Page 91 of If the Stars Align

He grabs a bottle of champagne that was in the fridge. We haven’t been grocery shopping in days, and it’s the only alcohol we have. Then we walk up three flights of stairs to the roof.

Jeremy holds the door open for me and lets me through.

The entire rooftop is decorated with string lights, and candles, and vases full of white peonies. Pachelbel’sCanonis playing over speakers. It’s like a scene out of a movie.

Or a romance novel.

There’s no one up here, but I figure we must have crashed someone’s party. Maybe they’re still setting up. They’ll probably be back any minute.

I turn around to tell Jeremy we should leave, but he isn’t standing behind me anymore.

He’s down on one knee.

It feels like I’m dreaming.

I lift my hands to cover my mouth, tears welling in my eyes. “How did you do all this?” I ask him. “We were out of town…”

He shrugs and smiles. Areal, full smile, like I’ve never seen on him before. He’s so unbelievably handsome. “I have friends,” he says.

I laugh and sniffle at the same time. “Youdo?”

He goes back to his signature smirk. “I paid the maintenance guy, okay? You’re the only friend I need.”

I giggle and wipe my eyes.

Jeremy swallows. “I’ve had this planned for a while now—long before this weekend. And I wasn’t sure, given what happened in Beachwood, if this was still the right time. But then I realized, why not choose today to tell you that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I knew it from the first time we kissed. I’d spent years waiting for just ashotat loving you, and when you gave it to me, I swore I’d never take it for granted. Because loving you is a privilege.”

He pulls a velvet box from the pocket of his jacket. When he opens it, all I see through my tears are a million sparkles glinting under the string lights overhead.

And then he makes me a promise. “I vow to love you forever, Sunny. I will never, ever, stray.”

These words echo so powerfully in my heart that I almost miss what he says next.

Almost.

“Will you do me the incredible honor of marrying me?” he asks.

If there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that the man asking for my hand is unapologetically himself. And when he says he’ll never leave me, I believe him.

He won’t abandon me like my heartless dad. Or my mom, who’s let decades of lies drive a wedge between us—however well-meaning her intentions.

No, Jeremy’s different. I can count on him to be honest with me.

I’m not even sure I can say that about Dex. He’s an actor, after all. And it’s not like he’s never lied about his feelings before. He’s admitted to it. Like freshman year of college, when I told him I was dating Chris, and he pretended to be happy for me when he was actually a wreck.

Or all the years he kept the severity of his anxiety from me, not trusting me with the truth.

What happens the next time he’s struggling? Even if he got help for his anxiety like he claims, life is full of ups and downs. The next time the going gets tough, will he confide in me? Or will he cover it up?

I know without a doubt that I will always love Dex.

But sometimes love isn’t enough.

There has to be trust.

Now the answer to Jeremy’s question is clear.

I take in a breath. “Yes.”