19. Grace
19
GRACE
T he sun is setting over the horizon, casting the sky in a brilliant wash of purples and gold, but it’s the flutter in my chest that’s truly breathtaking. Theo has been acting mysterious all week, dropping hints about something big, something extravagant.
Knowing him, it's probably wild, outrageous even. But I’ve learned to trust his surprises, as unpredictable as they might be.
He pulls me close, wrapping his arm around my waist as we step onto the tarmac. My breath catches in my throat when I see the private jet waiting for us.
It’s sleek and shining, all black with gold accents, and there’s a team of flight attendants waiting at the bottom of the stairs, smiling as they open the door for us. I turn to Theo, eyebrow raised.
"A private jet?" I ask, trying to keep my cool. This is more than just a surprise dinner at a fancy restaurant. This is… next level.
He smirks, that signature grin that tells me there’s more to come. "Oh, this is just the beginning."
My heart skips a beat as I follow him up the steps, the luxurious interior of the plane greeting us like a scene out of a movie.
Plush white leather seats, golden accents on everything, and a champagne bar that gleams in the soft lighting. It’s intimate, classy—everything Theo is.
"Where are we going?" I ask, slipping into one of the seats and turning to look at him. He sits across from me, leaning back with that confident ease I’ve grown to love.
“You’ll see,” he says, eyes twinkling with excitement.
“But I’ll give you a clue—it’s somewhere that’s never been done before.
I wanted to give you something the world hasn’t seen.
Something that’s just for you.”
“What are you up to?”
He doesn’t answer; he just grins back at me and shrugs nonchalantly. I narrow my eyes at him playfully.
This man is so different from the one I met initially. I had him pegged as a jerk when he was really just guarding his energy.
I’m so grateful that I’m allowed to see the real him daily because it’s a national treasure.
He’s calm and collected, kind and generous, and he treats me like a Queen.
The jet takes off, and soon we’re soaring into the clouds, the city lights below disappearing as we ascend into the night sky.
We sip champagne, and though I’m trying to act nonchalant, my mind is racing.
What could possibly top everything else Theo has done for me? He’s always been larger than life, but this feels like it’s on a whole new level.
Hours later, we land smoothly, and I peer out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of where we are. But all I see is darkness and a stretch of glimmering lights in the distance.
As we step off the plane, the warm, fragrant air hits me. It smells like tropical flowers, saltwater, and adventure. My heart leaps in excitement, and Theo grins, watching me take it all in.
"Welcome to paradise," he says, his voice low and warm, sending shivers down my spine.
The car whisks us away, winding through lush greenery with the ocean shimmering under the moonlight. We arrive at a sprawling resort that blends seamlessly into the landscape, its architecture breathtaking.
But the resort isn’t our final destination.
No, he has something more in store.
We step onto the private yacht, its enormous form gleaming under the stars. A crew awaits, and as his hand guides me aboard, I feel like I’m stepping into a dream.
"This is insane," I whisper, shaking my head in disbelief.
He chuckles, pulling me closer. "It’s only insane if you don’t enjoy it. And I plan on making sure you do."
The yacht glides toward a distant island, its silhouette barely visible in the dark. I lean against the railing, grinning as Theo’s arms wrap around me.
The yacht stops at a pristine beach, lit up by hundreds of lanterns hanging from the palm trees — a secluded beach, just for us.
There’s a massive projection screen set up on the sand and rows of plush seating, like a luxury outdoor theater. He leads me down to the beach, his hand steady and warm in mine.
“I figured you deserve something unforgettable,” he says, his voice soft and full of affection. “So, I rented this entire island. For tonight, it’s ours.”
I stop, my eyes wide, my heart pounding. “You… rented an island?”
He nods, the smile on his face growing.
“Just for us.
And for the next few days, it’s all ours. No one else, just you and me.
I wanted to take you somewhere that felt like a fairy tale because that’s what you deserve.”
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I look around. The waves gently lap at the shore, the lanterns flicker in the warm breeze, and he stands in front of me, his eyes shining with so much love that it overwhelms me.
“It’s perfect,” I whisper, stepping closer to him. “You’re perfect.”
He laughs softly, pulling me into his arms again. “I just wanted to show you how much you mean to me. How much I love you, Grace.”
“I know you do,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “And I love you too. So much.”
He leans down, his lips brushing against mine in a soft, lingering kiss. When we finally pull apart, he motions to the screen behind us, where a movie is just beginning to play.
“I thought we’d start the night with something simple,” he says, grinning. “A little stargazing, some old black-and-white films, and then… well, we’ll see.”
I laugh, shaking my head in disbelief. Only he would think that renting an island and setting up a private outdoor theater is “simple.”
We lie on the beach for hours, stars twinkling above as the movie hums in the background. With Theo’s warm arm around me, I feel like I’m floating in a dream.
Everything is perfect, so utterly perfect that it doesn’t feel real.
Eventually, the movie ends, and the lanterns flicker out, leaving us in the soft glow of the moonlight. He turns to me, his hand brushing a stray lock of hair away from my face.
“You have no idea how much I love you,” he whispers, his voice rough with emotion. “And I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you.”
I lean into him. “I know. And I feel the same way.”
The next evening, we walk along the beach. The sun is just beginning to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold.
I’ve always been enchanted by sunsets, by the way the light fades so softly into the night.
Tonight is no different; it’s really like something out of a movie or a dream.
