Page 171 of Fame & Rhythm

“Have a good night, you two,” Mum calls.

We head toward the front door.

“Nope! This way, Lennox,” Aston says, gently pulling me toward the back.

I frown, then follow his gaze out the window. A soft glow flickers beneath the willow tree.

My face lights up. “We’re having a date under the willow tree?”

He grins. “Is there any other kind?”

Ella laughs behind us. “Have fun.”

Aston opens the door, and we step into the crisp night air. He wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close.

“I don’t know how I’m going to walk on grass in these heels,” I admit.

He chuckles, then bends and lifts me into his arms.

I squeal, looping my arms around his neck. “Aston, you can’t carry me the whole way. It’s too far.”

“Baby, I’d carry you for the rest of my life if it meant I get to hold you,” he says, kissing me softly.

I grin. “You’re such a romantic.”

“Only with you.”

I run my fingers through his hair as he walks, watching him the entire way until he starts to smile. “You keep looking at me like that, and I’m going to get a complex,” he says.

“I’m looking because it feels like I’m seeing you properly for the first time. You’re kind of breathtaking.”

“Breathtaking, huh?”

I nod and kiss him again, and somehow he keeps walking while kissing me back.

Eventually, he stops.

I barely notice until my feet touch the ground again.

His hands slide to my waist, pulling me flush against him as we keep kissing, the familiar feel of him grounding me in a way I didn’t realize I’d missed this much.

Right now, I want only him.

He pulls back slowly, and I pout as I open my eyes. Everything else fades. It’s just him. Just us, and for a moment, it feels like nothing ever went wrong.

“So… what do you think?” he asks.

I blink, confused.

He nods behind me.

I turn and gasp.

Under the willow tree stands a four-post setup draped in white curtains, flowing softly in the breeze. Inside, a low mattress layered in silk sits surrounded by scattered rose petals. Candles flicker in every direction, casting warm light across the space, while soft purple lanterns hang above, bathing everything in a gentle glow.

It’s stunning.

I turn back to him, wide-eyed. “Holy shit… it’s beautiful.”