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Epilogue

"Do you have an idea for the magazine cover?" Ashley asked me, her notepad in hand.

"The sketch is on my office desk."

The two of us locked eyes and laughed.

"Yeah, I'll locate that after lunch," I promised. "It's probably underneath the headshots from the Philadelphia office."

"I bought you those organizers," Ashley reminded me. "The really cute chevron ones?"

"I'll get around to organization," I promised, opening the door to the meeting room, where the meeting was already half over.

"Fill me in," I said, taking my seat at the head of the table, Ashley on my right.

"The vote is almost unanimous," Rebecca informed me. "Everybody loves Guilenna." She put up her picture on the board.

"No," I declined, shaking my head.

Ashley immediately began to take notes, recording what I had to say.

"She has to gain at least 10 pounds if she wants to be on my magazine cover."

Rebecca exchanged glances with the woman on her right, both of them clearly fed up with me.

Not that that was anything new. Rebecca and I were constantly at odds.

"Emily," she said, in her reasoning voice. "Guilenna is a highly-renowned super model."

"And she can stay highly-renowned," I said, standing up. "On someone else's magazine cover." And with that I exited the meeting, Ashley right behind me.

"Slay," Ashley whispered.

I laughed, stopping at the front desk to check on the notes that had come in for me. "Rebecca can kiss my ass."

The secretary on the right handed me all of my phone notes from the morning, and I flipped through them as I walked away.

The pink note in the back caught my eye. Pink meant urgent.

My heels clicked on the wooden floors as I headed back my office, my eyes skimming over the notes.

"You have a meeting with MAC in fifteen minutes," Ashley reminded me, as I opened my office door.

I nodded, letting my door close behind me before kicking off my heels, letting my feet sink into the plush carpet.

I needed these fifteen minutes.

I took a seat in my office chair, shoving some papers out of the way just to have some elbow room.

I ordered the phone notes in order of importance, saving the pink urgency for last.

It was from Natasha, one of my models.

The model Rebecca and I fought over the most.

I thought she was beautiful. Rebecca thought she was too big to be a model.

But at the end of the day, it was my multi-million dollar fashion company. And I pay Rebecca, not the other way around.

So Natasha stays.

I knew what Natasha was calling about. I hadn't given her the lead in the Fall Fashion Show. And Natasha was not only high-maitenance, but vain.

I set the pink slip to the side. I didn't want to deal with her today. I just wanted to get today over with.

One week's worth of work in 24 hours. And then I get my first vacation in 18 months and 26 days. But who's counting?

~*~

"There is no working on this trip," Parker informed me, as I stepped into our hotel room.

I breathed in the fresh vacation air, letting out a sigh of relief.

"That's not something you'll need to worry about."

"I'm serious."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, giving him a peck on the lips. "I'm all yours."

"And mine," Lee added, from the couch. "So take that somewhere else."

I laughed, giving Parker one last kiss before picking up my suiticase. "I'm going to go freshen up."

Parker wiggled his eyebrows at me, and I just smiled before heading into our room.

It was a two bedroom suite, with a kitchen and a little living room, located right on the beach.

It was absolutely adorable, and exactly what I needed.

I took a long, hot shower, rinsing the stress of the previous 18 months and 26 days away.

When I went back out to the living room, both Parker and Lee were sitting on the floor playing the XBOX Parker had brought.

They were children at heart, I swear.

"Take over for me?" Parker asked, without looking away from the TV.

I rolled my eyes, but took over Parker's spot in FIFA.

"We travel 8 hours to a beautiful beach and you two want to play XBOX?" I asked Lee.

"It's pitch black outside," he pointed out. "You're welcome to go skinny dipping with the sharks, but I think I'll keep my life in here."

"Who's talking about skinny dipping?" Parker called from the bathroom.

"I should've expected this when I agreed to go on vacation with you two idiots," I said, pausing the game.

"Hey!" Lee complained.

"Okay," I amended. "One idiot and his brother."

"I meant the game."

"Two idiots," I muttered, heading to the kitchen to grab the Oreos that Parker had picked up at the store on our way to the hotel.

"I want some!" Lee called from the living room, sprawling out on the couch.

"Well get off your butt and come get some," I said, before popping an entire Oreo into my mouth just to spite him.

"I don't want it that bad," Lee said, with a sigh. "I'm bored."

"We've only been here for an hour," Parker pointed out, joining me in the kitchen.

"And I'm already bored."

"You could always go skinny dipping with the sharks," I pointed out, sticking my tongue out at him.

"After you."

"Okay children," Parker said, pulling his arm around my waist. "It's late anyways."

I knew where this was going.

