Page 20 of The Nicest Thing

Rose gave a small shrug. "I didn't know if it would hit. But I rewatch it all the time and realized other people might too—even if there were a few haters in the comments."

My scowl was instant. "Who? What'd they say?"

"Nothing worth repeating."

Rose waved off my concern then turned back to June.

"So, you saw the reel?"

"I did," she said. "Loved, saved, and shared too. I think a lot of people did."

Emmy let out a low whistle. She'd brought out her phone and was currently tapping something on the screen. "I'd say so. That video has almost 500k views. Impressive."

Rose met my stare, and I knew she was thinking the same thing I was.

"Oh wait, this other one with Finn rolling up his sleeves has over a million." Emmy's brow scrunched. "I didn't know you owned a Rolex."

"I don't," I said.

"It's fake," Rose said at the same time.

"Well, fake or not, I'd call it a hit." Emmy grinned as we looked to her. "Congrats, guys. I think you've gone viral."

"You should check your account," I said.

Rose stood quickly, mumbling something about tea, and practically ran into the kitchen. I was hot on her heels. Her eyes went round as she gazed at her phone.

"This can't be right," she whispered.

"What?" I asked.

"I never turn on my notifications. You know that."

"Because they're annoying, and you don't want to become a slave to technology." I gestured for her to go on. "What's happening?"

"There are thousands of likes and comments."

"Really? Cool."

"Cool," she echoed.

"What about sales? Anything good there?"

"Let me check." Rose gave a nod, typing quickly—then she froze altogether. "Finn."

Her eyes slowly lifted to meet mine.

Rose opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

"Good?" I asked.

"Not good," she said then held out her phone, showing me the numbers. "Freaking amazing!"

They looked high to me, and I'd done a little research, trying to figure out how much a typical indie author made.

But I wasn't sure what the data meant to Rose.

"Is it enough to cover Grandma Rose?" I asked. "Will she be able to stay at Silver Springs?"

Rose's eyes were misty as she stared back at me. "It's enough," she said. "It's more than enough. Yaya isn't in danger anymore."

"I'm glad."

"Finn, I couldn't have done this without you."

I shrugged that off. "Yeah, you could've."

"I don't think so."

"It was your idea to try reels, your writing that made people buy your books. I was just the lucky guy who got to be your assistant."

"Book husband," she corrected, and I smiled.

"That too."

I wanted to hug her, kiss her smiling lips, tell her that I was in love with her. But before I could do any of that, Rose's phone buzzed. She looked down, and as I watched her hand flew to her mouth, the breath leaving her lungs in an audible woosh.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"I…"

"Yeah?"

"Oh goodness."

"Rose, you're scaring me. Who is it?"

Unable to stop myself, I closed the gap between us, placed my finger under her chin and lifted until her eyes met mine.

"Talk to me."

"I got a text," she said haltingly. "I thought it was a wrong number until I saw the message."

She paused.

"It's from Romance or Die. They…I got an invite. Finn, I got in."

I smiled. "That's a good thing. Right?"

"It's incredible, but I think it's a mistake."

"Because?"

"I told you," she said. "I missed the deadline, didn't even submit the application. They must've meant to message some other author named Liv—though that doesn't explain why they texted me. Maybe it was a wrong number? Or a cruel joke? The most crazy coincidence ever? I don't—"

"Rose," I interrupted, "I applied for you."

Her surprised gaze locked on me. "What?" she whispered.

"It's not a mistake or any of those other things. I knew how much you wanted this. Knew it was at the top of your author dream list."

"Finn…"

"Don't ask me to apologize," I said, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "I'm not sorry. I knew you'd get in."

She shook her head, but I nodded.

"They want you."

And they're not the only one.

I swallowed as I stared at her, gazing into those warm honey brown eyes that I loved so much, preparing to tell her everything.

Sending up a prayer, I squared my shoulders.

If she didn't feel the same, it would kill me.

But if I never told her, if I never at least tried to be with her, I'd feel like dying anyway.

"Rose, I—"

"Me and you," she said.

"What?"

"They invited both of us."

"That's not possible," I said.

"Look at the text."

She held up her screen, and sure enough, there it was in black and white.

Good Evening Liv,

You are cordially invited to attend Romance or Die, the ultra-private, super-swoony, over-the-top extravaganza celebrating romance authors and book lovers.

Two weeks from today in Atlanta, GA, we'll be celebrating all the swoon, spice, and sweetness book life has to offer.

We limit the number of attendees in order to provide the best experience for our readers. This invitation is for:

Liv aka Rose & Finn.

More details about the event will be emailed to you shortly. Please accept within the next 48 hours. If you choose to miss out on this chance, it may never be offered again. Every writer knows romance is a matter of life and death. We hope to see you soon!

Sincerely yours,

The Romance or Die Event Management Team

I looked up. "Guess you're right."

"I can't believe you applied for me," Rose said.

I winced.

"That's so…sweet."

"Really?"

"Finn, they want me," she said quietly.

I grinned.

"The biggest romance conference in the world invited me. Crazy."

"What's crazy is you thinking you wouldn't get it." Her smile was a thing of beauty. All of her was. "You did it, Rose."

"I did it," she repeated.

"Damn right."

With a squeal, Rose threw her arms around my neck, and I wasn't sure how it happened, but her mouth met mine. She kissed me. She might not have meant to—the way she stilled in my arms told me as much—but as I continued to hold her pressed to my chest, she melted.

The kiss couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds.

But my heart was all in.

It felt like hers was too.

As I set her back on her feet, Rose looked up at me and shrugged.

"Sorry, I got excited," she said.

"No worries," I said.

"So, I guess there's just one question."

I lifted a brow.

"Do you have plans in two weeks?"

"Yeah, with you," I said, and her smile was so gorgeous I felt stunned.

"Romance or Die here we come," she said.