Page 88

Margot

I wake up to the smell of coffee, and the sexiest man on earth bringing it to me. My smile breaks out.

“Morning, sweetheart. I brought you coffee,” he says, voice still rough with sleep.

“Thanks, Matty,” I murmur, sitting up.

He hands me the mug, and I melt into the warmth. One sip, and I sigh. Perfect. Like always.

“After you finish drinking, get ready. We have plans,” he says excitedly.

I set the cup down slowly. “I will kill you.”

His smile falters. “What?”

“Matthias Vincent Montclair. I’m not fucking around. If we have somewhere to be today and you’re only just telling–”

His shoulders drop in relief. “No, no. It’s not like that. It’s just the two of us. I swear.”

I narrow my eyes, but the anger’s already fading. “Okay… what are we doing? ”

“Just breakfast on the terrace. I wanted to get you up before it starts raining.”

“What should I wear?”

“Whatever you’d like.”

I roll my eyes. “Ugh. That’s not helpful. You’re back on thin ice, mister!”

He just winks and walks out of the room like he didn’t give me whiplash. I grumble, but my feet are already moving. I reach for the blue dress I know he loves.

***

We start the morning off with breakfast on the terrace. Then we take Benny out to play, and after that… well, a shared shower ends with me screaming his name so loudly, the guards outside probably heard.

Now, we’re in the dining room. I sit beside him at his head of the table. Dotty walks in and places plates of eggplant parmesan in front of us.

Something shifts.

Once she’s gone, I turn to Matty slowly.

“Our first dinner, we had eggplant parmesan. Dotty said it wasn’t a usual meal of yours, but you demanded it.” I hesitate. “Did you… did you know it was my favorite?”

I can’t bring myself to look at him.

But he never lets me hide. He tilts my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze.

“Of course I did. I had Bash run a background check on you. It was very thorough,” he smirks. “He didn’t know I was keeping you here. He was furious when he found out he’d helped.”

I don’t even process that last bit. I’m too caught up with the former part .

“But why?” I whisper. “Why would you go through the trouble? I was just some girl who saw too much.”

He shakes his head. “You were never just some girl . From the second I took you, I knew I wasn’t letting you go.

And not because of what you saw. You were mine far before I ever said it out loud.

I just had to convince you.” A small smile plays on his lips.

“I thought starting with your favorite meal might help.”

I let out a snort. “Look how that turned out.”

“It brought us here,” he says softly. “To right now. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“Not even how difficult I was?”

“ Especially that. Being a spitfire is what drew me in. The more you fought, the harder I fell.”

My cheeks flush, and I focus on eating. His hand rests on my thigh. Not teasing, not inching higher. Just holding. It’s warm. Grounding.

When we finish eating, he clears his throat.

“Do you want to go to the theater? There’s something I want to put on.”

It’s not a demand; it’s a question. That alone makes me blink.

“Sure…” I say slowly, watching him fidget with his napkin.

He leads me to the theater and sits me beside him. Not on him. I try to climb into his lap anyway, but he shifts me off. I try not to take it personally, but he senses my hurt.

“I ate too much. I just need a few minutes, then I’ll hold you,” he murmurs, brushing my cheek. “I promise.”

I nod and lean into his side.

“What are we watching?”

“Hush, sweetheart.”

He grabs the remote. The lights dim but not all the way. I can still make him out.

Words appear on the screen :

Once Upon a Time.

“ Once upon a time …” he begins.

Except it’s not him. Not live at least.

It’s a recording. Playing through the theater’s speakers.

“ A man went out for coffee but never got his drink. Instead, he got the love of his life.”

I freeze.

“Well… not got. Took. He took the love of his life.”

My heart stops. He’s narrating our story.

“When she witnessed something she shouldn’t have seen, he had no choice. But deep down, even if she hadn’t, he still would’ve kept her. She was his other half. The part of him he hadn’t known was missing.”

I can feel his eyes on me.

“So, he took her. And to this day, he still doesn’t regret it.

He never will.

She fought. Of course she did. Every sassy comment, every act of rebellion, every ounce of resistance, they just made him fall harder for his spitfire.”

I laugh through the lump in my throat.

“He learned everything about her. When he found her hidden passion, her audiobooks, he was brought to his knees. He came like a teenager the first time he heard her voice whispering sin in his ears.”

My face burns.

“He saw her sleeping in his bed and knew it wasn’t his anymore. It was theirs. Their room. Their home. Their life.

Even her lazy, sorry excuse for a guard dog stole his heart.

Hell, he was even jealous of that damn dog. Because the dog made her smile in ways he couldn’t. Not yet .

The dog and she were a mischievous pair. He saw when they would run his guards around, making them fetch balls purely for her amusement.”

I cover my mouth, eyes wide. How did he even know that?

“He couldn’t help himself. Couldn’t stay away. He watched her constantly. Security feeds on every screen. He still does. He can’t concentrate if he can’t see her.”

“What–” I whisper.

“Shhh,” he murmurs.

“She barged into his life like a hurricane. Spit on him. Defied him. Seduced him with every step, even though she didn’t mean to.

He did everything he could to get her to choose to stay. To choose him. To choose them. He changed for her. Became better for her.

And when he professed his love to her, he didn’t know how she’d react. But he couldn’t contain it. He wouldn’t hide it any longer. He loved her, and she needed to accept it.

When she told him she loved him too, it was the greatest moment of his life.

Her love is his most prized possession.”

Tears well in my eyes.

“Then, he lost her. He lost his everything. He’d never been so scared. He would’ve burned the world to ash to get her back. And once she was back where she belonged, beside him, he swore he’d earn her forgiveness. Earn her love. Earn her.”

I reach for his hand and grip it tightly.

“Now? Now, he’s her whole world. She was always his. She just didn’t know it then. But she’ll never forget it now, he’ll never let her.”

The screen fades. Soft music begins to play.

I turn to him. “Matty, I–”

“Shhh,” he whispers .

Then he stands.

Reaches into his pocket.

Drops to one knee.

Clears his throat.

“Margot, sweetheart… I remember when you told me you wanted a storybook love on our first dinner date. Someone to be your everything. Someone to hold you through the bad times and be by your side during the good ones. A best friend. Kissing, crying, fighting, all of it.”

He takes my hand.

“I want to be all of that for you. I am all of that for you. Just as you are for me.”

He pulls out the ring.

“I made this narration of our story to remind you how far we’ve come. Of every moment that led us here. I’ll never hide how I feel again. I promise.”

His eyes glisten.

“It’s our anniversary. A year ago today, we both went to get coffee. We didn’t get our drinks, but we did get each other.”

He swallows.

“Please let me be your forever. Let me be yours in every way.”

He takes a shaky breath.

“Margot Peterson, will you marry me?”

Full-body sobs break out of me in waves. I fling myself into his arms.

“Yes! Yes, Matty. Yes!”

He slips the ring on. I glance down at the round diamond in a delicate halo, set in white gold. Simple. Timeless. Perfect.

“Oh Matty…” I whisper. “It’s beautiful.”

“I made it for you,” he says softly .

He cups my face and kisses me like I’m the center of his universe. Like there’s no one else in the world.

Then he sweeps me into his arms, stands, and lowers me onto the cushions like I’m made of glass.

He hovers above me, eyes filled with wonder.

“Finally,” he breathes, “my Margot Montclair.”

And it sounds like home.