I open the limo door, stepping out before extending my hand for her to take. As she steps through, I watch as her eyes skate around, wheels turning in her head, but can't quite figure it out.
"Where are we?” She shivers, taking in our surroundings, lit up by the single streetlight we just had installed for tonight.
"This lot of land backs onto Wingrove Estates, and I now own it. It’s where I’m planning to build my future home.Ourfuture home, if you want it to be.” I smile, taking her hand in mine, walking her onto the lot. It may be completely empty, but that doesn’t stop me from explaining my vision to her.
"Right here will be the kitchen, fully equipped with a butler’s pantry, a giant marble island and so much storage we won’t know what to do with it.” I walk over to the other side. "And over here will be our bedroom, where we’ll have a California king bed, a huge TV to watch whatever rom-com you want, and a fully fitted black stone ensuite,” I joke and she brings her hand up to hide her giggle, but she doesn’t interrupt me.
"Next door to our room, you ask? Well, that’s going to be for the triplets, of course.”
"Triplets?” She snorts, as if it’s the most shocking thing she’s ever heard.
"Oh, I plan on filling this house up with so many kids. When we’re ready, of course.” I laugh, hoping she knows I’m not tryingto pressure her into anything she’s not ready for. And if we decide to not have any kids, that’ll be okay too. I’ll be happy living my life by her side, no matter where it takes us.
"The reason I brought you here, Herring, is because I want you in my life. I don’t see a future without you in it. I never have. I want to spend my days and nights with you. I want to go to sleep next to you and wake up next to you. I want our future children to be embarrassed by our relationship because we can’t keep our hands off one another.” She rolls her eyes, laughing at the same time as I close the gap between us, taking her into my arms.
"I told you before our first time that there was no going back, and I meant it. I’m in this for the long haul, if you’ll have me.”
"Well, it looks like I’ll have to sell my apartment. Or my sisters could rent it from me. Maybe the old owner wants it back. Do you think you could contact him?” she asks, her expression dead serious, and I bark out a laugh.
"About that,” I say reluctantly. "I…am the old owner.” Her eyes widen in disbelief as she smacks me across the chest.
"I’m sorry. I knew you wanted to stay here in Grangewood, and I wanted to help. I own the entire building, actually, and that apartment wasn’t occupied.” I shrug casually because it really was no big deal.
"How will I ever thank you?”
"Move in with me.” It’s not a question, but a request.
"I can’t move in with you if there’s no house built yet, Harley.”
"No. Move into my apartment with me. Like, tomorrow. Or tonight. Whenever you want. Just move in with me, Herring.”
"What?”
"Move in with me. You’re at my place all the time, anyway. Rent your apartment out to your sisters and move in with me.”
"Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll move in with you. I don’t want to be apart from you anymore, Harley. I spent too long doing that.”
"I don’t want that, either. I love you, Cassandra Herring.”
"I love you too.”
Pulling out my phone, I create a text thread to get the wheels turning on probably the biggest surprise I’ll ever pull off, without the help of the best event planner I know.
Me:I’m going to need your help to pull off the impossible.
forty-six
Cassandra
If you had toldme seven months ago that I’d be where I am now, I wouldn’t have believed you.
Seven months ago, I was curled up on my couch eating choc-fudge brownie ice cream straight from the tub.Mourninga relationship while watching way too much tv.
I thought my life was over.
I mourned a relationship that didn’t even deserve a drop of my tears.I spent so much time obsessing over things I thought I could change, constantly replaying everything that went wrong. On a loop in my head, every single day. I thought I would never have the future I always dreamed of.
But the truthis, everything needed to happen the way that it did.If it didn’t, I wouldn’t have moved back home to Grangewood Creek. I wouldn’t be close to my family. I wouldn’t have rekindled my friendship with Bea, and I certainly wouldn’t be waking up in bed next to the most incredible man I’ve ever known.
