Page 67

Chapter Twelve

Then

“So, where to next, girls?” Addy asks, her hands weighed down with bags from the day’s shopping trip as we stroll through the mall. I arch a brow and glance down, trying to count them all.

“What? You don’t have enough already?”

Daisy nods. “Yeah. Besides, if I spend anymore, I’ll have to figure out creative ways to spice up ramen for the next month.”

Addy lets out a dramatic huff. “Fine. I guess we can go see a movie or something.”

My phone chimes and I pull it up.

Ryan:

Come home right now.

“Actually, I’ve just been summoned home,” I say, showing them the text on my phone and Addy glares at it.

“Seriously? He kicked you out this morning and now he’s just going to demand you come home. What’s his problem?”

I shrug, dismissing the text without responding to it. Things with Ryan have been really good since the morning after my birthday party when he showed up at the house with flowers and a pendent heart necklace with a jagged line coming out of it, like a heart monitor. But this morning, he rushed me out of the house and told me not to come back until he told me to. I would think he had some surprise planned for me if I wasn’t trying so hard not to get my hopes up.

“I don’t know but I guess I’m going to find out.”

Daisy hugs me before passing me off to Addy.

“Well, call us if he’s being a prick, okay?”

I laugh with a nod. “Yeah, you got it.”

Leaving them to go see a movie, I walk back out to my car in the mall parking lot, shoving my bags in the backseat before I slip behind the wheel and fire it up. I hate how suspicious Ryan is being today. In the two weeks since my birthday, he’s been the model boyfriend. He’s been sweet and attentive, surprising me with flowers several times and taking me out to romantic dinners twice.

But today, he’s being fidgety and, well, weird. It’s throwing me off balance.

When he sent me away this morning, I called Addy and Daisy and we started off our day with brunch then we got our nails done before starting our shopping marathon. It was actually really nice to spend an entire day with them but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to know why Ryan is being so suspicious.

Sighing, I pull up in front of the house and scowl. All the lights are off except for this weird glow coming from the backyard.

“Hello?” I call out as I try to decide if I should go back there or head into the house.

“Back here, babe,” Ryan calls and I follow his voice to the backyard. When I round the corner, I gasp. Candles cover the yard and as I tilt my head to the side, I realize they are in the shape of a heart with a little path leading from me to Ryan. Ryan stands in the middle of the heart with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face. I can’t help the grin that spreads across my own face as I take him in.

“What is all of this?”

He grins and holds his hand out to me. I glance down, noticing the rose petals on the ground as I walk along the path to reach him. My heart is racing and I can’t tell if I’m nervous or excited. Is he really doing what I think he is?

“Hey, baby,” he says as I stop in front of him and I giggle.

“What are you doing?”

He winks and drops down to one knee, earning a loud gasp from me as my hand shoots up to cover my mouth.

“Emma, I love you so much. Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?” He pulls a small box out from behind his back and opens it. Another gasp escapes as I take in the solitaire diamond ring.

Good God.

It’s a simple ring with a plain band and a large diamond in the center and I love it.