BEAUTIFUL BROKEN MESS (Broken, Series #2)(126)

He hops off of his knee and I frown up at him. He must have read my mind because he leans in quickly to kiss me and says, “It’s coming, babe. I just remembered I wanted to give you something else first.” He hands the red leather box back for Jax to hold and my eyes follow it longingly. “Babe, I love you, it’s coming. First...” he digs around in his pockets, “I made something for you while you were out of town.” On top of the pool table, he dumps out a handful of lip balms. I grab one up and he laughs.

“Yeah, I bought a ton of these for you. I never want you to run out. I also got all that coconut stuff you like. I cleared out my whole bathroom so you can have room for your things,” he rambles on. I’m blown away by what he’s saying and the amount of thought he’s put into all of this.

He starts searching the other pocket and dumps out a ton of coins. They clank against each other on the table. I notice that they are all flattened pennies, each one a little different from the next.

“It took me a long time to get it just right so I ended up making about sixteen of them, but this one turned out the best.” He fumbles with the coins and I realize that I love this side of Jace. He’s usually the confident intellect, but every once in a while when he’s around me, he turns into this clumsy fool. It makes me smile to think that I can make him as flustered as he seems to make me.

He reaches behind my neck and unclasps the necklace I’m wearing. “This one has the year we met, the year I picked up my lucky penny for the first time.” Although the penny is smashed, I can clearly make out the year on it. “This one...” He slides a second flattened penny onto my chain and it clinks next to the first. “Says exactly how I feel.” I pull the penny up close and read the words out loud that he’s stamped into the metal.

Lucky to have found you.

Blessed to have you.



“Okay, that’s seriously sweet,” Em whispers from behind me.

“Jace...” I say with adoration.

He drops to his knee for the third time tonight and grabs the box back from Jax. “I’m all over the place, I know. If I knew you were going to be here, I would have been more prepared...” he rambles on adorably.

“Jace, you’re perfect,” I whisper. The fact that he’s actually been carrying all of this around with him makes me want to jump up on stage and sing to him. But I really hope he doesn’t ask me to.

“Audrey, will you marry me?” he finally blurts out, and the audience enthusiastically starts clapping.

I can’t contain my excitement any longer. I spring toward him and grab ahold of his face. He catches my waist and pulls me in closer. I kiss his lips, his cheeks, his nose, and his eyes. I make my way back to his lips and devour them with need. I’m the one that’s blessed to have him and I’ll never let him go again. I need him in my life always. I’ll stand and fight for him, if need be.

The bar patrons filter back toward their tables. Jace and I remain on the floor, my lips still attached to his. There’s nowhere I’d rather be and he doesn’t seem to be in any hurry for me to stop.

I don’t know how much time passes while Jace and I make out like teenagers in the middle of the bar, but Lane eventually leans down and whispers, “Psst, so what’s your answer, doll?”

Jace looks at me with confusion before he realizes what Lane is saying. “Hey, yeah, you never answered me.”

I push Lane’s face away with my hand and slide my fingers through Jace’s messy hair. “Of course I’ll marry you, Jace Riley.”