“I don’t want you to leave tomorrow.”
“I know. Me either.” She shivers in my arms. “C’mon. Let’s go up and get you warm.” I stand and pull her with me, spinning and lifting her off the ground. She wraps her limbs around me and kisses my neck, her hair spilling over my face, tangling in the stubble on my jaw.
I walk all the way up the steps and into her cottage like that, just breathing her in. My sunshine girl.
I can almost smell her now, even though she’s not here. I can almost feel her arms around me, her body against mine. Nope, I can’t wait. I’m going to be with her, with my family, with the people I love, who love me too. I’m going home.
Chapter 31
Everly
Two-ish years later
“Everly Tate Davis, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology,summa cum laude.”
Applause roars in my ears. I beam at the faces of my family and friends. Even Jessica Davis got the whole day off to fly in for the ceremony. The last time I saw my mom face-to-face was almost a year ago at Allie and Luke’s wedding. She gottwodays off for that event. Whatever makes her happy. She is happy—or seems to be—so I’m happy for her. It’s easy to be happy for others when you’re genuinely happy yourself. And I am. So incredibly happy.
Gathering at Alumni Park for pictures, I still can’t wrap my head around my life. Although I’m getting better at allowing and trusting that good things happen for me—for all of us. Julian moved down south less than two years ago with every intention of buying his own home. While property investment became a main interest of his,thanks to Ashley, he soon realized anything in his current price range would’ve placed him too far away for any of our liking. Ashley needed him more available for their business expansion plans and he and I needed to be—wanted to be—with each other every day.
Overseeing the project firsthand, he and Ashley ultimately decided to let him expand the cottage into a full single-story home. He got to use his innate ability to design and renovate spaces and invest his money in a more sensible way. Ashley considers it a win-win because it increases the value of his Malibu estate. I’m just grateful Julian and I get to be together every day and every night. I’m not sure I’ll ever take waking up next to him for granted again.
Tonight the Ashleys are hosting my graduation party. They insisted on pulling out all the stops. After almost two years of being absolutely spoiled by them and catered to at every turn, you’d think I’d be used to it. It continues to overwhelm and even embarrass me at times—the sheer privilege I experience at their hands. Still, I’m beyond grateful for their love and support and never miss an opportunity to tell or show them. I work my ass off for the ASH empire and take on any new endeavor they throw my way. So does Julian. That we both come from meager beginnings might be why, but Ashley is such a giving soul despite his advantaged lot in life it makes it easy to work hard for him.
The spring weather is perfect and the backyard glows with celebration. The sun is beginning its descent but still high enough to keep the air a little too warm. Every breeze off the coast is a refreshing kiss to our toasty skin.
Julian brings a chilled glass of champagne to me and takes a sip from his own. “I like your dress.” He dips his head and kisses my lips. His taste like crisp bubbly.
“Thanks. Tatum and Lennon call it my naked dress.”
“I remember it from the anniversary party two years ago.”
“You do?” I look down at it and brush my palm down my torso to the bottom hem that hits just below the top of my thighs. “They roasted me a little for wearing a two-year-old dress, but I love it.”
“It’s a helluva dress, so yeah. I do, too.” His eyes darken to deep indigo as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. Touching his nose to mine, his voice rasps, “I, uh, wanna . . . can I say something?”
Tapping my index finger on his bottom lip, I smile and whisper, “Of course, babe.”
He kisses me sweetly, then taps a butter knife I didn’t see him holding to the flute in his other hand. Projecting his voice, he steps back and calls out, “Can I have your attention for a minute?”
Everyone falls silent.
“Thank you.” He chuckles and sets the knife down on the table.He’s nervous.My heart skips and thuds double time. He looks back at me and smiles, wipes his palm on his pant leg, exhales a breath and winks at me. “Four years ago, this girl walked into my life—or crashed—and I had no idea what was about to happen. I didn’t know someone would see straight through the walls I’d built or make me want to take them down. I didn’t know I could feel . . . wanted, needed.
“Everly, you opened me up to love, to being loved. You healed a part of me I didn’t even realize was broken. You showed me happiness I didn’t think I’d ever find—or even thought I deserved. You loved me when it wasn’t easy. You believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. And somehow, through it all, you made me laugh. You made me live.
“So, today—while we celebrate you graduating and proving to the world just how unstoppable you are—I just have onequestion.” He exhales and sucks in another deep inhale. “As my best friend and favorite person, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife for the rest of our lives?”
Gasps abound as he sets the flute down, pulls a velvet square box out of his pants pocket and kneels before me. Opening it, the stone inside catching the rays and sparkling, he continues, “Everly Tate Davis, will you marry me?”
I’m nodding. My hand covers my mouth as tears roll down my cheeks unchecked and I keep nodding.
He stands and removes the ring and sets the box next to the glass. He takes my hand and slides the ring onto my finger. It fits perfectly. “Yes?” he asks because I still haven’t uttered a word.
“Yes. Yes. Absolutely, yes.”
On the lastyes, he picks me up and swings me around, kissing me soundly on the lips to the cheers, hurrahs and thunderous applause of our family and friends. I know my face is scarlet because it feels hot. Stopping the embarrassment in its tracks is seeing the track of tears on Julian’s face before he buries it in the crook of my neck.
His lips find my ears. “Thank you. I love you so much, pretty girl. I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me.”
