“I came prepared.”
Nic smirks as he pulls a tissue out of his pocket and hands it to me, just like he did at the wedding. Remembering that moment when we barely knew each other only makes me cry harder.
“It’s so perfect,” I say after I pull myself together, holding up my hand to admire the ring. It’s a princess cut, and the white gold band fits perfectly on my finger. “How did you know to get this ring?” It’s the exact ring I’ve been picturing for years, and only a few people knew about it. Who could have told him?
“Well, I had a little help,” he says, pulling me close again and looking into my eyes. “I called Christine.”
My jaw drops. “You and Christine went ring shopping together?” I’m floored.
After I forgave Nic, I called Christine and we made up. I knew she only hired Nic to help me, and she had my best interests at heart.
But even after she and I were back to normal, she was still wary of Nic. I’ve been trying to get them in the same room for weeks so she can see how amazing he really is, but she kept making excuses not to show up. I’d been starting to wonder if she’d ever be able to move past him being an escort.
“She came around after we talked it through,” he says, wiping a tear from my cheek with his thumb.
“What did you tell her?” I’ve been friends with Christine a long time, and I know how stubborn she can be. I can only imagine what it must have taken to change her mind about Nic.
“The truth,” he says. “That from the moment I met you, I knew nothing in my life would ever be the same. And I can’t picture spending even one day apart from you. Once she realized this was for real, she was happy to help.”
My eyes fill with tears again. I’m so touched that Christine and Nic are able to be close, that I’m feeling emotional all over again. I could never marry someone my family wasn’t okay with, and Nic knows how much it means to me that everyone I love sees him the way that I do.
I throw my arms around Nic and jump into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and kissing him. “We’re getting married,” I say, pulling back for a moment. I can’t believe it’s all really happening.
“All right, waterworks, let’s get out of here,” he says, setting me on the floor.
I take his hand as we walk out the door. It’s one of the first warmer days of spring, and I inhale deeply, taking in the scents of the budding flowers.
I smile up at Nic. We’ve been through a lot of ups and downs over the course of our relationship, but I’ve got a feeling we’re headed for a happy ending.
Epilogue
Elle
One year later
I roll over onto my stomach, the sun warming my back. When I glance up, I see Nic approaching with a round of drinks, and I smile. My heart skips a beat at the sight of him shirtless, his strong biceps flexing as he sets the frozen drinks down. I almost want to pinch myself, because it all feels like a dream.
“I can’t believe we had to come all the way to Bali just to get some alone time,” Nic says, sitting on the sand next to me.
“Can we stay here forever?” I ask, then take a sip of my strawberry margarita.
Between Nic getting his business started, me studying for the bar exam, and planning the wedding, it feels like we’ve barely seen each other lately. Now, with the wedding and the bar exam behind me, I’m officially an attorney now and have joined a great firm, and we’re finally relaxing on our honeymoon. It’s been better than I could have ever imagined. Not only did I marry the sexiest, kindest, most thoughtful man in the entire world, but the trip has been perfect so far.
We had the wedding at a beautiful outdoor venue in the country, with both of our families there. True to form, I couldn’t hold back my tears throughout the ceremony, but I was so happy, I didn’t care. It was absolute perfection, and I almost couldn’t believe it was real. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from being with Nic, it’s that not everything is too good to be true.
Nic glances at his watch as I take another sip of my margarita. It’s delicious.
“I’ve got a surprise for you in an hour,” he says, grinning at me. “So drink up.”
“What is it?” I prop myself onto my elbows. I was ready for a long day of lying on the beach doing nothing, but I’m intrigued by the idea of a surprise.
He raises an eyebrow. “It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you. But, trust me, you’re going to like it.”
Nic lies down on the sand and puts an arm around me. I scoot closer to him and press my lips to his cheek.
Even after the wedding and everything we’ve been through, I still get butterflies every time I’m close to him. Something about him has always felt like home to me. Warm and familiar and safe. Even when I hardly knew him, the only thing I wanted was more of him. And yes, it’s true that when I finally got the full story about his background, it freaked me out a little, but he really is so lovable that I couldn’t stay mad at him forever. Plus, it feels a little silly to complain when your husband is one of the most talented lovers in the tri-state area.
After we finish our drinks, we walk to our overwater bungalow to change and head toward Nic’s surprise. I watch the beautiful scenery from the window of the car we rented for the week, and he slides his hand into mine.
“So, is Bali everything you imagined?” he asks. We’d gone back and forth about honeymoon destinations, but after seeing some of the pictures online, we knew Bali was the right choice.
“I guess it’s okay, if you like perfect weather and beautiful beaches.” I grin. “But, seriously, this is like a fairy tale.”
He chuckles and places one hand on my bare knee.
“How does it feel being on your first international trip?” I squeeze his hand.
“It’s pretty damn amazing. Or maybe it’s just being here with you.”
“I am pretty amazing, aren’t I?” I say, smirking at him.
Nic snorts as he slows the car, finally parking in front of a small hut on the side of the road. I can’t tell exactly where we are, but there aren’t any signs of life, just a lot of trees and a huge field. I climb out of the car, trying to figure out what we could possibly be doing here. The silence gives me the creeps, and I give Nic a doubtful look.
“Wait here while I check on something,” he says, keeping his poker face in place.
I can tell he’s loving keeping me on my toes with this surprise, which makes me want to figure it out even more.
“Is the surprise that you’re going to have me killed?” I shout after him, raising an eyebrow.
Nic laughs before stepping inside the hut.
I look up at the sky, which is clear and blue. Whatever we’re doing, we couldn’t have gotten better weather for it. Between the past few days of snorkeling, hiking through gorgeous scenery, and seeing all kinds of exotic animals, I don’t think there’s any surprise that could top what we’ve already been doing.
“They should be here any minute,” Nic says, stepping back out of the hut.
“Who?” I ask. I know I should just wait to find out, but I can’t help it.
Before Nic can answer, I hear something loud approaching above us. I look into the sky as a helicopter appears and touches down in the field.