Coming Home (53 page)

She glanced down, sifting through her makeup case until she pulled out a coppery eye shadow that would complement the brown dress beautifully. And then she smiled, remembering the day Holly had forced her to buy it.

She’d come so far since then.

Leah began singing softly to herself as she dusted some loose powder over her face to even out her complexion.

She had just finished putting on her eye makeup when a slight movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention, and she glanced at the reflection of the doorway in the mirror.

“Are you gonna hog the bathroom all night? I still have to shower, you know.”

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she turned, leaning back against the sink as she swept her arm dramatically in front of her. “By all means, go ahead. Don’t let me stop you from getting naked.”

He smirked, pushing off the doorframe as he walked toward her, and Leah straightened as his hands gripped her waist, lifting her with ease so that she was sitting on the edge of the sink. He stepped into the space between her legs, and she hooked them around his hips, her towel riding up with the movement.

“Do you want to hop in with me?” he asked, running the tip of his nose along her jaw and up to her ear, placing a soft kiss just below it.

“Mmm,” she hummed. “Very tempting. But then I’d have to re-do my makeup, and Sarah will put a hit out on me if we’re late.”

He laughed, pulling back slightly to look in her eyes. “She’s already sent me three texts, telling me to do whatever I need to do in order to move you along.”

Leah smirked. “Well then, I’d say what you’re doing right now is highly counterproductive.”

He smiled a slow smile before he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, and she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him so abruptly that he stumbled back a step.

He laughed against her mouth but allowed her to take the lead, kissing her back with equal fervor.

It had been almost a month since Danny had come home, and yet she still responded that way every time he kissed her. She had no idea if it was a subconscious attempt at making up for lost time, or if it was more about trying to make the most of the time they had now, but either way, her reaction to him was as consistent as it was visceral.

Danny let her get away with it for a minute or two before she felt him ending the kiss, and she made a pouting noise against his lips.

He smiled his dimpled smile as he pulled back from her. “Sorry, sweet girl, but I promised your sister. She’s going out of her way for me tonight.”

“Alright, alright,” she huffed, pushing him back slightly as she hopped down from the sink.

He laughed, kissing her forehead before he walked over to the shower and turned on the water.

“What time is it?” she asked, turning toward the mirror to put the finishing touches on her makeup.

“Almost six. We should leave in like a half hour. What are the chances of that actually happening?”

“Totally doable if you stop distracting me,” she said, looking at him pointedly through the mirror.

He smiled as he held up his hands in surrender, turning away from her before he stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower.

Leah quickly finished her makeup and grabbed the hair dryer, taking it into the next room. The steam from Danny’s shower was clouding up the mirror, not to mention doing a number on her hair.

She took a little extra time, blow-drying it sleek and straight for the occasion. As much as she had protested the whole thing in the beginning, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of excitement over it now.

A few months back, when they had learned that Danny was being released for good time served, Sarah had instantly jumped on the opportunity to throw him a homecoming party. Leah was resistant to the idea at first, telling her they needed to let him get acclimated to normal life again before they bombarded him with parties and people.

Unbeknownst to them, Sarah had apparently declared one month to be the grace period for getting acclimated to normal life, because two weeks after Danny had gotten home, they received the invitation in the mail for his party tonight.

In retrospect, Leah realized that he probably would have been fine having the party that first weekend. She was the one who wasn’t ready. She didn’t want to have to share him so soon.

But even through her juvenile selfishness, she realized Sarah was right; he deserved this party. He deserved to be surrounded by all the people who loved him, celebrating his return, showing him how much they all missed him, how happy they were to have him back.

Leah walked back to her room, unraveling the towel as she went, and she could hear the sounds of Danny getting dressed in her walk-in closet. She had already laid her dress and shoes out by the bed, and she slipped into the dress quickly before stepping into her heels.

A smile curved her lips as she glanced at the clock.

“Five minutes to spare!” she called triumphantly. “And I’m ready before you!”

She heard him laugh as she walked back to the bathroom to get her necklace, the one he had given her the night before he left. She only ever took it off to shower, hanging it on the little hook behind the bathroom door and immediately putting it back on as soon as she was dressed.

Leah swung the door partially closed and froze, looking up at the empty hook.

She dropped her eyes as she moved the door out of the way, searching for it underfoot.

“Shit,” she whispered as she spun quickly, her heart thudding in her chest as she swiped her hand over the vanity of the sink, feeling nothing but the smooth ceramic finish.

“Danny?” she called, trying to keep the panic out of her voice as she swung the door open and flew back out to the bedroom.

“Yeah?”

“Did you move my necklace?” she asked, frantically shaking out the balled-up towel from her shower.

“Yeah. I saw it on the hook and was afraid it was gonna get swept up with the towels. I put it in your jewelry box.”

The towel dropped to the floor as Leah’s hand fell limply to her side, and she pressed her other hand to her forehead.

