Page 75 of A Royal Promise
You’re my person, Drew. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.
Here’s to another year of living life together and celebrating the wonderful human you are.
Love,
Bri
Before he even got to the gift in the bag, Drew pushed up from the couch and wrapped Bri in his arms, rubbing small circles on her back and attempting to steady his breathing to match hers. He didn’t want her to know how affected he was by her words—how much it meant to him that she couldn’t imagine life without him in it. Maybe it meant she wouldn’t leave him high and dry when he shared his feelings with her.
Drew had grown tired of pretending…not pretending they were engaged, but pretending he wasn’t completely, madly in love with Bri.
“I’m so thankful for you,” he whispered into her hair, and he could’ve sworn she shivered.
“The feeling is mutual.”
Drew released his hold on her and sat down, ignoring the look his parents shared. He opened the gift bag and pulled out a large hardcover book.
“Adate night for twocookbook.”
“Since you said you love cooking so much, I thought we could try out some new recipes together. I’ll let you take the reins on the actual cooking part, though. We don’t need another carne asada bowl scenario.”
He smiled at her so widely that his cheeks started to ache. “It’s perfect. I can’t wait to cook with you again.”
“There’s one more thing in there.” Bri motioned to the bag.
He peeked into the bag and spotted a rectangular piece of paper at the bottom. Drew reached in and grabbed it, his cheeks sore now as his smile widened even further. It was a handmade coupon that read:Valid for one moonlight hike with Bri.
“You pick the perfect night with clear skies and just tell me when. I’ll bring everything else we need.”
Drew’s eyes were alight with joy and love as he turned to her. “Thank you. You know me so well.”
She returned his smile, and they all finished their cake.
His father was the first to stand. “It’s getting late for us old folks. You two have a good evening.” He walked over and clapped Drew on the shoulder again. “Happy birthday, son.”
His mother walked over, leaning down to press a light kiss to the top of his head. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”
“Thanks. Goodnight,” he called out to them as they left the room. Drew turned to Bri. “Are you ready to turn in yet?”
“Me? Are you kidding? I could stay up for hours.”
His grin reappeared. “I’m glad to hear that. There’s one more thing that would make this the best birthday ever.”
“Anything,” Bri said, and he could’ve sworn she glanced down at his lips.
“Will you stargaze with me?”
“I’d love nothing more.” She wrapped her arm through his, and he led them to the observatory. “I thought you said you wanted my family to visit for your birthday so you could hit some four-wheeling trails with Phillip.”
“I’d much rather spend time with my person in my favorite place.”
As they sat under the stars, holding hands, Drew couldn’t get his last kiss with Bri out of his mind. Their practice kiss had happened to prepare them in case they needed to kiss to keep up their ruse. And when Bri had kissed him in front of Clarissa, he’d been able to explain it away as her way of keeping up the charade—even though it had been completely mind-blowing.
But their kiss in the woods…that had been just for them. It hadn’t been about proving their relationship to anyone. It hadn’t been about keeping up a façade. It hadn’t been about anything except a man and a woman sharing a moment with each other.
Until then, he’d been unsure about Bri’s feelings toward him. He’d noticed small things, like her staring at his abs or her gasping at his touch. But it wasn’t until she’d let him kiss her with no one else around that he’d known with certainty she cared about him as more than a friend. She may not be as invested as he was yet, but he was confident there was something there. Tonight, he planned to lay all his cards on the table.
It was finally time to tell his best friend he loved her so much his chest ached when she wasn’t around. His heart beat with the hope of a future with her. But a small part of his brain reminded him she could reject him, and he could lose her forever.
