by Ellie Wade
“No.”
“Good because I have something I want to show you.” He grins—playful and sweet—and my heart clenches at the sight of his handsome face. I’ve never found anyone as gorgeous as I find Ollie, and I never will.
“I’m intrigued.” I purse my lips.
Ollie takes my hand, and we walk down the wooden steps that lead from the house, over the sand dunes and down to the beach.
“It’s such a beautiful night. I thought we could take a moonlit stroll on the beach,” he says, toeing off his leather dress shoes and socks.
“I love that idea.” I kick off my heels.
The water hits my feet, causing goose bumps, and I shiver. Lake Michigan is still cold in June. Ollie pulls me against his side, and we move in silence along the beach where the water meets the dry sand. The stars are bright, the night is dark, and the waves lap against the ground in a soft melody.
The fresh air cleanses my lungs and my spirit with each inhale.
A light catches my eye up ahead, and I squint to make it out. “What’s that?”
“I’m not sure. Let’s check it out.”
We close the distance between us and the mysterious lights. I sigh, my hand to my chest, when I see the path of candles leading to a blanket on the beach. For a moment, I wonder if we’ve happened on someone else’s surprise until I see the telescope set up on the blanket.
I gasp. “You did this?”
Ollie stares down, taking in my reaction, a content smile on his face. He nods.
“Oh my gosh. This is beautiful!” I follow the path of candles until my feet hit the plush blanket. There’s a small wooden table set up on the corner of the blanket with a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket, two champagne flutes, and a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries.
“This is so sweet. I can’t believe you did this? How did you do this without me noticing?”
His shoulders rise in a shrug, “I had a little help.”
The area is lit up in a soft glow from the candles, and it’s incredibly romantic.
“Remember the big power outage all those years ago?” he asks.
I smile. “Yeah. Alma’s birthday.”
He nods. “You talked about stars, the big dipper, the little dipper, and bears and gods.”
I bite my lip, the corners of my lips tilting up at the memory. “I remember.”
“Looking back, I think I fell in love with you that day. I didn’t realize it at the time, but something changed. Prior to that, I’d been attracted to you because…you’re gorgeous, but that was the first night I really craved…more.”
I lift my arm and cup his face in my palm. “You never told me that.”
“Yeah, well…anyway.” He takes hold of my hips. “I loved that night and listening to you talk with so much fascination about the stars and their legends. So I researched some constellations, myself.”
“You did?” I smile wide. “Which one?”
“Do you know the legend of Cassiopeia?” he asks.
I do, as Cassiopeia is one of the largest constellations in the Northern sky, but I want to hear Ollie’s version.
“Tell me,” I say.
“Well…” Ollie releases my sides and points up toward the sky. “First, you find the north star, and then look in the opposite direction of the big dipper, and you’ll see a group of stars that appear to make an ‘M.’ Do you see it?”
My belly flutters with giddiness, knowing that Ollie learned about this to show me. “I do.”
We look at the constellation for a moment as Ollie points out the different parts of what is meant to be Cassiopeia sitting on a throne.
“If you want to see it more closely.” He motions toward the telescope. I find it in the telescope viewfinder as Ollie tells me the story.
“So I was researching constellations about love—”
I cut him off with a squeal. “Oh my gosh. This is seriously the best. Okay, sorry for interrupting. Keep going.”
Ollie chuckles. “As I said, I was researching about love and came across this story. To be honest, the beginning of the story isn’t relatable to us because Cassiopeia was quite a horrible person. She was mean, selfish, and very vain…which obviously isn’t you, at all.”
“Good to know.” I chuckle.
“So we’ll just skip to the end of the legend because the beginning isn’t romantic. I mean, at one point, she sacrifices her own daughter. Anyway, fast-forward over all the crazy shit.”
Knowing the story, I’d agree that Cassiopeia wasn’t the best of people. “Okay, sounds good.” I laugh. “Tell me the good part.”
“Okay, well, Cassiopeia pissed off the goddess Hera by telling her that she was more beautiful than Hera. So Hera tied her up in her throne and threw her into the sky.”
“Romantic,” I tease.
“Just wait…I’m getting to it. So Cassiopeia’s husband, Cepheus, came home from a long day of chariot racing to find out that his wife was now in the stars, and he was beside himself in grief. He was so miserable and heartsick, unable to fathom living without his wife. So he went to his buddy Zeus, who, as you know, was the king of the gods. He cried and begged Zeus to be reunited with his wife. Zeus decided to show mercy on his friend, so he flung Cepheus into the sky next to his wife, and their love exploded. Now, to this day, Cassiopeia and her husband Cepheus can be seen as two of the brightest constellations in the Northern sky, clinging to each other in the stars for all eternity, more in love than ever.”
“Aw.” I giggle. “I love it.”
I throw my arms around Ollie and hug him tight.
“I love that you learned that story for me.”
