Epilogue
Hannah
A knock on the door startles me.
“Is Hannah in there?” Jeremy’s muffled voice calls out from the other side.
“Oh, hey Jeremy,” I reply with a higher pitch than usual. “You know it’s bad luck for you to be here before the wedding.”
I refrain from mentioning that the bride and the rest of the bridal party have already left the hotel room and gone outside for photos. I quickly ran back upstairs to retrieve my phone, because I don’t want to upset my mum by not sending her any photos of the bride.
Chuckling, Jeremy’s muffled voice requests, “You and I both know that rule only applies to the bride and groom, Hannah. Since we’re not either, please open the door. I need to talk to you.”
With hesitation, I cautiously open the door, showing only my face.
“Open the door fully, Hannah. We need to have this conversation without any barriers between us,” he says, filling me with a sense of dread.
“Is this really the best time to have a conversation like this? At my best friend’s wedding?” My panic rises as I ask. Jeremy’s behavior has been strange for weeks, and I can’ t believe he’s going to ruin Ruby’s wedding for me at the last minute.
Huffing a laugh, he clarifies, “It’s not what you think, Hannah,” as he confidently steps inside the hotel room through the open door.
“You look absolutely stunning,” he compliments, his eyes scanning my figure in admiration of my bridesmaid dress. I know the gauzy, dusty pink will make my hair stand out. “You will be the most beautiful woman at the wedding.”
I sternly remind him not to forget about the blushing bride, crossing my arms defensively. I can’t resist taking in the sight of him in his suit, his usually-wild, blonde curls controlled.
“No,” he says while shaking his head. “You’re even more stunning than the bride. I have a question,” he says, reaching into his jacket pocket and bending down on one knee simultaneously.
I feel my heart freeze within my chest.
Oh.
“Hannah Grace Upton,” he murmurs, locking eyes with me with an intensity like never before. “The moments I’ve had with you this past year are the best of my life. With each passing day, I fall more in love with you, and I can’t let another day go by without you as my wife.”
Oh my god.
What?
“Hannah, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” In one smooth motion, he asks the question while opening the ring box.
Suddenly, all of his odd behavior over the last few weeks makes sense. I shift my eyes from his face to the ring inside the box. The princess-cut diamond is surrounded by smaller diamonds, creating a sparkling halo. It’s an exquisite ring .
Looking at the man in front of me, I am certain there’s only one possible answer to his question.
“Yes,” I say.