His eyes are so big and full of life. Like always.
I take a deep breath and exhale slowly. "I want to make this work. No matter how hard it is."
His hand finds my lower back and he presses my body into his. I close my eyes, rising onto my tiptoes and tilting my chin to meet him.
Our lips connect and it's the sweetest, softest kiss we've ever shared. Everything is in this kiss--everything we've finally managed to say, every bit of hurt, of joy, of need, of love.
The kiss breaks and he looks into my eyes. "I want to be with you. Even if you're scared. Even if you'll never be ready to marry me."
I take a deep breath, squeezing him to keep from crumbling. "Then prepare to be pleasantly surprised."
I reach into my purse for the ring box, and attempt to lower myself to one knee. I only barely manage not to fall over, but I do.
I take Luke's hand and look into his eyes. That's the man I want to be with forever. I've never been more sure of anything.
"I know this is a little nontraditional," I say.
He nods.
I peel open the ring box, displaying it for him. It's a men's wedding band. Simple. White gold. Exactly the kind of thing he'd pick for himself.
"I've done a lot of thinking, and I realized that there's no one I'd rather share my life with. Luke, you fill me with so much. It's not just happiness. It's laughter, excitement, passion. Hell, you fill me with this renewed will to make every day better than the one before. To try as hard as I can to stay recovered. To be a better version of myself." I stare up into those gorgeous eyes of his and squeeze his hand tightly. "I would be honored if you would marry me."
He smiles. "Ally, you know that's what I want."
"That's not exactly a yes."
"Yes." he says.
I slide the ring onto his finger. He laughs, and pulls me back to my feet. His hands slide around my waist and he pulls me close, so close I can barely breathe.
We kiss, and everything else fades away. We have each other and t
hat's what matters.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Luke
It's a warm day in June. Of course, seasons are nearly meaningless in the great state of Hawaii. Every day is warm and humid with a pleasant breeze.
We're on the beach, a gorgeous beach with clean sand and clear blue ocean for miles. The sun is just about to set and it casts a soft glow over everything.
I bring my attention to Alyssa. She looks so pretty in a flowing silk dress. It's not a traditional wedding gown, but it suits her perfectly.
This whole thing is perfect.
She's beaming like the damn sun. I wasn't sure about her idea, about getting married in Hawaii so we could fix our past mistakes. But she was right.
It's just us and the officiant. But right now, the world is just us. The two of us against the world, forever and ever.
She bites her lip and whispers, "I love you."
I squeeze her hands and whisper it back.
I was sure I wouldn't be nervous, but there's a tightness in my chest. But when I look into her eyes, at the joy all over her face, all that tension melts away.
Alyssa is about to become my wife. This is the best day of my life.