Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
If I’d learned anything about life, it was that nothing was promised. We were all given the same twenty-four hours a day, yet I wanted to make every second of my time here count. I wanted to spend as many moments as possible loving Holly because she never made my love feel as if it was too much. She never made it seem as if my love was a burden. When you found a person who was able to do that for you…when you found a love that allowed you to be yourself fully…
Well, that was the kind of love you wanted to keep around.
EPILOGUE
Holly
One Year Later
New Year’s Eve
After a successful writing day, I made my way to Mano’s, where everybody knew my name, and took my reserved seat at the end of the bar. The restaurant didn’t open for another thirty minutes, so the employees were rushing around getting everything ready for the big New Year’s Eve celebration they were putting on that night.
The restaurant was booming as of late, and it was great to be there when Ayumu and Kai celebrated one full year of business. Not only did they not need a backup plan, but they were thriving in ways I couldn’t even imagine.
Speaking of thriving, my agent informed me that my novel was still on the New York Times bestseller list for the 20th week. Life had been good to me over the past few months, and I couldn’t thank Kai enough for being my biggest cheerleader. When I didn’t believe in my craft, he believed in it enough for me. There was something so special about someone who believed in you when you didn’t know how to believe in yourself. That was Kai to me. He was my biggest cheerleader and my greatest muse.
As I walked to my usual spot, Kai smiled sweetly behind the bar.
“Hey, you. Want a cocktail?” he asked.
I placed my purse on the countertop and melted into the barstool. With haste, I snapped my fingers in the air. “You know what I like.”
He began making me my regular, The Holly, and I did a little shimmy as he set it in front of me.
“You know, some people might call it self-absorbed always to order a drink named after yourself,” he mentioned. He looked good that night. Don’t get me wrong, he always looked good, but earlier that day, he got a haircut and his beard perfectly trimmed. He wore a forest-green velvet suit that made him look like a Greek god. I couldn’t wait to take it off him after midnight.
“What can I say? I don’t struggle in the self-love department.” I took a sip of the cocktail, and it was just as delicious as the first time he made it for me a year ago. “Please promise this drink will remain on the menu forever.”
“As long as you want it there, it will stay.”
“You must like me,” I joked.
“Love you,” he corrected. “Speaking of love… Today’s our official anniversary of when we started dating.”
“That it is. Happy anniversary,” I said, leaning across the bar to give him a smooch on the lips.
“Happy anniversary,” he replied, kissing me back. “It’s been a pretty great year, yeah?”
“I have no complaints. What about you?”
He held a finger up in the air. “I have a few.”
I sat up straight, stunned. “What?”
He walked to the cash register and pulled out a piece of paper. He ripped it off and grabbed a pen. “I figured since it’s been a year, we should make a do’s and don’ts list for dating each other like we did for you last year.”
“You’re serious?”
“I am.” He began scribbling. “The first do is keep singing in the shower when you stay at my place. Mano and I get a kick out of it.”
I snickered. “I can do that.”
“The first don’t—don’t ask me if you look fat in an outfit. I’m not stupid. I know that’s a trick question; the only right answer is that you always look perfect, which is true. You always look perfect.”
“You’re right.” I flipped my hair over my shoulder. “I do. Okay, what’s next?”
“Do squeeze the toothpaste from the top of the tube.”
“No can do, buckaroo. I’m a middle tube squeezer until the day I die.”
He shook his head in disappointment. “Fair enough. Next, don’t fall asleep during a Lord of the Rings marathon. It’s just disrespectful.”
“You make me watch the uncut versions. Those are hours long.”
“They are masterpieces.”
“They are mediocre at best.”
He pointed a stern finger in my direction. “Bite your tongue, or I’ll downplay Harry Potter.”
“Don’t be a madman.” I waved my hand in dismissal. “Okay, what’s your next do?”
His brows knitted as he fell into deep thought, and then he began scribbling. “Okay, this is a good one. Do…” He wrote something down and then passed the paper over to me. “Marry me.”