Page 75 of Broken Empire

“How did you know my ring size?” I asked, eyes widening.

“I paid your sister fifty bucks to sneak in and measure your finger while we were asleep a few weeks ago,” he said. “I figured if I did it, you might wake up and catch me, and then you’d know what I was planning. But ifshedid it, she could play it off as sleepwalking, or something like that.”

My brows shot up. “Wait, I actually remember that! I woke up to her touching my fingers in the middle of the night. She told me she had a nightmare and wanted to hold my hand.” I paused for a beat, laughing as I shook my head. “That sneaky little smartass! I can’t believe I fell for that.”

Killian laughed with me, ocean-blue eyes crinkling at the corners. Then he pulled me into a tight hug. “I love you, Shay,” he murmured against my ear. “With my whole heart and soul.”

“I love you too,” I replied, voice muffled by his shirt. My heart was swelling with adoration, threatening to burst right out of my chest.

Killian was my rock. My protector. My savior. With him by my side, I knew I could do anything I wanted. Be anything I wanted. He didn’t just protect me in a physical way, either. He guarded my heart and emotions just as fiercely.

Before I met him, I felt as if I were living my life as a background character, waiting for something to happen. Waiting for all my guilt and regrets to fade away. Killian made me confront it all head-on; turned me back into the main character in my own life.

He made me learn important lessons about myself, too. When I forgave him for everything that happened between us in the past, cold and deplorable as it was, I realized I could—andshould—forgive myself too. I wasn’t to blame for the death of my parents on that road all those years ago. Even though I always knew that deep down, I actuallyfeltit now.

I felt something else too, for the first time since I was a child—pure, unadulterated joy and hope for the future.

It was all because of Killian.

We might not have started things off perfectly, and we certainly weren’t perfect people, either… but we were perfect for each other. That was all that mattered in the end.

I snuggled into his arms and let out a contented sigh, looking out at the shimmering lake and all the days ahead of us.

“Yup,” I whispered to myself. “Perfect.”

THE END