Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
The nerves and excitement creep in, but I can’t wait. I’ve never been so ready in my life. We make our way down the stairs, and Dad holds on to me tighter than ever as Mom and Hope follow behind us.
Dad opens the door of the fancy limousine, and I can’t help but laugh to myself. This is insane. I’ve never ridden in a limo before, but it’s absolutely everything and more. I feel like a princess. This has Hazel written all over it, and I love how she put her two cents in to make sure today is absolutely perfect for me.
We all climb in, and after we all get settled, the driver hits the gas, and we’re sailing down the road, away from East View and out toward the countryside. I have no idea where we’re going, only that I’ll get to see Noah when we get there.
The second Noah found the place, he decided he wanted to keep yet another surprise. It’s been bugging me all week, but I know whatever he’s chosen is going to be amazing.
It’s a thirty-minute drive before the limo turns down a long, winding road, and as he does, my eyes light up with an array of breathtaking, vibrant colors. Beautiful shades of reds, pinks, yellows, oranges, and whites fill the rolling hills of the tulip fields before me.
I sit up straighter, my eyes so wide as the morning sun glistens off the dew lingering on the delicate petals. It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. “Oh my gosh,” Mom whispers, her hand falling to my thigh and gently squeezing. “I knew it was going to be beautiful, but I never could have imagined this. It’s breathtaking.”
I’ve never heard truer words in my life, and my eyes start to water. It really is breathtaking. I didn’t think anything could outdo Noah’s incredible proposal, but this is so much more than I ever dreamed.
We drive through fields and fields of vibrant tulips when the driver finally eases onto the brake, and as I twist to gaze out the opposite window, I finally see him—Noah Ryan, my bestest friend and the love of my life—waiting for me among a sea of beautiful colors.
His smile is brighter than I’ve ever seen, and the way my heart races is something I’ve never experienced before. It’s overwhelming, pure, and filled with the most adoring, eternal love, and I know with every fiber of my being that my purpose in life, every single moment I’ve ever experienced, was a path leading straight to this.
My reason for being was to be with this man, to teach him how to love, how to grow, and to be the light that’s always led him home.
I’ve never felt so at peace, never felt so perfectly right.
He stands under a gorgeous wooden arch with drapes of white chiffon that sway in the morning breeze, but despite its beauty, my gaze remains locked on him. He’s so ruggedly handsome, and that sparkle in his eyes has me ready to barrel out of the limo and fall straight into his strong arms.
Despite the dark window tint, his piercing eyes collide with mine, holding my stare as that tether between us solidifies and turns into the most indestructible kind of metal, entwining right around our souls and holding us there. Not even in death will this bond falter.
He will hold me up, right through till the end of time, and when we finally get the chance to meet again, it’ll be like a sonic boom, the stars aligning as everything falls right back into place, right where it was always supposed to be.
I take a shaky breath as the limousine driver walks around the car and opens the back door. Dad gets out first, offering his hand to all of his girls, even Hope because my nana raised him to be the perfect gentleman—though sometimes I think he forgets that.
From within the car, I can hear the subtle music playing through the tulip field, and my heart sings. He really has thought of everything. When it’s my turn to get out of the car, my father offers me his hand, and I gingerly take it, beaming up at him as he smiles right back. “I won’t let you fall,” he promises.
Stepping out of the car, Mom and Hope fix my veil, making sure everything is just right, and as the celebrant strides through the beautiful tulips and takes his place by the corner of the arch, I turn to face Noah.
The wide smile on his face falls into a gasping breathlessness, gazing at me in complete, overwhelming awe, his eyes conveying the words he can’t speak. My heart races and booms like thunder among the rolling clouds.
It’s so much more than I thought it could be, so undeniably perfect.