* * *

She was the first girl he ever fantasized about kissing.

At twelve years old Wade had already had his first kiss, but it wasn’t with Chloe. It was a girl named Marcy. He couldn’t remember her surname. What he did remember was that when he kissed her, he imagined himself kissing Chloe and he felt real guilty because, not only was Chloe nine years old, but poor Marcy thought that meant they’d be together forever. She hated him after with a vengeance when he told her it was just a kiss.

Years later, the Chloe fantasies continued and he thought that was all they could be, just fantasies of a girl he shouldn’t have.

He remembered occasions when he found himself carelessly staring at her, getting lost in her beauty. From time to time she’d look back all starry eyed that he was looking at her, but he’d always discourage anything further. The last stunt he pulled was turning her away when she went to him when she was eighteen, practically offering herself on that magical plate of temptation.

Now here she was. Twirling around in the sunlight with her golden hair sparkling against its rays. She wore a dark pink summer dress that stood out against her tanned skin and vibrant autumn-colored eyes.

They were on Lanikai Beach enjoying their last full day in Hawaii. They’d be leaving in the morning, going back to L.A. Going back to the lair of danger.

Maybe they were crazy. Maybe.

He’d told her to go to France again, just until things blew over and settled down. He couldn’t leave his mother and Taylor, and truth be told, he was anxious to see what was going to happen to his father.

All things aside, Wade was nervous for a whole other reason right now, and his nerves spiked the more he watched Chloe.

He felt like when he first got back to L.A. and wondered if he should just leave her alone. Each time the thought crossed his mind, he realized he couldn’t do that. His need for her in his life overwhelmed him, and the idea of not having her made him feel like…

Well, that was just it. He couldn’t live without her.

He’d been sitting in the sand watching her and waiting for the right moment to approach her. The moment was now. He got up and made his way over to her, taking her hand.

“Baby, how much of that ice cream did you have?” he chuckled. He swore she’d eaten two tubs today. She’d started the day with it, too, and ended up eating so much it made her sick. Then like it hadn’t affected her, he saw her reach for the next tub, giving him the excuse that maybe too much of one flavor wasn’t good. Sugar made her hyper and today she was high on it.

“Enough. Wade you can never have too much ice cream.” She giggled.

“Okay, baby, but if you don’t stop twirling around like that you’re going to be sick again.”

“I had too much strawberry ice cream. I told you I normally alternate between chocolate, mint, and minimal strawberry. It’s funny, though, because I can eat as much of the chocolate ice cream as I want.”

He just looked at her, wondering how she could think that made sense, but at the same time loving everything that made her her. The quirkiness, the creativity, the warmth, comfort, determination, and so much more.

“Okay.” She could think whatever she wanted. It would always be good in his books, because from where he stood, he was looking at one hell of a woman, who’d stood by him during one of the hardest moments of his life.

“I’m just happy.” She smiled. “I’m just pretending that this is our life. Exactly like this and there isn’t anything to worry about.”

He reached out and stroked her chin. “Me, too, baby.” He looked into her eyes and nerves filled him again as he thought of what he was about to do. “Can I interrupt your twirling for two seconds?”

Her sweet smile brightened as she slipped her arms around him. “Yes you may.”

He kissed the top of her nose and took a step back so he could look at his beautiful girl properly. Wade held onto her hands, both of them, and gazed at her.

“Chloe.” He pulled in a deep breath.

“Yes, Wade.”

“Do you love me?”

She started to laugh, which didn’t help his nerves at all.

“Baby what’s funny? I’m serious.”

“How can you ask me that? You know I love you. I love you, Wade.”

“How much?”

“This much,” she declared proudly, making a circle, or it could have been a zero, with her thumb and index finger. He hoped it wasn’t a zero.

“A circle?” He narrowed his eyes at her.

“Infinity. A circle has no beginning and no end. It goes on and on, around and around forever.”

He couldn’t help it. A feeling of contentment settled over him, making him appreciate her even more.

“You love me that much?” he asked.

She nodded confidently and smiled.

“I love you that much, too, and I was wondering…” Pulling in a deep breath to clear his mind he felt for the little box in his side pocket that contained the engagement ring he’d bought before they left L.A.

“What?” She searched his eyes.

He wanted to do this exactly like how he imagined, but nerves were getting the better of him. Wade didn’t think he’d ever felt nervous around a woman in his life, but this was the one that mattered.

