Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 88270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
"Feeling better?" he asks, his voice husky, thumb tracing circles on my skin—sensual and tender.
I nod, and feel emotion well up inside me, my love for him, and my appreciation at how safe I feel now with him.
"Where's Emma?" I ask as I shift the tray away. “Did you meet her?”
He smiles and tucks my hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering. “I did. She told me she’s your best friend.”
“She is,” I reply with a big grin. “She’s the sister I never had.”
“Well, she was actually here this morning," he says with a small laugh as he glances at the door. “But I sent her downstairs for breakfast. When Freya and I left the kitchen, I believe she was arguing with Dora about sourdough starters.”
He squeezes my hand gently. "They're like old friends already.”
This makes me laugh, but then it also makes me cry at how everything seems to be working out so perfectly that I am afraid that it is too good to be true. That it will all be taken away. I try to hide the tears glistening in my eyes, but Blake pulls me and holds me tight, his arms strong around me. Gently, he kisses my tears away with soft lips.
"Don't be scared or sad," he whispers, his voice thick with feelings. "You're mine now, and I'll take care of you until the end of my days. I swear it.”
Before I can even process his words, and to my shock, he gets on one knee right then, beside the bed, and pulls a small velvet box from his pocket. My heart stops in my chest. I watch his hand as he opens it.
The ring is breathtaking. A solitaire diamond on platinum, and I watch, speechless, as it sparkles in the morning light as if it holds all the promises.
Somehow, I find my voice. “Where—how did you get this?” I ask, fresh tears pouring down my face, and my hand covering my mouth.
He takes my hand and slides the ring on my finger slowly. The metal is cool, and it’s the perfect size. “When I got back from the hospital this morning, I went out with Emma to get it," he says.
“I wasn’t sure which style you would like, so I needed her help. She told me you’d love this design, but if you don’t, no worries, we'll go together to pick something else.”
“Something else?’ I cry. “How can anything be more beautiful than this?”
He smiles with satisfaction at my reaction. "I want to get to know everything about you, Juliet. Everything. What you like, dislike, hate, love, every single thing."
I lunge for him then, and he catches me in his arms. I kiss him deeply, my hands on his face, holding him to me with all of my heart. "It's the most perfect ring ever," I whisper against his lips, pausing to look at him as emotion swells. "I love you with all of my heart."
"And I love you with all of mine," he says, echoing the same for me. His arms go around me again, holding tight, and I know for a fact now that he will never let go.
Epilogue
JULIET
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_zHQ6kFuQ0
-The Power of Love-
The villa in Tulum wraps around us like a warm embrace, its white stucco walls and open terraces overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Down below lies the Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa's private beach, cleared just for our small group, with white sands raked smooth and dotted with seashells that glint under the late afternoon sun.
Blake and I are about to get married. I didn't want anything huge—just something intimate with Emma and the family—because after all the chaos and mess, this is our secret. The waves lap gently at the shore below, their rhythm matching my heartbeat as I stand by the window, where the sheer curtains billow in the breeze and carry the scent of frangipani from the gardens.
I gaze out at the skies, my hand resting on the windowsill, its wood smooth and warmed by the sun. The sunset is coming slowly, the sky already shifting to golden hues with streaks of orange, creating that perfect time when the light turns everything magical, but clouds hover faintly on the horizon—puffy and gray—making my stomach flutter with nerves.
What if it rains and spoils this moment I've dreamed of?
"I hope it doesn't rain," I say softly to Emma, turning away from the window. The tile is cool under my bare feet. I return to the chair where she has been helping me do my makeup. The vanity is cluttered with palettes and a vase of fresh orchids plucked from the resort's garden. Her brush dabs lightly on my cheeks. Her own face is focused, hair tied back in a loose bun, while the suite's air conditioner hums low to keep the humidity at bay.