Page 117 of Carnage

“Is Cashmere dancing?”

I shake my head. “No, Blush is the headliner tonight.”

“Ooh. Whisper must be excited.”

“He’s playing it cool, but you know how that goes.”

“Gotta give him props for persistence.”

“We do.” I kiss him again before I set him down. “That ring looks good on you.”

He holds his hand out, admiring it. “It’s perfect. Like us.”

“We work together, don’t we?”

“Like we were made for each other.”

“I think maybe we were.”

Rue slides his arms around my neck. “Now I get to call you fiancé. Ooh, and then husband. Wow. That’s gonna be so cool.”

“What kind of wedding do you want?”

“Hmm. I’ve never even thought about it.”

“Time to start. Whatever you want, I’ll make it happen.”

“Maybe something just like this. Our friends and family, but somewhere warm. Ooh, a destination wedding.”

Chuckling, I nod. “Like I said, whatever you want.”

“All I really want is you. We could get married right here in the rec room for all I care.”

“I can do better than that.”

“Time for cake, lovebirds,” Stealth says, handing each of us a plate.

“Dang, now I kind of want to put a ring on it,” Wraith whispers, gazing at Pax.

“Congrats, guys.” Bellamy beams at us. “I just love love.”

“It’s coming for you too, Bell,” Rue says, squeezing Bellamy’s arm.

Bellamy just shrugs before he walks off, leaving us alone again.

“Do you think so?” I ask.

Rue nods. “It’s the longest running will they, won’t they I’ve ever seen, but I believe in them.”

“And by them you mean Shadow and Bellamy, or Stealth and Shadow, or Stealth and Bellamy or?—”

“Yes,” Rue says, laughing.

“Hmm. Well, stranger things have happened, right? I never thought I’d see any of my brothers settle down, and definitely didn’t see it for myself, but here we are.”

“Here we are, all in love and stuff.”

“It’s amazing.”

“The best thing ever.”

Rue sits on my lap while we eat our cake and drink champagne. I’m going to marry this man as soon as possible. He deserves to know how loved he is and how committed I am, and for the first time in my life, I can admit that I deserve him.

My road to Rue was a bumpy one, but it was worth the ride.

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