiday’s laughing near Claire and Jake at the food table. One of Wendy’s friends—Tara, I think—is holding Holiday’s hand up to examine the ring in the light.
“It’s exactly what I would’ve picked,” Holiday explains. “Simple, classic.”
“Lucas has good taste,” Tara says.
“He does.” Holiday looks over and catches me watching her. She excuses herself and makes her way over to me. “Where’d you go?”
“Hudson stopped by real quick.”
“Is everything okay? Emma and the twins? Colby?”
“Everything’s fine. He just had to drop something off.”
“Oh.” She wraps her arms around my waist. “Good. I’m having the best time. Everyone’s so happy for us.”
“Me too.” I kiss the top of her head.
The party continues, and we dance in Jake’s living room to everything from Beyoncé to old country songs. Holiday requests a few songs and pulls me close, and we sway together while our friends whistle and cheer.
Someone starts a game of beer pong in the kitchen as Claire sings to the music. Her voice is slightly off-key from the champagne, but she’s having so much fun that nobody cares. When she finishes, everyone cheers, and she takes an exaggerated bow.
The night blurs together. We have more drinks, more dancing, and more celebrating. At one point, Holiday pulls out her phone and snaps a photo of us kissing and tells me it’s going on our fridge.
After eleven, I pull Holiday onto the back porch for some air. It’s freezing outside, but we’re both overheated from dancing and drinking. The stars are out, and I can hear fireworks already going off in the distance as people celebrate early.
“I think this might be the best week of my life,” Holiday says, leaning against the railing. Her cheeks are flushed from the champagne, and she’s never looked more beautiful.
I wrap my arms around her from behind. “I have to agree.”
She turns in my arms to face me. “Did you think this was possible?”
“In my dreams.” I brush hair away from her face. “It’s what I wished for.”
“I feel so lucky,” she says.
“Me too.” I kiss her softly. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
She laughs and wraps her arms around my neck. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Peaches.”
We stay out there for a few more minutes, just holding each other under the stars. One skips across the sky and she points up at it.
“Did you see it?” she asks excitedly.
“I did. Did you make your wish?”
“Of course,” she tells me, and I notice how her expression softens.
“It’s eleven forty-five!” someone yells from inside.
We head back in, and the living room is packed now. Someone’s passing out more champagne and noisemakers. The TV is on with the New Year’s coverage from Times Square, the massive ball glowing against the night sky.
Everyone’s laughing and talking, the energy building as midnight approaches. I keep my arm around Holiday’s waist, wanting her close. She leans into me and I feel the ring on her finger brush against my hand.
My fiancée. My future wife.
The countdown starts with ten minutes to go. Everyone begins taking pictures, making last-minute resolutions, hugging friends they haven’t seen in a while.
“Five minutes!” Jake announces, turning up the TV volume.
Holiday looks up at me. “This is it. New year. New life.”
“Same old us,” I say, stealing a quick kiss.
The room gets louder as everyone gathers around, champagne glasses raised.
Everyone starts counting down from sixty seconds.
“Fifty seconds!”
“Forty seconds!”
Holiday’s hand finds mine. She’s grinning up at me, and I see our whole future in her eyes.
“Twenty seconds!”
“Ten! Nine! Eight!”
“Seven! Six! Five!”
“Four! Three! Two! One!”
“Happy New Year!”
The room explodes with cheers. Confetti cannons are popped and gold and silver paper rains down. The TV displays the ball dropping in Times Square, and “Auld Lang Syne” starts playing through the speakers.
I pull Holiday into my arms and kiss her like it’s the first time and the last time and every time in between. She tastes like champagne and happiness and home.
“Happy New Year, Peaches,” I say against her lips.
“Happy New Year, future husband.”
Around us, our friends are hugging and kissing and celebrating. Confetti is everywhere. Bella’s crying happy tears. Jake and Claire are taking Polaroids of the crowd.
Then I remember.
“Oh, wait! I have something for you.”
Holiday pulls back, confused. “What?”
I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out the envelope Hudson gave me earlier. The cream-colored paper is slightly warm from being against my chest all night.
“Hudson dropped this off earlier. It’s from Emma. She said to give it to you at midnight.”
Holiday’s eyes go wide as she takes the envelope. She turns it over, examining it like it might have answers on the outside.
“What is it?”
I chuckle, realizing how alike we are. “Funny enough, I asked the same question. But I have no idea. Hudson wouldn’t tell me.”