SARAH My heart plummets. It starts by taking a deep dive to the pit of my stomach, landing with such a force that I’m forced to stagger backwards or risk falling over the edge of the balloon. Then, with an equal—or even more intensity—it shoots back up, into my chest, I find my right palm pressed against my soft skin as tears, hot and happy, rush down my already swollen cheeks. I don’t know what to expect as I turn to look at them, all three of them. Still, nothing…not even a million light years would have prepared me for what they do. Ronan, Malachi, and Jaxon all stand in front of me, each holding a little red ring box. A gasp tears from my throat, and both my hands fly to my mouth. It’s all I can do to stop myself from screaming down the sky. In Ronan’s box, there’s a golden ring embedded with a sparkling sapphire crystal. Malachi’s box is matching, only his stones are emerald, and Jaxon’s are dark ruby red. “S–stop.” I shake my head vigorously, blinking rapidly as if it’ll make the sight in front of me vanish. It’s too good to be true. “What is this?” It’s so hard to tear my eyes off the rings. “Why…why are you doing this?” When I finally look up at Ronan, he offers me a sweet, reassuring smile and steps forward. I’m bawling my eyes out, so full of joy. All three of them…I don’t know what to do. He covers the distance between us and cups my right cheek in his usual fashion. The ring box is still seated on his free palm. “Hey, baby,” Baby. The way his voice softens as the word leaves his lips has me crying like an actual baby. “This is unbelievable.” I sniff in, fighting back the mucus that threatens to run down my nostrils. “When did you guys plan this? When did you get these?” “While you were shopping at the grocery store.” Heavens. A small laugh echoes from my throat. “I can’t…I can’t believe you guys.” My eyes dance around his piercing ones. Why?”“When we met you again at Vincent’s that night, everything hit us at once. All these feelings we didn’t know how to name. Like fools, we stuffed it all into a single box and called it lust. We thought it’ll make it easier, manageable. So when you told me you weren’t interested in love—that morning I handed you the card—we convinced ourselves it was a good thing. But nothing about you has been easy, Sarah. That’s why we want to be yours. For the first time in all our lives, we want someone bad enough to fight for her. We want to continue to fight for you for as long as you want us to.” I melt away under his stare, under the weight of his gentle, truthful words, under the vulnerability of his actions. My lips part, hoping to get some words out, but I can’t. Not when the only thing in my head is how badly I want to make love to them right now. I don’t give a shit if we’re in the sky or not. Let the heavens watch. Let them witness the bond that we share. “So,” he clears his throat and pulls his hand away, holding up the ring to me. I drag my teeth across my lower lip, squeezing the hem of his oversized shirt. “This sapphire symbolizes my promise to you. My steady, unbreakable, and endless loyalty. Sarah Wellspring, my life belongs to you.” Fuck. I wave my right hand across my face, using it as a fan to ease the heat that creeps up to burn my face. “Please,” his voice cracks in a plea. “Take it.” Like hell! I see the relief in his eyes as his shoulders straighten. His lips purse into a small “o”, and his warm breath kisses the bridge of my nose. Did he think I would refuse? I offer him my right hand, and he slides the ring into my ring finger. It’s a perfect fit. How did they even know my ring size? Aaron had to get my engagement ring done twice. But they were able to get it right in one try. I guess the signs had always been there, and I was too blind to see them. Once it’s done, he pulls me by the nape of my neck. Cold lips crash against mine, but I take them willingly, wholeheartedly, sucking on them with soft lips of my own. He kisses me like he’s drowning and I’m his only source of air. Like he’s starving, and I’m all he’ll ever want to eat. His wet tongue slides into my mouth, and I grab him by the back of his head, standing on my tip toes to deepen the bond between our mouths. When he pulls away from me, I’m all smiles, gasping for air as he whispers against my lips. “I could kiss you all day, but my brothers still have things they need to say.” I chuckle lightly. “Of course. Of course.” He steps away, and Malachi moves forward. He wears his smile on his face as he stands in front of me. “Do you think I can top that?” His grey orbs twinkle with a mischief that has me shaking my head. “I’ll put my money on it.” Malachi sucks in a deep breath. His throat bobs as he swallows hard. “Frankly, I’ve never been the greatest with words. But what I