Ansel slips off her barstool, her fingers grazing along Theo’s shoulders as she walks toward me. She leans her head on my shoulder, peering over into the date book.
“OH, APRIL 25TH,” she shouts with excitement.
“Ansel, what’s so great about April 25th?” I ask.
She giggles. “It’s not too hot, not too cold. All you need is a light jacket.”
She’s bent over laughing, and Donovan and I just look at each other, confused.
Theo spins on the stool to face us. “Ansel, did you really just quoteMiss Congeniality?”
“Yessssss,” she squeals, clapping her hands together. “See? I knew I liked you for a reason!” She walks back to Theo and kisses him, pushing him playfully against the bar top.
“Fuck it. Huxley, can you put Donovan and me down for Friday, April 25th?” I slide my credit card over to pay the deposit.
Donovan grabs the card and replaces it with his.
“Donovan, don’t. You know my parents said they’re covering everything.” I try to snatch it back from him.
“Your name came from them, but the life you build with it? I want that to be with me,” he says, voice low as he leans in, kissing me softly.
“Okay, fine. You win.” I smile, giving in—just a little.
Once we wrap up at the bar, we make our way to The Devil’s Cliff Hotel. It’s coastal-chic perfection—grand, gorgeous, and perfect for family accommodations.
We block the rooms we’ll need, place the deposit, and grab keys for our room for the next two nights. Theo and Ansel are right next door.
After a quick nap, we get dressed and head out to explore the town.
Ansel and I spend hours in every adorable boutique, buying dresses, shoes, and laughing until our sides hurt. The guys trail behind us, content to talk and hold our bags.
Eventually, we wander into a jewelry store tucked quietly into a side alley. Ansel is instantly drawn to a case of dainty anklets and quirky earrings, already trying to convince Theo she “needs” six of them.
I slip over to the counter to pick up the order I placed. It’s wrapped perfectly.
Donovan saunters over, arms circling my waist from behind.
“It’s for Ansel,” I whisper. “I’m asking her to be my maid of honor.”
He looks down at the box in my hands and smiles. “You know that girl is like the sister you never had. She’d say yes no matter what.”
“I know. But I wanted it to be fun.”
Up front, Ansel calls out, “What did you get, Slay Muffin?”
“Guess you’ll have to wait and see,” I tease, sticking my tongue out at her.
She starts to chase me down the street toward the beach. My feet hit the sand, laughter in the air as she closes the gap.
She finally tackles me, sending us both tumbling into the dunes. We sit up, breathless and laughing, watching the perfect North Carolina sunset.
My head rests on her shoulder.
“Ansel…”
I swallow hard, blinking up at her through tears.
“My sugar plague. My favorite chaos. My chosen everything.”
