Page 133 of You Saw the Best In Me

I can’t stop staring at the sparkly diamond on my finger. It’s beautiful and elegant. The diamond shines in the light, and the band is littered with smaller diamonds. It’s absolutely perfect.

As someone who never thought this was possible, it’s a bit surreal.

This is a symbol of love, and I can’t help feeling like the princess in a fairytale that I thought wasn’t written for girls like me.

Broken damsel. Smart-mouthed brat. Terrified girl, afraid of intimacy. Victim of abuse.

I thought those were the things that defined me as a person.

I was fucking wrong.

Maverick showed me parts of myself that I never knew hid beneath the surface.

Powerful woman. Filthy-mouthed Queen. Blissfully happy, embracing the intimate forms of love I feel every day. Survivor of abuse.

Those are some traits I’d use to explain who I am as a person. Most of all, the word I use is resilient. I find a way to come back stronger from anything that threatens to tear me down.

Mav smiles at me, and I realize I’ve been lost in my thoughts. He squeezed my hand three times, and I wasn’t panicking, but I take comfort in knowing how much he pays attention to me.

We’re driving home from the beach engagement trip, and I can’t wait to get home and show Harper.

Since the first day I met her, she’s been the biggest fan of her brother and me being together.

I think she knew we’d end up like this before we did.

Tonight, we’re celebrating.

Reilly is coming by to discuss our ideas for owning a salon. I finally made a choice regarding the money Katherine left me, and I want Reilly by my side.

Ever since my ordeal, she’s been there for me nearly every day.

Whether we go for walks, hit the bar, or just watch movies on the couch, it’s always me and Reilly.

I love her to death, and I’d do anything for her.

Mav calls us the twitches – twisted bitches – because of how crazy we drive him and how trauma bonded we are.

Once I learned about her fucked up past, it was solidified. She’s my other half – in best friend form.

This town brought me to the people I was meant to be with, as if there’s underlying magic hidden in its roots.

The house is quiet while we wait for Harper to get off the bus. She spent the night with Juliette and Adam in Rose Hills, and they brought her to school.

Now that I think of it, everyone must’ve been in on the plan. Something like this doesn’t just spawn overnight.

“You planned this, didn’t you?” I ask, and Mav smiles.

“Of course I did, kitten. Anything to ensure it was the most special night,” he winks, and I bite my lip.

It was more than extraordinary. It was absolutely magical. We spent the night tangled in the hotel sheets, making love until we physically couldn’t anymore.

Room service, champagne on ice, and rose petals awaited us when we checked in – the full honeymoon suite.

“You never cease to mystify me, Angel,” I say, kissing his hand.

Finally, the bus pulls up, and Harper comes straight for us.

“Let me see!” she screams, and I glare at Mav.