Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 103050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
“I want you too. I love you.”
Her words burrow into my chest and expand and I feel more complete than I ever have in my life.
“I’m sorry I turned up at your work.”
“I guess this is where we started out. And now I’m about to be the manager of this hotel, despite that I’m almost engaged to one of the guests.”
I can’t wipe the smile from my face. Almost engaged? I’ll take being an almost fiancé. The way I see it, it makes me the luckiest man on the planet.
“Wait, what?” I ask. “You’re the manager? You weren’t planning to go back to the UK?”
“I start in September. Manhattan changed everything. I don’t want to go back to my old life.”
“Then start a new life with me.”
She smiles as she nods. “I think I could do that.” She glances at her watch. “I’ve officially finished my shift. So you might want to kiss me now.”
I take a step back. “I actually can’t, because when I kiss you, neither of us will be able to stop. Let’s go home together and start our lives tonight.”
“You can ask me to marry you again,” she says. “I might even say yes.”
Did I hear her right? Fuck, how did I get so lucky? “I’m going to ask you every single day until you say yes.”
“You won’t have to ask three times. Deacon Black, I love you.”
“Aurora Reynolds, I love you too.”
EPILOGUE
The Next Day
Aurora
Not only am I going to have to tell Darcy I’m not coming back to Chilternshire, but I’m also going to have to tell her I’m engaged.
“Hey,” I say, as she answers the video call.
“Where are you?” she asks. “That doesn’t look like your flat.”
“Yeah, I’m at Deacon’s.” I’m nervous. I really don’t know how Darcy’s going to react. Not because she’s selfish, but because my life has always revolved around hers. It’s the way it’s always been and she’s used to it, but that’s changed now. Deacon’s upstairs finishing up some things for work after putting Willow to bed. It’s late, but I had to tell my best friend my news.
“You two made up? How come you didn’t tell me?”
“It just happened yesterday. There’s a lot I need to get you caught up on.”
She sighs. “I can’t wait until you’re home. I feel like I’m missing out on everything.”
That’s kind of how I’ve lived my life up until now. I’ve been the woman who’s missed out on everything.
But that’s all changed since coming to New York. Since Deacon.
Manhattan’s changed everything.
“Deacon and I resolved things in…in a big way.” Will she think I’m crazy when I tell her that Deacon and I are engaged? I don’t feel crazy, and it’s not going to change my mind if she does, but I’d really like her support. She’s family to me.
“Okay,” she says, narrowing her eyes. “I feel like there’s more.”
“I love him, Darcy.”
She presses her lips together, but doesn’t say anything.
“And he asked me to marry him, and I said yes.” My eyes start to water, and I’m not sure if it’s because I’m so happy that I’m finally about to live my happily ever after, or whether it’s because I’m going to miss Darcy. A little bit of both, maybe.
“Oh my god,” Darcy says, her eyes glassy. “I’m so…” She shakes her head, and I brace myself for her disappointment. “I don’t know what to say. I’m so happy for you!”
My tears spill over—it’s partly relief at her words and partly because I’m still in shock that I’ve finally found the love of my life. “You are?” I ask, dabbing my eyes with the sleeve of my jumper.
“Of course I am.” She’s in bed, and she shifts around. “I mean…it’s bittersweet. But, oh god, I wish I was there to give you a hug.”
“I know. Me too.” But I can feel her love from here. It’s not that I expected her to be angry, but I was worried that she’d be a little disappointed.
“But it’s fine. Hang on a minute,” she says to me. “Logan, can you give me your phone? I need to call Ryder. Or can you call Ryder for me?”
I hear Logan’s muffled voice.
“Aurora got engaged,” Darcy says. “I need to speak to Ryder.”
“Why do you need to speak to Ryder?” I ask. I was planning to send engagement announcements. She doesn’t need to tell him this minute.
Logan’s face appears on the screen, and Aurora disappears, but I can hear her talking in the background. “Congratulations, Aurora,” Logan says. “Is he a good guy?”
I nod. “He is. He really is.” The best guy.
“Good. Because you deserve a really good guy.”
Warmth blooms in my chest. “Thanks, Logan.”
There’s a kerfuffle on the screen and the phone gets dropped and then Darcy reappears. “Okay, so we’re all coming over at the weekend. The kids are still off school, so they can come too.”