I blush. “Forever?”
He raises his eyebrows. “Forever. It’s a non-negotiable for me. Take it or leave it.”
I laugh. “I’ll take forever with you, Jack Alden.”
“I’m serious,” he says. “I don’t want to propose right here, but know that I want to marry you.”
I swallow. It’s not a shock. He said it before. But it’s difficult to imagine what marriage with Jack would look like. But I know I want it.
“I want to marry you too.”
He nods, like he knew exactly what I was going to say. “So that’s settled.”
“One thing though.” I stroke along his furrowed brow. “No lies. Your mother has spent her entire life pretending to be someone she’s not. I know you’re angry with her and confused and I’m sure you feel betrayed. But make sure you keep in mind that at least part of the reason she did lie was for you—for her child and heir—so you could hold your head high.”
He groans.
“I know the status doesn’t matter to you. But we live in very different times, Jack. She and your father tried to do the right thing. They might have gotten it wrong, but they weren’t out to betray you. They wanted to be together and they wouldn’t let anything stand in their way. Sound familiar?”
He shakes his head like he can’t believe what he’s hearing. “You make me better. You show me the world differently. Even that first time I met you. The way you talked about the fountain and the moonlight? When I’m with you, the world is a better place. You’re a happiness filter.”
“Jack…” I’m not sure anyone has ever said anything nicer to me.
“It’s true. Just being around you makes me feel better about everything.”
I smile, tilting my head at his words. “We have a lot to figure out,” I say.
He shakes his head. “I don’t think so. We’ve done the big stuff. The rest will follow.”
He’s right. We will figure it all out, but I’m just not sure where the end point will be.
“I don’t want you to worry,” he says.
I nod, trying to reassure him. “I’m not worried exactly.”
“We should have a base in Colorado. And New York.”
I glance out of the windshield toward the lodge of the Colorado Club. I’m not sure I could ever feel comfortable living in a place like this. It feels more like a hotel than a home. And Jack’s apartment? It’s all gold and crystals. That wouldn’t feel like home either. But it’s not like Jack and I can move in with Dad and Bray.
“I don’t mean the Colorado Club should be our base.” It’s like he can read my mind. “I want us to have a home here. Although I hope Byron still lets us use the restaurants.”
“So in Colorado but not at the Colorado Club. You want to find a house?” I ask.
“Sure. Or we can build one.”
I let out a laugh. “Just like that.”
“Yes. Just like that. Your happiness is my priority. Everything starts there. And in New York, we can move if you want to. Or we can just redecorate. If a house is better, we do that. Although, because we’ll spend so much time in Colorado, an apartment makes sense because of the security.”
“You really want to spend time in Colorado?” I ask.
“Are you kidding?” Jack scowls, then laughs. “It’s out of character, I admit. I always swore I only ever left Manhattan if I was going to Europe, but honestly, I love it here. I love the sky and the mountains and the people. I love it all.”
“I love it too,” I admit. “But New York is where I always saw myself. It might not be quite the way I planned, but I’m looking forward to making my dreams a reality and living there.”
“We’ll have the best of both worlds,” he says.
“I’ll have the best of all worlds if I’m with you,” I say.
