Epilogue

GEMMA

My heart was beating out of my chest as Noah sang his song about us falling in love. I couldn’t believe he’d written a whole song about the magnetic pull between us and how much he loved me, even back then.

From some of the lines in it, I could tell that he’d been tweaking it until relatively recently. He’d included so many little things he’d noticed about me, and there were even some lyrics about girls’ trips to Gatlinburg and TPing being his favorite new tradition for Thanksgiving.

I laughed with tears in my eyes at those parts of it, but I also swooned over others. Like how he knew I wrinkled my nose sometimes just before I woke up and that I had a song for absolutely every thought, feeling, emotion, or occasion—and that I either hummed or sung those songs when they were applicable to whatever was going on in my life, whether I noticed it or not.

He knew that I fell down Pinterest rabbit holes while I was working and I sometimes didn’t surface for hours. He also knew that I scrolled for all that time with a dreamy smile on my face and that shopping for stationery made me super excited.

I mean, doesn’t it do that for everyone? What kind of monster can pick out pens, markers, notebooks, and post-its without getting giddy about it? Not this girl.

It meant the absolute world to me that he’d noticed all those things, but also that he’d put them in a song. Noah was effectively claiming me in the most public way with his lyrics, and I loved it. I cherished every possessive growl and purr of his angelic voice as he sang about me to thousands of people. Not only those in this room but also others who were watching from home and other venues.

As he sang, thousands more were streaming this new album of theirs and the song was being added to playlists all over the country. Maybe even the world.

And sure, it wasn’t like it had my literal name in it, but She’s a Gem didn’t exactly make a secret out of who he’d written it about either. My heart pulsated and leaped, my knees going weak as he brought his gaze back to mine on every other line.

Since this was their last song for the evening, I pushed myself off the wall I’d been leaning against to hold me up when I sensed the performance was coming to an end. Weaving my way through the crowd, I swiped my card to gain access to the little backstage area and waited with bated breath for him to come offstage.

Not half a minute after I’d planted myself right next to the curtain I knew they would be disappearing behind, Noah and the boys took a bow, and he grinned into his mic. “Thank you so much for listening to us, folks. For all of you at home, we hope you enjoyed the show and that you have a ridiculously happy new year. Peace and love, everybody. Be safe and good night.”

With that, he lowered his mic back to his side and jogged offstage, his forehead shiny and his bright blue T-shirt wet with sweat. I didn’t give a flying fudgesicle if he stank right then, though. The scent of fresh, male sweat enveloped me when he drew me into his arms as soon as he made it past the curtain, but underneath it, there was also still the spicy undertones of just him. Of Noah.

I clung to him, ignoring it when he tried to pry me off. He chuckled as he swatted at my arms, but if he really wanted me to let go, I knew he would’ve been able to get free. So I just held on tighter to his broad shoulders, my fingers toying with the hairs at his neck.

“I need to grab a quick shower, darlin’.” He ran his palm along the curve of my back. “I’m pretty rank right now.”

“Don’t care.” I lifted my head, but only so I could be sure that he’d heard me. “I love you, Noah Parks. That song was beautiful. Is that why you were keeping the whole album a secret from me?”

“I love you too.” His expression softened, warmth mingling with amusement in his eyes. “ She’s a Gem was part of that, but honestly, you inspired every song I wrote for this one and we inspired Jack to write Lighting Up , so in a way, pretty much the whole damn thing is about us.”

I felt my jaw unhinge itself. My eyelids suffered from a temporary malfunction, fluttering repeatedly until I finally just kept them closed for a moment. “Do you even know how much that means?”

Shaking my head, I drew in a deep breath and looked at him again, once again reminding myself to tune out everything but him. The backstage area was abuzz with activity, way too many people crammed into the small space available for it at this venue, but I blurred them all out, my attention honing in on the man holding me and only on him.

Noah’s lips hooked up into a flirty smile. “Want to come hit the shower with me real quick? I really need to wash up.”

Teeth sinking into my lower lip, I nodded, but as soon as we turned the first corner away from the general humdrum, I grabbed his arm and pulled him up against the wall, sliding us around so that my back was to it and he was leaning into me. On instinct, one of his hands came to my hip while the other pressed against the plaster above my head.

Not easily surprised, Noah rolled with it, nipping at my lips and then smiling against them as he pressed his entire body against mine. I didn’t know how he always seemed to know exactly what I needed, but he really, really did.

