“How do you feel, Markus?”

Markus smiled as he drew in a breath and let it out, looking over at Dr. Lemiere. “I feel alive.”

“Alive? Good. That’s a good feeling.”

“It is,” he said, leaning on his legs, his elbows digging into his thighs. “I’ve felt a bit numb since Skylar passed. It was great to get all that off my chest, to forgive her. But Mekena’s grief has been really overwhelming. I hate watching her hurt, and in return, I’ve hurt. But each day is getting better.”

“How have you handled her hurt?”

He took in another breath and let it out slowly. “We talk. She likes to remember the good times, not the shit that Skylar caused, which is nice. She’s been visiting with her family a lot more, and that’s really good. I like her parents, and they like me. We’ve fought, but it’s been because of her grief. So when I get frustrated, I put my whole self into my game. That’s been my saving grace, my game—and my boys, along with my best friend, Baylor. I can talk to her about anything, and that’s great. But mostly, Mekena and I have been building our life.”

“Have you? How?”

“Our apartment is coming along nicely. My pseudo big sister, Lucy has been designing for us, and since Mekena needs something to distract her, she’s been obsessed with making it a home. It’s nice, I guess, but then it makes me worry that she’s trying to bury her pain. So I talk to her a lot, and I think she needs that. She needs to know I’m there, and I need her to know I worry for her. I’ve tried really hard to be as honest as I can.”

“Good, I like that you’re talking to her, telling her what you’re feeling,” Dr. Lemiere said with a smile. “Do you find it hard to be honest when you know it might upset her?”

“Yeah, but I refuse to let either of us shut down on the other. She’s getting help—she got free counseling through a grief counselor at Vanderbilt. She went with her family, so I know she is talking through things with them. And when she comes home, we discuss it more, so I feel good about it. I also try to keep her smiling since that’s my favorite thing about her. I know when she forces it and when she really means it, so she can’t lie to me. I know that frustrates her sometimes, but like I said, we can’t give up. We have to keep fighting. Or at least that’s what I’m told.”

Dr. Lemiere smiled since she was the one who had told him that last week. “I’m glad you listened.”

He laughed. “Yeah, I did, and I’m doing well. I think I am, at least, and Mekena is doing as well as she can. I couldn’t imagine losing Jude, Jayden, Jace, or Lucy, and they aren’t even really my siblings. But she did lose her only sister, and I think she is handling it much better now. She has her good days and her bad.”

“Do you find yourself having the same?”

He shrugged. “I think so. I think I play off her emotions because I care so much. Because I want her to be happy. But at the beginning, after Skylar passed, I think I was becoming obsessed with how Mekena felt and that it was my duty to lift her up. I couldn’t do that because it was bringing me down. So instead, I reminded myself that I couldn’t be her rock if I was falling apart because she was.”

“You’re right.”

“The main thing I’ve learned, through all of this, is that I am one person, and no matter how much I worry for everyone else, I have to worry for me first. Only then can I help everyone else. Which is what I’ve been doing. I make sure that I’m good, and then I’m there for her.”

“Good, that’s what we have been striving for. I’m very proud of you.”

Markus beamed. “Thank you.”

“How’s the anger? The resentment toward Skylar? It’s been five weeks since her passing. Has that been relieved some?”

Markus looked down at his feet and thought that through. “I think I’ve fully forgiven her. But I’m still mad she hurt all those people, but I’m not mad she hurt me.”

“Okay, that’s a classic sign of grief.”

“Should I grieve for her?”

Dr. Lemiere paused, moving her pen along her lip. “I think you grieve for her for Mekena. Do you feel you are still trying to take all her pain?”

Markus nodded. “Character flaw.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “It’s okay, at least we know and we can work on it. But, Markus, you’re moving mountains with your progress. I’m very proud of the man sitting in front of me.”

“Thank you,” he said, smiling, his heart pounding in his chest. He had been nervous about this meeting since, last week, all he did was cry because he couldn’t fix Mekena. It had been a rough five weeks, but they were getting through it.

Together.

“So how do you feel about cutting down to twice a month? Come every other week? Or do you want to stay at every week? I feel you’re not needing me as much as I assumed you would. You’re very resilient, and I appreciate that, but I also don’t want to cut you off completely in case something else comes up.”

Markus nodded as he thought about it. “Yeah, I’m good with that change. Plus, if I have an issue, I’m always welcome to come in here, right?”

“Absolutely,” she agreed with a smile, and he smiled back, pleased with his progress.