can tell you, Sarah, is that I want to keep this smile on your face for the rest of my life. Ronan was right. We were fools to think we could lie to ourselves for so long. We’re done with that. We know…we know we don’t deserve you…” “Don’t say that.” I cut in. I’m the one who doesn’t deserve them. I’m the one with the crippling low self-esteem and the trust issues, not them. For all their flaws, they’re perfect for me. To me. His confident smirk melts into a sad one. Why? “We don’t,” he continues. “But I’m asking you to allow me to dedicate the rest of my life to proving myself to you. This emerald,” he raises his ring. “Promises a lifetime of passion, adventure, and endless possibilities.” A corky smile crosses my face as I bat my lashes at him. “I like passion and adventure,” I’m not sure which hand he wants, so I put the two on display in front of him. “Sign me up.” Malachi lets out a throaty laugh as he slips the ring into the middle finger of my right hand. I have barely admired the emerald shade against my skin when he scoops me up from the ground, bridal style. I yelp, but the sound is drowned out by the feel of his lips on mine. I throw my hands around his neck and kiss him passionately. It’s all I can do to stop myself from fiddling with the buttons of his shirt. Slowly and steadily, he places my feet down, and makes sure I can stand on my own before he steps backward. It’s Jaxon’s turn. Sweet, caring, gentle Jaxon. The man with the purest of souls and the strongest of hearts. The one who will never do anyone harm. The one who will always stand for the people he loves. The one who would take a bullet for us. All of us. He scratches the back of his head, yet he saunters towards me. It’s very clear he’s trying to play it cool, but it’s still impossible not to wear his heart on his sleeve. With Jaxon, I never have to worry about what he’s thinking. It’s always on his face. And right now, I can tell he wants to say a lot of things to me, but can’t seem to find the words. So, I find them for him. I cup both his cheeks with my hands and stare into those deep hazel eyes that match my own. “I want you too, Jaxon. Every little, itsy bitsy, bit of you.” The same guilt that flashed in Malachi’s eyes earlier appeared in his. But I don’t think too much about it. Not when his eyes light up with the most genuine smile I have ever seen. “This ruby promises you every bit of my beating heart, Sarah Wellspring. My love would always burn brightly for you, as long as you’re willing to take it.” I nod, tears rushing down my eyes as I lay out my right hand. But he takes my left instead and slips it into my index finger. “I love you, Sarah.” My breath catches in my throat. Ronan and Malachi said those words in the ways they could, but only Jaxon dared to speak it out loud. “I love you too,” I look away from him to his brothers. “All of you.” Jaxon picks me up from the ground. I straddle his hips, my legs wrapping around him. He kisses me just like his brothers did, and I give him my all. Every bit of my heart, just like he said he would. It’s only a matter of time before he drops me, and the HawkThorne brothers, my men, surround me. “What does this mean now?” I ask, unable to take my eyes off the gorgeous rings on my fingers. Ronan’s hand combs through the length of my hair. “We’re officially yours.” “My what?” I arch a teasing brow, and he grins—his throat vibrates in a low laugh. “Your boyfriends, Sarah. We are your boyfriends.”I almost squeal in excitement. “I’ve never done this before. Been in a relationship with more than one man. I don’t even know how it works.” “Just the same way it’s been.” Jaxon adds, giving me gentle rubs on my back. “We’re new to this too. And we’ll figure it out together.” Malachi concludes. The rest of the balloon ride is spent in blissful silence as we watch the sunset. It’s my dream girlfriend proposal. I wonder if they know. When it’s over and we get into the car, only one question remains on my mind. I’m certain it’s on theirs too because they’re as quiet as I am. Ronan offers to drive this time, while Malachi lets me rest my head on his shoulder as Jaxon strokes my fingers softly. WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO TELL KEVIN? I tell myself I won’t think about it. For now, at least. However, the universe either has a cruel sense of humor, or has it out for me. Why? I’ll tell you why. The second Ronan pulls into his driveway, something feels wrong. The air stiffens, and we all sit up straight, as though we all feel the shift at the same…the feeling of impending doom. And when I look ahead, I see why. I see what—my car. I see who—Kevin, stomping towards us with rage filled eyes. He stands by the window and sends Ronan a death glare. “What the fuck, man?!”