Extra #1
Danny's POV
Four years later...
I pace back and forth across the hardwood floor of our living room, my heels clicking loudly with every turn. On the couch, Stacey and Liv sat side by side, casually eating their way through my snacks while watching my frantic back-and-forth like it was an interactive sport.
“I mean this is it this time, you guys—I genuinely think it’s the real deal,” I say, stopping directly in front of the TV to face them. “I think Bear is actually going to propose.”
Stacey swallows her handful of chips and deadpans, “Well, you literally said the exact same thing the last time you thought a guy was proposing, and your ex-boyfriend ended up fucking your mother.”
Liv whips her head around, leveling Stacey with a sharp, lethal glare. “Stacey, shut up.” She turns back to me, her expression softening into a warm, supportive smile. “Look, Danny, you and Bear have been together for four solid years now. It’s about damn time he steps up and puts a ring on it.”
I giggle, shaking my head as a nervous flutter dances in my chest.
Before I could reply, the front door swings open, slamming back against the wall. Bear walks in, looking broad and towering, holding a chilled bottle of champagne in one hand. The second his intense, emerald eyes lock onto Stacey and Liv, his brow furrows into a heavy scowl.
Liv and Stacey instantly scramble up off the couch, sensing the predator in the room.
“What are the two of you still doing here?” Bear asks, his deep voice carrying a grumpy rumble.
“It is so wonderful to see you too, Bear,” Stacey says sarcastically, giving his massive shoulder a quick pat as they both practically dart around his frame to reach the exit. “See ya, Danny! Good luck!”
Bear frowns, using his foot to kick the front door shut behind them. “Good luck with what?”
“Oh, nothing important,” I answer smoothly, brushing it off as I close the distance between us.
Bear set the bottle down on the entry table and immediately reaches out, his large hand cupping the back of my neck to pull me flush against his chest. He leans down, capturing my lips in a deep, lingering kiss that instantly takes my breath away.
“Hey,” he murmurs against my mouth, his warm breath fanning across my skin.
“Hi,” I whisper back, a soft smile blooming on my face. I glance over his shoulder at the counter. “Care to tell me why you brought home a bottle of bubbles?”
He let out a low chuckle, pressing another sweet kiss to my lips. “Because I actually have incredible news.”
“Good news?” I prompt, my eyes lighting up.
“I’m officially off parole, Daniella,” Bear says softly, a rare, genuine spark of pride shining in his eyes. “100% a free man.”
“Mitchell! That’s amazing!” I gush, throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.
He pulls back with a soft smile, walking into the kitchen to grab two crystal wine glasses. He pops the cork with a practiced flick of his wrist and pours us each a generous glass, handing one to me.
I take a delicate sip, the crisp, fruity notes hitting my tongue. “Mmm. Wow, this is really nice.”
“It was my mom’s absolute favorite,” Bear states quietly, looking down at his glass with a moment of gentle nostalgia.
“She had fantastic taste,” I comment softly.
He slides his free arm securely around my waist, pulling me into his side. “I was thinking... maybe we could go out for a nice dinner to celebrate?”
I raise an eyebrow at him, a mischievous smirk catching on my lips. “You want to go out to a crowded restaurant?”
“To celebrate,” he murmurs, leaning down to nuzzle the sensitive spot just beneath my ear.
“Well... we could always just celebrate right here,” I purr, turning in his grip and trailing my fingers up his broad chest. “We could order takeaway, and you can eat it straight off of me.”
Bear let out a low, rough groan. He quickly grabs both of our glasses, set them down on the coffee table, and pulls me back into his arms, his mouth crushing over mine. His tongue slid seamlessly against mine, hot and demanding, and I wrap my arms tightly around his neck.
“Fuck, Daniella...” he pants against my lips, struggling for control. “Jay already has us booked in for a dinner table with the family in an hour...”
“He can wait... can’t he?” I whisper seductively, running my hands down to his hips.
“Oh, hell yeah he can wait,” Bear growls.
I let out a loud squeal as he effortlessly tosses me over his broad shoulder like a sack of flour, marching straight down the hallway toward our bedroom.
After a solid year of constant, gentle nagging, I had finally convinced him to let me fully move all my things into his room. It was officially our bedroom now.
He tosses me onto the soft mattress, dropping to his knees and pressing hot, trail-of-fire kisses all the way up my bare leg.
----
“You are late,” Jay snaps flatly the second we walk into the private dining room at the restaurant.
I take my seat right beside Jay, while Mitchell slid his massive frame into the chair directly across from me.
“I’m sorry, is this entire dinner not explicitly to celebrate my massive life achievement?” Bear deadpans, entirely unfazed by his brother’s glare.
“Huge congratulations, Bear,” Mac chimes in warmly. She was busy wrangling her two-year-old son, Troy, attempting to feed him a spoonful of mashed potatoes. Troy was an absolute angel—stunning, sweet, and the absolute spitting image of his mother.
“Hey, Danny,” Darren greets, giving me a warm smile from the head of the table. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m doing great,” I smile back.
“Jay told me you’re officially joining the team down at the salon,” Darren says, his eyes lighting up with genuine excitement. “That’s awesome news.”
“It really is,” I agreedhappily.
What Darren said was true—I was officially starting as the salon’s new lead makeup and nail technician next week. Jay had been forced to fire his last nail stylist a month ago after catching her red-handed trying to skim cash from the register, and I was more than ready to step into the role.
“I’m seriously so excited to start,” I say.
