Lovestrung: A friends to lovers romance

by Karen Ferry

  “No thanks.”

  “Will you stop being so damn proud and look at me?”

  I swirled around, incensed by the annoyance in his voice. “Fine. I’m looking at you.”

  He sighed, an unhappy crease between his eyebrows. “Talk to me, Pen. Why won’t you even consider it?”

  I hunched my shoulders and avoided his intense stare.

  “I don’t want to be dependent on you.”

  “Who says you will?”

  I kept my eyes on the strip of the winter sun across the hardwood floor. “It’s just a feeling I have.”

  I heard the soft pads of his feet as he came toward me, but like the stubborn mule I was, I kept my eyes fixed on the light. I felt his thumb on my chin before he pressed in, urging me to raise my head.

  “Please look at me.”

  I inhaled deeply before I did as he asked. “I’m afraid I’ll say yes to anything you suggest when you look at me like that.”

  His lips tilted up at the corners. “In what way am I looking at you?”

  “With love.” My answer came swiftly. “And with stubbornness shining in your eyes. There’s some heat, too, and if you turn that up a notch, I know I’ll lose, and I don’t want that to happen.”

  He sighed. “You can be so odd.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  “Still got plenty of sass, I see.”

  I wanted to stick my tongue out at him, but if I did, he’d probably only see it as a challenge which was going to lead to one thing.

  Sex.

  Magnificent, out-of-this-world sex where I’d end up agreeing to anything and everything he wanted.

  “So,” he sighed, wrapping his arms loosely around my waist. “Where does that leave us?”

  “I believed it’s called a tie.”

  “Hmm. All right, then let’s make a deal instead.”

  I tensed up at once.

  “What kind of deal?”

  “Well, if you still haven’t found a place in two months, you’ll let me ask Luke to help you out.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him and extended my hand. “You’re on.”

  He grinned and nodded as he shook my hand.

  “Good. And…”

  “Oh, lord, what now?” I looked at the ceiling, ready for this conversation to be well and truly over.

  He laughed. “Come on, it’s nothing dangerous.”

  I raised my hand and covered my eyes which only made him laugh harder. I loved the sound so much, I couldn’t help the small smile that wanted to break free from spreading on my lips. I peeked through my fingers.

  “What is it, then?”

  His laughter died down, and I felt a tingling in my lady bits when the tenderness returned.

  “When you’ve lived on your own for six months, I’m going to ask you to marry me.”

  My legs buckled as the world shifted, and if he hadn’t still had his arms around me, I’d have fallen dap smack on my head.

  “And you’re going to say yes,” he continued, completely ignoring my state of duress.

  “What?!” I shrieked.

  He kissed the tip of my nose again. “That’s settled.”

  “Absolutely not! You’re insane.”

  He grinned down at me. “Not insane, darlin’. I’ve got the woman of my dreams – the only woman I’ve ever loved and wanted to call mine – in my arms, and I’m not letting her go.”

  Exasperated, I shook my head. “You’re too cocky for your own good.”

  His smile died out. “I prefer calling it confidence.”

  I chuckled and smoothed the hair that always seemed to fall into his eyes. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “Love me?”

  I snorted. “I already do, and I always will, you doofus.”

  “That’s all I need, darlin’. Everything else? It’s just details.”

  As he bent down to kiss me, I silently vowed that there was no way he was going to get his way. I wasn’t going to move in with him. I wanted time to simply be with him. I wanted it badly.

  “Don’t worry,” he whispered against my lips, “we’ve got all the time in the world.”

  “It’s like you’re reading my mind right now.”

  He rubbed his lips across mine before he leaned away.

  “I’ve known you practically all my life, Penelope Montgomery. I can tell when you’re secretly freaking out.” His hands ran down my spine and splayed on my ass, giving it a good squeeze. “And while I do want to raise a family with you one day, I want to be selfish and keep you all to myself for at least a couple of years.”

