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Current Lainey watches me now, not the phone.
On-screen Lainey laughs. "There! Did you see her?"
I stare.
The skin moves again. Charlie's footprint actually presses so hard, I can see it. It's a miracle recorded in a dark bedroom.
My eyes fill again. I don't bother hiding it this time.
The video flips back to Lainey's face. She whispers, "If you ever see this, I guess that means I found you." Her smile is sad. "Or you found us."
I close my eyes for half a second.
Then she says, "I shouldn't want you to. I shouldn't want to mess up another woman's life. But deep down, I hope you do. So I must be a really bad woman."
The video ends.
I stare at the black screen.
Nobody says anything.
I replay the last ten seconds.
I hope you do.
I put the phone down.
Fuck.
Lainey stares at me. "You okay?"
I tug her closer to me. Charlie stays wedged between us as I wrap my arms around both of them. "This was the best Christmas present I've ever gotten."
"Really?"
"Yes. Thank you."
I cup the back of her neck and pull her mouth to mine, kissing her deeper until her fingers curl into my shirt. I drag my mouth from hers and press one last kiss to the corner of her lips. "I'm never losing you again."
Lainey's eyes open, hazy from the kiss. "You're not going to lose us."
"No." My heart starts pounding harder. "I'm not. And there's something sitting ten feet away that I've been trying to figure out when to give to you, but I think the answer is right now."
Her brows pull together. "What?"
"Stay here."
"Where am I going to go?"
"Good point." I slide out of bed.
"Jagger?"
I cross the room to the dresser and pull open the top drawer. My pulse pounds harder as I dig beneath a stack of T-shirts and close my hand around the small velvet box. I bought the ring three days ago. I figured I'd have it for when the time was right… Like a few months from now when Lainey won't freak out. But apparently, Christmas morning in my boxers is it.
When I turn around, Lainey's staring at my hand.
Her lips part. Then her eyes go huge.