When everything had happened with Skylar all those months ago, he didn’t know he needed the help of a doctor. Having Dr. Wren Lemiere in his corner was his saving grace. He might have even ended up like Baylor had, a mess after her attempted rape, but he was standing on his own two feet, a confident man.

A man with no hate in his heart whatsoever.

He would be forever grateful to the woman who sat across from him. She helped him get through something that could have broken him. But with her help and Mekena’s love, he was able not only to forgive Skylar but also to move past it. Now when he thought of Skylar, he didn’t think of the bad she caused him but about the good she had done, growing up with Mekena. That was mostly Mekena’s doing, though. She lived in the good times and not in the bad, and he was thankful for that. He didn’t want her to hurt, even though she did from time to time.

He still found it very difficult to watch. He wanted to protect her, stop the feelings, but it was hard when she didn’t let him. The problem was it had taken longer than he’d thought for Mekena to accept that it wasn’t her fault. But when she finally did, the healing started. It has taken the help of her family and him, but now he knew Mekena was going to be okay. But if for some reason she wasn’t, he would be there, supporting her with everything inside of him.

Because he loved her.

He loved her more now than he ever thought he could. They just worked, and even though they’d had some roadblocks and a few bumps, they were going to be okay. Because they had each other.

Together they could do anything.

But it wasn’t only him who helped Mekena. Avery had been a lifesaving angel. She hadn’t even gone home until two weeks ago, staying just to help with everything and be there for Mekena when she needed someone to talk to besides him. He appreciated her best friend, especially when he had to leave for road trips. Elli had insisted Mekena take some time off, and those few weeks had helped her heal even faster.

Another thing that surprised him was that his family had come to her aid. They had come to the funeral and brought food for not only Mekena and him, but also her family. His mom even texted to check on Mekena, and in his eyes, they had accepted her. But that could change at a moment’s notice. His family wasn’t really reliable and he knew that, so that was okay. He knew who he was dealing with and wasn’t expecting more than they were able to give. In the end, he would always have the Sinclairs.

But above all, he knew they were going to be okay as a couple. They were both too stubborn to allow their lives to be anything other than great. Did they still cry? Get mad? Yes, but he figured that was a part of life, and they were building a life. Together. The apartment was coming along beautifully, Mr. Right had lost a good three pounds, and they had bought a car together. They worked together, they enjoyed each other’s company, and above all, they made love often. Everything was how he wanted it, needed it, and he was more than a little bit excited about it.

Because he was with her.

 

 

“Sorry about this, guys. They called when I was in my appointment to say that it was ready, and I wanna give it to Mekena for Christmas.”

Jayden waved Markus off as they walked down the sidewalk outside Green Hills Mall where they would meet Mr. Preston before going into Tiffany to pick the gifts up for Mekena and Mrs. Preston. “No big deal. Lunch can wait.”

Vaughn scoffed. “I don’t know why you think that, because I’m starving, and I was told I was being fed.”

Markus rolled his eyes. “Why didn’t you drive, then?”

“’Cause you told me we were eating!”

Jayden and Markus laughed. “We’ll get there, I promise.”

Vaughn grumbled. “Listen, I’m hungry and pissed. I had to do media today, and I just want food.”

“Aw, did Vaughn have to talk to Brie, and it made him angry?” Jayden teased, and Vaughn glared.

“I hate you as much as I hate her.”

“You don’t hate her. You want to bang her, but she won’t give you the time of day, so you’re a dick.”

Vaughn scoffed. “If I wanted her, I’d have her.”

“Sure,” Markus laughed. “She’s way out of your league.”

“Ha, like you have any room to talk. Mekena is a hottie, she should holler at me, not your scrawny ass.”

Markus laughed harder. “Please, my woman loves me and only me.”

“Speaking of Mekena,” Jayden said. “Are they not back yet?”

Markus shook his head, checking his phone. “She should be home in about two hours. I think they got stuck in Georgia.”

Mekena had flown to Florida and met Avery to drive back home. They were on their “girls trip” they had been talking about for months. Markus figured it was a great idea and flew her down there a couple days before since they had a five-day break between games. He was lucky that Avery was free, and that Autumn was actually already down there visiting so that she could keep Ashlyn. It all worked out, and he knew that Mekena needed some girl time with her best friend. She had been bummed when Avery had to go home after staying with them for so long, and he’d admit, he missed them too.