  I sighed. “Fine. I won’t freak out. But if you’re under the illusion that kind of proposal is good enough for me? You have another think coming.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Enough talk about the future. I need to go apartment hunting today, and I also need to find a place to set up shop.”

  He smiled down at me. “I have a feeling we’ve got a bright future ahead of us, darlin’.”

  “Yeah, baby, we do.”

  At that moment, there was no doubt in my mind that whatever happened, Ethan would remain my constant. My safe harbor, just like we were children.

  I’d broken the lovestrung streak once and for all, just like I always knew I would, albeit I’d never dared to hope that Ethan would actually be mine.

  I was thrilled I got it wrong, and I couldn’t wait for our future to begin.

  Epilogue

  Eight months later

  Setting up my business had proven to take a lot longer than I’d thought it would, but today, it was happening.

  I put a hand on my churning stomach.

  “Oh, gosh, I’m going to be sick.”

  “No, you are not,” Mama said, as calm as could be. “You’re just a tad nervous, that’s all. And that’s a good thing, baby girl. That means it matters.”

  I ignored her and looked up at the clock hanging above the door to my store. Ten to ten in the morning. Ten minutes until I opened my doors and handed over all my hard work to fate.

  Fate and customers who, I hoped, had a bunch of money burning their pockets, ready to spend a fair chunk of it in my store.

  “What the hell was I thinking? I can’t do this.”

  “Sure you can,” Dad’s voice boomed from my right, causing me to jump in fright. “Here, have a drink.”

  He handed me a tall glass made of crystal that contained something sparkly and pink.

  Pink champagne. My favorite.

  “Dad! It’s way too early for champagne.”

  He huffed and pushed the glass into my hand.

  “Nonsense.” When I raised my head, I couldn’t help but see the playful wink he aimed at Mama atop my head. “It’s never too early for champagne, or isn’t that what you always tell me after you come home from your Sunday brunches with your girlfriends, my dear?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Mama didn’t bat an eye at his teasing and I sighed.

  “Fine, but I’ll only take a sip.”

  Surprisingly, I felt a bit calmer afterward, but the butterflies returned when my eyes caught sight of the clock once more.

  One more minute. And there was actually a crowd waiting in front of the doors now.

  “I guess this is it.” I smiled nervously at my parents.

  “Good luck, baby girl.” Mama took my glass and kissed me on the cheek the same time I felt my dad give my shoulder a pat.

  I reached for their hands one last time and drew strength from their proud and happy smiles shining at me.

  “Thank you so much for being here.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Dad jerked his chin at the door. “Let the masses in, honey. I’ll man the till for you.”

  I nodded. “You’re sure you know how to do it?”

  He huffed. “You’ve only shown me two hundred times. Yes! Now, enough stalling, Penelope. Let them in.”

  I took a deep breath and smoothed my hands down my cream col
ored high waisted jeans. I’d paired them with a cream camisole and a pink blazer, plus added a few golden pieces of jewelry at my ears and neck. My hair was in a high ponytail that fell to my shoulders, and my makeup was subtle. I was going for casual but elegant, hoping the whole outfit would give me the confidence I’d need, and as I walked to the front doors, calmness filled me. I smiled at Ella, who was the first in line, through the window.

  Once I’d unlocked the door, I took a last fortifying breath before I opened it and let everyone inside. I stepped back, making sure to greet every single person who’d been waiting so patiently.

  “Good morning and welcome.”

  “Congrats, babe,” Ella whispered as she hugged me briefly before she waved to my parents and went to greet them.

  An hour later, the store was filled with potential customers, and I was overwhelmed with the sheer number of them. Never in my wildest dreams had I believed so many would turn up, even if the location was at the heart of Charlottesville.

  But there was one person whose noticeable absence made me worry.

  “Where’s Ethan?” Ella took a sip of champagne, dictaphone in hand.

  I scanned the store. “Not sure. He said he’d be here but maybe something came up. He’s been really busy at the clinic this week, I’ve hardly seen him.”

