Total pages in book: 185
Estimated words: 191421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 957(@200wpm)___ 766(@250wpm)___ 638(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 191421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 957(@200wpm)___ 766(@250wpm)___ 638(@300wpm)
“And you’re mine now,” he says all roughly and possessively, his arms flexing around me.
“I am. So, I figured I’d better catch up and give you everything that you’ve ever dreamed of.” Speaking of, I blurt out, “And so I’ve made a decision.”
He narrows his eyes in suspicion. “Decision.”
I nod. “Yes.”
“About what?”
Taking a deep breath, I reply, “About going with you. To LA.” He stiffens but I keep going, “Look, I know what you’d say. You’d say that I shouldn’t compromise on my dreams. That I always wanted to go to NYU and so I should. But the thing is that dreams don’t have to be so rigid, you know? Dreams should be fluid and ever-changing. And yes, when I was with… him, I never thought that I could give up NYU and follow him to the ends of the earth. And that’s because I never felt for him what I feel for you. I love you, Reign. You’re the love of my life and now I know what that means. It means that I’d do anything for you. I’d follow you anywhere. My dreams include you now. My dream-like life includes you and I never ever thought I could be this happy. To love you and be loved by you is my happiness, Reign. And so, I’m going. I’m going wherever you are going. So you can save all your arguments because I’ve made up my mind.”
Oh gosh.
It feels so good, so freaking good, to finally say that.
Over the past couple of months, every time this topic came up, he’d tell me to follow my dreams and do whatever I wanted to do. And since for the longest time my dream was to go to NYU, I thought that was what I should do.
But I know I’m right now.
I know what I just said resonates more with me than anything else.
Because yes, dreams change.
Because you change. Because once in a while, someone comes along and changes you. Once in a while, someone comes along, and he makes you see the world in a different way. In a hundred and fifty shades of pink and through summer-tinted glasses.
He teaches you what it means to love and be loved, and to build your life with someone. So I’m going. Not because he wants me to or because that’s what a good girlfriend does but because I want to. A difference that he taught me himself.
“I’m not going to LA.”
“What?”
He takes my face in for a few seconds. Then, “I’ve rejected their offer. Or rather let them know that I won’t be accepting it.”
“What?” I ask again but much more shrilly.
In his usual annoying way, he makes me wait for the answer. And I’m about to go all crazy on him when he sighs and steps back, murmuring, “Fuck it.”
“What? Fuck what?” I ask as I watch him walk backward, taking his bag off and dropping it on the ground with a thud.
He comes to a stop after a couple of steps before he goes ahead and takes my breath away.
He completely hijacks it and leaves me frozen and breathless.
As he comes down on his knees.
Well, one knee.
“What…” I breathe out. “What are you doing?” Before he can say something though, I go, “Are you giving me another anklet?”
Because that’s what he did.
The last time when he came down on his knee, in those woods where we’d first met.
“No.”
I curl my toes and shift on my feet, as if to feel the one I’m wearing around my ankle. Then, uselessly, “Because you don’t have to.”
“Good. Because as I said, I’m not giving you one.”
“I love the old one,” I say, again uselessly.
“I know.”
“How?”
His lips twitch. “Because you never take it off.”
“I don’t. Because I love it.”
“You said that already.”
“Right.” My heart’s pounding. “S-so then what are you doing?”
“Asking you something.”
“Why are you d-doing it from down there?”
“Because it’s the kind of thing you ask when you’re down on your knee.”
Oh God.
Okay.
Okay. Okay.
I figured.
The moment he went down on his knee, I figured that this was different. This was — is — so fucking different than before.
For one, his expression is way too intense for just a casual knee-drop. For another, we’ve always been so in tune with one another and what we’re thinking and feeling. So yeah, I figured.
It involves a question like he said. And an answer.
Oh, and a piece of jewelry.
That goes on your finger.
And the moment he went down on his knee, I knew what my answer is going to be.
“Yes,” I blurt out, completely ruining the moment.
Completely.
You idiot, Echo.
“Yes what?”
“I will marry you,” I say because he was right.
Fuck it.
I mean, it’s already out there, my yes. And I know guys like to be in control of these things and whatnot but the thing is that I’m uncontrollable. These things inside of me that I’m feeling are too wild to be controlled or contained by rules.