Page 84 of Stranded

I clear my throat and raise my glass. “To Professor Meyer. You didn’t just see the best in each of us… you helped each of us see the best in ourselves.”

She clears her throat and looks down, and we all pretend not to notice her dab her eyes.

But before I can sit back down, Alph clears his throat and puts down his glass. “There’s one more thing.”

“Hm?”

Felix plucks my champagne glass right out of my hand, and before I can so much as ask him why…

Alph sinks to one knee, his other knee thudding hollowly against the wooden deck under the bar.

I raise both hands to my mouth as the bar goes quiet all over again, all eyes suddenly on us.

“Ronan Ashfield. You’ve taught me more than I ever thought there was to know about wanting, waiting, and best of all, having.”

Alph’s eyes sparkle as he gazes up at me, digging out a little box. He flips it open as I gasp at the beautiful diamond, set into a silver band.

Of course he chose a classic—something that really will go with every style I might possibly want to wear.

“But I’ve been told there’s more. There’s having, and there’s holding… for better, or for worse… and a lot of other words that I’m going to learn, if that’s the kind of ceremony you want.” Alph’s grin twinkles up at me. “Because I can tell you right now… all I want is you. So, will you marry me?”

“Yes, yes,yes!” I gasp, flinging my arms around him as the bar erupts into applause.

Alph beams at me as he gently takes my hand to push the ring onto my finger. He turns over each of my palms and kisses them one at a time… and then he straightens up, and I leap straight into his arms.

I don’t waste a moment to grab Alph by the cheek, leaning in for a good, long kiss. Because I’m not waiting on my forever anymore. It’s here and now.

It’s ours.