Page 161 of The Ashes of Summer

I run my thumb slowly across her lower lip. "I love it when you say ours."

"And I love you."

I look at her—this woman standing in front of me with the sun catching in her hair, red again now the way it's supposed to be. Looking at me like I'm the center of her whole damn world.

She's the center of mine. She has been since the day I met her.

I take one slow step back.

Confusion flashes across her face, the kind that nearly makes me laugh, because she genuinely looks wounded that I didn't say it straight back.

"Jacob?"

My pulse pounds so hard I can feel it in my throat. Everything else in the world goes quiet. Just her. Always her.

I lower myself down onto one knee.

And she freezes completely. Her hands fly up to her mouth, her eyes going so wide they barely look real.

Fuck. My chest hurts.

Not the shoulder this time. Her. Loving her this much.

"Summer Miller," I say quietly.

Tears are already filling her eyes.

"Baby. My ray of fucking sunshine. My everything." My voice goes rough on the last word and stays there.

Pull yourself together, Darnell.

"I asked you to marry me once already." I keep my eyes locked on hers. "And you said yes."

A shaky laugh gets out of her through the tears.

"But now I'm asking you properly."

I pull the box out of my pocket and open it between us, and the stone catches the sunlight.

"So I'm asking you with everything I've got left to give. My heart. My soul. My skin and my bones."

She's crying openly now.

"And if it takes the rest of my life proving how much I love you, then that's exactly what I'll fucking do."

I swallow hard.

"Will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?"

For a second, she just stares. At the ring. At my face. Like her brain physically can't process what's in front of her.

Then—

"Jacob…" Her voice breaks apart completely. "I already said⁠—"

"Yes or no, baby."

A wet laugh. Then a sob.