Right then, for instance, the hot weight of him was like one of those therapeutic, heavy blankets and it helped ground me, finally allowing me to make sense of my racing thoughts.

I looked up at him. “Every fan you have is going to hear that song and know how you feel about me.”

That sexy, cocky smirk graced his lips as his head tilted to the side. “Yeah, I know. That’s the general idea.”

“If we don’t make it, are you going to write a mean heartbreak anthem about me?” I asked, only half joking.

The smirk faded into a serious, deeply thoughtful expression before he shook his head. “That’s irrelevant.”

“That’s not a no.”

“Only because it’s not a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question. It’s just irrelevant.” He lifted one broad, sweaty shoulder in a carefree shrug.

I stared up into those gorgeous blues. “How is it irrelevant? It seems pretty relevant to me.”

“It’s not, because we’re going to make it,” he said, completely sincerely. One of his hands came up to drag the backs of his fingers across my cheek and I shivered at the contact. He bent his head closer to mine. “You and me are endgame, Gem. I love you and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve never said it to another woman and I don’t intend to.”

My fingers flexed and I brought him even closer. “I’ve never felt this way either, Noah, but that’s a pretty big declaration to make. I’m seven years?—”

He groaned. “This again?”

I sighed and shook my head. “No, not really. It’s just, are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.” He took my hands in his and squeezed them. “Are you still sure?”

“Yes.”

He grinned, but there was a glaze of something in his eyes that looked a lot like nerves as he slid his fingers between mine. “I really need to hit the showers. Lewis and Alana will both have my balls if I don’t get out there and mingle soon.”

I smiled, dismissing the idea that he was nervous about anything other than them hosting their first big industry party. “I love your balls, and besides, we might need them someday if we decide to start a family. Let’s save them. You go grab a shower and I’ll hold down the fort at the party.”

“ If we decide to start family?” He bent over and stole a smoldering hot kiss before he winked at me. “Baby, I plan on knocking you up the first chance I get and doing it over and over again until you tell me we’re done.”

My cheeks flushed. “Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.” He pressed a gentler kiss to my forehead. “I’ll be out there in five minutes. See you soon.”

Finally releasing me, he turned and jogged down the hall, disappearing through a door into a stairwell and leaving me alone to catch my breath. Noah could be intense sometimes, but he was also always so freaking honest that the things he said knocked me right on my ass—in a good way.

He wasn’t shy about what he wanted and he definitely didn’t hesitate to put it into words. A thrill shot through me as I stood there, wondering what the year ahead would bring. Between that song and everything he’d just told me, it sounded like I was about to have the happiest new year of them all.

Young as he might be, Noah was completely committed to me, in such a big way that he’d written a song about us and then came right out with it that he wanted to have a bunch of kids with me. Throughout our admittedly short relationship, openness and honesty had been a big thing for us both—each for our own obvious reasons.

Because of that, I knew he meant it all. Every word of that song and everything he’d said after. He wanted me. A life with me. A family .

Butterflies erupted in my stomach and I squealed before I spun around and hurried back to the party, wanting to check on everything before he came back out. I made a few quick rounds, just to make sure all the vendors were still on track. Then I strode back out of the kitchen just as Noah walked in.

Dirty blond hair already perfectly styled and bone dry again, he was wearing a pair of jeans with a trendy, chessboard print on the thighs, pale purple high tops, and a matching fitted T-shirt. Whoever had dressed him tonight had gone for the full heartthrob effect, the color of his shirt accentuating the blue of his eyes. My heart dutifully throbbed at the sight of him.

For just a minute, I was even a little shy to approach him as he was swarmed by adoring fans who were also industry professionals, but while he was smiling and friendly, he also kept looking around. Looking for me .

The butterflies did flip-flops and I went to him, sliding my hand into his and not missing that Jack hadn’t been wrong. Noah really did light up when I was with him, almost like an invisible weight lifted off his shoulders and he stood taller. His chin was higher. His eyes were more alive.

Pride surged through me and I gripped his hand tighter, damn lucky to be the woman on his arm tonight. Noah grinned as he slotted me in under his arm, giving me a look that made my cheeks heat. He blinked it away and turned back to the crowd he was talking to.

“Everybody, this is my love, Gemma.” He glanced at me. “Gemma, this is everybody.”

