Page 63 of Unwritten

Decker had visited a few times, mostly related to work stuff, but he wasn’t planning to move anytime soon. He and Katie were happy in Virginia, but I’d convinced Heath to move out to California. We were part of Jackson’s West Coast expansion, and I was enjoying my job more than ever. While I went on missions occasionally, they were mostly local. We’d decided to focus the LA operations on human trafficking and issues related to the border. It was a great fit for my background, and I felt like I was making a difference.

When Igloo’s HR department found out what Seth had done, they’d fired him. I was proud of Olivia for speaking up about his inappropriate demands to secure her father’s biography. She’d been offered her job back with a promotion but turned it down, opting for a generous severance package instead. Which she’d promptly donated to an organization promoting youth literacy.

A few weeks later, she’d started a new job at Harlow & Phillips, an up-and-coming publisher owned by one of Catherine’s friends. It was a perfect fit, and she finally got the chance to show off her talents. I was so incredibly proud of her, even if her job had her pulling all kinds of crazy hours. I respected her drive, and I vowed to support her in all things.

“What’s this?” Olivia asked, stepping closer to evaluate the stack of books on the bed.

She’d been so busy baking cookies, it had given me time to set up. On the bed was a stack of books—all the ones we’d read together as part of the Spines for Soldiers program.

“Alone in Alaska,Insatiable.” Her smile widened as she named the titles until she got to the one on the bottom. She removed it from the stack. “What’s this?”

“A love story,” I said. “I think you’ll really enjoy it. It’s a new release, and you have the only copy.”

“Awesome!” She grinned, flipping it over before finally opening it. She gasped when she saw our emails and pictures printed out. “Connor. This is us…”

She paged through it, smiling as she skimmed some of the emails. Until finally, she got to the back, a blank page. An unwritten story, a future with limitless potential.

I knelt to the floor before her. “Olivia—”

She held her hands to her mouth, green eyes wide and already misting with tears. I took one of her hands in mine, needing her touch to ground me. To center me, as always. She was my world, my universe, and I wanted nothing more than her happiness.

“You believed in me, when I didn’t believe in myself. You saw the good in me. You loved me for who I am without trying to change me. And I hope you know how much I love you. I promise to protect you, love you, and cherish you for the rest of my life.”

I released her hand to pull a small velvet box out of my pocket and present the ring to her. “Marry me, Goody.”

“Yes.” She smiled through her tears. “Yes, of course.”

I slid the ring onto her finger—a perfect fit. And I pulled her into my arms, crushing my lips to hers. I knew that no matter what the future held, she was my happily ever after.

THE END

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