Page 64 of With a Broken Wing

She rolled her eyes. “I’m pregnant, not broken,” she chided, and William scoffed behind her. She was seven months pregnant, and he’d learned around month five that nothing he said was going to stop her, much to his annoyance. “Plus, he’ll be okay. He’s strong like his daddy.” She moved her hand to her stomach, and William’s face softened.

I laughed, turning my attention to my brother. “Happy birthday, little sis.” He opened his arms, and I ran to him, closing mine around him and squeezing.

“It’s still only five minutes! Happy birthday to you too.”

“Doesn’t matter, I’m still older,” he said, pulling a single cigarette from behind his ear and tucking it behind mine.

I shook my head, jumping when arms wrapped around me from behind. “Surprise!”

Spinning around, I saw Katie and shrieked. “What are you doing here? Jules said you had to work!”

“I did, but then I remembered I’m the boss now, so I assigned somebody else. It feelsgreatto have that power.” She rubbed her nails against her shoulder before looking at them and laughing.

Demetri watched close by as I exchanged hugs and greetings with everyone, and as soon as I stepped out of my hug with Katie, he wrapped his arm around my waist.

“You still can’t keep your hands off each other, I see,” she laughed.

“Never,” he growled, rubbing his nose against my neck until I giggled and swatted at him to stop.

“Don’t be an animal.” I tried to sound stern, but my legs turned to jelly when he nipped at my earlobe.

He lowered his voice to a whisper. “I’ll show you an animal later, sunshine.”

A warm heat rushed to my core, matching the light blush that formed on my cheeks. He didn’t care if anyone heard him, and judging by Katie’s lifted eyebrows, she did.

Demetri led me to the line of carnival games along the sidewalk. Auston was celebrating already as they all followed us. I grabbed the tennis ball Demetri held out to me at the first stand, tossing it at the stack of bottles and completely missing. We all laughed when I threw a second ball and missed again.

“One more,” I said, grabbing a third ball and winding my arm back. I threw the ball, missing the bottles and hitting the wall of the stand. The ball bounced back, hitting Demetri in the chest. He didn’t dodge it, and I grabbed my sides while I laughed, waving my hand when I was offered a fourth ball.

“Maybe we should play a different game?” Demetri said, leaning in.

My cheeks hurt from smiling when I turned to face him. “Sure! Which one? I’m probably going to be equally bad at all of them!”

“Truth or dare?” he asked, stepping back from me.

Butterflies erupted in my chest, and my heart raced. “Dare.”Why not?

The mischievous smirk on his face only grew when he dropped down onto one knee. I gasped. Suddenly, more people circled around us, including Demetri’s parents, his younger brother, and the team from his office.

“Sweetheart, there is no pretending I’m incredibly in love with you. Until the day I die, I will forever be overwhelmingly in love with you, and if there’s a life after death, I’m going to love you then too. I told you that you were sunshine incarnate, but really, you’re the damn sun, and my world would cease to exist without you. Marry me?”

The tears welling in my eyes spilled down my cheeks. He opened the small velvet box in his hand, revealing a large oval-cut pink sapphire surrounded by a halo of diamonds. The white gold band was lined with smaller light pink diamonds. I stared at the way it shimmered in the sun.

“Say yes, sunshine,” he pleaded with the charming smile that made his eyes glimmer and my stomach flutter every time. “I dare you.”

I nodded quickly. “Yes, yes, yes. Demetri, yes!” The words hadn’t fully left my mouth before my feet were leaving the ground and he crashed his lips against mine. The tears streamed down my face, and I clung onto him.

Cheers and clapping sounded around us and brought me out of my daze. When my feet were back on the ground, Demetri slipped the ring on to my hand. It was the most beautiful one I’d ever seen, and I wiggled my finger. The lights on each stand reflected off the stones and the ring glimmered.

Boom. The sound of the first firework echoed, but I didn’t jump.Pop. Bright colors lit up the sky above us, but I didn’t look at it. My eyes were locked on the face of the intoxicating man in front of me.

“I love you,” I said, resting my head against Demetri’s chest and wrapping my arms around him.

Boom.“I love you too, sunshine.”Pop.