“That’ll be $1500.”
I was expecting it to be more, honestly. I brought nearly my entire savings just in case. I thumb through the cash and hand it over. He counts it, checking to make sure the bills are real before placing them in the cash register.
“You planning to give it to her soon?” he asks.
“Nah.” I tuck the box into my hoodie pocket. “She’s still figuring it out. But one day…she’s gonna love it.”
“And if she says no?”
“She won’t.” I grin and turn to leave.
I push open the door and head straight for my truck.
Sitting in the cab, I stare at the ring a second before closing the box.
One day.
Not this year. Probably not even the next. But when the day comes…I’ll already have the perfect ring to give her.
Because I refuse to bejust friendsthe rest of our lives.
Extra Bonus Chapter
Addison
It’s nearing midnight, and I’m leaning against Wesley’s chest, sleep tugging at me as his arm wraps around my shoulders tighter.
This New Year’s, it’s just him and me, root beer, a fuzzy blanket, and the old couch we’ve sat on a thousand times before. Tucked in the barn with the wood-stove burning beside us.
Last year, we were in his truck and it was the night we officially started dating. It’s surreal to think that was a year ago already. Best and fastest year of my life.
There’s music playing low in the background, but his phone is propped on a bucket, leaning against a rock. I said I wanted to watch the ball drop—so this is what he rigged up.
No friends, no party, no alcohol, just us. That’s all we need.
His arm tightens around me, and he rests his head gently against mine. “Can you believe we’ve been dating a whole year?”
I laugh, “Feels like longer.”
He pulls back with a mocked look.
“In agoodway,” I clarify, smiling as I sit up and press a kiss to his cheek.
About ten minutes later, the countdown begins. And when the ball drops, confetti and fireworks explode across the screen. The camera pans to the crowd—everyone kissing, hugging, celebrating.
I sit up a little straighter, shifting toward Wes so we can kiss too. His hand comes up to my cheek, gentle and sure, pulling me in. Telling me ‘Happy New Year’ just before our mouths meet.
The kiss is soft, sweet, and familiar. Then he pulls me back and I study his gaze. The way he looks back at me… the way he’s always looked at me.
He stands suddenly, shifting out from under the blanket and tossing it aside.
He holds a hand out, that crooked smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, the one I know like the back of my hand. But something about it tonight feels different. There’s a nervous energy coming off him all of a sudden.
I squint at him. “What are we doing?”
He doesn’t answer. Just lets go of my hand and walks over to the shop bench, tossing a rag to the side and grabbing something I can’t see. Whatever it is, he hides it behind his back before turning to face me again, that same smirk softening into something more serious.
“What is it?” I ask again, then he drops to one knee.
