Page 123 of The Cabin

“This is really eloquent writing,cielo.”

His knee nudges into mine, “Just read.”

“Sol blushes and almost faints. ‘Oh my gosh! I’ve never met anyone who feels the same way as me about this!’ In her head, she is already planning her and Grayson’s wedding.’Is that how that happened?”

Cheeky. We’re getting somewhere.

“ ‘I know. We’re totally soulmates and we should kiss right now. But first, look at this picture of me wearing a onesie in the eleventh grade. That’s sure to win you over and definitely not make you think I’m a loser.’”

Grayson hands me his phone with the picture pulled up. “ ‘Oh my gosh!’Why do I say ‘oh my gosh’ so much in this?” He motions with his hands to move it along. “Okay. Sorry. ‘Oh my gosh! We definitely should!’Grayson and Sol lean in for their first kiss.”

Both of us adjust ourselves on the couch so that we’re face to face. I move in to kiss him, but he stops me. “You have a line.” His eyes sparkle.

I look down at my script and chuckle. “Just as Sol and Grayson are about to share their first life-altering kiss, Grayson’s phone starts ringing.”

Grayson turns around and does something behind his back as he says, “Your line still.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” I tease. “Grayson’s phone starts ringing,” his real phone that he places in my lap starts ringing on my thigh, “and Sol looks down to see who it is.”

I look down and turn his phone over just as he reads, “ ‘Oh, sorry…it’s my wife.’ ” Staring at his phone in my hand I have to take a second before locking eyes with him. It’smyname on the screen. My contact picture is still of me surrounded by all the pigs. He called himself from my phone. I wanna kiss him and love him and do dirty things to him, but as soon as I try to make a move, he raises a hand to stop me. “Your line, baby. Pay attention,” he smirks.

I moan and find my place in the script. “Grayson pulls a piece of paper out of his back pocket.”

“ ‘I wrote this checklist for us to do. You should read it.’ ”

A folded piece of paper is offered to me and I take it before continuing, “Sol opens the list and begins to read,” I do as it says and my eyes get watery almost immediately. I have to pause just to get the next words out. “ ‘Number one: Get engaged. Number two: Get married. Number three: Have kids. And number four: Grow old together.’” I’d be surprised if he heard a single freaking word of that because I am ugly crying. Big time ugly crying.

Grayson gets down on one knee in front of the couch, pulling my legs to either side of him. “Sol. I am so goddamn in love with you. You are an absolute dream come true. I didn’t think I was going to get to have a happy marriage, or even a happy life. You changed all of that. So beautifully. You are the most incredible person I’ve ever met. So fucking perfect. And I’m in awe of your brilliance and strength.” He kisses the top of my left hand. “Lollipop, –” he smiles so big and I see my entire future in that smile.

“Oh my god,” I cry.

“ – will you start a new checklist with me?” I’m nodding vigorously. “God, you’re perfect. Okay, good. Then I’d like to check off the first one tonight, if you don’t mind…” He kisses my hand again before bringing out a ring from his pocket. It is, of course, absolutely perfect. It’s obvious even through the water works happening down my face. “Baby, will you marry me?”

“Yes!”

“Yes?”

I jump up from the couch and throw myself at him. “Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes. A thousand times yes!” He’s laughing through our kiss and I’m crying all over him. “I love you. I love you so fucking much, Grayson.”

“Love doesn’t even begin to cover it, baby.”

We kiss until my lips are raw and Grayson is at his breaking point, ready to rip this dress right off me. I hold up a finger and I watch the tantrum wind up inside him. “I have to show you something.”

“I would love nothing more than to see it…after I make love to you on every surface of this house.”

I shake my head. “No, it has to be now.”

I’m pretty sure his throat is going to be sore from how hard he whines.

—

“Okay, this is it.” Grayson pulls the truck up the dirt road, double checking the GPS. From where we’re sitting you can’t see anything except grass.

“Yeah, it is. Come on.” My smile is all plotting and scheming.

“Sol, what are we doing here?”

“Come and see,” I tease, leading the way.