They laughed and introduced themselves one by one, surprisingly friendly for having been called a collective everybody . As the night wore on though, I realized that he was doing it on purpose. In one-on-one conversations, I noticed that he knew names, positions held at companies, sometimes even information about families or business deals, but he always made a point of introducing me as “ his love, Gemma ,” as if my name was the only one that was important to him.

My pulse went wild, and I couldn’t deny that the subtle gesture made me feel incredibly special. Despite the urge to check in with him about everything earlier, I felt like Noah’s side was where I belonged. It was how I’d always felt and how it seemed he felt as well.

We moved through the room for hours, but I never got bored of listening to him as he mingled. I also met quite a few people who were interested in teaming up with me on events, others who were so impressed by this event that they immediately inquired about my availability for things they had coming up, and yet others who I just got along with really well.

It was another amazing evening spent with the love of my life, and when it was time for the big ball drop, I was almost sad that it was already nearing midnight. Even so, Noah gripped my hand and led me out to the balcony, where we joined the anticipatory, frenzied excitement as their guests readied themselves for the countdown.

Servers were ready with crates of champagne by their feet, trays with flutes already filled also being passed around. As they prepared to pop the corks at midnight as planned, I turned toward the city with Noah pressed up tightly against me, his arm in its usual, loving, but mildly possessive place around my shoulders. I shivered with pleasure, leaning further into him. I dropped my head back, eyes fixed on the sky.

Together, we joined the countdown. At zero, I spun into him, my arms wrapping around his neck as those eyes zeroed in on me. Noah grinned and held me against him as his mouth descended to mine.

Those lips crashed into my own for a blazing hot kiss that curled my toes in my boots but also filled my heart with hope. It felt like a kiss that was sealing a promise. Much too soon, he broke it off, lifting his mouth away from mine.

We remained locked in our embrace as fireworks went up in the distance, sending sparks of light to shower the city in twinkling blessings for the new year. Champagne corks popped and people roared, singing and laughing and wishing one another all the best.

Noah’s gaze never left mine. His arms clasped around me and his chest suddenly rose and fell faster. He swept his tongue across his lips, then put some space between our lower halves to dig into the pocket of his jeans.

“I have one more New Me list item for you,” he said, that shimmer of nerves making a reappearance in his eyes.

I frowned playfully. “Is it for the New Me list or the Naughty List? Because if it’s the latter?—”

“It’s not.” He pressed a small piece of paper into my hand and intrigue washed over me.

Curious and with my heart pitter-pattering with excitement over what he was up to, I opened the tiny note and glanced down at it. Then I did a double take, blinking hard to make sure the champagne I’d consumed earlier while we’d been working the room wasn’t making me see things.

But no.

Scrawled in beautiful, neat handwriting in the center of the little scrap of paper were only two words, but they were two words that transformed my entire life as I read them.

Marry Me.

My eyes immediately jerked back up to his, but they weren’t where they had been when I’d last looked into them just a few seconds ago. Noah was down on one knee in front of me, the most exquisite statement of a ring pinched between his thumb and index finger.

As he stared up at me, the nerves suddenly vanished from his eyes and he squared his shoulders, his innate confidence bringing a knowing smile to his lips. “Wise men might say that only fools rush in, but I couldn’t help falling in love with you, Gemma. I know you know the rest of the song, but darlin’, some things were meant to be, and you and me? We’re one of those things. Will you accept my addition to your list and complete just this one more task with me?”

I clasped my hands over my mouth. I remembered the morning just last week when he and I had serenaded each other in my kitchen. He’d sung Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love with You and I’d practically gone cross-eyed. We’d been alone, half naked and fully sated—for that moment.

When he’d looked at me and sang those words, the very ones he was paraphrasing now, I never would’ve imagined in a million years that we’d be here just seven days later. With him on his knees in front of me, asking me to marry him.

Tears fell from my eyes. I nodded as I tried to remember how to form words. One word, in particular.

“Yes.”

As I said it, he took my hand in his, carefully and slowly sliding the giant, flashy, irresistibly beautiful ring onto my finger.

Cheers exploded all around us as people started catching on to what had just happened. As the fireworks exploded in colorful bursts of light in the inky night sky, Noah rose to his feet and claimed my lips for his own. My head spun and my breathing went ragged as I tried to believe that he was really mine.

Noah Parks was my fiancé . He was going to be my husband , the father of my children , and he was already the love of my life. I held him close to me, everything in me knowing that this time, I had said yes to the man I had always been meant to be with—and I couldn’t freaking wait to start our lives together.

And what a life it would turn out to be.

***