Page 120 of A Vine Mess
“Will you marry me, Wildflower? Will you make me the happiest, luckiest goddamn man in the world and be my wife?”
I’d barely had the words out before she was tackling me, both of us landing in a heap on the floor with her on top of me. Thankfully, the candles were battery operated, or we surely would’ve lit the place on fire.
“Yes, yes, YES!” she chanted, peppering my face with kisses. “Fuck, I love you. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
I sat up, hauling her with me, and she straddled my lap as I slid the ring on her delicate finger. Then I lifted us both to our feet, bending her backward and kissing her soundly.
When we straightened, Ella held her hand in front of her, mesmerized by her new piece of jewelry.
“Do you like it?” I asked, almost shyly. “If you don’t, we can get something different. You’re stuck with it forever, so I want you to love it.”
“Liam…it’s perfect.” She smiled up at me, eyesshining with so much love it took my breath away. The fact that she reserved that look forme? I’d never take it for granted. “I love it so much. I’m literally never taking it off.”
I gave her another kiss. “That’s the point.”
“Come here,” she said, feeling around in my pockets until she found my phone. Then she grabbed my hand and took a couple steps away. “Remember that picture you took of me in the hot springs?”
I grinned. “You wanna recreate it?” I asked, wiggling my brows.
“Not like that! I’ll be keeping my clothes on this time, but the idea is the same.”
I pretended to pout, but directed her where I wanted her, holding her hand as that gorgeous ring refracted rainbows to the ceiling. Once I’d snapped it, she opened my texts, started a group chat with her entire family—partners included—and sent it.
Once that was taken care of, I said, “I have another question.”
“Anything.”
“Will you move in with me?”
Ella frowned. “What’s wrong with my place?”
I glared down at her, then without a word, lifted my hands over my head…and easily touched the ceiling, elbows still bent and everything.
Ella giggled. “Okay, we need somewhere with higher than seven foot ceilings. Got it.”
“Is that a yes?”
She threw herself into my arms, and I caught her easily, swinging her around in a circle.
“That’s a hell yes.”
I grinned and captured her mouth, letting my tongue sweep against her bottom lip and gently pulling it. “Thank god. I’d have been willing to find a new place, but I fucking hate moving.”
“Speaking of,” she said, pulling away and turning her head side to side. “How quickly do you think we can pack my shit?”
Before I could answer, a thundering sounded on the stairs, like a herd of wild animals racing toward us. Ella and I merely turned toward the open door, grinning widely as the first of her sisters—Delia, of course; it was always Delia—rushed us.
The second before they reached us, before we got swept away in the excitement of her family—myfamily now too—I kissed her one last time.
“I love you, Wildflower.”
“And I love you more.”
ONE YEAR AFTER THE TRIP
“I can’t believe thebig day is already tomorrow,” Mom said, leaning back in her chair and resting a hand on her stomach. My and Liam’s rehearsal dinner had, of course, been catered by Ezra and Brie, and we’d had more food than we knew what to do with. Each of us girls and my parents would be eating leftovers for the next several weeks.
And that was saying nothing of the feast they’d curated for tomorrow. Even though they were both in the wedding party, they’d been very adamant about having a hand in what we served, saying it was their gift to us, and Liam and I weren’t about to turn that down.
