Page 97 of You've Got The Love
“Do you remember the first time you brought Abel to‘Wild Ones’?” I ask, smiling at thememory.
He chuckles, low and warm. “Yeah. He charmed you instantly.”
“Like father, like son,” I tease.
The corner of his mouth lifts, and he reaches over to tuck a loose curl behind my ear. His touch is gentle, lingering, like he’s remembering too.
My gaze drifts down to Grace. Her tiny hand curls around my finger, the faintest grip, as if even in sleep she’s holding on. “Sometimes I wonder how we did it,” I murmur. “How we made it through the chaos, the running, the fear… the heartbreak.”
Bas’s eyes darken, a shadow of old pain flickering through. “I was petrified, Amber. Afraid I’d lose you like I lost Marieke.”
“I know,” I say softly. “You were carrying so much. Guilt. Grief. All of it.”
He nods slowly, his thumb brushing over my hand as if grounding himself. “Some days I thought I’d drown in it. But you… you pulled me out. You gave me something worth fighting for again.”
“We saved each other,” I remind him, and it’s true.
A small smile curves his mouth. “And here we are. Stronger than ever.”
I lean into him, resting my head on his shoulder. “Grace changed everything. She’s proof that even in the darkest times, love can still take root and bloom. That hope isn’t just an idea—it’s real.”
The first time Abel held Grace, he looked so serious—like the weight of her tiny body was the most important thing he’d ever carried. His hands were careful, his shoulders stiff, his eyes locked on her face like she might vanish if he blinked. I’d stood beside him, one hand on his shoulder, and felt something shift inside me. This boy—Bas’s boy—had been through so much, and here he was, meeting his baby sister with nothing but quiet awe. He didn’t say much, just traced one fingertip along her blanket and whispered, “Hi, Gracie.”
It made something ache in me. I thought about all the times I’d wished for moments like this as a kid—those slow, safe afternoons with family that felt unshakable. I grew up with my grandparents here on the Island while my dad lived up inLondonwith the MC. He loved me, but the club came first, and I learned early that people can love you from far away—and it’s still lonely. My grandparents were wonderful, and I miss them every day, but I yearned for my dad. I ached for the mother I never knew—a club ‘sweetbutt’ who died young. She’d been an addict, so Dad took me in when I was only a few weeks old but sent me down to the Island when I was two after being promoted to VP. Being a single dad didn’t work for him. I’m glad I didn’t grow up in that life, but it wasn’t easy.
Maybe that’s why Abel slipped into my heart so easily. He deserved more than love from a distance. He deserved someone who would be there every day—someone who would notice if his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes,who would remember how he likes his hot chocolate, who would listen to his endless facts about the stars even if dinner was burning. In that moment, watching him with Grace, I knew I’d spend my life loving him just as fiercely as I loved her. I’m not trying to replace anyone. I couldn’t. But I can be someone he can count on, someone who will always show up for him—just like I will for her.
Bas turns his head to look at me, his blue eyes glassy in the sunlight. “You’ve given me a second chance at life, Amber. At family.”
My chest tightens. “And you’ve given me the courage to fight for what I want. For us.”
He exhales slowly, and then his hand slips into his pocket. When he pulls it back out, I already know what’s in it. The small velvet box is one I’ve seen before, though last time it broke me open in ways I wasn’t ready for.
This time, he opens it with steady hands. Inside, a delicate rose gold ring catches the light, its diamonds arranged in the shape of a daisy. It sparkles like something alive.
“I will choose you every day,” he says, his voice steady and sure, carrying all the weight of a vow. “Through the good, the hard, and everything in between. Amber Rae Bell—will you marry me?”
My heart slams against my ribs. There’s no hesitation this time, no ache holding me back—just a swell of love so strong it nearly steals my breath.
“Yes,” I whisper, tears spilling hot down my cheeks. “A thousandmillion times yes!”
He slides the ring onto my finger, and I feel it—not just the metal, but the story it carries. Every mile we ran. Every night, we thought we wouldn’t make it. Every fear, every loss, every moment we clung to each other. It’s all there, sitting between us like a warm, unshakable truth.
Bas gathers me into his arms, holding me like I’m something precious he’ll never let go of again. I close my eyes, breathing in the scent of him, the feel of home.
“Together,” he whispers against my hair.
“Together,” I echo, the word blooming in my chest like a promise that will outlast every storm.
These days, we divide our lives betweenEnglandand Holland. OnHampstead Island, I wake to the sound of the sea and the scent of fresh blooms from my shop. InAlphen aan den Rijn, mornings begin with Abel’s footsteps from his room to ours, Grace’s sleepy murmurs from her crib, and Bas’s arms around me while the world outside still sleeps.Englandfeels like roots.Hollandfeels like wings. And somewhere between the two, we’ve built a life that holds us steady and sets us free—all of us, together.
Chapter 51
Bastiaan’s Epilogue
Watching Amber with Grace, I feel something I thought I’d lost forever—peace. It’s quiet here, but inside, my heart is loud with gratitude. Every fight, every sleepless night, every moment of fear and grief was worth this.
But it wasn’t just the running and hiding that wore me down—it was the months before Grace was born. I’d never told Amber how much they tore me apart. On the outside, I played it steady—calm hands on her back, quiet words when she was tired—but inside, it was hell. Every time she shifted in her sleep, every time she winced and pressed a hand to her belly, I was back in that sterile hospital room with Marieke. The beeping monitors. The smell of antiseptic.
