Chapter 31
AVERY MOORE
ONE WEEK LATER
I trip over what can only be my pile of shoes by the door in my apartment, Ivy guiding me from behind by the shoulders. She caught me off guard in my room and blindfolded me when my back was turned. Since it’s Saturday, we were going to do something, but I had no idea it involved a blindfold.
An hour ago, when she declared that we were going out, she told me to dress nice.
I put on the black dress I wore at Dustin’s first party and am wearing my hair down, even taking the time to curl it and put on my makeup.
I have no idea where we’re going, and I have no idea how I’m going to make it down the stairs like this. I tell her as much.
“Spoiler alert,” she answers, guiding me into the hall. Our door shuts behind her. “We aren’t even leaving the building.”
I try to look back at her, but of course, I can’t see her. All I see is pitch-black cloth. Where did she even find a blindfold? “What?”
She shimmies me forward until we reach what can only be Dustin’s apartment, and she doesn’t knock before shuffling us in. I swivel my head around at the soft murmurs.
“We’ve arrived!” Ivy says cheerfully.
“What’s going on?” I ask her. I know there are a bunch of people here. I can practically hear their breathing. I’m proven right when she tiptoes me forward, my heels clacking on the dining room floor until it meets soft carpet and I bump into someone’s shoulder.
“Just be patient,” she hisses, sitting me down softly on the couch. “And leave the blindfold on.”
I feel around the couch to see if I’m the only one on it. I frown when I find out that I really am the only one sitting. “Come on, guys. What is this? Dustin? Reid? What the hell is going on?”
Murmurs pick up right before someone places their hand on my knee. I startle when lips land on mine next but then lean into the kiss when I smell that it’s Reid. I do blush a little because, even though our relationship is no longer secret, it still feels weird not hiding it.
His lips leave mine, and he leans away. “Take your blindfold off, Avery.”
Slowly, I lift it off my head. My eyes take in my surroundings, to all of our friends standing around us, drinks in their hands, and smiles on their faces. Some people have their phones out, recording.
I find Dustin standing with his arm around Ivy, the biggest grin of them all on his face. And when my gaze slides down to Reid, I gasp. My hand flies to my mouth, and my heart skips a beat. He’s kneeling before me on one knee, a ring in his hand.
“What are you doing?” I breathe out.
“Avery,” he begins, his voice firm and confident.
“I met you right here. Caught you, in fact, and from that moment on, I was a goner. All I wanted was you, and then I lost you, and I don’t want to ever lose you again.
You’re it for me, baby girl. You’re all I want to wake up to, who I want to fight with, who I want to laugh with.
I want to grow old with you. I want to share an epic love that lasts a lifetime.
So I’m here tonight, asking you the most important question of my life: Will you marry me? ”
The room holds its breath as he waits for my answer. He doesn’t have to wait long, however, because I nod and whisper, “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Grinning and surrounded by cheering friends, he takes my hand and slides the ring on my finger.
Strong arms wrap around me, and he’s pulling me off the couch, picking me up, and spinning me around.
Someone starts playing music, and the party begins as his lips find mine and he kisses me the way he always kisses me: as if it’ll be his last.
“All right, all right,” Dustin says beside us. “Can you put my sister down so I can give her a hug?”
We laugh, and he gently sets me on my feet. I turn to my brother, and he wraps his arms around my neck, squeezing before he says, “Congratulations,” in my ear.
“Thank you,” I say, squeezing him back.
“I love you, you know that, right?”
I nod. “Love you too.”
“We’re good?”
“We’re good.”
And then he releases me because Ivy is whining next to him about it being her turn. I go to her immediately, and we laugh as we hug, rocking back and forth. “This is far better than an evening out,” I say to her over the music.
“I thought you might say that,” she answers, grinning from ear to ear. She releases me and picks up my hand, eyes wide at the ring. “Jesus, that’s huge.”
It twinkles under the lights as we both marvel at it.
It really is. I’ve never thought about my dream wedding ring, but Reid has good taste.
It makes me wonder if his mom helped him pick it out.
I met them just a few days ago, and at first, his mother didn’t seem to like me, but as the night went on, she was talking to me like I was a new friend.
“A drink for the soon-to-be bride,” Jacob says as he approaches, balancing three drinks in his hand. He passes one to Ivy, then one to me, and keeps the third for himself.
“Thanks,” Ivy and I both say together.
A girl slides up beside him and smiles at us. She’s stunning with light brown hair that reaches her shoulders and is curled in beach waves, and a pair of blue eyes so blue that they look like ice. “Hello,” she greets.
We look questioningly at Jacob before he gets the hint and introduces us. “Guys, this is Jill.”
Jill rolls her eyes at the awkward way he said it. “His girlfriend. Honestly, getting him to say that out loud is like cutting a cat’s nails.”
I laugh and turn my grin to Jacob. “Oh, she’s good for you.”
“That’s what she keeps telling me,” he grumbles behind his cup.
“And you know it’s true.” She turns her attention to me. “I hear you’re in the nursing program. I started the program last year. Any tips to get on the professor’s good side?”
I cringe. “They don’t get along with you?”
A slow grin spreads across her face. “I made the mistake of correcting one last semester and made an enemy out of her. She must have gossiped to her professor friends because now the entire nursing program is giving me the stink eye.”
“Oh man, that’s rough.”
Ivy chuckles. “I like her.”
I bump against Ivy’s shoulder. “Me too.”
She’s going to fit in great with the group. I don’t know why Jacob hid her for so long. Probably because she terrifies him. But he clearly has feelings for her if he’s finally introducing her to us.
I squeal when firm hands grip my shoulders and spin me around.
My drink nearly spills out of my cup and onto the carpet as Reid presses me into his chest. He starts to sway us back and forth with the music, and I melt into him.
I can’t get enough of the way I fit perfectly into him. I don’t think that will ever get old.
“No regrets?” he asks in my ear.
I shake my head. “None.” And it’s the truth.
Everything he said in his proposal speech made me want to say it all back to him, to tell him I feel exactly the same way.
I’ll never regret saying yes to him. He’s everything I didn’t know I needed and everything that’s good for me.
My mom keeps reminding me of that fact. She adores him almost as much as I do.
But then again, she liked him before we started dating.
Kissing my ear, he murmurs, “I love you, future Avery Rathe.”
I pull back and press my lips to his. Our lips slide over each other a few times before I break the kiss and say, “And I love you.”
For the rest of my life.