Page 143 of Hoax and Kisses
“What are you doing?” I mouth.
His grin widens. “I believe everyone here has met Zoé,” he continues. “And therefore, you all know she’s one of the most selfless souls you’ll ever encounter. She gives everything she has to the people she loves, and, lucky for us, we are those people. For the past year, she’s poured her heart and energy into making good on a promise that fell apart through no fault of her own. And somehow, she still delivered. For every single one of us.”
My throat tightens, and heat pricks at the backs of my eyes.
Lola scoots over, taking Matt’s chair, and slides her hand in mine.
“What is he doing?” I whisper, voice cracking.
She nods to him. “Just listen.”
“I won’t make this a big speech. You already know why I’m here. But Zoé, honey, you don’t. So let me skip to the part that matters. Tonight, I am officially submitting plans for a project on Emile’s land. My proposal grants Zoé the land for her future pediatric nursing practice. The practice will be built with the help of every willing citizen in Pine Falls, through any service they can offer and materials they can donate, or simply through time and a little bit of love. All in favor, please raise your hand.”
There’s no holding back my tears. One by one, people around me lift their hands. Next to me, Lola beams and releases me so she can raise hers high.
“Patty, don’t be a jerk. Come on,” Matt adds playfully.
Patty groans, but she puts her hand in the air too.
“There you go.” Matt chuckles. “In a unanimous vote, the project is adopted.” He leans toward the mic, his voice dipping low, full of tenderness. “Honey, everybody in this room has rallied for you. This is how loved you are.”
I break. A full-on tears-streaming, heart-bursting mess. The room erupts, the air swelling with cheers. But my brain can’t keep up with the avalanche of joy and disbelief crashing over me.
When I wipe at my eyes, clearing my vision, I find Matt standing at the podium, waiting for me with a steady smile, his gaze never leaving mine. My world narrows to him. To us.
Lola nudges me, startling me back to reality. “Go,” she whispers, teary-eyed too.
It takes a second to get my legs moving and to wipe away another wave of tears, but then I’m weaving through the crowd full of people I consider family, heading straight for the podium.
Matt reaches for me, sliding his arm around my waist and dragging me to him in one smooth movement. I bury my face in his shoulder and laugh through the hot tears staining his shirt.
“What the hell just happened?” I whisper into his chest.
He bends down, his lips brushing my hair. “After all these years, Zoé, you finally get everything you deserve.” He pulls back a fraction, zeroing in on something behind me. “There’s one more thing missing. Wait for me.”
He lets go of me and jogs to the back of the room, where his parents and Daphne are standing. He crouches and takes something from his sister’s hands before leaning in for a hug. Then he darts back.
“Now,” he says, his mouth at my ear, the words just for me. “For this part, I only need one vote.”
He kneels, holding a beautiful oval-shaped ring between his thumb and index finger.
The crowd lets out a collective gasp. My breath catches too, my knees ready to give out.
I don’t fight it. I go down and meet him there, crying again.
“Are you serious right now?” I choke.
He swallows hard, his voice trembling like he’s battling to keep himself from falling apart right along with me. “Zoé, the moment you showed up, you turned my life on its head, and I’ve never been the same. I know it’s fucking cliché, but I’ll roll with it.”
He lets out a wet chuckle.
“You came here with the wild notion that you were not worth loving, but honey, letting me love you is the greatest gift you could ever give me. Every day, I wake up to find the love of my life sleeping soundly next to me, and I go to bed every night with the overwhelming knowledge that you’ll fall asleep in my arms. It’s a heady thing, the realization that this could be my life untilI take my last breath. I don’t want to wait any longer to make it official.”
His eyes shine as they lock with mine.
“So what do you say? Will you marry me?”
The world stills. My heart stops. And even though I’m crying, and laughing, and probably in shock, the answer comes to me so clearly.
