Chapter 242
My mouth is wide open as I stare at Luke.
This isn’t happening.
I blink, but the scene remains. Luke, calm, down on one knee, looking up at me with that maddeningly confident smile–except now there’s something else. Something raw.
Emotion.
I clutch my chest, feeling my heart slamming against my ribcage. My throat is dry, my knees trembling.
I finally find my voice. “Luke…”
“Julie,” he says. “There was a time I thought love wasn’t meant for me. And then you came along and ruined everything. You weren’t part of my plan. You were this unpredictable hurricane of sarcasm, laughter, and stubbornness. Every time I thought I had you figured out, you flipped the script. And somehow, amidst all the chaos, I found someone I can’t live without.”
press my hand to my mouth, tears welling in my eyes. My knees feel weak, and I’m certain I’m going to collapse.
“I love how you laugh too loud at jokes,” he continues. “I love how you argue with me even when you know I’m right–especially when you know I’m right. I love how you’re fierce, loyal, and just the right amount of insane to keep me on my toes. You make me want to be better, even when I don’t think I can be. You make everything better.”
1 sniff, holding back the flood threatening to break free.
“So, here I am, on my knee, in a ridiculously beautiful place I hope you’ll never forget, asking you to let me be the lucky guy who gets to argue with you for the rest of our lives. Julie.. will you marry me?”
My breath catches. My hand trembles as I lower it from my mouth, trying to form words, but they catch in my throat. I’m not even sure I’m breathing anymore. I glance sideways, and I catch Daniel–the tour guide–grinning like a fool, his phone recording the whole thing.
Without thinking, I sink to my knees, cupping Luke’s face and kissing him fiercely. His lips are warm, soft, and taste faintly of salt from the ocean air. For a moment, it’s just us–no ring, no recording, just the two of us wrapped in this whirlwind.
He pulls back, his eyes searching mine. “Is that a yes?”
I laugh. “You brought me all the way to the Bahamas to propose?”
“Seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“You could’ve just done it on the bed this morning,” I tease, wiping at my tears with a shaky hand.
“Yeah, but when we’re old and greyish, will you remember it?”
“I would.”
“You say that now…”
“No one in my family has suffered dementia.”
“There’s always a first,” he says, his grin widening.
I laugh, smacking his chest lightly. “You’re impossible.”
“Also, I figured that if you said no,” he says, “I can just leave you here in the Bahamas.”
Stop talking and put the ring on my finger, Luke. I’m starving, and you promised me seafood.”
He chuckles, sliding the ring onto my finger with care, his eyes never leaving mine. The diamond sparkles brilliantly, catching the light, but all I can see is him.
“There, he murmurs. “Perfect fit.
I stare at my hand, my heart swelling until I feel like I might burst. Then I throw my arms around his neck again, squeezing him.
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11:10 AM
Chapter 242
о
*
He lifts me effortlessly, my feet dangling as I cling to him. “God, I love you,” I whisper, my voice cracking.
“I love you more,” he says, his breath warm against my ear.
A loud throat–clearing breaks the bubble around us. Daniel. He’s standing a few feet away, a knowing smile plastered across his face. “Congratulations, you two.”
We break apart, laughing awkwardly. “Thank you,” we both say.
Luke keeps his arm around me, pulling me into his side. “We’ll eat now,” he says. “My fiancée eats for two.”
I elbow him.
Daniel smirks. “I’ll alert the kitchen,” he says, turning on his heel and disappearing with a quiet chuckle.
Luke turns back to me. “Shall we?”
He leads me to the table, pulling out my chair. “M“lady.”
I roll my eyes, but my heart feels like it might burst.
sit down, smoothing my dress over my lap, watching as he takes the seat across from me. The table is elegant yet intimate, set with white linens, gleaming silverware, and a single candle flickering between us.
“You went all out,” I say, glancing around.
“Only the best for you.”
Before I can respond, servers begin arriving, placing dishes in front of us one by one. The aromas are intoxicating–fresh seafood, herbs, citrus, butter. My stomach growls loudly, and Luke laughs.
“See? You do eat for two. The other human’s happy.”
I glare at him but can’t help smiling. “Shut up.”
We dig in, the conversation flowing as easily as the juice being poured into our glasses.
“This fish is incredible,” I say, savoring a bite of perfectly grilled grouper.
“Fresh from the ocean,” Luke replies.
“Did you plan that too?”
“Of course. I told the fishermen exactly what to catch and when.”
I shake my head.