  “Hmm,” she mused.

  I smiled at Louisa and her friend, Frances, who seemed to be busy choosing between two of my body lotions.

  “I think I’m going to have to help my customers out, doll.” I put my hand on her shoulder. “Do you mind?”

  “Nope, not at all. We can finish the interview later. I’m just going to browse a bit, find something delicious to buy.”

  “Thank you again for coming today.”

  “Where else would I be?”

  She gave me a peck on my cheek before she wandered off, and I took a moment to myself, basking in the knowledge that I’d finally done it. I’d found my dream – or maybe my dream had found me? Growing up, I’d never thought that I’d one day wind up owning my very own brand of beauty products, or that I’d have a knack for choosing other items to sell, such as the arts and crafts I also displayed, but I loved every minute of it.

  I’d even grown fond of spreadsheets and tallying up my accounts.

  It was one of life’s mysteries, but I didn’t dig too deep in order to solve it.

  Instead, I accepted it wholeheartedly.

  Louisa sidled up next to me, carrying a handwoven basket filled to the brim with products. I almost salivated but managed to stop myself in time.

  “Did you find everything you need?” I smiled at her.

  She grinned. “And more than that.” She scanned the store and nodded. “This place is perfect, Penelope.”

  I smiled gratefully at her. “Thank you so much.”

  She touched my hand. “I know that Frederik was sorry to miss being here, but…”

  I waved off her apology. “It’s all right. I don’t think Gramps would’ve enjoyed today. Too many people for him.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, crowds aren’t really his thing anymore, are they?”

  “Nope. Except when the whole family is together, of course.”

  “True.” A small frown appeared between her eyebrows. “Where’s that young man of yours?”

  I shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

  She opened her mouth but didn’t get a word out as the next thing I knew, people started to laugh and pointed out the big window. Before I knew what was going on, people milled outside. Flummoxed, I looked at Mama as she stood in the doorway, hands covering her mouth.

  “What is going on?” I murmured and quickly went to her. “Mama? What’s wrong?”

  She smiled through teary eyes and shook her head. “Nothing, baby girl. But I think you should go take a look.”

  Alarmed, not to mention completely confused, I went through the throng of people; they carved the way for me as they saw me, all smiles, only making me more suspicious as to the cause the closer I got to the road. When the last few people let me through, I gasped at the sight before me.

  Four white horses in front of a carriage that looked exactly like a pumpkin, only white instead of orange, would make any woman speechless, and when I saw Ethan step down, lips stretched in a shy smile, my heart immediately went into overdrive. For once, he was wearing gray slacks and a white button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and when he walked toward me, I blushed at the way his eyes turned to molten lava – or that’s what it felt like – as he scanned me from head to toe. That adoring flop of hair that always fell into his eyes was gone, tamed by some kind of hair product, I guessed, and he was clean shaven.

  Totally delicious, of course.

  When he reached me, he stopped, but he didn’t bend to kiss me like he usually did. And he didn’t even say anything. He just looked at me in that quiet way he always did, but for once, I didn’t feel comfortable in his silence. I grew more and more nervous the longer he kept quiet.

  “What on earth is going on?” I asked as the people around us tittered. They made me feel self-conscious and insecure, but the minute Ethan placed his hand against my cheek, my friends and family faded away.

  “Eight months ago, I told you I was going to ask you to marry me, Penelope,” he said as he flashed me a smile.

  “Oh, my gosh,” I whispered. “Don’t tell me…”

  “I thought long and hard about how to do this, so please don’t interrupt,” he grinned. “I need to do this while I still have the courage.”

  I laughed in disbelief. But my laughter got stuck in my throat when he got down on one knee before me and took my left hand in his. Love shined in his gaze, enthralling me and I had to catch my breath at the enormity of what was about to happen.