“Can you tell me the next time you do that, please? I just almost had a heart attack.” She crossed the room to where her jewelry box sat on her dresser.

“Sorry,” he called sheepishly from the closet.

She approached the box and flipped it open with hands that were still shaking.

And then she froze.

The box was completely empty, save for one glittering diamond right in the center.

But it wasn’t her necklace.

It took her a second to register what she was looking at, and when it finally clicked, she whirled around.

Her eyes landed on Danny, dressed in his suit, his expression tentative as he stood before her.

All at once her legs felt too feeble to support the weight of her body, and Leah reached behind her and gripped the edge of the dresser, trying to keep herself steady.

Danny wet his lips, glancing down for a moment before he lifted his eyes back to hers, and this time they were unwavering.

“I spent sixteen months away from you, Leah,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “And I don’t ever want to be without you again.”

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she should be taking it all in, memorizing every last detail of what was happening: how gorgeous he looked in his suit, the way his tousled black hair adorned the blue of his eyes, the way his lip trembled ever so slightly with the effort to contain his nerves, or his emotion, or both.

There was a strange pressure building in her chest, making her feel like she was about to laugh hysterically or burst into tears.

Danny slowly lowered himself to the floor so that he was kneeling before her. “I love you,” he said, his voice gentle but sure. “And I’m going to spend the rest of my life loving you. Marry me, Leah.”

She dropped to her knees then. Not just because her legs had given up on supporting her, but because she needed to be as close to him as possible.

“Yes,” she said through a tearful laugh. “Yes yes yes yes yes.”

She took his face in her hands and pulled his mouth to hers, and his arms slipped around her waist, drawing her against his body.

“Yes,” she kept whispering between kisses, and she felt his lips curve into a smile against hers.

He broke the kiss and reached up onto her dresser, pulling the ring from the box before he turned back toward her. Leah watched as he lifted her hand and slid it onto her finger.

She stared at the ring—
his
ring—on her hand, and a wide grin broke out over her face as she lifted her eyes to his. Danny smiled as he brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek, and only then did she realize she was crying.

“Oh no,” she breathed, her eyes growing wide as she patted the pads of her fingers beneath them. “How bad is it?”

Danny brushed the hair away from her face. “You look perfect,” he said. “This party has a Gothic theme, right?”

She dropped her head with a huff, and Danny laughed as he gripped her hands and pulled her up to stand in front of him.

She could feel the diamond pressing into the skin of her pinky as he held her hand, and a smile lit her face again, ruined makeup be damned.

“Come on, Marilyn Manson,” he said, lifting her left hand and placing a kiss just below the ring. “Let’s get you cleaned up. We have an engagement party to go to.”

First of all, I cannot thank you enough for the support and love you have shown me over the past fifteen months. When I published my first novel,
Back to You,
I had no idea it would reach as many people as it did or that I would make so many incredible friends as a result. Your kind words and encouragement have been invaluable to me, and I love and appreciate each and every one of you.

I hope you enjoyed reading Leah and Danny’s story as much as I loved writing it. I have one little favor to ask: if you decide to write a review of this novel, please do not reveal Danny’s secret in the process. The anticipation and discovery of that information is a crucial part of the story, and I want all my readers to have the same experience as they begin their journey with Leah and Danny.

I’m truly blessed to have some of the most loyal and enthusiastic fans. I’ve always been a writer, but you guys made me an author. Thank you all so much for helping to make one of my dreams a reality.

xo

Priscilla

To my husband: for your love, endless support, encouragement, and the many hours you’ve given me to write story after story. There’s a little piece of you in every one of the heroes I write.

To my test readers: Beth, Joanne, Daniella, Therese, and Rachel. You guys are always my first line of defense, and I love you all for taking the time to help make these stories the best they can be.

To Sarah Hansen: cover designer extraordinaire. Your vision and talent surpass my expectations every single time. Thank you for always talking books with me and for being so incredibly awesome.

To Katja Millay: from the very beginning, you have been a source of friendship, guidance, and comic relief. You’ve talked me off the ledge countless times, and I hope you know I will always return the favor. You are one of the most talented people I know and your advice has been invaluable to me.

To Mollie Harper: for making sure my hospital scenes were medically accurate. Your tough love makes me a better writer and your quick wit makes me smile.

To Aestas: my banner girl in a pinch. You have a beautiful, genuine warmth in your personality that not a lot of people possess, and I’m so grateful to have met you. Thank you for your help, your talent, and your friendship.

To Madison Seidler: for somehow finding the time in your insane schedule to help me out when I needed it most. Thank you for your advice, your kindness, and your hilarious autocorrect fails.

And to all the readers, fans, and bloggers: I wish I could thank you all by name. Each one of you has played a role in my success, and I can’t thank you enough. You keep me smiling, laughing, and most importantly, writing. Hugs and love to you all!