We move toward the center of the lake just as the sun is covered up by a cloud and a light breeze picks up. “That feels so nice.” She tips her head back, soaking it all in. “Thank you for this, for bringing me and checking off the last thing on my bucket list.”
“You’re welcome,” I say and then clear my throat. “I, uh, I didn’t necessarily bring you out here just for this.”
She turns toward me now, the boat just floating. “You didn’t?” she asks, looking confused.
“No, I had a selfish reason too.”
“What is it?”
Here goes nothing.
With her hand still in mine, I look her in the eyes and say, “You know, I didn’t realize how monotonous my life was until Mika told me his friend needed a fake husband. Ever since you stepped into my life, you’ve opened my eyes, you’ve helped me face my fears and my insecurities, and you’ve made me really fucking happy, Scottie. And I just…I can’t keep it in anymore, so I brought you here because I wanted to tell you that I’m in love with you.”
Her eyes well up with tears.
“I love you, Pips, more than anything. And I needed you to know that…in the middle of this lake in the middle of Central Park.”
She chuckles and wipes at her eyes. “Had to be here?”
I nod. “Because we’re closing out the bucket list, so it had to be here.”
She scoots in a touch closer and says, “You think I’m the one who helped you?” She shakes her head. “No, Wilder. You’re the one who helped me. You’re the one who opened my eyes, who made me work hard to see the person I really am and not the person I thought I was. You were patient, you communicated, you taught me lessons I didn’t even know that I needed, and I know I’m a confident woman now because of you.” She kisses my knuckles and then says, “I love you. I’m in love with you, and I’m so grateful I have you in my life.”
My smiles stretches across my lips, because hearing those words from her, fuck, it’s the best fucking thing I’ve ever heard.I pull her in, gripping the back of her head. I press our foreheads together and say, “Thank you, Pips.”
“How could I not love you, Wilder? You are everything I didn’t know I deserved.”
“You’re everything I didn’t know I needed,” I reply, making her smile.
She gently moves her mouth over mine, and I follow her lead as we slowly make out on a paddleboat, drifting in the middle of Central Park.
After a few minutes, she pulls away and says, “Maybe we can make a new list, one that we want to cross off together.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” I kiss her forehead. “And here I thought we were going to be a whole ‘till summer do us part’ situation.”
“What does that mean?” she asks on a laugh.
“You know, married for the summer, but after that, we were done.”
She looks me dead in the eyes. “I mean, that probably was going to be the case, but I think I knew the minute I felt those piercings—there was going to be no parting whatsoever.”
I let out a bark of a laugh and nod my head. “I’m oddly proud of myself.”
She kisses me again and whispers, “I love you.”
“I love you too, Pips.”
Epilogue
WILDER
“Pips, do you want a drink?”
Scottie looks up from where she’s painting a portrait of our relationship and shakes her head yes. “The Prickly Pair,” she says with a wink.
“Coming right up.” I head over to where Sanders is leaning against the bar in a three-piece suit, happily looking over all the couples. “You really stepped up the outfit this year for the welcome dinner.”
Sanders smirks. “It’s Velcroed in the back. Wait until you see what I have underneath here.”