We continue eating, swapping stories, and teasing each other, the atmosphere light and carefree. Every now and then, I catch Luke staring at me, his expression soft, as if he’s memorizing every detail–every laugh, every word, every glance. It’s disarming, this level of intensity. It makes my heart flutter in a way that’s both thrilling and terrifying.
“What?” I ask, setting my fork down and wiping my mouth.
He leans back in his chair, a lazy smile spreading across his face. “Just thinking about how lucky I am.”
“Lucky? You brought me all the way to the Bahamas, fed me enough to explode, and gave me a diamond ring. I’d say I’m the lucky one.” Before he can respond, the servers return, carrying plates of dessert. A decadent chocolate mousse with a swirl of whipped cream garnished with fresh berries is placed in front of me.
Iglance at Luke. “You trying to fatten me up?”
He laughs. “Just making sure you’re well fed. Happy fiancées need chocolate.”
I take a bite, savoring the rich, velvety texture. “Mmm. Okay, I admit it. This might be the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
“Better than my proposal?”
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11:10 AM
Chapter 242
+15
I pretend to think about it, tapping my fork against my lip. “It’s close.”
He leans forward, his eyes narrowing playfully. “Close?”
“Very close,” I tease, taking another bite.
We continue eating. By the time dessert is nearly gone, I start to feel… off. My stomach churns, and I place a hand over it, trying to ease the discomfort.
“I think I’m going to…” I trail off, my eyes widening.
“Julie?” Luke sits up, concerned.
Before I can warn him, it happens. I lurch forward, the chocolate mousse making an unfortunate reappearance all over my plate.
“Oh my God,” I groan, mortified.
Luke freezes for a second, his eyes wide with shock. Then, instead of panicking, he throws his head back and laughs–a deep, uncontrollable belly laugh.
gape at him. “You’re laughing? I just threw up on my dessert, and you’re laughing?”
He’s laughing so hard he can barely speak. “I’m sorry… it’s just… you were so smug about it being the best thing ever…”
Despite my humiliation, I can’t help but see the humor. I start laughing too, covering my face with my hands. “This is the worst proposal dinner ever.”
He wipes his eyes, still chuckling. “Correction: this is the most memorable proposal dinner ever.”
I shake my head, tears of laughter streaming down my face.
Luke reaches across the table, taking my hand. “And for the record, vomit or not, I’m still the luckiest guy in the world.”
I squeeze his hand, feeling the weight of the moment settle between us. This is real. Messy, imperfect, and completely us. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I lean back in my chair, wiping my mouth with a napkin and trying to catch my breath from laughing.
“So… back to reality tomorrow?” I say.
“We can stay.”
“Stay? I’ve got a job to get back to.”
He shrugs, leaning back in his chair with an easy confidence that somehow infuriates and charms me at the same time. “You don’t need it. You got a good amount from the divorce. You could relax for once.”
I narrow my eyes. “Doesn’t mean I’m going to sit at home playing housewife while you prance around, CEO–ing.”
“Wouldn’t be so bad,” he muses. “You and our ten kids, running around barefoot, making pies, or whatever it is housewives do.”
I snort. “Ten kids? You’ve lost your damn mind.”
He grins. “I’m just saying, We’d make cute kids.”
I pick up a piece of dessert from the table and hurl it at him. It hits him square in the chest before bouncing onto his lap.
He bursts out laughing. “You missed my head!”
“Next time, I won’t, I threaten, though I’m already laughing again.
God, I’m happy. Stupidly, deliriously happy. And that scares me. I’m so happy that I’m terrified it’ll all come crashing down. The way things have in the past.
My mind drifts back to everything I’ve been through. The betrayal. The heartbreak. The divorce that left me reeling. And yet here I am, sitting across from a man who just made me laugh harder than I have in years–right after I puked on my dinner plate.
Luke notices the shift in my expression. “Hey. Where’d you go?
3/4
11:10 AM
Chapter 242
“Nowhere. Just thinking.”
“About what?”
“About how happy I am,” I admit. “It’s kind of terrifying.”
He studies me for a long moment, then stands, walking around the table to pull my chair out. I look up at him, confused.
“Come on,” he says, holding out his hand.
I hesitate. “Where are we going?”
“Just trust me.”
ex
I take his hand, letting him lead me out onto the private beach. The sound of waves crashing against the shore is soothing, grounding.
We walk in silence for a while, our feet sinking into the cool sand. Luke finally stops, turning to face me.
“No matter what happens, I’m here,” he says. “You can trust that.”
For the first time in a long while, I let go of the fear. I let myself believe him. Maybe things don’t have to fall apart. Maybe this is my new reality–a messy, imperfect love that’s stronger because of everything we’ve been through.
He leans down to kiss me.
AD
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