Page 35 of Fake It Til You Break It

Then I turned and walked away, taking Beckett with me amidst a chorus of protests.

“My hero,” he said once we made it out of earshot.

“You are too charming for your own good. I’m going to start gagging you when we go out.”

“Ooh, sounds kinky. Tell me more.”

He’d started to gray at the temples, which I kind of loved. His knees creaked a little when he went up the stairs now, and he no longer had the same tolerance for fried food.

And he was still just as incorrigible as ever.

Immersed in the festive atmosphere, we spent the night dancing, laughing, and mingling. It had been an incredible turnout—almost double from the previous year—and I loved seeing familiar faces from the gala circuit in the crowd. We didn’t have fancy place settings or gourmet catering, but no one seemed to care.

Wrapped in a tight, neon pink sweater, Elisa Doherty Nolan danced with her new husband. They had been married for almost two years now, and while I knew her track record, I had a good feeling about this one.

Kendall had come for the third year in a row, and this time, she had brought a partner. I refrained from intrusive questions about their relationship, but internally, I was dying to know all the details.

Even Winn Carmichael was there—chatting animatedly with her mother about her upcoming art exhibit—looking happier and more at peace than I’d ever seen her.

When the night started winding to a close, I finally made my way to the podium, my hands shaking and my heart pounding against my ribs.

“You’ve got this.” Beckett hooked his finger in the collar of my sweater and tugged me in for a quick kiss. “Knock ’em dead.”

I nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped up behind the microphone to stare out at a sea of rosy cheeks and smiling faces. In that moment, it occurred to me that I had done this. I had built this community. This family.

Naturally, I’d had a lot of help along the way, and I couldn’t have done it without all the amazing people in my life. For once, though, I figured it might be okay to be a little selfish. To feel a little pride in what I had accomplished. I had fought so damn hard for this, and that was something to be celebrated.

As the room quieted, I glanced to the side to find my safety net. Meeting Beckett’s gaze, I exhaled as a wave of calm washed over me.

Things weren’t always easy. Like all couples, we argued, usually about stupid stuff. I still spiraled more often than not, but he was always right there to drag me back from the void.

Like now.

“Good evening, everyone,” I began, rubbing my thumb across the surface of my notecards. “I’m a little nervous, so if I trip over my words, please pretend like you didn’t notice.”

Everyone laughed in a show of understanding and solidarity. Everyone except Beckett. He didn’t even smile. Instead, he wore a tender, almost reverent expression, like I had hung the moon and bottled the stars into magic.

While we hoped for the best, neither of us could predict what the future held. The only difference was that now, with Beckett by my side, I no longer feared the unknown.

I looked forward to the challenge.