Page 11 of Boarding Pass (Hearts Without Borders #1)

Funny how ironic life is.

I never thought I’d be the guy who brings the girl home to meet his family.

Yet here I am, standing in Austin’s ridiculous, expensive high-rise condo, looking out at Puget Sound while my parents laugh in the next room.

My sister Shay pours wine like it’s a competitive sport, though she doesn’t drink herself.

Sophie sits at the center of it all, a little flushed but charming as ever.

I’m both calm and nervous as hell.

“Looks like she’s handling your folks better than you ever did.” Austin hands me a beer. He watches Sophie with a mix of amusement and approval, which I expected.

“She’s much better at this than I am.” I beam at her despite myself.

Sophie glances my way from where she’s perched between Shay and my mom on the couch. They’re all laughing at some ridiculous story—probably about me as a teenager. I don’t even want to know.

“Shay’s adding fuel to the fire, by the way,” I grumble.

Austin shrugs. “What are twin sisters for?”

“Support,” I say dryly.

He slugs me in the arm. “Where’s the fun in that?”

It’s been three months since Sophie and I stood on the edge of the Seine, fumbled our way through figuring out what “this” was or wasn’t, and decided to give it a shot.

Somehow, through train rides, cheap wine, incredible sunsets, unbelievable sex and so many laughs, we made it here. Back to Seattle.

Together .

“Okay, Miles, enough stalling.” Shay motions me over. “You’re not getting out of this. You promised stories.”

I smirk. “You just want to hear about the time I nearly broke my ankle so you can torment me forever.”

“ Obviously . She settles deeper into the couch. “Dad wants the travel recap because he’s decided you’ve been ‘squandering your youth,’ despite the fact you could buy a small country at thirty.”

From the armchair, my dad—Goran Stojanovi?, the hockey legend himself—raises his hands in mock innocence. “No need to rest on your laurels.”

“Don’t pretend you’re not dying to hear about all the places your son fell on his face.” My mom, Annika, nudges him with her elbow.

Sophie stifles a laugh with the back of her hand and it pulls my attention to her like a magnet. She’s radiant—flushed cheeks, dark sweater falling off one shoulder in the effortlessly elegant way she has. When our eyes meet, for a moment, I forget anyone else is in the room.

“Ahem.” Austin smacks my back with the palm of his hand. “Less ogling. More words. ”

“Fine, fine.” I lean against the fireplace, my beer dangling from my hand.

“I’ll give you the highlight reel of Europe.

Keep in mind, Sophie’s the organized one.

She had a camera bag, an itinerary, and the magical ability to navigate every train system we encountered.

I mostly carried our bags and smiled like an idiot. ”

“Sounds accurate.” Sophie nods and purses her lips playfully.

Everyone laughs, and I shake my head. “ Anyway . The trip started in Paris, obviously. Sophie took me to all her secret spots—places you won’t find on Instagram or in guidebooks. Like a little café in Montmartre that served croissants so delicious I actually got emotional.”

“ Emotional ,“ Shay scoffs disbelievingly. “Like, tears ?”

I fix her with a mock pointed glare. “Uh, yeah . You had to be there.”

“Then I ruined it by dragging him to the flea market,” Sophie chimes in. “Miles thought I was trying to ditch him in the middle of nowhere.”

“Okay, in my defense,” I point at her, “it was huge . Rows and rows of stalls. I lost her twice and panicked both times. Also, someone tried to sell me a 19th-century chamber pot. ”

This earns another round of laughter, even from my dad. Sophie shakes her head at me and points to the floor by the front door. “Instead, you bought a weird leather satchel.”

“It’s vintage ,“ I argue. “It has character.”

“It smells like mothballs, the whole place stinks now,” Shay mutters.

“Moving on,” I say cursorily. “From Paris, we went to Switzerland. I convinced Sophie to snowboard with me in Zermatt.”

“And?” my mom prompts, leaning in.

“She’s a ringer,” I pout. “I found out she’s been boarding since she was five years old. She’s way better than I am.”

Sophie rolls her eyes, but I catch the way she’s holding back a smile. “Not true. I didn’t want to hurt your fragile ego.”

I move toward her, unable to stay away. “You were graceful. I fell into a snowbank and disappeared for a full minute.”

Dad—ever the athlete—lets out a booming laugh and points at Sophie. “Tell me you got all of this on camera.”

“Oh, you know I did,” Sophie says proudly. “It’s my favorite video of the trip.”

“Traitor,” I grumble, though I can’t help but kiss her temple.

“Then there was Italy,” I continue. “Cinque Terre was my favorite town. We stayed in Vernazza in an Airbnb built into the cliffs where the streets are basically stairs. I still don’t know how Sophie found the place but it had a balcony overlooking the ocean.

We had the best meal of my life—pesto pasta, fresh fish caught an hour before it was served and tiramisu I’m still dreaming about. ”

“Well, you’re conveniently leaving out the best part,” Sophie adds. “Miles got seasick on the boat ride earlier in the day, once food was involved he had a miraculous recovery.”

I groan. “You don’t need to tell them everything .”

“Oh, I won’t. Clearly, we can’t tell your parents about when you dropped trou—“

I cover her mouth with my palm. “You wouldn’t.”

Sophie laughs and even Shay looks impressed. “Wow, Stodge.” She drums her fingers on the back of the couch. “This whole ‘world traveler’ thing suits you. Who knew?”

“I didn’t,” I admit. “And yet, somehow, it worked.”

