Page 177 of My Unfinished Heart

“I thought you might.”

“First—are you crazy? We dated for like a month this summer.”

I shrug. “I’m fine with that.”

“You lived with Jayne for three years, and you never proposed to her. Or did you?”

“No. I didn’t. This is my first proposal.”

“We’ve never even lived together,” he says, like he thinks he can talk some sense into me.

“We kind of did—when Connor kicked you out.”

“How am I supposed to take you seriously right now? Is there really a ring in that box?”

I laugh, no longer quite so nervous.

“Archer—seriously.”

“Is this really that outrageous of a question?”

“I never heard a question,” he says.

Fair enough. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” he says.

“Yes, it is that outrageous of a question?”

“No. Well, yeah—it is, but no. Yes.”

“You lost me,” I admit.

He looks up at the ceiling and sighs before meeting my eyes again. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

“Really?” Because as much as I want it, I did not expect that.

“What? You were just using the box to prove a point?”

“Why would I use an engagement ring to prove a point?”

“I don’t think there’s a ring in there,” he says with too much bravado.

“You should know me better than that by now. Give me your hand.”

He hesitates again.

“You already said yes. Give me your hand. No takebacks.”

“Is this how you pictured this moment?” he asks, even as he presents me with his trembling left hand.

I smile to myself. “Kind of.” I open the box and take out the simple, platinum ring.

“Oh shit!” he says when he sees it. He bites down on the corner of his lower lip before raising his gaze to meet mine.

“Do you want it or not?” I ask.

“Well…yeah. But you should know first that I’m not accepting this or saying yes because you got me a good ring.”