Or better yet, he missed Ashlyn, because watching that toddler chase around a fat cat was basically the highlight of his mornings.

As they walked into the mall, Markus sent her a quick text.

Markus: Where you be at, woman of mine?

Mekena: Three hours away. We stopped for food.

Markus: Ugh! HURRY, I miss you!

Mekena: Good, cause I wanna bang.

Markus: Jesus, you horndog.

Mekena: Haha. I miss you. See you soon.

Smiling, he tucked his phone into his pocket as they entered the mall, where Markus found Mr. Preston waiting by the directory. He had called Stan when he left the Assassins office since he had gotten Mrs. Preston the same gift he had gotten Mekena.

“Hey,” he called, and Stan smiled as he came off the sign. He didn’t look how he had when Markus had first met him. He was skinnier, looked tired, and Markus knew it was because Mrs. Preston wasn’t handling Skylar’s death well. She was in more advanced therapy since the complimentary one ran out after the first month. Mekena tried to lift her mother up, but Linda still blamed herself and felt like a piece of her was missing. Markus knew he could never replace that piece, but he thought maybe the gift he had made for her and Mekena would help.

“Hey, thanks for letting me tag along.”

“Of course. These are my buddies, Jayden and Vaughn. Guys, this is Mekena’s dad, Stan.”

“Stan, the man,” Vaughn laughed, but Stan didn’t laugh.

“Nice to meet you.”

Shooting Markus a look, Vaughn shook Mr. Preston’s hand before they started for Tiffany. They made small talk, mostly about hockey since that was an easy subject all four men could agree on.

When the sign for the store came into view, Markus smiled just as Jayden said, “Hey, why don’t Vaughn and I go to the Cheesecake Factory and wait for y’all? There is no reason for all of us to go. This is a family matter, ya know?”

Markus hadn’t even realized that, but then, he thought of the guys as family. They were his best friends. The Assassins was his home, and he was so lucky that the contract he had signed was a three-year deal with a no-trade clause.

Thank you, Elli Adler.

Vaughn made a face then asked, “Why? What are you doing?”

“We’re picking up necklaces for Mekena and her mom. They have a little charm with the ashes of Mekena’s sister who passed a month or so ago in it,” Markus said, and he didn’t miss the sadness that took over Stan’s face or the pure alarm on Vaughn’s.

“Oh, yeah, count me out on that. Not to sound insensitive, but that’s sad as hell,” Vaughn said, holding his hands up. “I’ll be at the bar.”

He turned and walked away, leaving Jayden to shake his head. “He’s such an ass.”

Markus scoffed but shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t have to leave, bro.”

“No, man, it’s good. Go ahead, I’ll go eat and entertain JoJo. Come join us after, please,” he said, more to Stan than Markus, due to the simple fact that Markus was his ride, so obviously, he’d be coming.

“Yeah, maybe,” Stan said, holding his hand out. Jayden took it as Stan said, “Just in case, it was good to meet you.”

“You too,” he said with a nod before turning and walking away, sending Markus a small smile of encouragement.

He didn’t even know he needed it until that moment.

Sucking in a breath, Markus looked at Stan. “Let’s do this.”

Entering the store, they told the clerk why they were there, and she took them to the viewing room. As they waited for the jeweler who was in charge of the special pieces Markus had ordered, Markus leaned back in his seat, looking over at Stan.

“So, how are you?”

Stan nodded, wringing his fingers together. “Okay, taking each day as it comes.”

“Linda any better?”

He shrugged. “Some days, but it’s been hard. On both of us.”

“I’m sure, but I think this will help a bit.”

“Yeah, thanks for this. It’s a wonderful idea, and I think she’ll love it. So will Mekena.”

“I hope so,” Markus said optimistically as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“How’s Mekena? I haven’t talked to her in a few days.”

“Working a lot and getting the apartment exactly how she wants it. It’s going well,” he said, letting out a breath. He hated small talk. It drove him crazy, but he was nervous. He wasn’t sure why, but he was. He knew Stan liked him; that wasn’t the problem. Really, he wasn’t sure what his problem was, but his heart was pounding and his stomach was a mess.

Thankfully, the jeweler who had done Markus’s order entered with a smile on her face. He was excited when Jayden had suggested Marylou to him. She was a genius when it came to jewelry, and when Markus told her what he wanted, she came back at him with the most amazing stuff. Stan had loved the design, and Markus was excited to see the final piece.

