Page 450 of Once Upon a Fable

To be bound by paper the way we already were by choice.

I’d saved his life.

There would be plenty more moments where he would need my help.

And I was okay with that.

I was ready for it.

I wanted the good and the bad, the happy and the sad.

I wanted to be beside him every step of the way.

Because I love him unconditionally.

It wasn’t even a question that needed an answer.

We’d already made it.

“Kas, I—”

The front door swung wide, interrupting the fragile, brilliant moment.

My gaze slid from Kas to my mother as she tripped into my house, dropped her handbag by the side table, and sprinted for me.

“Gemma!” Her arms went around Kas and me as tears poured down her face.

My mother hugged me as well as a perfect stranger she’d never met. She clutched Kas close, spilling tears on both of us, and in a crazy moment of symbolism, she proved that Kas did have a family. A legal family. The Ashford family.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I hugged my mom back all while seeking Kas’s messy, miraculous stare.

I smiled.

I nodded.

And I whispered...

“Yes.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

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“SO...IF YOU’RE SOME sort of kid raised in the forest by raping bastards, how do you know what marriage is?” Josh asked, handing me a bottle of vibrant-colored liquid that claimed to provide a body’s requirements of electrolytes and minerals after a hard workout.

Josh caught me eyeing the label suspiciously. “It was the only thing in Gem’s fridge. She always has a stack of Gatorades for her late-night climbing sessions.”

I nodded in thanks and twisted the cap off, sniffing the sugary water. Supposed it couldn’t hurt—especially since the doctors said I was low in a bunch of vitamins.

He sat next to me at the outdoor table in Gem’s backyard. The afternoon sun granted a warm ambience, dappling the leaves above us.

I stayed tense, just in case his cease-fire was a ruse, but I did my best to relax too.

I was outside.

I was back in a place I could function.

This was my favorite spot at Gem’s house.