Page 135 of Tangled Hearts

“How am I supposed to focus on anything else? You just called me CT!”

Beck’s still cackling, and I can only figure it’s because he put Nic up to this. I swear they’ve labeled the wrong person the chaos in this family.

Nic turns, then drops to one knee in front of me, and my brain goes offline again. “Eli,” he whispers. “My doll, my everything.”

I inhale a shaky breath. What is he doing? Holy shit… is he… There’s no way he’s—

“I love you so much. More than anything. I want to spend forever with you. I want to spend forever with you so badly that I can’t even breathe sometimes.”

Yeah, well,Ican’t breathe right now, so that’s something. My eyes get hot, tears filling them.

“I want all the sleepy mornings and busy afternoons working together. I want family dinners and late-night walks around lakes. I want all of that with you right by my side, Eli. Will you marry me?”

I nod because words are not an option. Like not at all, but he probably wants words. He always wants words. “Yes,” I choke out.

His shoulders slump in relief, like there was really a chance I was gonna say no. He pulls a ring from his pocket with a shaky hand, and before he even has to ask, I’m offering him my hand. He slides it on my ring finger to the sound of cheers.

My heart thumps. When I first joined this family, Uncle Julian proposed to Uncle Hold right here. At this very table. The number of people has grown, the love has grown, and now I’m sitting in the same place, crying over my own proposal. Holy shit.

I dive off my chair, almost knocking Nic to the ground to hug him the second the ring is on my finger. His arms come around me instantly, his chest heaving with his harsh breaths. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you too,” I choke out.

Nic stands, pulling me up with him, and when he sits down, he drags me into his lap, holding me close to him. “Sorry, Hold. I had to. Beck told me I couldn’t marry Eli unless I called you CT.”

Beck groans. “What the heck? You’re just gonna sell me out like that?”

Nic shrugs, rubbing his hand down my back. “I keep telling you, I’m on my brother’s side.”

Holden cackles. “I’ll forgive it just this once.”

I bury my face against his throat, breathing in his scent, soaking in the warmth of his body.

This is it. This ismyforever.Nicis my forever. My home. My safe place.

My quiet.

The End

“Alexa, play The Christmas Song by Nat “King” Cole.”

Series Epilogue

Roman—5 years later

“Lexi, come into the living room,” Beck calls down the hallway before turning to me with a blinding smile.

He’s like a kid at, well… Christmas. Fitting, I suppose, since it’s Christmas Eve. He’s had the tree up since November first, not wanting to waste even a second of the holiday season without decorations up. I don’t mind it. The lights he has strung across the living room create a nice golden glow in the room, and the fireplace insert we installed last year only adds to the cozy atmosphere.

As a child, I could never have pictured a future like this. Not after growing up the way I did, with the dad I had. My self-worth was nothing, and I was broken into tiny pieces, convinced I’d never be whole again.

Beck joins me on the couch with a pleased smile. He loves this. And I love him.

We’ve come a long way from the eighteen-year-olds we once were and even from the twenty-eight-year-old versions of ourselves, who were fumbling through our reconciliation and learning each other again.

Some things never change, though—the way he lights up an entire room with his gorgeous smile, the kindness in his blue eyes, and his ability and willingness to love fiercely and with his entire heart.

I lift my arm, inviting him in for cuddles. It doesn’t take much convincing for him to lean into my side and settle against me. Lexi never gets in any big hurry, so while we wait for her, I let my fingers slip into Beck’s hair, gently working them through the silky strands.