Theo is sitting beside me, his arm wrapped around my shoulders as we watch the ocean from the shore. The gentle sound of waves lapping against the sand and the warm breeze makes it feel like we’re the only two people in the world.
I lean into him, resting my head on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. “It’s like a dream.”
He chuckles softly, his chest rumbling with the sound. “It doesn’t have to feel like a dream, you know. This is real. We’re here.”
I smile, lifting my head to look at him. His dark hair is tousled from the wind, and there’s a soft glow to his skin, kissed by the last light of the setting sun.
His eyes, though, are what always captivate me the most—so intense, so full of love.
“Still, sometimes it’s hard to believe,” I admit, my gaze wandering out to the endless expanse of water stretching before us. “Everything feels… perfect.”
He turns to me, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile. “That’s because it is perfect. You make it that way.”
I blush, ducking my head, but he catches my chin between his fingers, gently lifting my face back up to meet his gaze. His expression is serious now, his eyes searching mine.
He takes a deep breath, then stands, pulling me gently to my feet with him. We stand together on the shore, the wind tugging at my hair, and he holds my hands in his, his thumb brushing over my knuckles.
“Grace, I’ve never been good at expressing how I feel,” he says. “But being with you… it’s changed everything for me. You’ve changed me.”
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I listen, my heart swelling with every word.
“I never thought I’d find someone who could see past my mistakes,
someone who would love me despite everything I’ve done.
But you... you see me. The real me.
And you love me anyway.”
I open my mouth to say something, to tell him how much he means to me, but he shakes his head, stopping me. His grip on my hands tightens, and he lowers himself down onto one knee.
Oh my God.
Time seems to stop. The world around us fades into nothing, and all I can see is Theo, down on one knee in front of me, holding my hands as if I’m the most precious thing in the world.
“Grace, you’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met.
You’re beautiful, inside and out.
You’ve shown me what real love looks like.
I don’t want to spend another day without you by my side.
I want to give you everything—every part of me, every moment of my life.”
Tears spill over onto my cheeks, and I cover my mouth with my free hand, trying to hold back the sob threatening to escape. This can’t be happening. It’s too perfect, too much like a fairy tale.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box. My breath catches as he opens it, revealing the most stunning engagement ring I’ve ever seen.
It’s delicate, elegant, and more than I could ever have wished for. The diamond glitters in the fading light, catching the last rays of the sun as if it’s been kissed by the sky itself.
“Grace, will you marry me?”
The world spins around me. My mind races with a thousand thoughts and memories of all the moments that brought us to this point.
From our first meeting, when I never could have imagined being here, to every hurdle we’ve faced, every moment of vulnerability, every word of love shared between us. All of it has led to this.
To him.
To us.
“Yes,” I whisper, my voice trembling with the weight of my emotions. Then louder, with more certainty: “Yes, Theo, I will marry you.”
The smile that spreads across his face is so full of joy, so radiant, that it takes my breath away. He stands, slipping the ring onto my finger before pulling me into his arms.
I wrap my arms around his neck, holding him as tightly as I can, as if letting go would somehow break the spell of this perfect moment.
“I love you,” I whisper against his chest, my heart beating wildly.
“I love you more than I ever thought was possible,” he murmurs back, his voice rough with emotion.
He pulls back just enough to kiss me. It’s just him, just us, wrapped up in this beautiful moment that feels like the beginning of forever.
When we finally pull apart, I look down at the ring on my finger, sparkling in the dim light. It feels like a symbol of everything we’ve been through everything we will go through together.
A promise that no matter what comes next, we’ll face it side by side.
His hand cups my cheek, his thumb brushing away the tears that are still slipping down my face.
“Are you happy?” he asks, his voice gentle.
I laugh, shaking my head. “I’ve never been happier in my entire life.”
“Good,” he says, leaning down to press another kiss to my forehead.
“Because this is just the beginning, Grace. I’m going to spend the rest of my life making you happy.”
I smile up at him. “I know you will.”
We stand there for a while, wrapped in each other’s arms, watching as the last of the sunlight fades away and the stars begin to twinkle above us.
The night air is warm and gentle, and I can hear the soft lapping of the waves as we sway together, lost in our own world.
Eventually, he leads me back to the seating area, where a bottle of champagne has been set up, along with a tray of my favorite desserts.
He pours each of us a glass, and we sit together, sipping the bubbly drink and talking about everything and nothing all at once.
“So, when do you want to get married?” he asks, his tone casual but his eyes full of that familiar intensity.
I smile, biting my lip. “I don’t know… soon? I don’t want to wait too long.”
“Good,” he says, grinning. “Because I don’t want to wait either.”
We spend the night dreaming about our future—the places we'll go, the life we'll build. It feels like a storybook ending, but I know it's just the beginning of our fairy tale.
As the stars twinkle above us and the waves carry us gently through the night, I can’t help but think that this—right here, with Theo by my side—is where I was always meant to be.
Eventually, he leads me back to the yacht, where a beautiful suite awaits us. The bed is draped in silk, and there’s a bottle of champagne waiting on the nightstand.
All I can focus on is him—his unwavering gaze, his steady hand in mine. He pulls me close, kissing me deeply. As we lay in each other’s arms, the yacht’s gentle rocking lulls us to sleep, and peace washes over me.
This is my life now.
I never could have imagined that my stalker would lead me to love.