Page 37

37

ASHER

ONE WEEK LATER

M y pulse pounds in my ears as I carefully guide Billie along the sandy path. One hand rests on her lower back, and the other gently grips her wrists. She’s blindfolded, laughing nervously but trusting me entirely as we move closer to where it all began.

“Almost there,” I whisper against her ear, feeling my pulse increase under my thumb.

The ocean breeze whips her hair around, and I can taste the salt in the sea air.

“I’m trying very hard to be patient,” Billie says playfully.

“Appreciate that, princess,” I say softly, my voice slightly shaking from nerves.

I’ve rehearsed this moment countless times in my mind, yet nothing prepared me for the overwhelming rush of anticipation that fills me right now. I nearly pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.

The gentle crash of waves against the shore grows louder as we step onto the soft sand. I stop, turning Billie carefully so she faces the endless ocean. This spot is exactly how it was all those years ago, under the twilight sky that paints everything in hues of lavender and gold. I kissed Billie right here, unaware that it would set off a chain of events that would define both our lives.

I swallow hard, my heart hammering against my chest, then gently untie the blindfold. Her eyes flutter, adjusting to the fading sunlight, and when she sees the blanket on the ground and the familiar stretch of beach, recognition dawns on her face.

“Ash …” she breathes, eyes shining as she looks at me, realization hitting her. “This is …”

“The place where we started,” I finish, my voice rough with emotion. I take both of her hands, looking deeply into her eyes. “Billie, this spot is so fucking special to me. It’s where I first felt brave enough to kiss the pretty, dark-haired girl with blue eyes who stole my heart that summer. And even after all these years, every moment spent with you feels exactly like that first kiss—full of hope, excitement, joy, and a future of possibility.”

Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, a soft smile touching her lips. The wind gently lifts her hair, framing her beautiful face, and I inhale before slowly sinking to one knee on the blanket.

Her breath catches, eyes wide in disbelief. “Asher …”

I pull the ring box from my pocket, holding it out to her with trembling fingers.

“Billie Calloway, my princess, my Ice Queen, you’re my past, my present, and my entire future. I spent so many years trying to protect you, watching from afar, hoping you’d find true love and happiness. I never realized that happiness was us, together. Loving you is the easiest, most natural thing I’ve ever done.”

She laughs softly through her tears, holding my gaze, her hands covering her mouth as she processes the moment.

“It feels like I’ve waited my entire life for this,” I whisper, emotion thick in my throat. “To be yours in every possible way. You’ve been my biggest challenge, and you are the love of my life. Billie, will you please make me the happiest man in the world and marry me? What do you say, Ice Queen? ”

She bursts into laughter as tears stream down her cheeks. “Yes, Asher Banks. A thousand times yes .”

She drops to her knees in front of me. Her eyes shine with joy, admiration, and love that has always been reserved just for me.

Exhilaration overwhelms me, and I pull her into my arms, kissing her fiercely. She presses against me, and I know in this moment, we’re exactly where we’re meant to be—together, just like this.

I pull back from the kiss, breathless and grinning as I carefully slide the ring onto Billie’s finger. She admires it for a moment, then looks up at me with that familiar sparkle in her ice-blue eyes that never fails to take my breath away.

“This ring,” she murmurs, brushing her lips against mine again. “It’s my grandmother’s.”

“Yes.” I nod with a smile. “I spoke to your father before London.”

Her brows knit together. “And?”

“He was very excited,” I explain.

“And my brothers?” she asks.

“They know. And I got threatened with pain and murder, per usual.”

She chuckles. “Harper?”

I gently kiss her. “I thought you could tell her yourself when we return to the city next week.”

She wraps her arms around my neck, kisses me, then laughs. “I’m in shock.”

“You’re so damn pretty.” I brush my thumb against her cheek, then pull her back onto the blanket with me.

We stare up at the sky.

“I remember making wishes on stars with you,” she says, interlocking her fingers with mine.

I turn my head toward her, and we face one another. “I did too. And I wished that you’d be mine. Guess you’re proof that wishing on stars works.”

She smiles, gazing into my eyes. “I don’t deserve you. ”

“Oh, princess, but you do. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure you know that while making you happy.” I pull her close again, burying my face in her neck and breathing her in.

The world around us fades away as I lose myself with the woman who’s owned my heart since the first moment our eyes met.

“Thank you for choosing me,” I whisper against her mouth, capturing it.

“You chose me. And now it’s us against the world.”

“I fucking love the sound of that,” I tell her, deepening the kiss. “So damn much.”