Liam follows me within seconds and then releases my hands before collapsing on top of me.
That was the best goodbye house party ever.
Dear Tyler AKA Beanstalk,
Your new cellmate, Archer, sounds like a douchebag, to be honest, but I guess I can’t blame him. I’d probably be one too being locked up with you 24/7 : ) Haha, kidding! I’m glad you have someone you can talk to and hopefully trust.
Liam and I just moved into our new apartment, and it feels strange not having to go to classes and dance practice this fall. I still can’t believe I finally graduated three months ago! I’m like an adult now. How’d that happen? (Don’t answer that!)
Oh, guess what? Sophie announced a couple weeks ago she and Mason are expecting! Which means I’m officially the only Corrigan sister NOT knocked up. I’m in no hurry, though. Being around them just means double the hormones and double the cravings.
I’ll bring their sonogram pictures when we visit you next month, though I’m sure you don’t care, but I don’t want your wall to be bare. You’ll be Uncle Tyler and love it.
Liam has been working a lot lately. Well, he always works a lot, but more than usual. I think he’s nervous about money and making rent now that we’re out on our own like a bunch of big kids. Though I told him not to stress because I’m getting more hours at the dance studio now that it’s the middle of August. I’d like to save up and eventually open my own studio, but that’s years down the road. Hell, I’m putting it out into the universe. By the time you get out, I’ll have Maddie’s Dance Studio, and you’re going to come visit me, okay?
Even though you say you’re never coming back here because of The Devil and the memories, you can make one exception for your favorite hostage. You did make me eat spicy sausage after all, so you owe me!
In all seriousness, I miss you and your ability to dodge my questions, though you did slip a few times. Like about Gemma ;) I expect you to go back to Alabama and get your woman. No exceptions! I know you’re rolling your eyes at me right now, but I don’t care. I have a sixth sense for these things.
Well, I’ll let you go now. Love you, Ty.
—Maddie
I stuff the letter into an envelope and then seal it. Once I write out the prison’s address I’ve memorized and put our return address sticker on it, I place it on the table to send out later. Tyler was sentenced to federal prison three hours away, so we visit him at least once a month. I wish he was closer so we could go every weekend, but between Liam’s work schedule and getting settled into the apartment, it just isn’t feasible to make the six-hour round trip. We only get thirty minutes of visitation with him, which sucks, but it’s better than nothing.
“Baby, you ready?” Liam asks from the bathroom. I can hear him shoving shit into a bag. He totally surprised me when he told me this morning to pack some clothes and be ready by noon.
It’s eleven fifty-five, and I haven’t packed a thing yet.
“Almost!”
I scramble to the bedroom and see Liam’s duffel bag is full and ready to go. He didn’t tell me where he was taking me, so I have no idea what to bring. I unzip his bag that he’s used for hundreds of work trips and notice it’s starting to fall apart. I really should just buy him a new one and throw this away.
Pulling out his items, I see jeans and button-up shirts. Well, these aren’t helpful. Liam always wears jeans and button-ups.
I wonder if he packed his swim trunks?
Maybe he’s taking us to the beach.
When I don’t find any, I look into the front pockets and then the deep side ones. My fingers brush against something hard, but also…soft? What the hell?
I pull it out and immediately gasp when I realize it’s a velvet box.
Oh my God.
Is he…going to propose?
Blinking, I contemplate what to do as my throat goes dry. If I pretend I didn’t see anything, I’ll be totally obvious, and he’ll think something’s wrong with me. Acting coy isn’t my strong suit.
I should put it back. Yes, put it back, Maddie.
“Mads, where’s your—”
I spin around before he can finish his sentence, and his eyes immediately fly to my shaking fingers.
“Sorry! I wasn’t trying to snoop, I just wanted to see what you packed so I knew what to bring and then I felt something weird, so I pulled it out, and oh my God, I’m sorry.”
Liam chuckles at my ramblings. “It’s fine. I’d rather surprise you with it later, but you can have it now.”
Wait, what? Why is he so calm and cool?
Why isn’t he freaking out with me?
“Huh?”
Liam steps closer and grabs the box from my hand. “It was five years ago this month we first met, and I wanted to take you somewhere special, but then I saw these earrings and thought how beautiful they’d look on you. So I got them too.”
What?
I swallow hard and blink again. “Wow, five years.”
I hold my breath as he opens it and reveals gorgeous sparkling studs. “Blue, to match your stunning eyes.”
Earrings?
“Earrings?” My voice comes out rough. As much as I’m freaking out, I really thought there was an engagement ring in there. Why isn’t he proposing?
What is the man waiting for? Five more years to pass?
I force a smile so he can’t sense my disappointment because they really are beautiful.
“Wow,” I say a little too eager. “I love them.”
Liam’s face drops, and I know he sees it written all over my face. He steps closer until the space between us is gone and tosses the box on the bed. “Goddammit, Maddie.” Cupping my face, he rests his forehead against mine, chuckling.
I’m very confused. My heart is pounding so hard, he can probably hear it over my harsh breathing.
“What?” I ask softly.
Then he retreats, grabs something from his back pocket, and gets down on one knee.
Oh my God.
What’s he doing now?
“Didn’t you learn from the last time you dug through my things?” He smirks, holds out a different velvet box, and opens it, revealing a diamond ring. “I should’ve known you’d find the decoy box.” Shaking his head, he reaches for my left hand and rubs the pad of his thumb over my knuckles. “I should make you wait since you snooped, but now I can’t.” Then he winks.
A gasp releases from my throat as I cover my mouth with my hand.
“Madelyn Grace Corrigan, my beautiful girlfriend, the love of my entire existence…” He leans in and kisses my knuckles. “You mean more to me than I could ever express, and I hope by now you know how much I love you. Before you, I wasn’t really living, and it wasn’t until you became mine that I had a real purpose. You gave me that. To look forward to every day just to wake up to your beautiful smile. To hear your contagious laugh. To kiss your soft skin. I can’t think of how life can truly get any better than you agreeing to marry me. So baby, will you take morning showers with me and let me kiss you to sleep every night for the rest of our lives? Marry me, please.”