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"It is a good sign," I pro the school around the--"

"Chloe" He shuton the ends ofdown at me

"Yes?" I looked up at theand let ainst his chest, but then his lips were on ,

When he pulled off, I tried to speak, tried to understand Surely he wouldn’t propose here, not in this filthy condo in Tribeca Proposals were supposed to be done in grand fashion, with candlelight and music

But then he dropped to one knee and looked up atfrom those eyes And in that moment, I wouldn’t have had it any other way

"Chloe Madison, will you marry me?" he whispered

I didn’t hesitate, didn’t need to think it over; the question one I had drea around ainstwith me," he admitted "I wasn’t … it wasn’t supposed to happen like this" He kissed my forehead "I’m sorry"

I pulled his mouth down to mine "Don’t ever be sorry It was perfect"

And it had been A little unorthodox Not what I had always envisioned But this entire life wasn’t how I had envisioned it

It was so irls like Chloe before That’s what I thought, that first ti on her feet, legs and arms spread out for balance in that New Year’s Eve snow My first instinct had been to protect her, to scoop her into irls like that --at least not fro her--just because she wore expensive clothes and stepped fro in hand When she sirls my mother warnedif he wore the right watch, in the right zip code, with a big portfolio and an intent to spoil I was afraid of her because of it Afraid because, in the wobble of her s that drew , and not financially A hint of a girl who I wouldn’t be able to walk away from

She stuck in my mind, like a dream you couldn’t shake, each otten her last na

And then she opened that apartonna tell you the leap ainst the doorfraht fall But I will tell you that the fear returned She was different froes softer Her eyes kinder The stiffness she had given one And I alood for e city, I needed to find a siirl--one ould fall in love with irl She was the type who’d look at me and wouldn’t want to dive any deeper Except … she did And fro she shook my foundation She scared me

And later, she broke me She found the weak places init her own Such a tentative touch, yet one forever i I want to do for her I want to protect, but also provide I want to build her a home, andshe hasn’t seen I want to watch the rest of her journey--to see her in a job she truly loves, in a life she truly wants, and I want to give it all to her but I know she has to find it on her own And that is the hardest, and theleft in me to save With every imperfection in her I find, I fall farther Every twist of her head, giggle froasm … I am more vulnerable When she found out about my family’s money, she was disappointed When she told led with Nicole’s infidelity, she was flawed And when she spoke of Vic, she was human And when she looks at h words to express how that makes me feel

I can’t live without this woman She is my best friend She is the second half of h

She is my future

She is my Chloe

She is my Love