Page 34

I hear my dad answer the door, then a few seconds later, Tate bounces into my room. His smile only falters a fraction when he spots my mom.

“Hey, Mrs. Evans.”

She ignores him, continuing to aim her disgruntled stare my way.

“I’m not looking for your blessing or permission, but maybe you can visit us when we’re settled.” There’s a hopeful lilt to my voice, because while she’s shown me contempt for most of my life, there’s a sad little girl inside of me hoping she’ll turn around and be proud of me.

“Visit?” She cackles. “With what money? You’ve bled us dry for years. Do whatever you want, but do not expect our help when it all comes crashing to the ground. You’ll regret this one day.”

Without so much as a farewell or good luck, she walks out of the room, slamming the door closed and rattling the walls.

Tate’s there immediately, pulling me into his arms and smushing my face into his chest. I won’t cry. I refuse to.

“That went well,” he mumbles into my hair.

I snort. “Don’t hold your breath for a housewarming plant.”

Big hands cradle my face, pulling me back until I’m looking up at him, and he presses a kiss to my forehead. He knows I don’t want to dwell. “You ready to hit the road, Tally Girl?”

Is it possible to love a person the way I do Tate? He erases the cloud of sadness my mom left in her wake. He’s never made me feel anything less than cherished, even before we started dating. He’s a constant ray of light.

“I’ve never been more ready.”

In record time, we load his truck, ignoring the twitch of the blinds in the window as he starts the engine. Then we’re off, leaving our hometown behind in a plume of dust as we rattle down the dirt road.

Tate’s quiet, his hand fidgeting where it rests on the gear stick.

I watch him. He’s not second-guessing this, is he?

“Is everything okay?” My mother’s words replay in my head.

Suddenly, we’re veering off the road, the wheels skidding to a stop as he hastily pulls the handbrake. “I was gonna wait until we got to Nashville. Take you out for a nice dinner or a stroll in the park.”

“Wait for what?”

He bumps his fist against the steering wheel, blows out a single breath, then reaches into the front pocket of his jeans. Uncurling his fingers, he reveals two dainty silver rings, polished and gleaming under the sunrays streaking through the windshield.

My eyes widen, heart rate picking up. “What are they?”

The rings rattle against each other in his shaking hand as he chuckles nervously. “The best damn purchases I’ve ever made in my life.”

My mouth opens and closes, the words stuck in my throat. Is he…

Tate’s smile is big and warm as he takes my left hand. “Screw what your momma thinks. Young. Dumb. Stupid. They can call us whatever they want, but I know deep in here”—he taps his chest—“that being by your side while you conquer the world is where I’m supposed to be. I’ll follow you until the end, Talia. I just want to make you happy and maybe one day soon…” Something cold presses into my fingertip. I look down to find the smaller of the rings hovering at the tip of my ring finger. “I can call you my wife.”

Badum. Badum. Badum.

My chest is ready to explode.

“Marry me, Tally Girl.” Tate’s eyes glisten. Mine fill with unshed tears.

I slip my finger through the cool metal. My cheeks ache from how wide I’m smiling.

“Is that a yes?” he asks.

“It’s a why wait for one day soon?”

His face lights up. I help him with his ring, giggling at how sweaty his palms are. We stare at our matching rings before crashing into one another.