EPILOGUE
Three months later
“G ood lord, it’s the crepe paper apocalypse.” Alice chuckled as she entered the high school gym.
She was fricking lucky she was carrying a box full of donations, otherwise Summer might’ve felt the need to defend her crepe paper paradise more sternly.
“But a very pretty apocalypse.” Summer grinned, gesturing Alice over to the table placed slap bang in the middle of all the chaos.
Bluestone High’s prom was just one night away, and even Summer was impressed with herself for the job she’d done planning the event. It turned out she had a knack for the whole party-planning thing. Who knew? After Ivy’s wedding, she’d started receiving requests from more and more people to help plan their special events too. So now, here she was, Bluestone’s one and only party planner.
“Yes, Summer. The prettiest of all apocalypses. Now ... where do you want these?”
Summer made space on the table for the box and wasted no time rifling through the treasure as soon as it hit the wood. “Tell me again why you have all of this? I mean ... is there another use for a mustache on a stick that I don’t know about?”
“Well, that one I got for Brady. See, I was trying to convince him to grow a mustache and I might or might not have followed him around wearing it for a week. You know, so he could get an idea of how distinguished he’d look with one.”
Summer looked up to find her friend beaming as she held the mustache above her mouth. The woman really was something else. They both burst into giggles at the same time.
“God, you’re lucky that man loves you, Ali. If you were my wife, I probably would’ve shoved that stick where the sun don’t shine.”
“You fucking love me, you liar. Plus, if I didn’t have such great ideas all the time, you wouldn’t have a loada cool shit like this for your photo booth.”
“That is true, Ali.” Summer picked up the giant mouth she’d just found and dangled it in front of them. “I mean, who else buys purple-painted lips in bulk?”
“Exactly, bitch.” Alice smirked, looking awfully pleased with herself.
The rest of the afternoon was much more fun than Summer expected it to be. Instead of just dropping off her donations, Alice stayed a while to help out. Clearly not a fan of crepe paper, she helped Summer set up the tables and chairs instead. By the time her friend had left, they’d all been set up. Now all Summer had to do was decorate the tables.
Deciding whether or not to call it a day, she took a seat at one of the tables and pulled out her phone. There was no reason she couldn’t check her messages while she was deciding. How was it possible that Teddy’s name on her screen still had the ability to make her knees weak? Oh well. That was a question for another day. Today she would just bask. Happily, and with a wide smile on her face, she clicked on his name.
Teddy: When you’re done over there, can you come meet me in our spot?
Summer checked the time the message was sent before she replied. Huh. An hour ago.
Summer: Sorry, baby, just seen this. Still want me to come?
Her phone chimed almost immediately.
Teddy: Yes.
Summer : Ok, leaving now! xx
Twenty minutes later, Summer parked up. She had no idea why she was so nervous. This was Teddy. Her Teddy. Then why was her stomach freaking the fuck out?
Calm down and get it together.
Once she’d locked up her car, she started the trek toward the hilltop. Things had been good between Teddy and her. More than good. She’d even go as far as saying things were fan-frigging-tastic.
After declaring her love for him in the middle of Mickey’s, they lasted a whole week of pretending to live in separate places before they bit the bullet and decided to officially move in together. They were living in Teddy’s apartment until the cabin was ready. Their dream cabin.
As she neared their spot, those darn butterflies were back. Her stomach was such a pessimist. There really was no reason for her to be feeling anxious. How many times had Teddy asked her to meet him at their spot anyway, it had to be dozens.
Yeah, when you were teenagers.
So what if this was the first time he’d asked since they’d been a couple? It didn’t mean anything.
Keep telling yourself that.
That’s when she heard it. Green Day. The music propelled her into motion. And then everything happened so fast. Seconds later, Teddy was in view and her heart was in her throat.
Oh. My. God.
He was on his knee. And what the hell was he holding?
Her legs shook more with every step, but she wanted to get to him. Needed to. When she came to a stop, she realized that she really needed to breathe. Why was it so frigging hard to breathe?
“Dollface.” Teddy’s husky voice melted into her skin, making it even harder to breathe. “You good?”
She wasn’t, but she nodded anyway. And swallowed hard.
“Summer ... I can’t remember not loving you.” She could already feel her eyes start to mist. “I was stupid enough to let you go once. I’m not gonna let that happen again. Not now that I know what it’s like to be loved by you.”
Okay, now she was crying. Full-blown sobbing. This had to be a new record.
“You make me so damn happy, baby. I’ve been walking around town with this goofy-ass smile on my face for three months and I don’t see it going away ever.”
Teddy opened the velvet box he’d been clinging on to for dear life to reveal a single princess cut diamond on a white gold band. It was perfect.
Holy shit.
“Marry me, Summer. Grow old with me. Let me spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you make me.”
Tears hit her mouth and stung her tastebuds as her lips parted. “Yes,” she whispered, instantly realizing her reply was a little too quiet. “Yes,” she repeated louder. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Shaky, big fingers slid the ring onto her finger. As she peered down to take in the sight of it, she was pulled down and into Teddy, who collapsed backward and quickly adjusted her onto his lap. She didn’t know which one of their hearts was beating the fastest, but they both clung to each other through their pants, as if their life depended on it.
“You’ve just made me the luckiest man on the planet. I love you so fucking much, baby.” Teddy’s voice was so deep and thick with emotion, it managed to inspire a cascade of goosebumps to prickle up over every exposed part of her body.
“I love you too, Teddy.” Placing her lips over his, she breathed him in. Mmm. Musky, manly goodness. “So much, baby.”
Impatient to taste each other, Teddy was the one to give in first and take her lips, parting them with such ease as he gripped the side of her face and held her to him. He took and took and overwhelmed her senses. His tongue claiming her deep, while his teeth scraped, and his mouth sucked until her brain was turned to mush.
She surrendered to him willingly. She was his and he was hers. Her man. Her love. Her soulmate. Forever.
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