“Hey, Markus. Mr. Preston, I presume,” Marylou said as both men stood, shaking her hand. Markus noticed in her other hand were three little boxes, and his heart kicked up in speed as she set each out. He knew what each one held, and the last one made his heart skip a beat and then crash into his stomach. He felt Stan look at him, but it was only for a second before he looked back down at the three little boxes.

“I thought we only ordered two?”

Marylou smiled as she nodded. “You did, but this third box is something special that Markus ordered,” she said with a wink, and Markus smiled over at Stan, who just looked confused. Reaching for the first two boxes, she opened them to reveal a beautiful pendant that almost looked like a galaxy of stars, but it was really crushed up jewels mixed with Skylar’s ashes. It was stunning, and on the back, it was engraved with, “I’ll meet you in the stars.”

Markus reached out, cupping Stan’s shoulder as he fought back tears.

“It’s beautiful.”

“It is,” Markus said, the emotion thick in his voice.

“I’ll give y’all a moment,” Marylou said, walking out the back, and Markus smiled when Stan looked over at him.

“This was a great idea.”

“I hope they think so too.”

“They will,” he said, running his finger along the pendant. “You’ve been really great, Markus. I don’t think I’ve said that enough. Linda and I really appreciate everything you’ve done for our family. Taking care of Mekena, of us, cooking, cleaning—it’s been really great of you.”

“I wouldn’t want to be any other way,” he said, his voice rough and not really sounding like his own. “I love Mekena. I’d do anything for her.”

“Oh, I know. We all know… Hell, everyone knows,” he laughed, wiping away his tears. “The way you’ve stood by her is really something, and I’m very lucky to know you’re the man who loves my daughter.”

Swallowing hard, Markus held Stan’s gaze and said, “And the man who wants to marry her.”

Stan paused, his eyes widening. “I’m sorry, what?”

Reaching for the third box, Markus opened it to a stunning four-carat teardrop diamond that had a row of smaller half-carat diamonds encircling the band. Holding it up, he knew he had the biggest, goofiest grin on his face, experiencing the same feeling of wonder he had when he first saw the ring. He had only meant to come to the store to order Mekena’s and Linda’s gifts, but then he saw the ring he knew belonged on Mekena’s finger.

The ring that symbolized his love for her.

Meeting Stan’s wide eyes, Markus’s grin grew. “I never have nor will ever love anyone like I do Mekena. I want to marry her. I want to make a life with her, but I can’t do that in good conscience without knowing you support us. So may I please marry your daughter?”

Stan looked away and shook his head. “She’s so young.”

Markus’s heart dropped, taking his breath away, but somehow, he said, “Eh, she’s very mature, though.”

Stan laughed. “She’s been very mature since she was about nine.” Markus’s heart was in his throat as he waited for Stan to answer him. When he looked up to Markus, he was smiling. “She’s my baby, and I’ve always had such a special place in my heart for her. She’s so damn smart, sarcastic as all hell, and I swear, sometimes I think I can’t love her enough. But then I met you, and I can’t help but feel like you love her even more than I do.”

“I do love her, Stan, and I’ll always love her. I will.”

“I know, and because of that, the answer is yes. Markus, you have my blessing—or whatever you want to call it. You can marry her, and hell, I’ll even pay.” Markus laughed, but before he could say anything more, Stan stood, pulling him up into a backslapping hug. “Thank you for asking, Markus. I didn’t think guys did that anymore. To know you wanted to, and you have, leads me to believe you are a gentleman and you’ll love her right and for the rest of her life.”

“Oh, I will,” he promised, hugging his future father-in-law. “As long as she says yes,” he joked. Though, he was sure she would.

“She’d be crazy not to say yes.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“When will you ask?”

“Christmas, maybe? I’m not sure. When the moment feels right.”

“I’ll keep my mouth shut, won’t even tell Linda.”

Markus nodded. “Thanks. I haven’t told anyone either.” Well…Jace and Avery didn’t count.

“So we wait,” he said, holding out his hand, and Markus took it with a huge grin on his face. He hadn’t thought Stan would say no—that thought hadn’t even crossed his mind—but now that he had said yes, a sense of relief washed over him. He hadn’t really planned the proposal. He wanted to do some huge scene, make it special, but he needed time to plan it. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he wanted it to be unique and perfect.

Because Mekena deserved that and more.

And Markus was going to give it to her.

