“I love you.” I softly comply with his demand, my voice steady, strong, and true. “I love you. And even though that has never changed through the years, regardless of my fears and hurt, what made everything change was when I realized you not only wanted my heart, but you would also protect it when I took the last step toward you and asked for yours in return again.”

“I have all of you?”

“I think you always have.”

His hand snakes out, going around my middle to pull me to him as he straightens to stand, my feet lifting to dangle above the ground. I reach up, curling my fingers over his shoulders as our breath mingles between us.

“Tell me again.” The hunger in his eyes betrays the calmness in his voice.

“I love you.”

His eyes close, and he presses his forehead against mine.

“Nate?” I whisper when he doesn’t move.

“I had it all planned.” His words just barely a whisper. “Everything I wanted to say to you, show you, and give you … all planned. It was getting so hard to keep it from you, though. I took one look at this painting, and I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. It was killing me to keep those plans from you, but I just had to be patient.”

I think back to the conversation I had overheard between him and his father when he finishes talking, and my body jolts when I realize what had really been going on.

“I knew that tonight I had to tell you, regardless if I had proven myself worthy of getting it in return, and I had to take a chance that you were ready to give that back to me. Then I see this and I knew that even if you weren’t ready, I was more than prepared to give you enough to last for the both of us until you were.”

Finally opening his eyes, I gasp when I see the blazing brightness illuminated by the slight dampness in them.

“My God,” I wheeze when his arms tighten around me, wishing we were alone so that I could wrap my legs around him and never let go.

“I love you, Emberlyn Locke. I can’t change that we lost us for a while, but I can promise you with everything that I am that you will never, not for one second for the rest of our lives, know another day without that love.”

“Oh, Nate.”

His mouth presses against mine. Not in a deep kiss, but the soft touch of his lips against mine is all I need to feel like we’re the only ones in a crowded room. Taking my hands from his shoulders, I wrap them around his neck and take a deep pull of air through my nose, my eyes watering as every single crack I had ever had in my heart repairs itself with the power of us winning our beautiful war.

In his arms, I know that no matter what, as long as I’m with him, we can win any fight that is in our path.

“I DON’T UNDERSTAND.”

Annabelle gives me a sly smile before looking over my shoulder. I turn and follow the path to see Nate standing with our group, and Dani and Cohen laughing at something he’s said. Maddi is standing with Cohen’s sisters as they talk to Liam and Megan. The rest of our group—Stella, Zac, and Jax, as well as Cohen’s brothers—left when the doors locked.

Turning back to Annabelle, I try to make sense of her last words.

“It is quite unorthodox but not unheard of.”

“You’re telling me, and not joking, that every single one of my paintings was sold before anyone arrived?”

There’s no way. I mean sure we had sent out a little teaser to the guests before the show, but there is no way that someone would have even had time to see the whole collection, let alone enough people to buy the whole damn thing.

“I didn’t say no one had arrived, just that every piece was paid for before the show started.”