So he reached for the box, took her hand, and when he lowered in the sand to one knee, she brought her free hand to her chest and looked at him completely stunned.

“What are you doing Wade?” Her voice was low, just above a whisper.

“Proposing.” He could barely get the word out.

She drew in a sharp breath when he flicked the delicate pink box open, revealing the diamond ring inside that took him hours to choose, even with Wes’ help. Yes, he’d asked Wesley, Wes, to go with him to choose her ring. Taylor was the first person that popped into his head, but he knew that somehow she’d manage to tell Chloe and ruin the surprise. He could have asked Kelly, too, but Wes seemed to be the right person. Wade was terrible with choosing anything of sentimental value, and since this was important, he knew he’d need help. This ring he picked because it reminded him of her. Delicate, but strong and beautiful. It was an oval cut set in the center of an extra-thin band for more effect. He could tell from the look on her face that he’d made an excellent choice.

“Beautiful Chloe, I look at you and I see everything I want. Everything. There is no one else like you, and there is no one else for me except you. I want to spend the rest of eternity with you, making you happy and trying to be what you are to me.” It was so good that his heart was taking over like he hoped it would. It was important to him that he did this part right. He wanted her to always remember. “Chloe, will you marry me and be my wife?”

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she gazed down at him. “Yes.” She nodded.

She said yes! It took him a few seconds to register that she had and he was momentarily stunned. He forgot he held the ring and was supposed to put it on her finger. It was as he was about to get up that he remembered and snapped out of his reverie.

Wade took the ring out and slipped it on her finger, prompting more tears from her. It looked perfect on her finger, just as she was. Perfect.

Instinct and a rush of adrenaline then took over and he swooped her up into his arms, spinning her around as they hugged and laughed.

* * *

* * *

She couldn’t help it.

Her eyes were permanently attached to her ring. She’d gotten lost in just looking at it. It was overly beautiful and beamed in any light, like it had a life of its own. But that wasn’t why she was so fascinated with it. It was the meaning. It was what it represented. Wade asked her to marry him.

As a little girl she’d dreamt of that and obsessed over him asking her. It was just a dream and she was having a hard time believing it came true.

She’d called everyone and told them, starting with her parents, who both confessed that the news didn’t surprise them. She was actually thinking that her mom might have had a few words of caution for her, only because of the talk they had before her mother left to go back to France. But, no. Her mother was thrilled and happy for them. Her excitement made Chloe hope she would have the kind of marriage that her parents have, where they were perpetually in love.

When they got back, everyone had come by to congratulate them. That was nice, and it felt unreal.

The day after they returned she thought she’d go to the beach house to spend some time with the girls.

They talked for hours and ate all the treats in the house. Kelly went out to get more, deciding that the occasion and the day warranted more chocolate.

That left Chloe and Taylor to talk.

“I can’t stop looking at your ring.” Taylor giggled, the ends of her hair bobbled in her high ponytail as she moved.

“Me, neither.” Chloe laughed, too.

They sat together in the kitchen, finishing the last of the Tootsie Rolls.

“I’m so proud of you guys. I really am.”

“Oh, Taylor, you’re the sweetest.” Chloe straightened up against the chair. “It’s still sinking in.”

“I’ll bet. Have you thought about when you want to get married?” Her green eyes glistened with excitement.

“Wade wants to get married soon.” Chloe widened her eyes. “I was thinking something along the lines of next year, like next summer. But then he said why waste this summer, and suggested in a month’s time, or two at a stretch.” She tried to do Wade’s voice, similar to how Wes did it. Taylor laughed.

“That boy is crazy in love with you.” Taylor continued laughing. “I love weddings and think if you guys decide to get hitched in a month or two, we all could definitely pull it off.”

“A month or two, Taylor?” Chloe shook her head. It was absurd. No one could pull that off. Unless they decided on a quick get together in Vegas.

“Well yes, my mom is a very powerful woman. People will fall at her feet to please her. It sounds terrible, but it’s true. If she says she wants a wedding in a month or two, believe me, it’ll happen. Plus, you have all the books you could ever need right here in my room.” Taylor raised an eyebrow.

Immediately Chloe felt bad and insensitive. Just months ago Taylor had been just like her, planning her wedding because she found the ring certificate in Richard’s house. Although Chloe hadn’t been babbling all over the place and getting lost in the excitement, she felt insensitive for not thinking about Taylor.