“Hey guys, I’ll be taking your drink orders tonight—” a smooth waiter’s voice began as he approaches our table.
He suddenly stops dead in his tracks. I look up, and the waiter and I stare at each other in absolute, stunned horror.
“Adrian?!” I gasp.
Beside me, Bear’s entire posture went lethal. His jaw clenches into stone, his emerald eyes narrowing into dangerous slits as he glares at the guy. “We want a new waiter. Right now.”
Adrian held up two hands, taking a cautious step back. “Look... can we please just be civil here? That was four years ago, man.”
“I hope you’ve actually learned your lesson by now,” Darren growls, joining his brother in leveling Adrian with a dark look.
“Yeah, I learned that you two are fucking out of your minds!” Adrian snaps back defensively, his cheeks flushing. “I was stuck in the hospital for an entire week with three broken ribs!”
“You learned how to treat a fucking lady,” Bear hisses, his voice dropping into a terrifying, guttural whisper that made the air in the room drop ten degrees. “You had no fucking right to ditch Danny alone at that restaurant.”
“I only ditched her because you literally threatened to slit my fucking throat if I ever hurt her!” Adrian yells back, exasperated. “I didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire when it was glaringly obvious that you were madly in love with her!”
My jaw completely drops. I whip my head around to stare at Mitchell. “You threatened to slit his throat?!”
Bear just casually shrugs his broad shoulders, taking a slow sip of his water as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Adrian takes a deep breath, looking over at me with genuine remorse. “Look, Danny... I am truly sorry for ditching you on that date four years ago. But... honestly? I don’t regret it. Because while I was recovering in that hospital, I met the love of my life. My current fiancée.”
A soft smile broke across my face, the old bitterness entirely gone. “I met mine too,” I murmur softly, glancing over at Mitchell, who was quietly watching me. I turn back to Adrian. “And I forgive you, Adrian. You definitely did the wrong thing that night, but... you had the right intentions.”
Adrian let out a long, relieved breath, his shoulders dropping. “Thank you, Danny. Truly. I’m going to go grab a different waiter for your table.”
As Adrian walks away, Jay immediately reaches over and squeezes my hand under the table. “Very noble of you, Dan.”
“It was four years ago,” I reason, agreeing with Adrian’s logic. “Besides, I’m with Bear now. Everything worked out exactly how it was supposed to.”
“Well... I have to admit, Adrian is looking pretty damn good these days,” Jay murmurs, eyeing the waiter’s retreating back.
Both Darren and Bear instantly whip their heads toward Jay, leveling him with identical, terrifying scowls. Jay just gave them a breezy, unbothered smile.
We enjoyed an incredible dinner filled with endless laughter, chaotic Roberts-family banter, and delicious food. After saying our goodbyes, Mitchell and I decide to take a quiet stroll down to the beach near our apartment.
The cool night air brushes against my skin as we reach the shore. I unbuckle my high heels, letting them dangle from my fingers as my bare feet sank into the soft, cool sand.
I stop near the water’s edge, sinking down to sit on the sand, and Mitchell smoothly settles down right beside me, his long legs stretched out.
“I still genuinely cannot believe you threatened to slit that poor guy’s throat four years ago,” I whisper into the quiet night, looking out at the dark ocean waves. “I mean... it totally connects all the dots now. He looked like he was about to shit his pants when I came back from getting my purse from your car.”
Bear let out a low, dark chuckle. “Yeah, well... I cared about you. Even back then.”
“You loved me,” I tease softly, nudging his shoulder with mine.
“I did,” he whispers, entirely dropping his tough exterior. He leans over, pressing a tender, lingering kiss to my lips. “I actually went and saw your dad yesterday afternoon.”
I gasp, pulling back slightly to stare at him. “By yourself?! Wait... are you two finally becoming best friends like I’ve always wanted?!”
“Sadly, no,” he chuckles softly.
He stands up, brushing the sand off his jeans, and held out a large hand for me. I wrap my fingers around his, and he effortlessly pulls me up onto my feet, drawing me close against his chest.
“I love you so much, Daniella,” he murmurs, his voice suddenly thick with a heavy, profound emotion. “And I want to spend the absolute rest of my life with you.”
My breath catches in my throat. My heart started hammering wildly against my ribs, tears instantly burning behind my eyes.
OH MY GOD. IT’S ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
Mitchell takes a deep breath, stepping back, and slowly sank down onto one knee in the sand. He reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a sleek black velvet box, and flips it open to reveal a breathtaking, sparkling diamond ring that caught the moonlight.
“Daniella Moore... will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”
“Of course I will!” I cry happily, the tears spilling over my lashes.
I eagerly extend my left hand, and with a slight tremble in his fingers, Mitchell slid the ring perfectly onto my finger. He stands up, wrapping his massive arms around my waist and smashing his lips against mine in a desperate, passionate kiss.
“I love you so much, Mitchell,” I murmur against his mouth, cupping his face in my hands.
“I love you too, Daniella,” he whispers, resting his forehead against mine.
I wipe a tear from my cheek, a mischievous smirk suddenly tugging at my lips. “Just so you know... Stacey literally thought you were coming home to tell me you were fucking my mother.”
Bear threw his head back, letting out a deep, booming laugh that echoed across the empty beach. “Ah, yes. Classic. Well... maybe I’m actually fucking Stacey’s mom.”
We lock eyes for one silent, hilarious beat—and then completely broke out into loud, awful singing, screaming the iconic lyrics to Stacey’s Mom at the top of our lungs to the dark ocean waves.
What an absolute classic.