Page 167 of Through the Storm

“You’re killing me,” he murmurs into my hair.

“You started it,” I say.

We stay like that, wrapped around each other, the ocean and music filling in everything else.

“I made dinner reservations,” he says after a while.

“I don’t care.”

He pulls back slightly.

I shake my head, already reaching for him again.

“We can get room service. I want to go back to the room.”

Something shifts in his expression. “Let’s go.”

We don’t walk back.

We run.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

katy

OUR PEOPLE

My phone ringswhile I’m still staring at my left hand. The ring catches the light every time I move, like it’s reminding me it’s real. Like this actually happened.

I almost smile when I see the caller ID. My mom must have heard. Maybe she’s finally happy for me. For us.

I answer on the second ring, already warm with anticipation. “Hi.”

“Katy, hi. We heard you got engaged,” she starts.

Relief rushes through me. “Yeah?—”

“Okay. We set up a meeting with our lawyers, you need a prenup.”

The word lands hard and abrupt. I blink. “I—what?”

My dad’s voice joins in, calm and measured. “Ben’s about to be drafted, so that changes things. But you’re worth hundreds of millions, Katherine. You need to make sure you protect yourself.”

I wait. For a congratulations. For awe’re happy for you. For literally anything that sounds like joy.

But nothing comes.

“This is when people get taken advantage of,” my mom continues. “We just want you protected.”

Protected.

From him. The man who’s protected me for the last eight months.

I glance down at the ring again. At the diamond Ben slid onto my finger with shaking hands.

“Ben isn’t taking advantage of me.” My voice stays steady.

“That’s not the point,” my mom replies. “Love makes people blind. And he’s a football player, you know how they are. He could get injured any day, then what other prospects would he have? Honestly, Katherine. You’re a very good backup plan. I’m sure that’s how he’s looking at this.”