 

 

Looking out the window as the hills of Tennessee passed, Mekena smiled while Avery sang along to Taylor Swift on the radio. The last four days had been a blast. Mekena and Avery’s Wild Adventure, as they were calling it, had started in Fort Lauderdale where they sat on the beach for a whole day doing absolutely nothing. It was glorious. They then went and packed up the trailer with all Mekena’s things, and then her car before hitting the road. They stopped in Jacksonville to get Markus’s things from his ex-roommate and then stopped in every town along the way that interested them.

They went to old music stores, stopped at some parks, and sometimes just parked the car and lay on the hood. They stayed at funky hotels just for the thrill of it and even went to the Space & Rocket Center in Alabama, something Mekena had always wanted to do. Whatever they felt like doing, they did, and it was amazing. They ate until their guts were full, and boy, was the food good. It was all awesome and everything that Mekena needed to clear her head.

It had been five weeks since Skylar had passed, and Mekena still wasn’t totally okay. If it weren’t for Markus, she would probably still be in bed, with no purpose but to breathe. It was heartbreaking, and she didn’t really understand her feelings. She was mad at the person who had killed her sister. Who had tried to rape her boyfriend and then took him away from her for two years. But she loved and missed the sister who taught her how to do her makeup and attempted to teach her how to talk to boys.

That person she missed more than she could ever put into words. But as bad as it sounded, she was glad the person who had been killing her sister slowly was finally gone. The only problem was that villain took her sister with her. There was a hole in Mekena’s soul, one that would slowly heal, but at that moment, it still felt empty. She didn’t understand why or how this could have happened to someone who used to be so vibrant and fun. Her sister was supposed to go places, be an amazing dancer with a huge career, but instead, Mekena had found out that Skylar was working at a strip club as a dancer, doing cocaine every night.

It made her sick.

She didn’t want to know that side of her sister.

Thankfully, she wasn’t going through this alone.

She had Markus.

God, he was an angel. So understanding, so sweet, and helpful. He did everything he could to make the loss of Skylar that much easier. He listened, he fed her, made her comfortable, and by God, he loved her. He loved her so much that sometimes it was suffocating. But he picked up on that, and he gave her space. He knew her inside and out, and it was nice to be certain he was there. No matter what. Not everyone got that person who would die for them, and Mekena had two.

Avery and Markus.

Like Markus, Avery had been there every step of the way. She didn’t leave for the three weeks after Skylar had passed, sacrificing time with her husband to be there for Mekena and her family. Mekena owed Avery the world, but they both joked that since Ashlyn almost killed Mr. Right on numerous occasions, they’d call it even. A grin came across her face as she remembered Ashlyn lying on her baby, holding him down as he tried to get away. But he wouldn’t bite her because he loved the sweet baby too. It was great, and a really good laugh.

One she had needed.

“I’m sad this is over,” Avery said once they entered Nashville, and Mekena looked over, a smile on her face.

“Yeah, but we can take another trip soon, can’t we?”

“Yes, we shall plan one for the off-season. Maybe we can go to Fiji,” Avery suggested with a nod. “Find an awesome hut that will take my kid, and make Jace pay for Autumn and River to come so they can keep her while we all go out.”

“That sounds magical.”

“It does, and we can make Markus and Jace rub our feet, or better yet, rub sugar all over us… And eat it off us.”

Mekena snorted as she nodded. “Yes, yes, I agree.”

Laughing, Avery reached over, taking her hand in hers. “Did you have fun, bestie?”

“I did,” Mekena said, smiling. “A lot of fun.”

“Good, I worry about you.”

“I know. I’m fine, though. I swear.”

“Oh, I know. I made Markus keep tabs on you since I left.”

Laughing, Mekena squeezed her hand. “Making my man keep tabs on me, how rude. I don’t lie to you!”

Avery flashed her a grin. “Yeah, ’cause you know Markus is watching!”

Grinning, Mekena shook her head. “He’s been wonderful.”

“He’s awesome. I always knew that guy was it for you.”

“You offered to kill him with me when it all went down,” she reminded her, and Avery shrugged.

“That’s what best friends do, duh. But I knew something was up. I love Markus. I just hated him for you.”

“Don’t tell him that, his head is big enough,” she said with a smile. “But thank you.”

“Ain’t that the damn truth,” Avery laughed with a nod. “But things are still good, right? Y’all are all gooey and still in love?”

Mekena nodded. “Yup, that’s my guy.”

“Okay, good. We didn’t talk about the guys much this trip.”

“Nope, it was about us and how much fun we are.”

