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A tear slipped down Ella’s cheek, and I brushed it aith my thumb “I miss him,” she said

“I know,” I said

“And if he is angry, or disappointed,” Saul said, “we’ll be here To support you”

“Always,” Jason said

Ella sh her tears “Thank you all” She sniffled “I don’t knohy I’ht!”

“It is,” Darren agreed

Suddenly, I re else,” I said Ella looked at me, wide-eyed

“So more than a proposal?” she asked

I nodded “We bought a house,” I said “Big enough for all eight of us We don’t have to share that tiny apartment anymore”

Ella sat straight up “You did what?” she said

“Bought a house” I grinned

Ella scra for her clothes “Where? What does it look like? Can we go see it?”

“It’s like 2 am,” I reminded her, but of course, in the end, ent None of us could ever deny her anything

Epilogue

Ella

I took a deep breath, eying my cell phone on the table in front of lowed on the screen waiting for et up the nerve to press the button that would call him

I had been dodging his calls for weeks, knowing that he would realize so was up the moment he heard my voice, and I’d never been able to lie to hi the occasional selfie so he wouldn’t start to worry that I’d been kidnapped But that couldn’t go on forever Sooner or later, I would need to bite the bullet and call him

I missed him, desperately, of course, but I was also terrified Once I told hi back This could change everything

Standing behindto be okay,” he said

I nodded,wildly in my chest “Maybe,” I said

Grant ran his fingers through my hair “He loves you,” he reminded me “You’ll feel better when he knows”