He cups my face with one hand, dragging his thumb across my lips. “Thank you.”

“For loving you?” I question as he presses his lips to my forehead.

When he speaks, his voice is gravel. “For saving me.”

Epilogue

Five months later…

I close my eyes and exhale, listening to the waves crash against the shoreline.

It’s such a beautiful day, but all I can think about is that today marks the two-year anniversary of the accident.

It’s crazy how different my life is now compared to then.

Wrapping his arms around me from behind, Oakley’s lips find the shell of my ear. “I love you.”

My heart thunders against my chest and I smile. “I love you, too.”

Yet, some things are still the same.

And while I could sit here and dwell on the past and all the bad things that have happened, I’d rather just enjoy where we are now.

“What time do you have to be at work?”

A couple of months after Oakley started writing songs with Landon, a few other artists hired him.

It’s awesome that he’s able to make a living doing something that he’s not only incredible at, but enjoys.

Although, he still insists on working as a custodian part-time at the college. He said it keeps him humble.

His nose skims the column of my neck and he breathes me in. “I took the day off.”

Oakley’s been acting a little strange lately—well, strange for him—and I’m not sure why.

But if I had to guess…I’d say he has something big up his sleeve.

I try my best to feign innocence. “Why?”

The corner of his lip quirks. “So we could celebrate.”

My heart beats harder now, and an excited flutter goes through me.

This is it. It’s happening.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t waiting for Oakley to propose.

Two months ago, we moved into a new apartment together—and while some people might hem and haw that I’m only twenty and therefore too young to get married and settle down—I know in my marrow that I want to spend the rest of my life with Oakley and see no reason to wait.

I’m glad he wants that, too.

“I got you something.”

Yeah, he did.

Butterflies swarm my belly when he reaches inside his pocket…

And pulls out an envelope.

Puzzled, I give it a shake, hoping a ring falls out of it.

No such luck.

Then I realize. It must be a poem.

I quickly slide my thumb through the seal and unfold it.

I blink when I see two airline tickets to India.

Tenderness swells in my chest. “You’re taking me to India?”

His deep voice is a gentle caress against my ear. “You said you’ve always wanted to go there.”

My heart pounds against my ribs. It’s not a proposal, but what he did is so thoughtful I don’t have the heart to be mad at him. “This is amazing.”

I try my hardest to ignore the flicker of disappointment churning in my gut.

It’s not that I’m not happy with his gift, I totally am.

I was just expecting a ring and a promise of forever to be attached to it.

Oakley must sense something’s wrong, because he says, “You’re upset.”

Given we’ve always kept it real with each other, I tell him the truth. “Not upset…just a little, you know…unfulfilled.”

He raises a brow. “Unfulfilled?”

Frustrated, I stand up. “I guess I was expecting something a little more…eternal.”

His jaw sets and I can’t tell if he’s upset with me for acting like a brat or trying not to laugh at my expense. “Eternal?”

My exasperation reaches a peak and I huff out, “Dammit, Oakley. I thought you were going to propose.”

Grinning, he shifts on the sand. “Then it’s a good thing I have this, huh?”

My insides swoop when I see the ring in his hand.

“Oh, my God.”

He slides the white gold Claddagh ring with a giant black gemstone onto my finger. “Will you—”

“Yes,” I scream before he even gets the words out.

I clutch my chest as I look at my ring. It’s absolutely stunning.

“I can’t believe we’re engaged.” Excitement races over my skin. “This was so unexpected.”

Laughing, Oakley pulls me in for a kiss. “The stone is called the star of India.” He tips my chin. “But I can get you a diamond if you want something more traditional.”

I shake my head. “Don’t you dare.”

I love my ring. It’s perfect.

He nuzzles my lower lip with his top one. “I love you—”

“Hold that thought,” I say, reaching for my phone.

“What are you doing?”

I type Wayne’s name into the keyboard. “Texting your dad.”

I warned the man that I was going to be his daughter-in-law one day.

Extended Epilogue

“I can’t do it,” I scream as another contraction plows through me. “I’m exhausted.”

I thought I’d be in labor for eight hours at most…not twenty-freaking-four.

Oakley goes to wipe the sweat dotting my forehead, but I swat his hand away.

I’m not trying to be a bitch, but squeezing something the size of a watermelon out of something the size of a lemon is a lot harder than I thought it would be.

At this point I just want the doctor to light a fire in there and smoke the baby out.

Oakley kisses my temple. “What can I do?”

I glare at him. “Gee, I don’t know. How about get a time machine and stick your goddamn dick back in your pants?”

The doctor’s eyebrows shoot up and he chuckles before leaning over and whispering something into the nurse’s ear.

A smug grin creeps along Oakley’s lips. “If memory serves, you were the one begging me to take it out of my pants that night, baby girl.”

He’s right.

I’d come home from school tired and grumpy…but horny as hell.

Oakley lifted me onto the kitchen counter and started going down on me with that serpent tongue of his.

One thing led to another, and well…

Here we fucking are.

Given I still have another year of college left, getting knocked-up wasn’t part of the plan.

However, the second I found out I was pregnant…everything felt right.

Until now.

Because right now it hurts so much, it’s taking everything in me not to punch my doctor in his stupid fucking face because the epidural he said would help hasn’t one bit.

“Breathe,” Oakley urges as another contraction rips through me.

“I’m breathing,” I grit through my teeth.

“Just a little longer,” the doctor says. “We’re almost there.”

“We’ve been almost there for the past twenty-four hours and sixteen minutes, you damn liar.”

Just when I’m positive I can’t take another second of this, the door to my hospital room opens.

Cole holds up a giant bag of what looks like fast-food in front of his face as he strides over. “How’s everything going in here, fam?” He plops down in the empty chair next to Oakley and smiles. “I brought us some munchies while we wait for my nephew to greet us.”