"We did have a long drive," I agreed.

Lee made a face. "I really hope these rooms are soundproof."

Parker swept me up off my feet, causing me to let out a shocked squeal.

"I sure do hope so too," Parker said, shooting at smirk at his brother before carrying me off to our bedroom.

~*~

"It's really cute," I informed Emmett, sitting criss-cross on the couch. "It's got this little kitchen and living room, and we're right on the beach."

"What's around you?" Emmett asked, before opening up his mouth.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

A bottle of spray cheese came into view of the FaceTime camera, and he squirted spray cheese directly into his mouth.

"Oh my God that's disgusting."

Emmett just smiled, swallowing the cheese. "Welcome to my breakfast." He wiped his shirt sleeve across his mouth. "So are there any good clubs out there?"

"Life isn't all about clubbing Emmett," I informed him.

"I'd disagree."

"That's because you met your last hook-up at a bar," I pointed out. "Maybe you'd like to start thinking about acting your age? Finding a girl that you don't need to pay to sleep with you?"

Emmett just shrugged, spraying more cheese into his mouth. "Where's the fun in that?"

"There's plenty of fun in that," I promised. "For one, you don't have to worry about getting a STD."

"I'm clean."

I rolled my eyes. "And two, you get to experience falling in love instead of pulling on your pants in the middle of the night and trying to find a ride back to your apartment."

He just chuckled. "I think I prefer the second option."

I shook my head at him. "You're never going to grow up."

"And where's the hurt in that?" He sprayed even more cheese into his mouth. "Isn't that a line in your favorite movie?"

"Yes Emmett, all children except one grow up," I informed him. "Congratulations, you're Peter Pan."

"Are you coming?" Parker called, as he opened the hotel door.

"I love you," I informed him, standing up.

"Yeah, me too."

I shook my head at him, ending the FaceTime call.

I joined Parker and Lee, who were already halfway down the stairs, and we headed out to the beach.

"It feels so nice out," I said, as Parker wrapped an arm around my waist.

"That would be the joys of summer in Florida," Parker said, pushing his sunglasses up onto his face. "Just wait until noon-thirty hits, you'll change your mind real quick."

"Pretty sure noon-thirty isn't an actual thing, but okay."

We didn't have to carry any chairs or blankets down the beach. Everything was provided for us.

Even so, Lee still brought his own surfboard.

"You sure can pick a hotel babe," I said, as we chose our lounge chairs.

"Only the best for my princess," he said, leaning over and giving me a kiss.

I couldn't help but smile, butterflies exploding in my stomach.

24 years old and I still melted at his nickname for me.

Parker laid back on his lounge chair, lacing his arms behind his head.

And in turn flexing his muscles.

He was such a self-conceited asshole.

He looked over at me just to be sure that I was looking, smiling and biting his bottom lip.

"Are you finished?" I asked him.

"Are you turned on yet?"

I rolled my eyes, sliding my sunglasses on and flipping onto my stomach so I could tan.

"Are you ignoring me?" Parker whispered into my ear.

"Go away."

His arms wrapped around me, lifting me up off my lounge chair.

"Parker Adams, put me down this instant."

He just chuckled, carrying me out towards the water.

"Parker!" I screeched, causing some odd looks from the other people on the beach.

They were much older, much more mature than my juvenile boyfriend.

"Do you want me to put you down?" he asked.

"Yes!"

"Well if you insist."

And then I was flying through the air, ungracefully landing in the ocean.

Okay, I practically walked into that one.

I could hear Lee laughing and I came sputtering back to the surface.

If Parker thought this was over, he was sadly mistaken.

"You looked like you needed to cool off," Parker said, unable to control his laughter as I reached the shore again.

"Is that so?" I asked him, kneeling down in the wet sand.

"What are you-"

That's as far as he got before I pelted him with a handful of wet sand, directly in the mouth.

He stood there in a stunned shock, staring at me.

"You were talking some shit."

He nodded, wiping his hand across his mouth.

And spreading the sand across his mouth in the process.

Now I was the one who couldn't control their laughter, shaking my head at him as I pressed my hand over my mouth.

And then Parker tackled me, stopping himself in a push-up position on top of me.

"Hello there," I said, smiling up at him.

He leaned off to the side, spitting out some of the sand in his mouth.

"That's so sexy."

He bent down and kissed me, giving me a sandy mouth in turn.

"Okay," I said, laughing as I tried to squirm away.

He flopped down to the side next to me in the wet sand as a wave washed up over us.

"Truce?" he asked, looking over at me.

"Truce," I agreed, propping up on my elbow.

He let out a sigh, staring up at the sky.

