Connor smirks and walks up to me, cups my face again. “I told you I was pierced.”
“That’s not why…” I swallow.
“I know. You were saying?”
“You tattooed my name on your skin.”
“I know what I did.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Because I didn’t want to lose you.”
I kiss him back. “Does that mean you want to keep me?”
“Yes, it does. That was never the question. The question has always been if you wanted to keep me.”
“Oh, I do. I do. A thousand times, I do.”
“Do you know I just proposed and you said yes?” he asks. “Because that’s what played out in my head. Tell me I’m not wrong.”
“You’re not wrong, Connor. You’ve always been the right, the only, the very best for me.”
Epilogue
Renne
Dina looks stunning in her wedding dress. Her hair is pulled up in an elaborate twist, showcasing a diamond necklace around her throat. Although she wears a tiara, she looks more like a queen than a princess. Which I guess she is, if one considers that her husband is the underground king of this city.
Chi-chi and I both teared up when Declan slid a ring on her finger. He makes her so happy, it’s infectious. Everyone walks around with a smile on their face. Except maybe their uncle Endo, but I hear that guy reserves his charm for his woman, Scarlett, who stands beside me now for the family group photo.
The family is gathered in the gazebo for a picture. I’m so happy that Dina can get a nice wedding picture without having to make exceptions for me, since I don’t have to hide anymore.
Connor didn’t share details with me other than to say he sorted out the issues with his uncle while I was away. Cassian Macarley raised Connor and is particularly fond of him.
Connor holds Hanna for the picture. I stretch out my hands to take her, but she turns her head away. I guess she picked her favorite. I smile at the photographer and hope my red lipstick didn’t rub off on my teeth.
“Everyone, stay where you are,” Connor says, then he hands me Hanna so he can take a selfie group photo with his phone. We gather closer together to fit into the picture, everyone staring into Connor’s phone screen.
I see a pair of familiar faces behind me.
It takes me a moment to compute what my eyes are seeing. I grab his phone and look at the picture, then turn. My parents are standing behind me. Here. Right here.
I rush at them but can’t hug them both because I’m holding Hanna, so I hug my mom with one arm and cry all the happy tears while she kisses me. Hanna’s weight disappears because my dad grabs the baby, and while he holds her, he hugs me, and I inhale his scent that’s soDad.
I wipe my eyes. “I didn’t know if I would ever see you guys again.”
“Here we are,” my mom says. “Connor sent a car for us.”
“She’s so beautiful,” my dad says.
“She looks like Connor,” my mom adds.
“That’s why she’s pretty,” I admit.
“Oh, stop that,” my dad says. “You’re beautiful too.”
“Because I look like you?”
