Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 85608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“Your history didn’t help that one.”
“But there’s more,” I said, choking on the words. “You were right all along. Safia got in my head. I told you I’ve never told anyone that I love them. Well, she made it seem like, if I couldn’t say those words, then what we had was fake.”
Gavin frowned. “You believed that?”
I met his gaze as tears came to my eyes again. “Should I have?”
He rushed forward, pushing his hands up in my hair. “Absolutely not.”
“Why? Why not?”
“Because I love you, Whitley.”
The entire world narrowed down to those words. The words Gavin had never said to anyone before. The words I’d never spoken to another living person either. It was almost too much.
“You do?” I gasped as tears ran down my cheeks. I’d never thought I’d hear that from Gavin. Not ever. Not after what happened yesterday.
“Of course I do. I’ve loved you since the moment you walked back into my life with that pretty lavender hair and threw my entire world off its axis. And I’ve loved you every day since.”
“Oh, Gavin!” I slung my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder. He laughed as he lifted me into the air, pressing a kiss into my hair. “Say it again.”
He set me on my feet, swiping the tears from my eyes. “I love you, Whitley Bowen. And I always will.”
I swallowed once hard and nodded as I said. “I love you too.”
His eyes closed on instinct as euphoria lit his face. “Perfect words. Say it again.”
I chuckled and pressed my lips to his, murmuring, “I love you,” over and over against them.
When he set me back down on my feet, he fell to one knee. I stared down at him in shock as I realized what he was doing down there.
“Whitley Bowen, will you marry me?”
I gasped. “Gavin!”
He held my left hand that still had his grandmother’s diamond ring on my finger. The diamond I still hadn’t been able to take off. I had removed it only once since the day that he’d put it on my finger. Fake or not, it belonged there now. And here he was, offering for it to all be real—very real—from the start.
“But my dad,” I said softly.
He grinned. “Your dad said I didn’t need his permission to marry you. Just your acceptance.”
I gaped at him. “You talked to my dad?”
He nodded once with that mischievous grin that I loved so much. “Cleared the air. Now, it’s only you that I need an answer from. And maybe quickly because this stone is not comfortable on my knee.”
I burst into laughter. Only Gavin could make something so ridiculous so romantic at the same time.
“Yes, yes, yes! I’ll marry you. Of course I’ll marry you!”
He rose up in one swift moment, catching me around the middle and swinging me in a tight circle.
When he set me back down, he was grinning from ear to ear. “Today.”
“Today?” I asked, unsure what he meant.
“Your family is already here. My family is already here. We already have the rings and the marriage license. Marry me today.”
“What?” I gasped. “But … we don’t have a venue or anyone to marry us or …”
“We’ll do it here, and we can get someone last minute. Just marry me. Let me take you back to my place as my wife.”
There was no way I could deny him.
Everything was set, and nothing was. We’d been planning several hundred people at an enormous wedding. But hadn’t English always said that eloping was the way to go? Everyone was here. What else did I need?
“Okay. Let’s do it!”
36
WHITLEY
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I said from the top of the Bethesda Terrace stairs with my three bridesmaids.
“It’s happening,” English said, barely containing her glee.
Somehow, all the months of planning our wedding had been condensed down to a matter of hours. Katherine got me into emergency hair and makeup. Harmony brought over my dress. Gavin and I had sent texts to our friends and family to meet us at the fountain, dropping the guest list from hundreds to thirty with the snap of a finger.
My dad had even been discharged from the hospital in record time and approved by his doctor to participate. Now, it was time to go, and I could hardly believe it.
I had whiplash from my utter despair over yesterday to delight that this was actually happening! It felt like a fairy tale. And I couldn’t believe it was mine.
“Showtime,” English said.
She’d taken complete control of all the finer details. I hadn’t even had to worry about it, as she had assured me it would be better than I even expected. Knowing my groom was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs was enough for me.
Wesley and Wynona headed out first. Wynona gleefully throwing flowers as Wesley walked stoically beside her. Lark went down the stairs next, followed shortly by Katherine, and then it was English’s turn.