She’d momentarily forgot the last few months, probably because Taylor was now with Wes and they seemed perfect together.

“I’m sorry I—”

“Don’t,” Taylor interrupted, holding her hand up and smiling. She shook her head. “No apologies needed at all, because God knows what happened with Richard was for the best. I hated the scandal with his wife, and that’s all I feel bad for. Of course he really hurt me by what he did, but I was living in some kind of deluded fantasy and it was because I didn’t know better. I didn’t know that my better was a guy I’d known all my life and was best friends with my best friend. So, don’t say sorry.” She chuckled. It was good to hear her talk about Wes that way.

“I’m happy for you and Wes. I know he feels the same way about you.”

That made her smile widen. “Really?”

“Oh yes, Taylor.”

“I love that, and as for you, missy, I couldn’t be more thrilled at your news. I get to be related to you now, for real.”

They both squealed in delight.

“That’s the best part,” Chloe intoned. “Taylor, my sister-in-law.”

“I love it, I do. Aww look at us. We needed this. We needed something good during this time.” Her expression toned down and receded into a blank look.

Chloe had heard that a lot had happened in the mere week they’d been away.

As much as she and Wade had tried to keep away from the news, they’d both been shocked when they heard about Ben’s last two accusations, which were apparently true. There was an oil rig incident that killed over a hundred men, and Ben was also responsible for the death of Rachel Dean, who was Aaron’s mother.

Wade had called Regina and she confirmed it all. Confirmed that everything they’d heard was true.

She could hardly feel comfortable calling Aaron a psycho now, knowing that Ben, a man who wore a simple face, who was a revered public figure, had done so much wrong.

Thankfully the public’s eye seemed to have turned on him and people seemed more sympathetic towards the rest of the Vanderville family. That was reinforced by Ben and Regina’s divorce being finalized this morning. That was in the news today, both mainstream and celeb gossip.

Chloe hated it all. She’d never thought it was such a burden to be part of a well-known family, but she could see it now. That aside, serious things were happening as the truth revealed itself, and she was wondering what danger awaited them. What had she come back to?

The ring on her finger was a dream of something her heart desired so much. But outside of the love, all of what was happening scared her.

“Are you okay?” she asked Taylor.

“No. I’m not. My dad, Ben, is going to prison tomorrow. I saw him yesterday, just to say goodbye, but I could barely look at him.”

The pain in her eyes gripped Chloe.

“Out of everything that was revealed, out of all those horrible things he did, what got me the most was hearing about the woman he killed.”

Chloe sighed. “Me, too.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. That story got her, too. She couldn’t imagine it. When she thought of Ben, she remembered the uneasy feeling she always felt, but she never imagined he was capable of any of this. Wade had had a hard time accepting it, and she knew he tried to be happy for her while they were in Hawaii.

“He said that when the truth came out I’d hate him, and I do. He was right. But just like I thought, a part of me still loves him.” Her brows knitted in disdain.

“He’s your father.”

“But that’s just it, he isn’t. My mom told me that whole story about how she ended up marrying him and what she and Brian went through. All of that misery and depression was because of Ben. My actual father had to watch me grow up from the shadows because my mom was scared about what would happen if anyone knew I wasn’t a Vanderville.”

Chloe reached over and took Taylor’s hand. “It’s awful. All of it. It’s just terrible, and I can’t imagine what you must feel right now. But know that I’m here. Always here for you.” It was the best she could offer, her support.

“I know. It’s…” Her voice trailed off and she squinted her eyes and started rubbing them. “Sorry, my eyes are burning. It must be that new mascara.”

Chloe was about to answer, but her eyes started burning too, and her nose. She looked over to the kitchen door that led outside and saw some green mist coming from under it.

Green mist!

Wade mentioned something about that. Yes, she remembered now. It was when he told her and Wes what had happened on the night Merissa died.

“Taylor we…” Chloe couldn’t talk. She was finding it hard to move her mouth and she could barely see Taylor, who had just slumped down in her chair and dropped to the ground.

“Help,” Chloe cried. She was getting weaker with each movement, and the kitchen was now filled with the mist. Her body went limp and trying to stand only resulted in her flopping down to the ground, too.

Footsteps sounded around her, echoing through her ears, and she swore she saw Richard standing over her with a white mask on before darkness filled her mind and engulfed everything around her.