  “Penelope Montgomery, you are the light of my life. You are my soulmate, my lover, and my forever family. From the moment I met you, I wanted to claim you as mine, but I never dared to hope you’d ever feel the same way. But you did – you do – and I’m desperate to make you mine forever. Marry me?”

  Tears blurred my vision, but I blinked furiously, needing to see his beauty before me.

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  “Yes?” he asked.

  I nodded, laughter bubbling up my throat. “Yes!”

  His smile was so wide it almost split his face, and needing to reinforce my love for him, I bent to kiss him.

  “You’re insane,” I smiled against his lips.

  “Insanely in love with you,” he beamed back. “I can’t wait to marry you.”

  I shook my head in wonder. “That was one heck of a proposal, baby.”

  He straightened, still holding on to my hand, and when I looked down, my breath clogged my throat at the small, black box resting on his outstretched palm.

  “Open it,” he murmured.

  My hands shook so much, I missed the clasp on the box twice, but when he steadied them, I managed to open it. When I did, I couldn’t hold back a sigh in wonder. The rose gold ring nestling on the black velvet shined at me, dazzling me with its beauty. In the centre of the thin band, a bright, clear diamond set in a halo sparkled as the sun caught it, and I almost feared to put it on.

  “Ethan,” I sniffled.

  “Let me put it on.” He extricated the ring from the box and as he pushed it gently on my left ring finger, he sighed. The soft contentment made my heart flutter in my chest.

  “It’s beyond beautiful, baby.” I stepped closer and curled my hands in his shirt. “Kiss me again.”

  He grinned and did as I asked.

  The cheering around us faded the second I felt his commanding mouth against mine, and I basked in his possessive, yet gentle kiss. When he let me up for air, he kept his arms around my waist. I stared into his eyes, bewitched as always at the way he looked at me.

  With love, hope, and heat.

  “So…” He squeezed me once, bringing me flush to his chest.

  “So?”

&n
bsp; “When do you want to get married?”

  Grinning, I pushed up on my toes, needing to be even closer to him.

  “How about now?”

  He huffed a laugh. “That soon, hey? As much as I’d love for that to happen, I don’t think I can manage it, darlin’.”

  I pursed my lips as I pretended to mull it over, but I knew what I wanted.

  Him. As soon as humanly possible.

  “All right, how about in a month?”

  His eyes widened in surprise. “Don’t you need more time to plan it? I thought you’d want a big, splashy wedding? The whole shebang?”

  I shook my head. “You say you can’t wait to marry me, and I feel exactly the same way. I can’t wait to become Mrs. Collins, and I don’t need a big, swanky wedding. I just need you. Forever.”

  “One month it is, then.” I leaned into his hand as he rested it against my cheek. “You’ve made me the happiest man in the world today. How did I ever get so lucky?”

  I beamed at him. “Luck had nothing to do with it, Ethan. You were meant to belong to me the minute you came into my life, and now you’re stuck with me for life. Lovestuck.”

  “Lovestuck?” he grinned. “I don’t think that’s a word.”

  “It is now. Love is the glue that holds us together, and don’t you ever forget it.”

  “I won’t.” Solemn, he stared at me for a few seconds. “Lovestruck,” he whispered. “I like that very much.”

  “Good.”

  And just like that, I got my own fairy tale ending, horse-drawn carriage included, and at this exact moment, life was perfect. Blissfully, incandescently, gloriously perfect. Just as it had been when we were children, nothing would get us down in the future.

  I had Ethan, and he had me.

  And that was exactly as it should be.

  THE END

  Thank you so much for reading Lovestrung! I would really appreciate you leave a review at the site you purchased it, as it helps other readers find my work.

  Acknowledgments

  The list of people I want to thank for keeping me sane throughout writing my stories grow every time, but I’ll try to keep it short and sweet.

  First of all, I want to thank my dear friend, Dina Littner, for helping me by co-authoring the blurb of Lovestrung all those months ago. I was tearing my hair out, trying to get it right yet failing at every turn, when you swooped in and made it perfect.