He doesn’t say anything, just wordlessly squeezes my thigh as we pull into the parking lot of the diner.
“Trick or treat, Abby Wheeler Thompson?” he asks, turning to look at me.
“Hmm,” I hum, tapping my chin with my forefinger. “Treat, please. In the form of french fries.”
“I thought you might say that,” he says, rolling his eyes and stepping out of the car. He walks around to my side, opening the door and offering me his hand. I slide out carefully, making sure my dress is out of the way before he shuts the door.
When we reach the diner entrance, he swings the door open, sweeping his arm and gesturing me inside. I laugh at the dramatic flair, smirking in anticipation of the looks we’re going to get showing up at the diner like it’s the Casino Royale.
But no one else is here. The lights are turned low, and in place of patrons are dozens of candles flickering softly across the bar and the tables, a trail of baby’s breath leading down the path to our usual booth.
I whip around to face Jack, and when I do, his face lights up with the brightest smile I’ve ever seen, nearly knocking the wind out of me.
“What is all of this?” I ask, eyes wide with shock.
“Sorry, pretty girl,” he says. “I went with ‘trick’ instead.”
My jaw drops, but I follow behind him when he grabs my hand and leads me to our booth. A basket of fries and two milkshakes sit ready for us, and he slides into one side of the booth.
“What on earth are you doing, Jack Robbit?” I breathe, not moving from the spot where I’m currently frozen.
“Why don’t you come find out?” he asks playfully. “Take a seat. And don’t call me that.”
Chapter 57
Jack
Day One of the Rest of Forever
“You know I’m never going to stop,” she says reflexively.
She looks stunning. No, that’s not good enough actually. In the glow of the candlelight, her wild auburn curls look almost molten, her freckles still prominent long after the summer sun has gone. Her emerald eyes are so wide and so beautiful, I think I could happily dive into them and never come back up for air.
She looks fucking ethereal.
“What are you doing?” she asks again in a whisper when she finally slides onto the leather bench across from me. “Are you trying to burn the diner down? What kind of fireman are you?”
“They run on batteries, I borrowed them from Ellie. I can’t believe you’d ever doubt my fire-safety skills.”
“Is there even a party?” she accuses. “Was that just a ruse to get me to look presentable for once?”
“You’re a goddamn knockout twenty-four seven, Abby Thompson. But no, there’s no party. Ellie told me you'd want to be dressed up for this, and it seemed like the perfect ruse.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere. But seriously, what is going on here? Dressed up for what?”
“Halloween always seems to be a milestone for us," I say, ignoring her question. "Because of you, it’s become one of my favorite nights of the year. I couldn’t think of a better night to do it,” I continue softly. "But I wanted to wait to do this until it was just us,” I add, reaching for her hand across the table."And what better place to do it than your favorite place in Larkspur?"
“To do what?” she asks again, her voice barely above a whisper.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the small velvet box that’s been tucked into my work bag for the last month. I set it on the table between us, slowly lifting the lid to reveal an emerald cut diamond atop a simple silver band. Her breath hitches, and I try to keep my hands from trembling as I continue.
“Abby, my life started the first time you came down those stairs into Griffin’s basement when we were fifteen years old,” I say. “I’ve had the privilege of being your partner in everything from knocking some sense into Ellie and Griffin to furniture assembly, and I've had the honor of being your friend, and Aaron’s.” I swallow hard at the mention of my friend, whose loss never gets any easier.
“And I know he was the love of your life,” I continue. “Nothing will ever change that, and I’d never dream of trying. But I think sometimes we’re lucky enough to have more than one love in a lifetime. I know I am.”
She looks up at me questioningly, but doesn’t interrupt.
“Somewhere along the way, I realized that you’re the love ofmylife, pretty girl. And I thought that would be it for me. But then another pretty girl wrapped me around her finger, and I knew that one love wouldn’t be nearly enough. I knew I was undeniably, wholeheartedly gone for the both of you. I’d rip my heart right out of my chest and give it to you if you asked me to.And I’d do it with a smile on my face. I’d do anything either of you ask of me, without question.”
