I smiled then, my decision mostly made up now.
“That’s probably true.”
“I want to surprise them with you singing their song. You’re basically family now, anyway. It would be special for them.”
Her eyes are soft, sweet, and genuine, and I didn’t have a choice.
I nodded.
After that, I went to find Adam, both to see if it would be a bad idea and to see if he could play with me, and he agreed not only that it would be something Hallie and Jesse would like, but also that it would be incredibly special for them.
And now, as I watch Jesse lead Hallie to the center of the room with tears in her eyes, I know that to be true. When Adam starts playing the opening chords, her tears fall. Jesse pulls her in closer, brushing the tears away before dipping his head to her ear to whisper something that makes her smile. They sway, turning as I sing, and when she faces me, her eyes lock on mine, and she mouths a heartfeltthank you.
And with Adam at my side, I sing a song about change and growth and finding love and conquering fears, a song so perfect for my friend and her new husband that I couldn’t think of anything better.
But when I sing, I look at Leo the whole time.
Later that night, another slow song, and Leo pulls me into his arms, swaying me as I soak in everything about the night. Despite the chaotic, stressful, and sometimes saddening past week, this right here makes every moment of heartache worth it: being here, in Holly Ridge, surrounded by my friends, held by Leo. I’d do it over and over and over again if it meant I would end up here at the end of it all.
“Do you want this one day?” he asks low, catching me off guard as I’m lost in my own thoughts. I pull back to look at him, a bit confused.
“What?”
“A wedding. Do you want that?” I sit on his question as we sway to the song, thinking about his question and trying to decide how to answer.
“Honestly?” I ask.
“Always,” he responds. I smile and lift a shoulder before answering.
“I don’t know. I never really thought too much about it.”
He pulls back, giving me a confused look. “You don’t know? Isn’t this the kind of thing little girls dream about?” I let out a small laugh as we sway.
“Yeah, well, the other dream little girls have is being a popstar, and I got that one instead. It wasn’t until recently that I thought I might be able to have both.” He hums a low acknowledgment, holding me a bit tighter, and although I think he isn’t going to push anymore, I continue explaining. “It was always the one thing I refused to fake,” I murmur. “A wedding. It felt wrong, or like bad karma, to bring something so fake into something that would be incredibly real. I think a part of me always held out hope that one day, maybe, I’d find something genuine.”
I look up at him and find he’s already looking down at me and presses his lips to mine.
“Will you freak out if I tell you that we’ll be here again one day?” he asks low. I stare at him, heart racing, before he continues. “You and me, dancing at a wedding. You in some white dress Harper made, your hair done by Nat, your girls at your side.” My breathing hitches, but he keeps swaying us gently. “I don’t think we’ll be able to get away with something this small, but if you want it, I’ll make it happen.”
“Is this you asking me to marry you?” I ask with a tip of my lips, shockingly not thrown off by this development.
“Not at all. It’s me telling you that’s where this is headed. That one day, this is going to be made real in a permanent kind of way. I’ll need that, tying you to me forever.”
I grin then.
Wide and full of joy, becausetellingme he’s going to marry me is so very Leo.
And in this new era, it’s Leo and me: stating plainly what we want, what we need from life, and doing everything we can to make sure we get it.
Thankfully, it won’t be a sacrifice to give him this.
“Good, because, when the time comes, you gotta ask me better than that,” I whisper, pressing my lips to his. “Iama world-famous pop star after all.”
There’s a moment before his head tips back, a deep, full-bodied laugh falling from his lips.
“Noted,” he murmurs. “The whole nine. Fairytale stuff.”
“You’ve got time to plan it.”