Sophie tilts her head, amused. “Stodge?”

I groan, shooting Shay a look. “Seriously? You had to bring my nickname up?”

From the armchair, Dad nods his approval, clearly enjoying this. “It’s a solid name. Earned it myself on the ice, passed it down fair and square.”

I roll my eyes but can’t help smiling. “Yeah, well, it made sense back then. It’s always been a part of me, but now…” I glance at Sophie. “Now it feels like it belongs to another version of me. One I’m ready to leave behind.”

Sophie’s smile is gentle, understanding. “You’ll always be Miles to me.”

Dad grunts in approval, raising his glass. “Smart woman. She’s a keeper.”

“Agreed.” Mom is downright charmed. “What was your favorite country?”

“Spain,” I say, grinning. “Barcelona, specifically. Sophie dragged me to the Picasso Museum.”

“And you loved it,” she says smugly.

“I did.” I shrug. “It was…inspiring. But, we ended up at this hidden tapas bar down a side alley where no one spoke English. We sat at the bar, ate whatever they put in front of us, and drank wine straight from the porron.”

Shay raises a brow. “What’s a porron ? ”

“It’s this glass thing.” I gesture vaguely. “You have to pour the wine straight into your mouth without spilling. I failed spectacularly.”

“You looked like a kid drinking out of a garden hose.” Sophie shakes her head.

The memory makes me smile. I can still see her there, laughing so hard she cried, her face flushed and radiant under the soft glow of string lights. I clear my throat, feeling everyone’s eyes on me. “Greece was a close second. Santorini.”

“Oh, I’ve always wanted to go there.” My mom’s face lights up.

“It’s as beautiful as you’d imagine.” My gaze catches Sophie’s again as I remembered the long, languid mornings making love in our hotel overlooking the sea.

“The sunsets there are unreal—gold and pink, like something out of a painting. Every night we sat on the roof of this little restaurant, eating moussaka, drinking wine, and watching the sun sink into the Aegean.”

I don’t add it was the night I confessed I was completely, hopelessly in love with her and she reciprocated my feelings. I don’t need to. Sophie looks at me and I know she remembers it, too.

“And now you’re home.” My dad squints at me.

“Yeah,” I say, my throat a little tight, because I haven’t told any of my family New York is going to be my new home. After Sophie’s photography exhibit, I’ve decided to extend my break and study art for a couple of years. Travel with Sophie to her photo shoots.

Anyway, there’s an even bigger announcement to make.

For a moment, the room is quiet—comfortable, but content.

My mom breaks the silence. “We’re so happy you’re happy, Miles. And, Sophie, we adore you.”

“Thank you.” Sophie reddens, like she’s a little shy. “Your support means a lot.”

And I can’t wait another second. I hold out a hand to Sophie. “Come here for a second, my love.”

“What are you doing?” She quirks a brow and slips her hand into mine.

“You’ll see.” I tug her gently to her feet and keep her close as we turn back to face my family. Sophie gives me a look—half-curious, half-nervous—but she doesn’t pull away. I clear my throat, my fingers laced tightly through hers. “So, uh…there’s something else we should tell you.”

All eyes snap to us. Austin folds his arms. Shay’s glass hovers midair. My mom’s brows lift, and Dad leans forward like he’s watching the final seconds of a tied game. I squeeze Sophie’s hand and glance at her. There’s a beautiful mix of nerves and excitement lighting up her face.

“Sophie and I…” I pause for just a beat, grinning like a lovesick fool. “The thing is, we’re engaged. I asked her to marry me and she said yes.”

The room goes deadly still—just long enough for Sophie to shoot me a you’re doing this now? look—before everything explodes at once.

“Engaged?! Oh my God !“ Mom gasps and claps her hands together, practically launching out of her chair.

Shay shrieks and almost trips over her own feet as she races toward us. “Are you serious?!” she yells, throwing her arms around Sophie. “This is the best news ever!”

Dad, bless him, lumbers to his feet slowly, a proud smile spreading across his face as he walks over and claps me on the shoulder. “My boy,” he says gruffly, because it’s how he always talks. “You’ve got a keeper.”

Austin raises his beer in salute. “About time, Stodge. I always knew you were smart enough to lock down a gem.”

Amid the chaos, I look at Sophie—her cheeks flushed and smile radiant as my mom practically smothers her in congratulations. My chest feels like it might burst.

“Was this your plan all along?” she whispers a few seconds later, tilting her head up at me as Shay drags her into another hug.

“Nope.” I kiss her temple. “Couldn’t keep it to myself. Let’s tell your folks tomorrow.”

“Welcome to the family, Sophie!” Dad booms.

Sophie shakes her head, her eyes shimmering with forever. “Thank you. I guess there’s no turning back now.”

“There isn’t.” I tug her close to my side. “I love you, Sophie and I can’t wait to spend my life with you.”

She smiles, her voice steady and full of certainty. “I love you too.”

When her lips meet mine, it feels like stamping the final boarding pass to a life we’ve both been waiting for—a journey we’ll take together from this moment on.

As my family’s laughter fills the room, chaotic and full of love, I realize this isn’t just the end of a chapter—it’s the start of everything .

Sophie’s not just a part of my story; she’s the heart of it.

Wherever we go, whatever paths we take, I know one thing for sure.

With her by my side, I’ll always be home.

Thank you for reading Boarding Pass . If Miles and Sophie swept you off your feet, I’d love if you left a quick review: Leave your review here