Page 168 of In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes

Holden shook his head at him. “I’m trying to make a speech here.”

“Sadie gives as good as she gets,” Elizabeth called down the table. “And we have the paintings to prove it.”

Laughter rang out.

“Okay, okay. Do you want to hear about how much I love Sadie or what?” Holden looked up and down the table with raised eyebrows.

A chorus ofyes’srose up.

“Sadie Waters, you’re everything to me. You’re the most spectacular artist I’ve ever met. You’re the bravest, most determined person I know. You live with your heart open and vulnerable and you let kindness and love lead you in this world and from the moment I met you, I was terrified of you. I avoided you for a whole summer because I was afraid of how much I liked you.” His gaze rested on me, and my heart clutched. “I’m the luckiest person in the world because I got everything I wanted when I met you. I love you.”

He leaned down to kiss me and the table burst out intoaww’sand a few sniffles.

When he sat back down, I leaned my head on his shoulder, slipping my hand into his.

I couldn’t wait to spend forever with Holden Rhodes.