Page 158 of The Ashes of Summer

Pain rips straight through my shoulder.

"Fuck."

The hiss is out through my teeth before I can stop it.

Carter clocks it instantly. "You need to stop using that arm for everything."

"Yeah, well." I flex my fingers through the ache. "My left arm's useless."

Not entirely true anymore. The wound's healing well. Still hurts like a bitch, though—especially when I forget and lift something I shouldn't. Or reach too fast. Or do basically anything Summer's told me not to.

Black snorts from the ladder. "You got shot through the shoulder, boss. Maybe stop acting surprised it hurts."

"Appreciate the medical advice."

He gives me a sarcastic salute.

Mason walks past carrying another stack of chairs. "You're gonna end up back in the hospital before she even gets home."

"Not happening. Tamara would never shut up about it."

That gets a laugh out of everybody. Even me.

I head inside eventually and grab three beers out of the fridge, kicking the back door shut behind me with my foot.

"Fellas. Take five."

They follow me over to the porch and drop into the chairs looking about as wrecked as I feel.

Mason twists the cap off his beer and studies me. "Still sure you wanna do this, boss?"

I glance at him.

He shrugs. "It's a big thing."

Marriage. Forever. Commitment.

Funny thing is, none of that scares me. Not even slightly.

Losing her scares me. The thought of a world with Summer somewhere in it that isn't beside me—that terrifies the absolute fuck out of me. But marrying her? Easy. Easiest thing ever.

"I knew the moment I laid eyes on her," I say quietly.

And I did. Even back then. Even when she hated me. Even when she looked at me like I was the villain in her story and she wasn't entirely wrong about it.

Something in me knew. Summer Miller was always going to ruin me for every other woman alive.

Mason lets out a slow breath through puffed cheeks. "Well," he says eventually. "You two make a hell of a couple."

Something settles strange in my chest at that.

Because after all the blood and the bodies and everything we dragged ourselves through—we still somehow ended up here. At this. At a garden full of fairy lights and folding chairs.

I go back inside afterward and check the ring box again. For maybe the millionth time today.

Still there. Obviously. But I needed to see it again,

The stone catches the kitchen light when I flip the lid open. Beautiful. Different. Perfect for her.