“And if someone wants it, you give it to them, because I love your fingers more.”
They all laugh, but I don’t.
Nalani straightens, satisfied. “That ring will still look amazing in fifty years. Timeless.”
“So will she,” I say before I can stop myself. “if she hands over the ring and doesn’t lose a finger to keep something that can be replaced.”
Sofie tips her head back to look at me, smiling in that way that still knocks the air out of my lungs even after everything. “I will fight for it.”
“Then you’ll be missing a finger, but have an excellent five-fingered outline of when my palm hits your ass.” I threaten, but it’s hollow, I’d never spank her ass… unless she asked.
“You went viral,” Faulker laughs. “Again.”
“What?” I ask as Sofie pulls my phone from my pocket and looks.
“Oh my God, who posted this?” She holds the screen up, and I watch the moment I asked her to be my wife, which three hundred thousand people have seen already, and it was just hours ago.
“So did we,” Deacon winks at Claudia.
“Which one?” Sofie asks as she scrolls and stops on a post that has several images, all from Deacon and Claudia’s wedding, the last of her and Sofie. “We came out?”
Claudia nods, “I’m not hiding that one of my sorority and sisters by choice ended up being my actual sister. It’s okay, right?”
Sofie hugs her, “Thank you.”
“And Sassy,” Paul calls over. “You had a kid who wanted to interview me, I told him no. You want that feel-good story, our story. Name the time and place.”
“Are you sure?” she asks, voice shaking.
“Damn right I am. Make sure it’s okay with Mr. Big Bucks.” He winks
She looks up at me, “Today wasn’t a good day.”
“No?” I ask.
“Today is the best day.”
Chapter 26
The Interview No One Saw
Aleks
Epilogue
When her sistersstarted smearing Claudia’s name. Trying to paint her as a fraud, Sofie knew the only way to shut it down was to give it to the world. They’ve just done that. They’ve wrapped up the interview, and I sit in the studio. Paul, Claudia, and Deacon leave. All raw and emotional. I’m waiting for Sofie to finish whatever she’s doing.
When she walks back in, she sits next to me.
“What can I do to help?”
“Nothing,” she says as she leans into my side and wraps an arm around my waist.
“I need to do something.”
She looks up at me. “Let me interview you.”
“You know I’m not good on?—”
