Chapter 17 Freed by Love
Freed by Love
Tasha
Mel meets us at the door with a genuine hug and smile.
I don’t know what’s going on with her and Gabe.
I know he went to Ella’s funeral. I know he and Mel reconnected as friends.
I also know that he’s never stopped loving her.
Why isn’t she dragging him off to the nearest marriage celebrant? I don’t know.
“Private room is ready,” she says to Seb. “I’ve booked it out for you all night. Take your time.”
Seb leads me through the restaurant, and I notice his hand is shaking slightly. He’s nervous. Why is he nervous?
Then we step into the private room and—
Oh.
Candles. Flowers. Soft music. It looks like a rom-com set designer broke in and went feral. I turn in a slow circle, blinking. “Seb… what is this? Did you kidnap a wedding stylist? Blink twice if you’re being held hostage.”
He takes my hands, warm and steady. “This is me doing things properly.”
Properly. The word hits me right in the sternum. Properly, after the disaster of my last engagement. Properly, after being the bridesmaid at my own ex-fiancé‘s wedding to my cousin. Properly, after years of almosts and not-yets and bad timing.
“I’ve been carrying a ring around for three weeks,” he says, “moving it every time I thought you’d find it. That is, until I lost it a few days ago.”
I choke on a laugh. “You lost the engagement ring?”
“Temporarily misplaced,” he corrects, pulling a velvet box from his pocket like a magician who’s been personally offended.
“But I found it. And I know we’ve only been officially together for four months, but Tasha…
I’ve loved you for years. I waited for you.
I chased you. I caught you. And now that I have you, I’m never letting go. ”
Then he drops to one knee.
My heart does a full gymnastic routine. Butterflies are multiplying so quickly, there won’t be room to breathe.
“Marry me,” he says. “You kind of moved in with me when we worked in New Zealand, but now we’re home. Give up your lease and move in with me. Give up being single and marry me.”
“Is this because of the baby?” The words slip out before I can stop them. “I know you love me, but…”
“The baby only moves up the timeline if you want it to,” he says, swapping knees.
“I booked this restaurant a month ago while we were still in New Zealand. I designed the ring before that. Move in with me with all your toothbrushes and your terrible romance novels. Have this baby with me. Build a life with me. Marry me and let me spend the rest of my life proving you made the right choice.”
My knees go watery. “Yes,” I whisper, then louder, pulling him up before he injures himself, “Yes, you ridiculous man. Yes.”
He opens the box.
The ring… it’s perfect. A soft pink oval diamond, low and warm and glowing like it’s been dipped in candlelight. Simple. Understated. Exactly what I would have chosen.
He slides it onto my finger, and I swear it settles like it’s always belonged there.
“There’s engraving,” he says, eyes dancing.
“Engraving?” I lift my hand, torn between staring at the stone and immediately ripping it off to see. “Seb, don’t distract me, I’m having a moment.”
“Check inside.”
“Fine, but if I drop and lose it, you’ve been warned.” I wiggle it off and tilt it toward the candlelight.
Two tiny words curve along the inside of the band.
Found you.
My breath catches. “Seb…”
“I mean it,” he says softly. “All those years. All those beaches. I was trying to find my way to you.”
I laugh and cry at the same time, because of course he’d hide a whole love story inside a ring. Of course he would.
I slide it back on, the metal warm from my skin, and when I look up, he’s watching me like I’m the one glowing.
And for the first time in a long, messy, complicated life, I feel like I’ve finally arrived exactly where I’m meant to be
“I love you,” I say against his mouth.
“I love you too. Both of you.” He drops one hand to my still-flat stomach.
“But what about working with Zane?” I ask, because apparently my brain has chosen logistics at this moment.
“He’s franchising the international rollout. My consultancy will still advise him, but less travel.” He cups my face. “Now, can we go back to all the ways we can celebrate you saying yes?”
My first kiss as an engaged woman is everything and more than I expected. My ring finger may be heavy, but my heart has never been lighter—or more full.
Seb pins me against the table, deepening the kiss when the door bangs open.
“Mel, we need to talk about …” A man’s voice cuts off abruptly.
We break apart to find Gabriel standing in the doorway in his chef uniform, looking mortified. Behind him, Mel appears, equally horrified.
“I am so sorry,” she says, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him towards the door that leads to the kitchen. “Gabe, this isn’t the time or place.”
“It’s never the damn time or the place. I need five minutes …”
“Not now!”
“Mel, please.” Gabe stands his ground, almost oblivious to Seb, me, and my beautiful engagement ring. “If you still love me, then let me help you.”
“If I still loved you, I would never allow you to help me.”
Seb clears his throat. “We can give you a minute.”
“No!” Mel and Gabe say simultaneously.
Then they look at each other, startled.
The tension between them is thick enough to cut. Gabriel’s jaw is tight, his hands clenched. Mel’s eyes are bright with unshed tears.
“I know you love me,” he says quietly. “It’s not just grief over your sister talking.”
“It doesn’t matter that I …” She cuts herself off. “We’re not doing this. Not here. Not now.”
Gabriel’s eyes sweep over her face like he’s memorizing every detail. Then he nods once and walks back into the kitchen. What the hell just happened?
Mel stands frozen for a long moment.
“I’m so sorry,” she says finally before noticing my hand. “She said yes! You did it! You got engaged!”
“We did,” Seb confirms.
“Congratulations on the engagement,” she says, pulling back with a forced smile. “Please don’t let my disastrous ex-marriage ruin your night. I’ll send Lyssa in with more sparkling cider.”
She disappears before I can argue.
“Well,” Seb says. “That was dramatic.”
“He still loves her.”
“You could tell from ten seconds of them arguing?”
“He still helps out in the kitchen, even though she took The Restaurant in the divorce.” I shake my head. “Everyone can see Gabe loves Mel, just from the way he looks at her.” I turn back to him. “The way you look at me.”
“Speaking of...” He pulls me close. “Where were we?”
“You were telling me I have terrible taste in romance novels but agreed our house will need to have a dedicated reading room.”
“I said no such thing.”
“You implied it.”
“I love your terrible romance novels.”
“Liar.”
“Truth.” He kisses me softly. “I love everything about you. Even the parts that make no sense. Even the parts that drive me crazy. All of it.”
I rest my forehead against his. “We’re getting married.”
“We are.”
“And having a baby.”
“We are.”
“I’m terrified.”
“Me too.” He smiles. “But we’ve got this. Together.”
“Together,” I echo.
And standing there in the candlelight, with my friends nearby and my future in my arms, I realize something:
I went to the wrong wedding and found the best man.
I felt trapped by my past until he showed me a future.
I lost a baby and found the strength to try again.
I ran from love and learned to run toward it instead.
Life is strange and terrifying and occasionally involves soft cheeses you can’t eat. And I wouldn’t change a single, complicated, wonderful thing… including being trapped at the wrong wedding with the right man.