My lungs expand so much my body hurts. Of course I’ll be his Miss Scarlett. I’ll just about be hisanything, take any piece of him.
The best part of this time spent together is that there’s so much laughter. Stone makes everything funny. It’s a mystery how he does it, but with him, life is easier. It’s brighter, shinier, like daybreak after a rain.
And we talk about everything—our hopes, dreams. Whenever Stone remembers a fragment of his past, he shares it. But for the most part, he doesn’t focus on what he can’t remember. He focuses on the present, the future.
Stone is the best version of all of us—not anchored to a past that poisons him, but always focused on what will happen next, on making the future shine bright.
That’s not to say he’s naive and innocent, relearning how to navigate the world. His core knowledge is still intact. His common sense, for instance. Stone could, for sure, pick out a pool shark from a lineup and not be taken for all he’s worth.
But he couldn’t tell you how he knows that. Just that he does.
This is a skill best seen at the resort. His instincts for construction, for design, are amazing, and even though he had to buy all new materials, he’s made the budget work so that they’re not bleeding money. I’m not sure if Rhett thanked him for that. They spoke after Rhett’s big blowup, and Stone convinced him to remain with the project, that he has everything well in hand.
This Stone Maddox is a magician, a person who gets things done with almost no pushback. It’s like he has the golden touch, but this touch doesn’t destroy. It only breathes life into what needs healing.
Being with him is freeing. And maybe that’s what terrifies me most—that he’s not just a better version of himself, he’s a better match for me. Every time he listens, every time he beams like I’m the sun and the moon rolled into one, I feel myself slipping. This fake engagement was supposed to be temporary. A bandage.
But somewhere between lambicorn snuggles and board game diplomacy, a small, dangerous thought bloomed.
What if I want this for real?
And it’s during a particularly rowdy game of Monopoly that my thoughts about this are interrupted by a knock at the door.
Stone jumps up. “You expecting anyone?”
“No. You?”
“Well, I did contemplate having ice cream delivered, but I never made the order.” He winks. “No. But wouldn’t that be cool if it was ice cream?”
I laugh. “Yes, it would be.”
He opens the door and my gaze drops to a girl. The crown of her head, which is covered in spiraling red curls, just reaches the top of his stomach.
She drops her suitcase and tips her chin to look up at him. “Stone Maddox, were you ever going to pick me up, or just let me rot at school all weekend?”
His expression shifts from confusion to joy. “Natalie!”
He wraps her in a hug, one she begrudgingly accepts with both arms at her sides. After a few seconds she melts and embraces him back.
Stone bends so they’re eye level. “How’d you find me?”
She strolls in, pulling her suitcase with her. “When I showed up at Sparkle Bar, Isaac told me where you were. And for the record, it’s not my job to callyouwhen it’s your weekend to pick me up. Didn’t Pane tell you?”
He grimaces. “Yes, he did. Sorry. I’ve been busy. Come in. I want you to meet someone. This is Coco.”
“Hey,” I say.
Natalie scrunches up her face, giving me what I can only describe as a very thorough once-over. “And who are you?” she demands, bossy in a way that makes me grin. “The new girlfriend?”
“Not really.” Stone walks over and wraps one arm around my shoulders. “Natalie, Coco and I are getting married.”
“Say what?” She does a double take, from Stone to me and back to him.
My gaze drops to my grandmother’s engagement ring, and I feel something quiver in my stomach.
Natalie says, voice dripping with skepticism, “Does Pane know about this?”
“I’ve been pretty busy with the resort.”