“It was the best comparison I could come up with because I never want to live without you…” He lowers to the ground on one knee, and I cover my mouth with a gasp. “Quinn, now that I know what life with you is like, I can never go back to living one without you. You are the greatest, most wonderful part of my life. You make every day an adventure. You love me unconditionally and make me so happy…happier than I knew was possible. I love you more than anyone in this world, and I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. You are the bright star that exploded into my life, demanding to be seen. You pushed past my walls and boundaries to reach me. Our love story rivals the greatest love stories of all time because no one has loved another person as much as I love you.” He reaches inside his suit jacket and pulls out a little square box. Opening it toward me, he reveals a beautiful diamond ring.
Tears flow down my face.
“Do you remember that night when we saw the shooting star?”
I nod.
“You told me to make a wish, and I did. The wish just came to me, on instinct, and I made it. On that shooting star, I wished for you. At the time, I didn’t even know what that meant or why you were the only thing that came to my mind in that second. But you were. I wished for you, Quinn. It wasn’t our time then, but it’s finally our time now. I’m asking you to make my wish come true and be mine forever. Let’s write our own love story in the stars greater than all the rest. Quinn Kirkpatrick, will you marry me?”
“Yes! Oh my gosh, yes!” I fall onto Ollie’s bent knee, tackling him with a hug. I press my mouth to his and kiss him over and over again. It’s a blur of tears and kisses and so much happiness I want to scream.
We kiss until my lips hurt.
“Do you want the ring?” he asks, his smile against my lips.
I pull back. “Of course.” I hold out my hand.
Ollie retrieves the fallen ring box from the side of the blanket and pulls out the engagement ring. It slides onto my finger in a perfect fit.
The ring is stunning. It looks like a two-carat cushion-cut diamond in a halo setting. Small diamonds that look like shining stars circle the platinum band. It’s sexy, classic, and modern at the same time. It’s perfect.
I kiss him again, unable to stop my tears from falling.
“You know that shooting star?” I ask.
&n
bsp; “Yeah.”
“I wished for you, too.”
Chapter 36
Ollie
Quinn feeds me a chocolate-covered strawberry and takes a bite of one herself before climbing back under the blanket with me.
We lie on our backs facing the night sky. The sounds of nature and gentle waves surround us. I’m glad I brought extra blankets because it’s chilly by the water at night, but it’s cozy beneath the blanket with Quinn.
“See that one right there, and that one…see how it makes an arrow?” Quinn points up toward the sky.
“Yeah.”
“That’s Sagittarius, my birth zodiac sign. It’s an arrow. It’s best seen in the Michigan skies in the summer months. Supposedly, Sagittarians are optimistic, hilarious, fair-minded, honest, and smart. We are fun and spontaneous and have lots of friends. We’re also super chatty…the best conversationalists out of all the signs.”
“Sounds like you.” I chuckle.
“You’re an Aquarius, which is actually one of the signs most compatible with me, obviously.”
“Obviously.”
“We can’t see your constellation tonight. Aquarius is best seen up here in like October-ish. But an Aquarian is the most humanitarian sign. You’re a thinker who wants to change the world. You’re independent, intelligent, unique, and idealistic.”
“Do you think that’s me?” I ask.
“Absolutely. Are you kidding? You’re all about helping people. That totally describes you.”
“Well, okay. As long as we’re compatible.” I kiss her temple.
“Oh, we’re very compatible.”
I swipe her hair away from her face. “Did you really wish for me that night?”
“Yes.” She playfully hits my chest. “I’m telling the truth. I did.”
“That’s kind of crazy. Right?”
“Or just fate.”
“Maybe.”
“There’s no maybe about it. We’re meant to be together, and since that night, our path has been written in the stars. We just had to wait a little bit.” She kisses me softly. “I love my ring, by the way. It’s perfect.”
“Good. I’m glad. I thought it looked like you.”
She holds her hand in front of her face, admiring her ring. “Just like me.”
“I’m serious when I say you make me happier than I ever thought I could be. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Quinn, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure you know how much I cherish you.”
“I feel the same way.”
We slip out of our clothes and toss them out of the blanket.
Quinn straddles my hips. Sliding atop me, she takes me in inch by inch until we’re completely connected. We make slow, sweet love beneath the stars, knowing that we’re in this crazy, beautiful life together. Forever.
For a moment, I think that it’d be cool if another shooting star presented itself tonight, but I realize it wouldn’t matter. I already made my wish, and she came true.
Quinn is everything I need in this life, and what comes next is just a bonus.
Hushed whispers wake me from slumber. I lie bare against Quinn’s naked body beneath a blanket. The sun shines brightly behind us, heating our surroundings. I squint as the sounds of the water lapping gently against the beach sing a song luring me from sleep.
It takes me a moment to register the bright colors before me. Coming into focus are two elderly women in neon track suits out for their morning stroll along the beach. Only, they’ve stopped and stand at the foot of the blanket, peering down toward us.
I clear my throat and pull the blanket up, making sure it’s covering Quinn. “Good morning.”
“Appears so,” one woman says.
“Good morning to you, handsome,” the other adds.
I sense Quinn waking beside me, and she covers her face with the blanket, completely disappearing from view.
“Well, have a good day,” I offer, urging the women to continue by us.
“You too,” the one in the bright pink tracksuit says.
They walk on by, the woman in neon yellow says to her friend. “You don’t see that every day. Have you and Earl ever made love on the beach?”
