“Will your new room have a lock?” My head rests on Rogan’s bare chest as we both lie on a blanket, naked and satisfied, next to the manor fireplace.

“It better.” He chuckles. “It’s pretty small, but it fits a full bed, a desk, and a dresser. What else do I need?”

“A full? We can make that work.”

He kisses the side of my head. “Moving off campus is going to make a huge difference. Some other guys from the team will be living there too, but we’ll be able to see each other much more, and you can spend the night.”

“I sure as hell hope so. That once-a-month-in-a-hotel thing was not my favorite.”

“But we had fun exploring places in Upstate New York.”

“That Nirchis Pizza in Binghamton.” I sigh. “That was good. I would drive the hour to get that again.”

“This year is going to be different. I can feel it.”

“Me too.” I squeeze into his side.

“I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”

I sit up so I can look at him, the nervous tone in his voice setting me off. “Is everything okay?”

He bites his bottom lip, and hell, my stomach drops.

“What’s wrong?”

Rogan sits up as well. “I’ve been doing some thinking and . . . you know I love you, right?”

Oh my God. Is he going to break up with me? No.

No way.

Not possible.

But why does he look like he’s about to ask me if we can go on a break?

“What kind of thinking?” I ask, my voice shaky.

“With the new school year around the corner, I think we kind of need to make a change. There are going to be more demands on both of us. School is going to get harder. I just think . . .”

My lungs seize on me, air escaping them. A change? What’s he trying to say?

He leans back and reaches into his jeans. Trepidation hits me as well as a serious case of the worries. I mean, why change a good thing, right?

Before he can say a word, I quickly cut in. “I love you, Rogan. I know it’s going to be tough next year, but I think we can make it through all of it . . . together.” There, just so he knows that whatever change he has in mind, I’m super confident about our ability to last . . . forever.

A genuine, handsome smile plays over his lips. “I couldn’t agree more.” He holds out a small velvet box, and immediately tears fall from my eyes as my hands go to my mouth. “I couldn’t imagine my life without you, and I never want to. You’re my forever girl, Harp. Will you marry me?”

“Are you . . . serious?”

The velvet box flips open, revealing a beautiful princess-cut diamond ring, modest, but perfect. “Dead serious.”

“I thought . . .” I shake my head. “I thought you were going to ask to go on a break or something.”

“Christ, Harper.” He laughs and pulls me into a hug. “When are you going to realize I don’t want anyone but you?”

Embarrassed, I bury my head in the crook of his neck. “I don’t know. You just seem too good to be true; I think a part of me is just waiting for that moment when the rug is pulled out from underneath me.”

“Not going to happen, Harp.” He puts a few inches between us and lifts my head. “So is that a yes?”

I nod, happy tears falling now. “It’s a hell yes.”

He slips the ring on my finger, and before I can admire it, I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him—my fiancé, my future husband. The one and only man I’ll ever love.

“This is ridiculous. Just let me buy the ice cream.”

“Never,” he says, pulling me out of his truck and down the sidewalk of his parents’ house. “No one’s home. I’ll just quickly grab my wallet, and we will be on our way.”

“You know, you did buy me a ring. The least I can do is buy you ice cream.”

He flashes me a death glare. “Argue about it one more time—see where it gets you.”

“Ooh.” I feign terror. “Are you going to spank me?”

“Don’t tempt me.”

We reach the front door, and he fumbles with his keys in the dark as he unlocks the door. We step inside; the house is completely dark and silent, which is . . . odd. He flips on the switch, just as a dozen people pop out and shout, “Congratulations!” at the same time—I almost pee my pants as I yelp and jump back into Rogan.

“Holy hell!” I clasp my hand over my chest. The Knightly clan and my dad all smile back at me, clapping and cheering. Above them stretches a banner that says, CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATE, but “graduate” is scratched out, and above is written, ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT. Classic Knightly party decor. They’re always reusing everything.

“She said yes, right?” Jen asks.

Rogan holds up my hand. “She said yes.”

Everyone cheers, and my dad is the first to hurry forward, pulling me into a hug. He turns to Rogan and pulls him into a hug as well.

“I’m so happy for you two. You might be young, but I know love when I see it.”

“Thank you, Dad.” Our earlier conversation and the looks he and Rogan were sharing make way more sense. They were all in on it.

“But please wait until after college to get married. We’re looking at a long engagement, right?”

Before I can answer, Rogan nods. “Yes, Mr. Sanders. I want to make it through college, the football combine, and the draft before we get married. I just had to make sure everyone knew she was off-limits in the meantime.”

“Smart man.” My dad winks and pulls me into another hug. “You got a good one, sweetie. He’s perfect for you.”

I couldn’t agree more.

The rest of the night is filled with congratulations; fudge, of course; celebratory toasts made with sparkling cider; and fond memories of my relationship with Rogan, starting from the very beginning. Pictures of our scrawny, little middle-school bodies are passed around, followed by pictures from high school—prom pictures, yearbook photos, and everything in between.

In awe of how far along we’ve come, I squeeze in close to Rogan’s broad body, taking in his fresh soap scent. Arm wrapped around my shoulder, he holds me tight as our families celebrate around us, their conversation full of laughter and love. I look up at Rogan, at the scruff that caresses his jaw, his dark eyelashes that highlight his light-blue eyes, and his lips that have explored every inch of my body. I don’t think I could be luckier in this moment, knowing that I’m safe, that my heart is protected, and the man who holds it will never break it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

HARPER

“Morning, Harp.” Rogan walks up to me before I can get in line at Snow Roast, two cups of coffee in his hand and a dashing look in his eyes. He nods to the corner off to the side, which is usually occupied by Rylee the romance author. “Let’s talk.”

“Talk about what?” I ask, trying to move past him to get in line.

He steps in front of me, handing me one of the coffees. “That’s for you. Two sugars and a dash of cream.” Noticing my hesitancy, he guides me toward the corner, a gentle hand under my elbow. “You know, it would help if I wasn’t forced into manhandling you.”

“Excuse me for being skeptical.”

“Why would you be skeptical? We’re friends.”

“We’re really not.”

We both sit down. After he unbuttons his finely tailored navy-blue suit jacket, he reaches over and tugs on my bracelet. “This begs to differ.”

Ugh, the godforsaken bracelet. Pink, orange, and yellow twine braided together, the thing has been the bane of my existence, but for the life of me, I can’t cut it off.

“What do you want, Rogan?”

“Is that how you talk to your friends? Maybe ease up on the irritation a little. You should be happy to see me.”

Is he insane? Honestly, Lovemark is the only reason I’m tolerating this.

“Don’t make this harder than it already is. I know this must be fun for you, acting like we’re great friends, but this hurts for me. So let’s just be cordial and get through these next few weeks, okay?”

His jaw set in stone, his eyes and attitude don’t waver. “Do you know what’s fun for me? Being able to sit here with you and just hope that maybe we could be friends again.”

“You’re really delusional, Rogan.”

Biting his lip, he scans the coffeehouse for a moment before standing abruptly and holding out his hand. I look at it but don’t move. “What’s that?” I ask, pointing to his extended arm.

“It’s the universal sign for come with me. Go on, take my hand.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.” I shake my head.

“For Christ’s sake, Harper. Just take my hand and walk with me. We’re going to make this friendship a whole lot easier for you.”