I glance back as Katie moves past me to gently hug May.

“Oh my gosh!” She says, my ever exuberant sister. “This is perfect!” She says, “My best friend and my brother getting married!” She squeals in joy and I see May’s shock. I glance back at my mother, who’s beaming at us.

“Where’s Grace?” I mouth and she motions over her shoulder. I gather that she’s with dad, and I nod.

“We’re only here for a minute,” Katie says, glancing at mom, who steps in to give me a hug, then to hug May. “But,” Katie says, her eyes sparkling as she looks at May, “You’ll have to tell me everything.”

Katie pulls me into a hug, growling in my ear that she’ll castrate me if I hurt May. “I love you too,” I say playfully and she gives me the look, the sister look that’s part amusement, part serious, but it’s all love.

They leave quickly with mom promising she’ll call, but telling me she’s keeping Grace another night. “So you two have a chance to…” Her gaze skips to May. “Recuperate.” Her eyes come back to mine and I want to shake my head at her. But her joy is unmistakable as she takes Katie’s hand and heads to the door.

I turn to May who seems stunned.

“I thought she’d hate me,” She whispers, tears streaming freely down her face. “But she will, when they find out…” she trails off, pain written in her features.

“I wanted to talk about that,” I say, my heart thundering in my chest. I’ve never been so sure of something in my life.

And as I pull out the ring, her eyes widen. “That’s not…” she says, her lovely blue eyes clouding over with confusion.

“I know. The other ring felt like it would forever symbolize the lie, the fake engagement. I wanted a fresh start.” I shift, getting on one knee as her face drops into an expression of shock and joy.

“The world seems to want us together,” I say, wishing I’d prepared an actual speech. But like everything else in my life that has to do with May, I feel like whatever happens will be perfect. “And I want you in my life. No,” I amend, “I need you in my life.”

She speaks up and I listen. “Someone or something wants us to find each other. We were meant for more than we ever even knew.”

“Exactly,” I say, glad she feels the same way, that I’m not just crazy. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe we both are. “Before, I felt crazy for having fallen in love with you so fast. But after I found out who you were, it made sense. I loved you because I always have. Since that time when you were on Katie’s bike and you fell.” Her face lights up and I know she remembers too.

“You skinned your knee and it kept bleeding and you were so scared. Do you remember what I told you?” I ask and she nods, her blue eyes on mine.

“You told me to hold onto you really tight, that I’d be okay.” She’s whispering, her gaze illuminated with the memory.

“And I told you that I’d always be there when you got hurt. That you could count on me to be there.” The memory leaves warmth spreading through every inch of me. And while it all makes perfect sense now, that we were always meant to be, that even then we loved each other, we had to part ways.

She had to chase her own demons. I had to love and lose Amanda to get Grace. But there’s more I need to say. “Everything that has happened to us up until now was preparing us for each other,” I say, lifting the ring. “Will you marry me?”

She hesitates and my heart sinks. She eyes me, then the ring, before her lips part. “For real? Or just for show?” Her eyes light up with humor and I can’t help it. I kiss her.

“For real,” I murmur against her lips as we lazily pull apart.

“This has to be against the rules,” She says, planting a quick kiss on my lips before smiling, “You’re coercing me.”

Amused at her wit and teasing, I ask, “Is it working?”

“Maybe,” she says, opening her eyes to look into mine. “Kiss me again and I’ll tell you.”

I kiss her, this time our tongues meet and it feels like heaven. She melts into me like she belongs in my arms. She fits me perfectly, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than right here, with her. Forever.

But I end the kiss and pull back a bit. “You’re killing me,” I say, watching the way she shivers as my breath cools her damp lips.

“Oh, sorry,” she says, her face illuminated with joy and humor as she studies me once more. “Yes. Yes, please. I love you.” She leans in and I kiss her, finally feeling like everything is perfect.

“I’m the luckiest man in the world,” I whisper, needing her to know how I feel. I want to tell her everything in my heart, how lucky I am, that this is perfection. But she rises up a bit, her hand wrapping in a fist around the lapel of my shirt as she clings to me.

“Shut up and kiss me,” she says, pulling me closer.