Page 121 of Crave Me

My voice trails as Evan appears at the door, in tux, with what has to be six dozen lavender and silver roses in his arms. My hands smack over my mouth, causing what feels like a set of daggers to rip across my shoulder.

But I don’t care.

I think I know what he’s doing, but when I look to my left to find all my brothers, Sol, Sofia, Tess, Molly, and Ma, too, pressed against the giant glass divider, the girls all crying, and Angus swiping his big cherub face, I know. Jesus, I already know.

Curran sniffs, his face turning red. Declan sets his jaw tight, burying whatever he’s feeling deep inside of him. But it’s the brief look he gives me, the one that tells me it’s my time, and that maybe he wishes it was his time, too, that has me falling apart.

Evan sets down the roses at my feet, lowering himself to sit beside me. “Hello, beautiful,” he whispers.

I don’t answer, crying into my hands.

“I took Sol and Sofia out with me this morning. I hope you don’t mind, but I needed their expertise in selecting something special.”

“No,” I respond.

“I also took your family aside, and asked them for their blessing to give it to you.”

“No,” I say again, batting my hands like some kind of nutcase.

He keeps his grin, despite my eyes burning the way they are. “Before I ask, I think you should know, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time now.”

“No,” I insist. “You can’t.”

He takes my hand, falling to his knee.

“Evan,” I plead. “You’re not supposed to do this—not after everything that happened to you because of me.”

His gaze softens as does his smile—as if I didn’t tell him no—as if he wasn’t shot in the chest. As if some psycho didn’t come after him in his own home!

“All the good in my life has come because I know you,” he begins. “And because you chose to love me.”

My cheeks are already soaked, but then another a sob cuts through my throat, spilling more tears.

“I never laughed with my whole heart, until you filled it with humor.”

“Oh, God,” I gasp.

“I never knew how alone I was, until discovered I couldn’t be alone without you.”

“Evan.”

“And I never understood love, until you made me feel it, and gave me a reason to share it.” He pulls out a ring, a square pink diamond surrounded by smaller clear ones.

My hand shakes as he slides it on my finger. “The words are ‘for better or worse,’” he reminds me. “We’ve had our worst. It’s time for the better. My darling Wren, will you marry me?”

I never had the father I wanted or needed. But it’s like I told Evan, I had brothers who became more than my father ever was. So I look to each one before I answer, gathering the strength they’ve always given me and all the heart they’ve never lacked.

“Yes.”