I slink beneath the blanket with Quinn, not wanting to hear the details of Earl and pink tracksuit lady’s lovemaking history. Quinn giggles, and I laugh along with her.
“Awkward.” She chuckles.
“Very. We should probably get dressed. I’m sure there’ll be more people walking along the beach soon.”
She splays her hands against my chest. “Ugh. I don’t want to. This is heaven. The best night of my life.”
I kiss her lips. “Same.”
“I can’t believe we’re engaged,” she exclaims, kissing me once more.
“I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for you, Quinn Kirkpatrick.”
“Soon to be Quinn Hale.” She snuggles against me. “I love you so much, Ollie.”
“I love you more.”
“I don’t know if that’s possible, but since you picked out the most beautiful engagement ring in the world, I’ll let you claim it for now.”
I kiss her nose. “You’re too kind.”
“It is one of my many attributes.”
Her soft skin is against mine, and our legs are wrapped together.
“I don’t want this night to end,” she says. “It’s been so perfect. I want to lie beneath this blanket in our happy place forever.”
“Quinn.” My voice turns serious. “Anywhere with you is my happy place, and we have a lifetime to explore them all. Every moment from here on out is part of our forever, and it’s going to be great. The magic isn’t going to end when we step out from this blanket. It’s only going to get better. We have a forever of perfect moments to cherish.”
She presses her lips to mine.
“Plus, you can show everyone your ring and tell them the good news over breakfast.”
Quinn releases a shrill sound that’s a mix between a laugh and a squeal. “Oh, so true. Fine…we can get dressed.”
“If we must,” I tease.
I retrieve our clothing. Limbs flail beneath the blanket in a heap of laughter and awkwardness as we get dressed, at least enough to cover all the important parts.
Tossing the blanket to the side, I hop up and extend a hand to Quinn.
Her bridesmaid dress is pulled to the side. Her left arm is pulled through the strap intended for her right, and the side of the dress is bunched at her front. The loose curls she wore yesterday have been replaced by her classic early morning lion’s mane, and streaks of mascara trail down her cheeks.
I can’t help but smile. “You’re one beautiful hot mess.”
She laughs with a shrug. “And you’re just hot. How is that fair?”
I extend my hand, threading my fingers through hers. “Come on. I’ll come back for everything else later.”
We walk along the beach toward the house where everyone’s probably still sound asleep.
“The water’s so serene right now,” Quinn says.
I follow her gaze and agree. There’s barely a ripple until it meets the sand. The sun from the east shines down, creating little sparkling diamonds along the quiet surface.
“It’s gorgeous. Almost too quiet.” My last thought is a challenge.
“No,” Quinn protests. “It’s freezing.”
Bending, I circle my arms around her thighs and hoist her over my shoulder. She laughs and kicks. Smacking my back with her hands, she yells, “Don’t you dare, Oliver Hale.”
“It’s too late. It’s already in motion.”
“No! No! No!” Quinn squeals as I run through the frigid water, creating waves of our own.
When I’m waist deep, I throw her through the air. She screams as she hits the water. She jumps up from beneath the water with a gasp. “Oh my God. It’s so cold. I’m going to kill you.”
She runs toward me.
“You’ll get used to it.” I laugh as she s
plashes me with water. “It’s refreshing, right?”
“No. It’s freezing.”
She circles my neck with her arms, and I lift her. Hiking up her long dress, she wraps her legs around my waist. “I can’t believe you did that.” She laughs.
“I promised you adventure.”
“Should I have specified warm adventure?” She lifts a brow.
“A life of adventure lies in the unpredictable cracks of life, in the unplanned moments.”
Her wet lips kiss mine. “I’ll take it all.”
“Good.”
“Can we plan a warm bath together after this moment, though? Because you know, marriage is also about compromise.”
“I can get on board with that,” I say against her lips.
I kiss my fiancée, her warm body against mine in the cold water creating the perfect balance. I suppose that’s what life is all about, balance. The cold with the hot. The good with the bad. The happy with the sad. It’s all going to be there throughout our lives. I can try with all that I am, but I’ll never keep all the heartache away. I’ll never be able to make every day perfect and magical.
My life with Quinn is going to be amazing and full of love and laughter. But in the moments it’s not, I’ll have her by my side to get through it all. For me, that’s true love. It’s finding the person who makes the good days deliriously blissful and the hard times bearable. It’s finding the person who loves me unconditionally through it all, just as I love her.
It’s answered wishes.
It’s laughter, passion, friendship, and love.
It’s Quinn.
My one and only.
She’s my happily ever after, and I’m going to cherish every single moment of it.
Epilogue
Ollie
One Year Later
Every single day I wake up, and my chest aches…with love. I’m so fucking grateful for my life and for her—my Quinn. She and I are living a life I never dreamed of, sharing a love I never knew was possible. Everyone always talks about the love of their life, but truthfully, I never truly got it.
I get it now.
My love for Quinn is the greatest, most amazing feeling that has led me to the most incredible experiences. I can barely remember my life before her, and I suppose it’s because my life with her shines so brightly—it’s all I can see.
