Page 83

The restaurant was small and felt cozy the moment the savory scent of homemade pasta hit my face. A sign stood at the doorway, 'Please Seat Yourself.'

Finding a table tucked in the back corner, I slid into the seat across from Quinn. A grin was smeared across his face, his eyes twinkling with delight.

“What?”I asked, tilting my head a hair. Every time I saw that gaze fall over his face, I knew he was up to something. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing. You're just so beautiful.”

“Stop it.” I could feel my face blush, cheeks warming with those nerves he always pulled out. Even now, months later, he still made me bubble like a school girl. His sweet compliments sent goosebumps across my skin, my heart pounding so forcefully, I waited for it to shoot out of my chest.

The fact that I was carrying around all that extra weight, had purple lines road mapping my stomach, and knees that had somehow developed stretchmarks of their own... I couldn't help but feel special.

It was crazy to me that this man could still entice me with his eyes, and make me melt in his arms. Life couldn't have been more perfect.

Yes, I know, a lot of people would think we moved too quickly in our relationship.

But life can be here one second then gone the next.

Why waste a single breath on uncertainty if I could be happy now, here in this moment?

“What? You are.” Quinn winked in my direction, looking over my shoulder to the back, he nodded his head up.

“What are you doing?” My head whipped around, eyeing where his sight had gone.

A small old woman emerged from the back, carrying the largest bouquet of calla lilies I had ever seen. There had to be over three dozen, all stuffed into a crystal vase.

My eyes doubled in size as she placed the flowers between us. A soft crackle fell from the speakers on the ceiling, the roll of music filling the restaurant.

I couldn't see Quinn behind the wall of lilies. Wrapping my hand around the vase, I pulled them to my lap, frozen on the beautiful bouquet. The aroma filtered through the air, swelling my lungs, my heart racing over his gesture.

A deep cough yanked me from my daze, Quinn now eye height right in front of me. I hadn't heard him move, didn't see him stand. I was too engulfed with shock over his gift to realize he was resting on one knee.

“Quinn, these are beautiful. How did you know these were my favorite?” The stunned emotions could be read all over my body as I sniffled back the tears.

“You can thank Mia for me.” Lightly his fingers ran circles around my wrist, pulling my hand down so he could hold it. “Cadence, I have spent my entire life oblivious to what I should be living for. You showed me what it feels like to actually live, to feel the blood that pumps through my veins.”

My eyes started to well, tears filling the creases of my lids. “Quinn—”

“I need you, and I can't picture my life without you. I don't want to.” Pulling a small red box from his back pocket, he lifted out a ring. “Tell me you feel the same, tell me you'll be mine forever.” Holding the ring up, it glistened in the sunlight.

I tried to stop myself, stop the tears from streaming down my face, but I couldn't. They cascaded over my cheeks, a smile tugging up beneath the waterfall, hands trembling against the vase. “Yes. I do. I do, Quinn.”

Bringing his thumb to my skin, he brushed the tears away. Cupping my jaw, he wrapped his mouth tight on mine.

And I knew, knew he had been sent to me, sent to keep me safe, to free me.

Quinn had walked into my life, and now...

He was my life.

Forever.