“Agreed,” she said, with her hand coming up in an “Amen” sort of way. “I’m glad you guys are doing well. I know these last couple weeks haven’t been easy, and sometimes that can be a strain on a relationship.”

Mekena nodded, biting her lip. “Yeah, but some people are headstrong and stubborn like Markus and me. We won’t give up on each other.”

“Good.” Avery smiled as she turned onto the road that led to Mekena’s apartment. “So what’s next?”

“Brie hired me to shoot the holiday party at her brother’s home, so I’m going to go do that tomorrow.”

Avery nodded. “He has Down’s, right?”

Mekena nodded. “Yeah.”

She had met Rod a couple times now, and he was a hoot. He hit on her the first time, but when he saw Markus, he backed off and promised never to talk to her again. Markus just laughed it off and told him he was the only other man who was allowed to tell Mekena she was gorgeous. So Rod took him literally and told Mekena every time she saw him. It was sweet, but what was sweeter was seeing Brie with her brother. Mekena wished so badly that Brie could hit the lottery or something just so that Rod could go into private care because it was honestly killing Brie to leave him in that home. Not that they were bad to him, they were good, but Mekena knew Brie wanted her brother with her.

And after losing Skylar, Mekena understood more than she ever could have before.

“You’ll have to send me pics,” Avery said as she pulled into the parking garage of Mekena’s apartment.

“Aw, Markus isn’t here.”

“Ugh, that sucks. Oh, but my rental is here. I love my husband.”

Mekena laughed as she stared at her best friend’s profile. “You’re helping me.”

Avery made a face. “Or, we can leave it and make Markus do it later. You know he will.”

He would, but she didn’t want to ask that of him. He had already been so great. “Or we can do it,”

“Or,” Avery tried, “we can unload the car, and he can do the trailer.”

“Or…” Mekena came back with a grin. “We can do the trailer, and he can do the car.”

Avery thought that over and then nodded. “You’re lucky I love you.”

“I am,” she said with a laugh. “I love you too.” More than she could ever express to a woman and not sound like she was batting for the other team, but it was true. Avery had been one hell of a rock through everything, and she owed her completely. But then, that’s what best friends were for, and as they started to unload the trailer, Mekena couldn’t help but think she was lucky to have such a great support system.

Without them, she wasn’t sure where she’d be.

Mekena wondered if maybe that was where Skylar had gone wrong. She lost her support system because she had pushed them away. She started to self-destruct, and then next thing she knew, she was high and driving her car into the front of a semi.

It was all on Skylar, and it took Markus, Avery, and a therapist to drill that into Mekena’s head. As much as it hurt, she knew it was true.

Skylar wasn’t coming back, and there was nothing Mekena could do about that.

What she could do was enjoy life. Which is what Markus said he was doing and he was enjoying it. Every day she was answered with a grin from him. He did everything to make her smile, to make her laugh, and she couldn’t love him enough. He made her live life, enjoy living, and they had so much fun. He still made her swoon, and he was constantly on her mind. He was her everything, and she was so lucky to have him.

Life was almost perfect with Markus in it.

If she’d thought she’d loved him before, nothing could compare to how she loved him now. He stood beside her. He was a good soul, such an understanding, perfect man, one she loved more and more each day. How could she not? He cared for anyone he met. People loved him instantly, and if they didn’t, they learned to because he kept them laughing. He was everything she wanted, everything she needed.

She was his, and he was hers.

 

 

Falling face first into the bed, Mekena let out a long breath as she moved her hair out of her face and looked out the windows of her apartment. She had bribed Avery to unload everything with cupcakes from their favorite bakery, Audrey Jane’s, which was a great way to end their trip. But when she said bye to her best friend, she found herself on the verge of tears. It was nice to have that female companionship, and she was going to miss Avery greatly. But she had to get home to her baby and husband, who would be home the following day.

At least Mekena knew it wouldn’t be long before she saw her best friend again, unlike seeing her sister. Closing her eyes, Mekena decided she was down for the count, which was probably a good idea. She hadn’t cried over her sister in days, and she wanted to keep it that way. Skylar wouldn’t want her to be a mess; she’d want her to be happy and live life. So she’d honor her sister, knowing that she had done well the last couple days, and she’d continue to try to keep doing better because she wanted to live. Life was so fucking short. It could end in an instant, and Mekena wanted to make sure she got everything she could out of each day.

