Page 151 of Guarded Knight

My cheeks ache from smiling. And I never realized it wasn’t before, but my soul settles.

Gabriel lifts my hand, kisses the ring like he’s sealing a vow. “I got red velvet, your favorite,” he whispers. “You’re mine now.”

I smile, every part of me full. “Always was.”

He stills. Drops his forehead to mine. His chest rises against mine, then he releases a breath like he’s letting go of something heavy… something that’s lived in his ribs for years.

The room comes alive again.

Theo and Owen argue over whether comic books count as literature, while Luis stokes the debate just for fun.

There’s so much joy in this place.

In these people.

I always thought I wanted freedom. Independence. To prove I could survive anything on my own. But no kind of freedomcompares to this feeling. Being surrounded by care. Being chosen. Belonging.

Gabriel’s thumb sweeps a tear from under my eye. “You okay?” he asks softly.

“Best day of my life,” I whisper.

He grins, all heat and certainty. “We’re gonna have a good one, aren’t we?”

I look at the ring. At the bookstore. All this love packed into one little room.

“No,” I say. “We’re going to have two. This life.” We kiss softly. “And the next.”