Page 131 of My Big Fat Vampire Wedding

“I need to tell you something,” she said.

“OK.”

“I’m not telling you to guilt you. Or to try to win you back. I’m telling you in the interest of being completely honest.” She went to her desk to grab her bag, then reached inside for the ring some part of her had hoped to see on her finger for eternity. “I was in love with you,” she told him, holding out the ring. “Senselessly, hopelessly in love with you.”

He took the ring, then watched her for a long moment. But she found his green eyes unreadable.

Finally, he sucked in a deep breath.

“Was?” he asked.

“Am,” she corrected him. “I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving you.”

“Forever is a long time. Especially in your case.”

“I still mean it,” she told him.

“Well,” he said, reaching down to take her left hand, lifting it, then sliding the ring on her finger. “I think this still belongs here, then.”

“Victor …”

Tears were stinging the backs of her eyes at the feel of his skin on hers, of the familiar weight of the ring on her finger.

“Unless you don’t want it there anymore,” he said, his gaze finding hers.

“No! That’s not it,” she said, blinking back the wetness in her eyes. “I just want you to be sure.”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t be sure?”

“No. No, I will never keep something from you again. I will even tell you if you get an awful haircut. Or if you have bad breath. Or if I find myself staring at your neck.”

“Well, you might not need to bethathonest.”

“I don’t want to keep anything from you again. I don’t ever want to risk losing you. I barely survived it once.”

“All right. Full honesty.” He laced his fingers between hers. “And maybe a less rushed wedding.”

“Or, you know, a civil ceremony. You, me, Lucy, and Sebastian.”

“I dunno. I was kind of enjoying that massive vampire wedding. Though, trying to explain marrying in a graveyard was … fun.”

“This time, maybe it can be more about us and what we want.”

“And what do you want?”

“You.”

“You have that,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers. “What else?”

“A wedding in a giant library. Somewhere cold. Preferably while it’s snowing.”

“That sounds perfect,” he said. “Maybe somewhere with a winding, overgrown garden. With lots of little hidden spots to get lost in together.”

Heat bloomed through her at the memory.

And now he was saying she could have that, and so much more, forever.

“Oh, I do have one stipulation.”