She wouldn’t spend it crying, she’d spend it rejoicing, especially when she was rejoicing over the love she had with Markus and the amazing career she was building for herself. She had the position with the Assassins, which was wonderful and everything she had dreamed of: travel and photography. Everything was working out, and she was happy. Other than the lingering ache of losing Skylar.

She knew it would dull with each passing day, or at least, she hoped it would.

Rolling over in bed, she wasn’t sure where Markus was but knew he’d be home when he was. She thought about texting him, but her phone was in the kitchen and she just didn’t have it in her to go get it. She figured she would take a nap until he got there, but before she could close her eyes, she smiled at the sounds of Mr. Right playing in the kitchen. Markus had bought him a whole playhouse to help him lose weight, and since he was monitoring the cat’s food intake—which meant he hid the food from Mekena and Mr. Right—her kitty was losing weight like a champ.

He hated Markus with a passion in his soul, but he’d be okay.

Closing her eyes, she didn’t realize how tired she really was, and within seconds, she fell asleep. When she woke, it wasn’t because the cat was loud, it was because someone was staring at her. As she expected, it was her gorgeous boyfriend grinning at her, moving his fingers along her jaw.

“Good evening, beautiful.”

She smiled, rubbing her eyes as she rolled onto her back. “Evening? Crap, I won’t sleep tonight.”

Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her nose. “I’ll stay up with you until I can’t.”

She laughed. “Which won’t be long. We all know how you are with sleep.”

“True,” he said, cuddling her and kissing her once more. “Jesus, woman, kiss me. I haven’t seen you in five days.”

Grinning, she pressed her lips to his in a fevered kiss as his hands tangled in her hair. Pulling away, he nibbled on her bottom lip as she smiled, her eyes locking with his. “Did you miss me?”

He scoffed. “I miss you when you’re beside me. Of course, I missed you.”

She grinned happily. “I missed you too. We ate at this crab place one day, and I knew you’d love it.”

“I would have. It’s crab, and I love food.”

“See? I knew I was on to something.”

He kissed her hard once more before pulling back and staring into her eyes. “Did you have fun with Avery?”

She nodded softly, her smile falling a bit. “It was really nice. I missed having girl time.”

“Boo, you don’t like boy time?”

She laughed. “I love boy time, especially the sex part.”

“Freak,” he said, rolling his eyes playfully, and she giggled loudly. “I’m glad. Did it clear your head?”

“It did. It was really nice,” she said on an exhale. “I didn’t cry the whole time.”

“That’s awesome, sweetheart,” he said softly, kissing her jaw. “I knew you needed some Avery time.”

“I did. She wants to go to Fiji in the off-season.”

“That sounds like a plan, for sure.”

“I thought so too.”

Gazing into his eyes, she felt so beautiful. He did that to her, always making her feel like the most stunning person on this earth. She never had to question his love; she just knew he loved her, wholly, and she loved that about him. What she loved the most was that she never questioned their future anymore. She knew that no matter what they’d be together, and they’d stand tall through the storms or whatever else came their way.

It was such a powerful feeling.

Especially when she’d lived for that time unsure of who she was or even what her purpose was. She blamed a lot of that on Libby for taking her in and letting her be a hermit. But all that changed the moment she came home and went to a wedding, where she faced off against the guy who held her heart completely. She tried to resist him, tried to ignore him and hate him, but her heart just couldn’t do it. It was like she always knew he truly didn’t hurt her. That he only loved her, and in fact, he was the victim.

But all of it was in the past.

Their future together was so bright.

Reaching out, she cupped his face as she smiled. He leaned into her hand as his face broke into a grin. “I love you.”

“I love you,” she said, rubbing her thumb along his lip. “Where were you, by the way? Out chasing tail with your boys?”

He nodded. “Yeah, but I didn’t find any tail that equaled this tail,” he said, taking ahold of her ass. “So I left.”

“Oh, how lucky for me.”

He grinned, bringing her in closer, her center pressing into him. “Shut up, you.”

“Never,” she vowed, shaking her head. “Tell me where you were.”

“I took your dad out to lunch that turned into dinner with Jayden and Vaughn.”

Her brow quirked at the mention of her dad. “My dad? Why were you with my dad?”

He smiled. “For reasons you don’t need to know.”

“Rude.”

“Hey, I’m trying to surprise you.”

“Why?” she said, her face scrunching up. “I hate surprises.”

“You do not.”

“I do,” she said, shaking her head. “What if I don’t like it and then I have to act like I do? We both know you can see right through me.”

