countries, different continents with Jack. And each time, I feel like we’ve been chasing the day, catching up to the night. But right now, the world feels like ours. Like one enormous celebration of love.
Happiness. We hear the laughter of our families and friends, and our eyes return to each other. Rays brighten our joy as we lean in and kiss.
Epilogue
1 Week Later
JACK HIGHLAND
Oscar shakes out a bag of Nagaraya original cracker nuts, his current favorite Filipino snack. Last week it was sour cream & onion Piattos, a lighter-style chip.
“You sure this won’t mess with the sound quality?” he asks as he strides over, dipping beneath one of the softboxes that I set up in my living room. “Because I can ditch the snacks, if I need to.”
I laugh. “You’re serious?”
“I might complain about it, but I’ll do it.” His eyes sink into mine, and I’m lost in the deep browns for a solid moment. We’re filming the first interview for Suddenly Famous today, our docuseries. Closed set. Only us. And I know this is a big deal. A first step to sharing our lives with the world. He gave me this.
The one.
I’m the creator of a show—a show about us, and my soul is already rooted in the film before the camera has rolled.
He shakes his bowl. “So verdict?”
“Keep your nuts.”
He grins at the slight innuendo, and I dig a hand into the bowl. “This is about showing the real us. Plus, I have the best sound equipment that money can buy.”
“Legitimately impressed that I married a billionaire.” He touches his chest.
I slip him a smile.
“But you might want to spend some of that trust fund on a bigger apartment, Highland. You still don’t fit in this one.”
I laugh as I readjust one of the boom arms. “I’m surprised you never asked why I live in this apartment, since you know I have the trust fund.”
He sinks down onto the couch, bowl on his lap. “I didn’t need to ask. I figured out why.”
My brows shoot up. “Really?”
“Really, Long Beach, you might surprise me a lot, but you are my husband. You’re not that big of a secret anymore.” His smooth confidence draws me in. Curly strands of hair touch his forehead, and he brushes them back. “You work so much. Most the time you’re either at the WAC offices or on a shoot. In your head, there probably wasn’t a big reason to upgrade from a shoebox when you’re just here to shower and pass out.”
My smile hurts my face. It’s not just that Oscar knows me, but it’s the certainty behind it. Like there’s no doubt in his head that he could be wrong.
“But I have been thinking about upgrading the apartment.” I slip behind one of the cameras and adjust the focus. I’ve got three different cameras positioned around the living room to give me varying shots.
His eyes widen. “Finally worried that the ceiling fan is going to knock you out? Because I’ve been eyeing that thing since the first time I stepped foot in here.”
I let out a soft laugh, still standing and working on the boom. “No, I just figured we’re married, dude.”
Humor drains from his face replaced by that serious side that I’ve come to love. He sets aside the snack bowl and wraps an arm around the couch like his whole attention is mine.
“Explain, Long Beach.”
“We’re married.” I open my hands.
“You said that already. I’m waiting for the description.”
“Hold on,” I say and purposefully glance down at the camera’s screen to drag this out. He makes a noise while I take my sweet time focusing, adjusting, and making sure that his beautiful face is perfectly framed.
“Arizona, if you don’t get your ass over here.”
I break into a bigger grin. No lie, whenever he calls me Arizona, it feels like he’s packaging the state and giving me a gift.
“I’m coming, just not too fast,” I tell him. Feeling his grin behind me as I lock in the settings, click record, and sink down on the couch next to him.
Our knees knock together, turned into one another, and we both have an arm atop the couch.
“We’re recording?” he asks.
“Yeah.” I smile. “Something tells me we’ll have the best blooper reel.”
“Oh, by far.” He chews on a cracker nut. “Best blooper reel, best show, best honeymoon.” At our post-engagement-elopement party, we spun the globe in the penthouse’s library and randomly landed on our honeymoon destination.
At first it was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.