Page 21 of Heavenleigh

“Drake Stevenson,” I choked out the name as understanding hit me.“You’re Heavenleigh Stevenson.”

“Yeah,” she said with a half shrug.

“All this time, my sister has been one of your closest friends, and she never said anything.”

“Your mother would have never approved of our friendship,” she excused dismissively.“That’s okay, though.I don’t have to like her to love you.”

“Ven, you’re… You…” I stopped, closed my eyes, blew out a breath, and then started again.“Your sister has an Oscar.You have a billionaire for a brother-in-law.”

“Two, actually.Braxton is in private security.”She tapped her fingers lightly on my cheek.“And then there’s my aunt, who is the richest self-made woman in the world.Currently.That changes every year or so.Not everything is a competition, ya know?”

She rolled her eyes, her amusement trying to infect me.But all I could do was shake my head, the realization of what holidays with my family would be like from now on playing out in my head like a horror movie.No wonder Yara hid their friendship.She wanted to protect it from our mom.

“Ah fuck, little bunny, my mother is going to hate you so hard.”

She wouldn’t simply try to scare Ven away; she’d chase her with an ax.My mother would be so intimidated by Ven’s family, her warm soul, the self-made women in her life, that she wouldn’t give my girl a chance.She would take one look at Ven, realize she couldn’t control her the same way she’d tried to control Yara all her life, and do everything she could to poison her against me.

Grabbing my face in both her hands, Ven gave me that beautiful smile of hers.“Jake, Emmie Armstrong is my aunt.I’m not scared of Miranda Wilson.”

“You have to promise.”I didn’t care that it sounded weak.Losing this girl would be the worst thing that ever happened to me.“Swear it, Ven.No matter what happens, you won’t let my mom come between us.”

“I swear,” she said without giving it a second thought.

“You have to marry me.”

“Jake,” she laughed, thinking I was joking.

Shifting her, I shoved my hand into my pocket.As soon as my fingers wrapped around the box, I pulled it free.Her laugh cut off abruptly, her eyes going huge.

“Marry me, bunny.”

“That didn’t sound like a question.”Her eyes flicked from my face to the box and back again.“When did you buy a ring?”

“While you were asleep this morning.Or yesterday morning.I don’t even know what time it is, Ven.”Fingers shaking, I lifted the lid.“Marry me.”

“Again, not a question.”With each passing second, her eyes got bigger and bigger.

“I know.”

She gulped.“We met Thursday.It’s only Sunday.”

“I know that too.”Her breathing grew faster, tears brimming her blue-gray orbs.“Marry me, Heavenleigh.The universe wants you to be my wife.”

“That is a very me thing to say,” she whispered.

“It’s definitely one of the things I love about you.”Taking the ring from the box, I captured her left hand and slowly slipped it onto her finger.She had plenty of time to pull away and call me an impulsive idiot.I would be eternally grateful that she didn’t.

Just as I imagined, it looked perfect on her hand.

“It’s so pretty,” she breathed, her attention momentarily stolen by the beautiful ring.And then she blinked, her eyes nearly bulging out of her head.“You want to marry me.”

“Want is too tame.Need is closer.But, no.”I shook my head.“I’mgoingto marry you, bunny.”

Epilogue

Heavenleigh

Miranda Wilson hated me.