He thought that over. “I can.”

“So, see? Surprises are dumb. Just tell me what y’all were up to.”

He bit into his lip and shook his head slowly. “No.”

Laughing, she rolled her eyes. “I hate you.”

“You don’t.”

“I know,” she said truthfully, leaning her head into his chin. “I missed you a lot.”

“Good, I missed you,” he said, kissing her forehand. “Don’t leave me anymore.”

“I will. I love girl trips.”

He chuckled. “Rude.”

“You love it.”

“I do.”

Moving his fingers up into her hair, he kissed her nose, his eyes full of love as they stared into each other’s eyes. “I asked your dad if I could marry you today.”

She could only blink because, surely, she’d heard him wrong. He said it so calmly, like what he’d just said wasn’t life altering. “You what?”

He smiled, moving his lips along her nose, his eyes burning into hers. “I asked your dad if I could marry you.”

“You did?!”

“I did,” he said, still so calm, while she was sure her eyes were going to pop out of her head, they were so wide.

“What in the world? What did he say?”

“He said yes.”

Her mouth dropped. “He did?”

“Yup.”

She just looked at him, unsure how to take what he was saying. Was he asking her to marry him? Or was he just making a statement? Blinking some more, she murmured, “Okay?”

“Okay,” he said with a smile, and her brows pulled together.

“Okay.”

Kissing her, this time, on her lips, he rolled on top of her. “Okay,” he said before rolling off the bed and onto the floor. Still unsure what the hell was going on, she found herself beyond frustrated as she slapped the bed.

“Markus! What the hell—” Before she could finish, though, she looked over to see his hand in the air with a little blue box in it. Gasping, she covered her mouth as she sat up slowly, and his head popped up to where she could see his eyes. They were bright, big, and happy as he used his other hand to open the box containing the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen. It was teardrop shaped and sparkly, and holy shit, was this really happening?

“Are you surprised?” he asked, and she choked on a sob.

“A bit.”

“So you like this one?”

She nodded like a bobblehead. “Yeah, I do.”

Tears rushed to her eyes as she met his gaze, his own eyes shining with tears. “Mekena, I love you more than I could ever find a way to say to you. I love the way you tell me you hate me because I know it isn’t true. I love the way you smile, the way you laugh, and even the way you cry. Though, I refuse to be the reason for those tears.” He paused, his voice breaking as he held her gaze. “I have loved you for a very long time, through the worst two years of my life and even before that. You stood by me after you learned the truth of what happened. You loved me even when I wasn’t sure I loved myself. You took a risk on me when you really didn’t have to. You laugh at my bad jokes, and the thing is…I crave you. Always.”

Choking on a sob, she smiled. “Your jokes aren’t that bad.”

He laughed. “They aren’t good, but that’s beside the point. The point is, I love you. I love you so damn much, and I know for a fact that the greatest story I’ll ever tell is our own. But with every great love story, there is a happily ever after, and for that to happen for me, for us…I need you—God, I want you—to say yes to marrying me.”

Her lip quivered as she slowly started to nod her head. Yes, of course, she would, but then he gave her a slightly exasperated look as a tear went down his cheek. “Can you wait for me to ask?”

She choked on laughter as she nodded her head. “Yes, sorry, as you were.”

“So Mekena Lillian Preston, will you do me the absolutely honor of calling you my wife for the rest of my existence?”

She blinked.

Then he blinked.

And then there was an awkward silence.

Holding his gaze, she asked, “Did you ask?”

He laughed. “Were you listening?”

“Yeah, but that wasn’t a ‘Will you marry me?’ so I wasn’t sure if you were done.”

“I’m gonna kill you.”

Laughing out loud, she jumped into his arms, pressing her mouth to his as he fell back onto the floor, her body covering his while he wrapped his arms around her. Kissing him hard, she thought she couldn’t fall for him again, but she was surprised because she had. All over again. And boy, did she love him and everything about him. She held his face. “Yes. Yes, I will marry you and be your wife for the rest of your existence.”

He eyed her. “Are you mocking me?

“Would I do that?”

He grinned. “Yes, but I don’t care as long as you are saying yes.”

“Oh, I’m saying yes. You are mine, Markus Reeves, and no one else’s.”

Holding her close, he kissed her lips once more and nodded. “Always have been and always will be, Mekena Preston.”

And she would be his because he was the risk she would always take.

Because what was life without a little risk?

Especially when the payoff was Markus Reeves loving her for the rest of their existence.