Page 153 of Pretend To Be Mine

“I also had allergies.”

“It was December. Nothing was blooming.”

“Indoor allergies are a thing.”

We all dissolved into laughter. The conversation moved on to other topics, including Dash’s upcoming show in Tokyo, which apparently involved some kind of gravity-defying runway. The guys teased Sebastian about his latest tabloid scandal. He’d been photographed leaving a club with twin sisters who were apparently married to NFL guys.

And we discussed my designs for the fall collection.

It was perfect. Chaotic and warm and everything I’d never known I was missing. This was what Adrian had given me, beyond the career and the recognition. I felt like I gained a family that actually felt like family. Mimi and I talked on the phone at least once a week and texted several times a day. She was the mom I never had. I loved my mother, but our relationship worked by keeping our distance. I was going to be successful, and she didn’t like it.

And that was that.

After dinner, we moved to the living room for coffee and dessert. The living room was my favorite space in the house. Tall windows overlooked the gardens. The furniture was very comfortable and was meant to be sat on rather than admired. There was a fireplace that Mimi insisted on lighting even though it was May. It just made everything cozy, even if it meant cranking the air-conditioner to keep from baking.

I was sitting on one of the couches, squeezed between Adrian and Sebastian, arguing about whether artificial intelligence would eventually replace fashion designers. It wouldn’t. That was my opinion, and I was sticking to it.

Adrian suddenly stood up. “Before we start on dessert, I’d like to say something.”

All eyes went to him. I looked at Mimi and then the brothers. They all looked just as confused.

“Elizabeth.” He moved to stand in front of me, and then—oh God—he was getting down on one knee.

I heard Mimi’s sharp intake of breath.

“Finally,” I heard Sebastian whispered.

“Holy shit,” Dash murmured.

“Wow.” Briggs let out a low whistle.

“I thought about doing this publicly,” Adrian said, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket. “Some big romantic gesture at a fashion show or in front of photographers. Make it an event.

“But then I realized that’s not us. Not anymore.” He smiled and glanced at his brothers. “We’ve had enough public moments. This should be private. Just us and family. Something real that’s not for the world to consume.”

Tears were already streaming down my face.

“You’ve changed my life, Elizabeth Laramie. You made me remember how to smile and how to feel. You showed me how to live instead of just existing. You pushed me to be better and braver. You showed me how to be the man I wanted to be instead of the one I thought I had to be.”

He opened the box, revealing a ring that was absolutely stunning. It was a large sapphire surrounded by diamonds. I loved that it wasn’t the classic diamond, but something just a little flashy.

“I love you. I’ve loved you since you walked a runway in New York to save my show. Maybe even before that, if I’m honest. And I want to spend the rest of my life loving you, supporting you, watching you design beautiful things and be the incredible person you are.”

He took a breath.

“Will you marry me, Laramie?”

It was his little rhyme that gave him such a kick in the very beginning. I started laughing through my tears, which probably wasn’t the reaction he expected, but I couldn’t help it.

“Yes,” I managed through the laughter and crying. “Yes, of course, yes. But only if I can design my own dress.”

“You can design a hundred dresses if you want.” He was laughing too now, sliding the ring onto my finger where it fit perfectly. “Whatever you want. Forever.”

Then he was standing and pulling me up and kissing me while his family cheered and whistled. Sebastian yelled something inappropriate about finally getting to plan a bachelor party.

When we finally broke apart, Mimi was crying.

Sebastian pulled me into a hug that lifted me off my feet. “Welcome to the family.”