I blink at him, biting down on my lip so I don’t laugh hysterically. What does he mean, take two? When the hell was take one? My mouth drops into an O shape as the penny drops.
“You mean…?”
He gives me a sharp nod, closing his eyes.
“Had it in my pocket last year. Have it in my pocket now. I can’t afford a diamond just yet, so it has a…”
“Orange sea glass instead,” I finish for him, my heart rioting in my chest. He grins.
“Please, for the love of G…Marx, put me out of my fucking misery and tell me you’ll be my wife. I’m not asking you to make the commitment this year. Or next year. Or maybe not even the next one. I’m asking you to make the commitment to make the commitment, and yes, I know how Dr. Phil that sounds.”
I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him so hard I think our lips might fall off. He lifts me off the ground and into the air, kissing my cheeks, my nose, my forehead, then finally, my chin.
“Shiiiiit,” he hisses. “You’re still not giving me words, Skull Eyes.”
His shirts are so perfectly whole these days. Mine, too.
“Yes, Penn Scully. It would be an honor to be your wife.”
“Thank fuck, I thought I was going to grow old and die behind this thing,” I hear from the corner of the arch and cock my head. It’s our entire football team, cheer team, Mom, Dad, Bailey, Via, Knight, Luna, Vaughn, and a girl I don’t know but have heard all about. Adriana is there, too, with Harper on her hip. Camilo has his arm wrapped around her shoulder, and they’re smiling. Not just at us, but also at each other.
Mom and Dad clap. Bailey jumps up and down. Knight gives us a thumbs-up, and Vaughn rolls his eyes but smiles. Luna, Addy, Harper, and Camilo look at us like they’ve won something. Happy in our happiness.
And that’s what good friends and families do.
They pick you up and pull you out of the mud of your own mistakes.
And when you’re not the best version of yourself? Well, they’re still there, waiting, because we’re all fucking human.
THE END
I always rewrite my books, but this one took three drafts to get right. No. Wait…four. Yes. Four, completely different versions of Daria’s story. And all of them were read by Charleigh Rose and Tijuana Turner, so suffice to say, they should be the first to get acknowledged for this book.
Also, to Lana Kart, Melissa Panio-Petersen, Sarah Grim Sentz, Amy Halter and Ava Harrison. Thanks for not hating me. I appreciate it.
To Angela Marshall Smith, Paige Smith, and Jenny Sims, my wonderful editors—I cannot thank you for not hating me, for I do not know it to be true, but thank you for always being patient with me. I appreciate it, too.
To Letitia Hasser and Stacey Blake, who always make my books pretty. Thank you for being so incredibly talented. And to Lin Tahel Cohen, my PA, for doing everything short of breathing for me. I am so awfully dependent on you.
To Helena Hunting—thanks for holding my hand. Jenn Watson—thanks for existing. And my agent, Kimberly Brower, who made this series happen even before I started writing it. You’re wow. All of you.
Special thanks to the Sassy Sparrows group, my favorite group in the universe, and to my wonderful street team, that is continuously growing, so I simply decided to start dedicating my books to them to show my appreciation, two people at a time.
Huge thanks to Social Butterfly for the wonderful PR services. Jenn, you are truly a rock and one of my favorite people in the industry. Brooke, Sarah, Nina—you ladies rock!
I would also like to thank the bloggers who took the time to read this book for no other reason than their love for the written word, and to you, the reader, for allowing me to do what I love. Please consider leaving a brief, honest review if you have time.
Always grateful,
L.J. Shen
Tyed
Sparrow
Blood to Dust
Vicious
Defy
Ruckus
Scandalous
Bane
The End Zone
Midnight Blue
Dirty Headlines
Coming Soon:
Broken Knight
Angry God
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Want to know how Jaime and Melody have met? You can read their story in Defy. Here is the first chapter of the novella, for your enjoyment.