Fractured Trust by L. M. Dalgleish
Epilogue
Noah looked around at the smiling faces of his friends, then back to Summer, looking stunning in a flowy green dress with a top that hung off one shoulder, enticing him to pull her to him, so he could press his lips against her soft skin. But that would have to wait, because he was currently manning the grill, finishing off some burgers to add to the pile of food in the middle of the table.
Everyone was at his and Summer’s house to celebrate the fact that Fractured had received multiple nominations for the American Music Awards, including for Favorite Album and Favorite Artist. They’d also been invited to perform on the night. This wasn’t the first time they’d received a nomination for an AMA—they’d won previously in several categories—but this was the first time they’d been nominated when he could celebrate with Summer.
He caught her looking over at him, her seafoam green eyes bright with joy. She mouthed I love you at him and his heart swelled, the rhythm of his love for her so deeply embedded in it he knew it would never beat for anyone else.
He gave her a grin and a wink, and she turned back to the table, laughing at something Tex had said. When Noah finished with the burgers, he plated them and brought them over to the table, then dropped into the empty chair next to Summer.
Now that he’d joined them, everyone jumped in and started loading their plates up. There was a lot of laughter around the table, although Zac was a little quiet where he sat down at the end. Crossfire had been nominated in two categories this year, including Favorite Album, putting them in direct competition with Fractured. He didn’t know if that was what was bothering Zac. It shouldn’t, after all, that just meant he had twice as much chance of winning an award. And it wasn’t like they’d be pissed if Crossfire beat them. It would be fucking well-deserved if they did. Their new album was incredible. So, he couldn’t quite figure out why Zac wasn’t more excited.
But that was a problem for another day. Tonight, he just wanted to enjoy what he had, these people, this life, he turned his head to look at Summer, this woman.
She was so damn strong; rising to the challenge and fighting for him just as hard as he was always going to fight for her. There had been some shaky moments over the last year, but she’d been honest and let him know whenever she was feeling anxious. And he’d never hesitated to tell her, to show her, that she was, and would always be, the most important thing in the world to him. And every time they’d gotten through it, they’d grown closer, their love grown deeper, her trust stronger. Now those moments were getting farther and farther apart.
She was going strong with her studies too, and he loved seeing her excitement every time she completed a course. Studying hadn’t ever been his thing, but he knew missing out on going to college had upset her, so he was glad she’d decided to chase that dream.
With Summer’s help, Eden’s business had taken off. They’d even had to hire two extra staff members to keep up with the charities and recording artists wanting to be matched. Eden had told him she couldn’t have done it without Summer, and he’d been so fucking proud of her he hadn’t known what to do with himself.
Until he had.
Noah’s heart battered his rib cage, and he took a long sip of his beer, then cleared his throat, pushed his chair back, and stood. All eyes turned to him, and he grinned, even though tension knotted his shoulders. “I just wanted to say a few words,” he said, sounding far more formal than was normal for him. A bead of sweat trickled down his spine. What the hell was wrong with him? He regularly performed in front of crowds in excess of one hundred thousand people, but having fourteen pairs of eyes on him tonight was making him sweat.
One pair of eyes in particular. He turned to look down at Summer, who was looking back at him with her head tilted to the side, pretty lips tipped up in curiosity. He smiled at her before turning back to the table. “We are lucky sons of bitches,” he said, looking around at his bandmates, Lexie, Eden, and Drew. “We’ve experienced things that most people never will. We’ve traveled the world, performed in front of millions of fans, been nominated for and won awards.” The other members of Fractured raised their beers and grinned. Noah grinned back, then turned his gaze to Summer. “But there’s nothing in this world that makes me luckier than having you in my life, Summer.” Her eyes widened, a flush spreading across her cheeks. She darted a gaze at the others sitting at the table before looking back at him again.
“The very first time I talked to you, you rendered me speechless. I didn’t tell you then, but I knew from that moment on, nothing was ever going to be the same. That was the day I fell, and I haven’t stopped falling since.”
Summer’s eyes were bright with tears and her fingers fluttered up to cover her mouth. Noah smiled at her, reached into his back pocket, and pulled out the ring. An excited squeal came from across the table that he assumed was from Eden, but he didn’t take his eyes from Summer. She didn’t take her eyes from his either, didn’t drop her gaze to check out the ring, just kept looking at him as a tear spilled over her lower lid and traced a path down her cheek.
Noah dropped to his knee in front of her. He’d debated whether he should do this in front of everyone, or in private, but this felt right somehow, sharing this moment with his closest friends. The ones that had been beside him through thick and thin, through the years he’d had Summer and the years he’d been hollow without her.
He reached for her hand, and she let him take it. Thank God. He’d had a few nightmares over the last few weeks where he’d tried to take her hand, and she’d run away from him. He didn’t know if that was normal before you were about to propose or if it was residual anxiety over having lost her before. But it didn’t matter now, because he was holding her hand in his, and she was looking at him with so much love in her eyes that his nerves drained from him.
“Summer Mackenzie, you have been, are, and will always be, the love of my life. You drive me crazy in the best possible way. There is no one, no one, in this world I want to share my life with other than you. So, if you don’t want me to be a bitter, lonely old drummer who mutters drunkenly to random people about how much he’s always loved summer sunsets, then please, please say you’ll be my wife.”
Summer let out a watery laugh at that, then surprised him by sliding off her chair and dropping to her knees in front of him. “I told you once I wanted to love without fear, and being with you has made that a reality. I can’t imagine a life worth living that doesn’t have you in it. You say you’re lucky, but the luckiest person here today is me. You gave me a second chance. You gave us a second chance, and I will love you every day for the rest of my life. And I doubt you’ll let me forget about you, even after that.”
“You better believe it,” he muttered, and she laughed.
“And while I’m pretty sure your friends and family wouldn’t ever let you end up a bitter, lonely old drummer muttering drunkenly to people, I’m not prepared to take that risk. So yes, Noah, I definitely, unequivocally, say yes to being your wife.”
The table erupted into cheers as he slipped the ring onto her finger, and only then did she look down at it. The soft, happy sigh she let out as she saw the sparkling oval-cut diamond housed in a rose-gold filigree setting he’d chosen for her eased the last of the tension from him.
“It’s beautiful, Noah.” Her voice was husky.
“Nowhere near as beautiful as you.”
Summer’s gaze tangled with his again, and he reached up and cupped the side of her face. “I love you, Sunshine. I hope you know, I plan to watch as many sunsets as possible with you in my arms.”
Oblivious to the excited chatter from their friends, Summer’s lips met his, and everything around Noah disappeared until all he could feel was the satin of her skin under his hands, and all he could hear was the drumbeat of his heart.
Summer was his; he was hers. And this time, neither of them was letting go.
The End
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Fractured Trust! I really hope you enjoyed Noah and Summer’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Their happily ever after was a long time coming, but I hope you agree it was well worth the wait!
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Thank you!