Page 160 of Outspoken

I pause a moment, gazing down at her, just to draw this out a few seconds longer. When her mouth dips into a hard frown, I nod. “Since you asked nicely, yes.”

Shaking her head with a smile, she stands, pulling the ring from the box. “Such a dork,” she mutters under her breath.

She slips the ring on my finger right before I grab her, lifting her into the air for a spin. She laughs in my arms, then we kiss.

Everyone claps and the room erupts into cheers.

Rico whistles and calls out, “Finally, he’ll shut up about this!”

Maribel’s house fills with laughter.

All I can focus on is Amber as she grins, those dazzling azure-blue eyes fixed solely on mine. My entire world is hers, my heart overflowing.

Epilogue

Amber

“HIDE ME,” I SAY QUICKLY as I burst through Brody’s front door to escape Miguel.

Brody and Paige are on the couch watching a movie, which is normally makes me smile since they’re big cuddlers. But today, they’re on opposite ends of the couch, Paige hunched into a ball. She’s squeezing Bamsy and stroking his head. Brody is haggard with lots of beard stubble. He looks like he hasn’t been resting.

Locking the front door behind me, I walk to the couch, feeling too uneasy with the heavy, uncomfortable air hanging between them. Paige looks at me but doesn’t move—no smile, no hug. She only stares with a faraway look and tense eyebrows.

The irritation I was feeling with Miguel is suddenly overpowered by a swirling dread about whatever is happening between Paige and Brody.

“Hide you from what?” Brody asks, but his voice lacks the same edge and attitude it normally has. He sounds completely drained.

Before I can respond, Miguel jiggles the locked doorknob. “I just saw you go in there, mi esposa,” he calls out. “I know you jumped out your bedroom window while I was talking to Jackie. Why are you avoiding me?”

“God, he will not stop calling me ‘esposa’,” I whisper to Brody. “We barely got engaged! Please, tell him I’m not here.”

Brody glances at Paige with weary, troubled eyes. She avoids his gaze, pressing her cheek against Bamsy like she’s trying to disappear. With a sigh, Brody peels himself off the couch and walks to the front door.

“Stop,” I whisper, grabbing his arm. “Do notopen that damn door. I’m warning you.”

His frown and raised eyebrow challenge me as he flips the lock.

Miguel bursts in like a lost puppy unable to control itself. He rushes toward me, and I flee around the other side of the kitchen table.

I bite back a smile because I’m trying to stay annoyed at him.

“Come on, mi amor,” he pleads, taking a step forward every time I step back. “I haven’t seen you in aweek, and you won’t answer my calls. You don’t have work today. Let’s go on a date.”

I grab a chair, scooting it between us so he can’t advance. “I don’t answer your calls because you try to stay on the phone forhours. And you text me like every fifteen minutes. I respond to most of them. Isn’t that enough?”

He sidesteps to the left, and I can tell he’s getting ready to dart around the chair. “I miss you.”

I accidentally smile at how sincerely he says that, then I try to hide it by forcing myself to frown. It’s too late. He caught the small glimpse of emotion and grins at me.

“You missed me too,” he says.

I roll my eyes but my lips betray me again by smiling. “No, I didn’t because you don’t give me enough space to miss you.”

He smirks. “So you just like me chasing you?”

I smile wider. “No. Dork.”

“Hmm, I get it,” he says with a knowing twinkle in his eyes. “You’re nervous about picking the date and doing the wedding planning. I have some venues in mind.”

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