“I love you,” he said. “I love you so fucking much, and I shouldn’t have left you behind. I never wanted to leave you behind, and damn it, I can’t live without you.” He stared into her beautiful eyes. He’d missed her so much.
Sinking down to one knee before her, he pulled out the ring he’d bought just for her. “Marry me.”
“Jaxson?”
“I know about the baby. I know you’ve missed me as well. Your mother told me everything, and I’m sorry I messed everything up. I… You are mine, Teal. I love you. I love you so fucking much, and I don’t want to spend another moment, another Halloween, another Thanksgiving, without you by my side.”
“I, I love you too,” she said, tears in her eyes. “You don’t have to do this about the baby.”
“I’m not. I was going to do this before your mother told me you were pregnant.”
She looked over his shoulder, and Bethany chuckled.
“I couldn’t watch you do this to yourself. I know what it’s like to walk away from the man you love and then to live a lie for so long.” Bethany moved in closer and cupped her daughter’s face. “You are the only good thing to come out of my marriage, Teal. Don’t follow in my mistakes. You deserve love and happiness, and I will never get in the way of that. I’ll leave the two of you alone.”
Jaxson was still on his knee when Bethany left. He looked at Teal. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“I want you to be my wife, Teal. I want you to be mine. All mine. For the rest of our lives.”
Teal smiled, and he hated the tears falling down her cheeks. All he wanted to do was wipe them from her eyes.
“Yes,” she said.
“What?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you. Yes, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want everything with you. Just with you.”
He got to his feet, cupped her face, and slammed his lipsdown on hers.
“I love you, Teal. I love you so fucking much.” Jaxson pulled her into his arms, kissing her. He still held the ring in his hand, and he quickly pulled away to slide it onto her finger.
The perfect fit, just as he knew it would be. When it came to Teal, everything was going to fit perfectly. He couldn’t help but think about the cursed houses.
No, he didn’t believe it. There was no way it could be right. He refused to believe it.
Even if it did bring Teal to him. The houses didn’t make him fall in love. That was him. No one else.
Epilogue
Six months later
“Jaxson, why are we here?”
He looked over at his beautiful, glowing wife as he pulled up behind Hector’s car. “There is something I haven’t told you. It’s going to sound crazy, and I honestly don’t know how you’re going to feel about this, but there’s something about our old homes that you don’t know.” He took a deep breath and then told her everything he knew.
Also, he explained that he’d been to visit the old houses a few times, and he had even become good friends with Hector. Elizabeth was there as well. The older woman had certainly given him a scare a few times he’d seen her.
Teal looked toward the houses and then back at him. “Are you serious right now?”
“Totally serious. I mean, I didn’t believe it myself, but the way I felt, how I feel when I’m with you.”
Teal rubbed her stomach. “Our houses are cursed to bring people together?” She frowned. “I don’t know how anyone can see that as a curse. That’s a gift. Wait, hold on one second. Do you think it is true?”
Jaxson gripped his neck. “I don’t know, but I have to wonder. The first time we were introduced, you slipped.”
“You’re right, I did.”