Page 31 of The Placeholder

I reach into my pocket, fingers closing around the small charm I’ve been carrying for days. “It’s not over yet.”

Kneeling beside her chair, I lift her foot into my lap. Her curious eyes follow my movements as I attach the tiny gold charm to her anklet.

“What’s that?” she asks, leaning forward to see.

“A ring charm,” I tell her, my heart hammering in my chest. “It goes with this.”

I pull the red velvet box from my pocket and open it to reveal the diamond ring I chose weeks ago—an oval stoneset in platinum, surrounded by smaller diamonds that catch the sunset’s fire.

Her hand flies to her mouth, eyes widening.

“Della York,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel, “I’ve known since our first date that you were the woman I wanted to spend my life with. These past months have only confirmed what my heart already knew.” I take a deep breath. “Will you marry me?”

Tears spill down her cheeks as she nods, unable to speak for a moment. Finally, she manages, “Yes. God, yes.”

I slide the ring onto her finger, where it catches the final rays of the setting sun. She launches herself into my arms, nearly knocking us both over.

“I love you so much,” she whispers against my lips.

“Let’s celebrate,” I say, standing and pulling her to her feet. Without warning, I scoop her up and run to the edge of the deck.

“Axel, no!” she shrieks with laughter.

“Axel, yes,” I counter, and leap into the warm water below.

We surface together, her arms around my neck, her legs around my waist. The sky darkens above us, the first stars appearing as I hold her close in the gentle waves.

“This is just the beginning, Della York,” I tell her, brushing wet hair from her face. “We have decades ahead to write the perfect love story.”

She kisses me, salt water mingling with the taste of champagne on her lips. “I can’t wait to read every chapter.”

Later, as she sleeps beside me, her ring catching moonlight through the window, I watch the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Four and a half months ago, I walked intoRoman’s with no idea my entire life was about to change. Now, I can’t imagine a future without her in it.

I press a kiss to her bare shoulder, and she shifts closer in her sleep, seeking me even in her dreams. Tomorrow we’ll call our families and share our news. But tonight, this perfect night, is just for us—the first of countless nights we’ll spend together, writing our story one day at a time.