I placed my head on his chest, and his arms instinctively wrapped around me.

And we lied there together, the water rushing around us and the wind whipping our faces.

I couldn't imagine a moment more perfect than this.

~*~

"Where's Parker?" I asked, as I joined Lee in the living room, running a towel through my hair.

"He said you were taking too long," he said, his eyes trained on the TV. "So he went ahead to the store."

"That jerk," I said, tossing my towel into the dirty towel hamper.

It had taken me almost an hour to scrub all of the sand out of my hair from earlier today. But it had been worth it.

"He said to be ready for dinner by the time he gets back," Lee added.

I went back into my bedroom, dressing in a simple black and white striped maxi dress. I blow dried my hair and let it fall in natural waves, applying a little makeup.

I love the beach.

"I'm bored," Lee informed me, as I came back out into the living room.

"You're always bored," I pointed out, plopping down next to him on the couch.

"Yeah, but right now I'm extremely bored."

I rolled my eyes. "And what do you suppose we do?"

He looked out the window, where the Sun was low in the sky. "Let's go watch the sunset."

I checked my watch. "Okay, let me text Parker and tell him we'll be on the beach."

He nodded, already heading towards the hotel room door.

I texted Parker on our way down to the beach before tucking my phone into my bra.

I kicked off my shoes once we got down to the beach, letting my feet sink into the sand.

"Where's the best place to watch?" I asked Lee, smiling as the wind whipped through my hair.

I love the smell of the beach.

Lee scanned the beach, bouncing on his toes.

That boy can never stand still, I swear.

"That hill down there," he suggested, pointing down the beach.

I nodded in agreement, and we started on our trek.

"I would love to capture this moment," I said to Lee, letting out a sigh. "Just to stay here forever."

"You could. You'd just have to give up Basic," he informed me, naming my fashion company.

I looked over at him. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Not really, but I'll tell you I can."

I couldn't help but smile. "I've thought about it."

"Well of course you have," he said, stopping to pick up a shell. "You're 24 and the owner of a multi-million dollar fashion company. You've probably thought about it more than once."

I nodded. "But I couldn't imagine my life without it."

"That's because you built it from the ground up," he said, tossing the shell into the ocean as we continued to walk. "You created it. You started it from your desk in your bedroom, and now it's this worldwide frenzy."

"Worldwide frenzy doesn't even begin to describe what it's become."

"But it's all yours," Lee pointed out. "You started it as a fashion blog, and you created this masterpiece."

A smile stretched across my face.

"And so even though you hate it sometimes, you can't ever leave it," he said, kicking a piece of seaweed. "It's a part of you."

I opened my mouth to respond, but a commotion up ahead caught my eye.

There were people standing around, taking pictures of something.

"What do you think is going on?" I asked Lee.

"Maybe it's a dead body?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Or a beached whale?"

We passed the hill we were headed to watch the sunset, my attention focused on whatever was happening up ahead.

And then I stopped short.

Parker was standing with his hands in his pockets in a pair of slacks and a button-down.

Written in the sand in front of him was MARRY ME? with an infinity sign made of purple and white flowers.

I felt the tears building up in my eyes, my heart pounding in my chest.

7 years together and I still wasn't ready for this.

"Emily Winston," Parker said, as he sunk down onto one knee.

I inhaled sharply, a tear trickling down my cheek.

"I love you more than life itself," Parker informed me, his eyes locking with mine. "I love the way your eyes light up when you're excited. And I love the way your eyes crinkle when you smile enough."

I pressed my hand over my mouth, tears now flowing down my cheeks.

"You've been there through the ups and downs," he continued, "especially the downs. You've been the stable one, keeping me sane. My life could never be the same without you."

I reached up and wiped underneath my eyes, trying to control my crying.

"I've loved you since I was 18 years old," he informed me. "Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

I nodded, unable to utter a single a word as I choked back a sob.

A smile stretched from ear-to-ear as he stood up, sliding an engagement ring onto my finger.

It matched the infinity sign he'd made in the sand, an infinity sign made of diamonds.

I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my face into his shoulder.

"I love you," he informed me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I lightly kissed him on the lips, laughing. "I love you too." I shook my head. "I love you so much."

He lifted me up off the ground, and I kissed him again, unable to keep from smiling.

"I couldn't imagine life living my life without you," Parker informed me, his eyes boring into mine.

"You don't have to." I placed both of my feet back down on the ground, using one hand to wipe the remaining tears off my face. "You'll never have to spend another day without me." I stared directly into his eyes. "Because I'm in love with you, and there isn't a single person on this Earth I'd rather spend the rest of my life with."