Page 93 of #Moonstruck

He stood up and kissed the back of my hand. “Maybe think about our discussion. About whether or not you see possibilities for us.”

Maybe think about it? It was all I was going to think about from now on. And panic about.

Ryan De Luna saw a future with me in it.

I probably should have gone back to my own dressing room and done vocal warm-ups. Instead, I found myself on the outer fringe at the meet and greet. I knew his heart wasn’t in the event, but his fans would never have been able to figure it out. He made everyone feel special. He comforted the crying girls and got them to laugh. Whenever a gorgeous woman flirted and acted all seductive, his eyes automatically flickered back to me, ignoring her. Like I was the only woman he could see.

A little bald girl in a wheelchair came through. The flirting women got seconds with him, but he spent a good five minutes talking to this girl, signing everything she wanted signed and taking picture after picture with her. Ryan even called Fox over and upgraded their seats, giving them VIP passes.

When they were done, the girl’s sobbing mother threw her arms around Ryan’s neck, thanking him for giving her sick daughter such an amazing gift. My own eyes welled up with tears. Ryan calmed down the mother and sent them on their way.

Watching him with that girl, with all the kids who came to meet him, made me realize he would be such a good father. I knew he’d be a good husband because he was already the most amazing boyfriend in the entire world. He was right. I wasn’t my mom, and he wasn’t my dad. It wasn’t fair to make Ryan pay for crimes he’d never committed.

Marriage had always seemed like an overwhelming, frightening concept. A fire-breathing, scaly dragon I couldn’t face alone. But with my own devoted knight at my side, it didn’t seem nearly as scary or unconquerable as it had even minutes before.

After the show, I got on the bus and was shocked when everybody yelled out, “Surprise! Happy birthday!”

Ryan bringing up marriage earlier had consumed my every thought. I’d forgotten it was my birthday.

Balloons covered the ceiling, and streamers hung haphazardly along the walls. I wondered if my brothers had been in charge of those. All my siblings were there, along with Ryan’s band, Piper, and the dancers.

Ryan grabbed me and picked me up off my feet. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you. I can’t believe you threw me a surprise party. I’ve never had one of those before.”

“Well, in honor of it being your twenty-second birthday, you get two of everything. Like ...” He gestured to where two big pies decorated with birthday candles sat on the kitchen counter.

“Are those pumpkin pies?”

“I know, birthday pie is not really a thing. But that’s your favorite, right?”

It was. How did he remember stuff like that?

Because he loves you.

I couldn’t stop the tear that fell onto my cheek. “My mom used to make me pumpkin pie. All the time.”

“Sweetheart,” Ryan said, rubbing away the tear with his thumb, “I didn’t want to make you sad.”

I leaned my head against his chest. “You didn’t. You made me really, really happy. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. We haven’t even gotten to the presents.”

My brothers came over to hug me and wish me a happy birthday. They told me to sit at the table, and everyone sang to me as they brought both pies over. I’d never heard such a beautiful rendition of the birthday song before. Totally on key, with perfect harmonies.

When it was time to blow out the candles, I made the same wish I did every year. For my mom to get better.

Everyone cheered and applauded and started loading up the table with presents. Fitz gave me his first so he could help Piper cut up the pie and serve it. The card said it was from both of them. They had bought me a pair of emerald earrings, the stone for my birth month. Parker threw his present at me: two expensive-looking pairs of sunglasses. Cole gave me a set of guitar picks that he claimed had once belonged to Christa Harbinger.

I was touched not only by their thoughtfulness but also by the fact that they had obviously dug into the money we’d been saving to buy me presents. I thanked them, hugging them as best I could, given the crush of people surrounding us.

The other presents were also two-themed, and everything was meant for me to use while on tour. A pair of small throw pillows, a set of comfy slippers, and some wool-lined socks. Nothing big and bulky that would be difficult for me to lug around.

“Ryan’s turn!” Parker announced when I’d opened all the other gifts and thanked everybody.

To be honest, I was a little bit afraid of what Ryan might do. If he might have a wedding ring in his pocket. My heart expanded into my throat, choking the air from me. He wouldn’t do that, would he?

“What do you think I got you?” he asked as if he could read my mind and knew just how much I was freaking out.

---