“Truth.”
“Truth or lies, my heart only beats for you?”
“Truth.”
“Stingray, will you marry me?”
12
Kai
“Stingray, will you marry me?”
I must have imagined those words. Those words can’t be real. For the past few weeks, my life has been hell. My life has been figuring out how to get myself out of bed in the morning. How to put food in my mouth. How to survive without the man I love.
But it only takes a moment for everything to change.
I’ve experienced that enough times to know things can go from good to bad in an instance. Enzo knows that too.
But I’m discovering things can go from bad to good just as quickly.
I close my eyes and open them again, but Enzo is still kneeling in front of me in one of the most beautiful rooms I’ve ever seen.
This can’t be real.
I shake my head, trying to get the image to change back to the darkness I’m used to, but no darkness comes. The light of the candles still shines just as brightly.
This can’t be real.
Enzo takes my hand, his warmth shooting through my cold.
“This is real,” he says, reading my mind.
I swallow hard, trying to clear my throat so I can answer him. I’ve never been more thrilled and terrified at the same time.
“Whatever dangers we will face, we will face them together. I won’t let anyone hurt my family. Not you and definitely not our baby,” he says.
And I believe every word. This time will be different. This time we will be together forever. This time we will both wear the last name—Black.
I can barely see Enzo through the tears falling down my face. But I don’t need to see Enzo to feel him. Our connection is stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before. I know in my gut this is the only way either of us can move forward. The only way either of us can live—together, not apart.
Apart, we might be able to outrun our enemies. And together, we will have to stand and fight. But I’d rather fight every day to have the love of my life by my side, then run and be without him.
“Stingray?” Enzo says, still waiting for me to answer him with words. As if he doesn’t already know the answer in my heart.
“Yes—yes, I will marry you!”
Enzo grabs me, wrapping me in his strong arms. He spins me around before setting me back down on the ground.
“Yes?” he asks again, needing me to say it again to make it real.
“Yes,” I say with a giant smile.
His lips crush mine in a kiss I never want to end. But Enzo does end it. He pulls away and holds out the ring lying on top of the scrunchie and wooden heart.
He takes the ring and places it on my finger. It’s the same ring I wore before when we were fake married. The same ring his mother wore. A ring that means so much to both of us.
“Langston found it,” he says.