Ember pulls away and looks to the ground, cupping her mouth. I stop her when she bends to pick them up.
“Don’t worry about those. I have to tell you something.”
“I know you quit,” she blurts, then laughs. “I thought you were supposed to be in Atlanta right now. Why did you come back?”
I tip my head and keep my gaze on hers. She is the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. “I’m not sacrificial like you. I can’t bow out because Matt proposed and you’ve moved on. That’s what I was trying to do, but I couldn’t. I can’t go back to Atlanta and let you marry him.” I know I’m rambling, but the words keep coming. “I’ve never stopped loving you, Ember. Not at all. I’m grateful you encouraged me to pursue my dream, but it took me a long time to realize how easily a dream can become a delusion.” My thumb grazes her jaw. She watches me through her thick eyelashes, her features soft. “Sometimes the heart knows better than the mind. My heart has never left you, Ember. We are goodandright. Don’t marry him. Marry me.”
Shock widens her eyes, rearranging the softness of her features. Her lower lip drops, her mouth forming ano.
I tip my head back and laugh into the late afternoon air. I wasn’t planning a proposal, but now that I’ve said it, I can’t think of anything better.
If I’ve ever thought I’ve seen Ember happy, I was wrong. She’s beaming, her eyes luminous, like her insides are aglow.
Leaning forward, she places both hands on my cheeks, and kisses me. Her lips on mine is a feeling I never want to be without. And I don’t plan to.
She pulls away with a smile. “I broke up with him. That’s what I was calling to tell you last night, but you said you were going back to Atlanta and I froze.” She leans back in, rubbing the tip of her nose against mine. “We could’ve saved ourselves all this heartache.”
Turning my head, I trail kisses from her cheek to her jaw. “True. But I would’ve missed the opportunity to sit in your backyard for hours and propose to you.” My kisses move to the space under her ear. “You haven’t answered me,” I murmur. “Yes or no?”
Ember leans back slightly, bringing a finger to her chin and pretending to think. I wiggle the fingers I have wrapped around her waist and she laughs and squirms.
“Of course I’ll marry you, Noah.”
Her hair falls around her shoulders, and I can’t believe she’s mine. The girl who swam into my world and shook it to it’s very core, is going to be mine forever.
“Come on,” she says, reaching down for my crutches and handing them to me. Ember places a hand on my back as we walk across the yard, sneaking glances at one another and grinning like fools.
This is it.This is where I belong.
Ember pauses on the bottom step and wraps her arms around my waist, burying her face in my neck. “Welcome home.”
Epilogue
Ember
Present Day
“Almost time, love.”Dayton’s blond head peeks around the door. When he sees I’m dressed, he straightens and walks in. “I’m not even going to tell you you’re beautiful. You already know it.”
I laugh and shake my head.
“Sky did my make-up.” I smile at my sister. She leans against the counter, looking into the mirror and finishing the last of her own make-up. She meets my eyes and winks at me.
I look back to Dayton. “Is he ready?” Nervously I pat my hair.
“Brody’s checking on him. Honestly, how much time does the guy need to spend on his hair? Never mind, I took thirty minutes.” He waves his hand around his head.
“And it looks amazing.” I smile at him.
“Yes, well. I was blessed with a good head of hair. The nose however…” He pushes a pointer finger against the tip of his nose, making himself into a pig. “It’s a tad bit upturned.”
I laugh so hard I have to hold my stomach.
“Perfect,” Dayton announces, letting go of his nose. “You needed a little color on your cheeks. No offense, Sky.”
“Dayton,” I say softly. I’m feeling emotional. “You always know what I need.”
“Baby, a bat would know you needed some color. Your nerves are washing you out.”
