"I'm so excited" I squeal as the girls and I walk on the dock that leads to Ace's boat.

"You're rich as hell and never been on a boat before?" Sage asks, sounding confused and amused.

I blush "I was afraid of sharks most of my life!" I confess

Novah laughs "what about now?"

"Terrified. But now I have more people to sacrifice to the shark to better my survival."

"Asshole" Sage sniggers and I shrug with a grin.

We stop at the end at the end of the dock and look up to see a fucking yacht in front of us.

"This has Ace written all over it" Novah comments and I nod in agreement.

It was an all matte black ship and the windows were lined with red while the railings looked made out of pure gold.

"Climb aboard ladies!" Ace shouts from the top deck.

I wave up at him before climbing on just as he said to do.

It took a while of navigating but we finally reached the top deck where everyone was.

"Hey" I greeted Ace, pressing a quick kiss on his smooth cheek.

"Hi" He whispers, kissing my forehead.

"Awh I want a kiss from you too Stell" Damian pouts and I laugh.

"Mwah" I dramatically sound out as I blow him a kiss. Damian catches it and smushes his hand against his cheek with a wide smile. Ace rolls his eyes before wrapping his arms around my waist and planting tons of kisses all over my face for a minute.

"I want to show you something" Ace whispers in my ear.

"Take me away captain" I chuckle, intertwining our hands and letting him lead me away from everyone else.

We go back inside the yacht and he leads me through a long hallway before coming to a stop in front of a closed door.

"Okay close your eyes" he says, turning to face me.

"Are you gonna murder me?"

"What? No."

"Okay cause I was gonna say wait until we get married first damn" I joke.

Ace smiles awkwardly and a pit appears underneath my stomach. I think I just felt my stomach drop.

"I mean we don't have to get M-married" I rush out, frantic not to freak him out.

Damnit Stella he's head of a Mafia, he probably doesn't want to be tied down to one girl. Especially to a stubborn girl like you.

"Shh um just close your eyes please" Ace says, a little more desperate.

I bite my lip and close my eyes. I hear him open the door and he grabs my hand to lead me inside.

"Okay now open."

I open my eyes and gasp at the sight in front of me.

Black rose petals were spread out on a king sized bed spelling out the sentence "I love you."

Happy tears fill my eyes as I look around to see what else was set up. Clear balloons filled with gold confetti floated around the room and attached at the bottom of the string was pictures of Ace and I.

Along the walls fairy lights had been hanged and as I inspected further little note cards were filled with written memories and inside jokes.

When I turn around to face Ace he was down on one knee with my dream ring out in front of him.

"Stell I know we didn't meet each other in a good way and I'm so sorry for that. If I could go back I'd meet you in any other way. But I want to say thank you, for giving me a chance to prove that I'm a better man than what I showed you when we first met. I want to say thank you for looking at me in a new light, and thank you for forgiving me." Ace let's put a breath, his body shuddering as he does so. He said all that without taking a single breath.

His hands were shaking as he held the small box in them, and as much as I wanted to admire the ring I couldn't look away from the man on his knees before me. He was so breathtakingly handsome, and seeing him nervous like this is so mind boggling.

"And I want to tell you how much you wanting to love me means to me. I know your hesitance about love and marriage and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. I understand that you're always scared when I'm away from you, I know what it feels like to feel like you can't breathe because the person you love is somewhere out in the world with a gigantic target on their back. But I'm not going anywhere my love. I promise."

Tears swell up in my eyes and I desperately try to hold them in. But it's all in vain when a tear rolls down my cheek anyways. Ace gently cups my face in his hands and uses his thumb to wipe the escaping tears away.

"I love you when you're crying in my arms sweating your ass off and I love you when you're head is thrown back and your cackle of a laugh echoes throughout the entire house. And I especially love you, when you're yelling at me because your flight response is telling you to walk away but your stubbornness is giving you courage to stay. I love the adrenaline being near you gives me. And I love the way your body feels pressed against mine. I love everything about you, even the things you're scared of."

"Holy fuck I love you." I whisper, giggling happily before I crash my lips against his. He kisses me back immediately and it's like I can finally breathe.

He gently holds my cheek with one hand and runs a hand down my back with the other, using the side of his hand since he's still holding onto the ring. I shiver and arch my back in response to his touch. I rest one of my hands on his chin while the other snakes up into his hair. I tug at it playfully and he smiles against my lips. I smile back before I feel him lick my bottom lip. I mentally laugh as I swirl my tongue around his.

I pull back slightly when I run out of air and rest my forehead on his. My eyes are squeezed shut as I tried to catch my breath. Once I do the words I've been dying to tell the man I love spew themselves out.

"I love you Ace Antonio Dagger. I love it when you hold me when I cry, even though I sweat my ass off doing so. I love when you make me laugh the hardest I've ever laughed and I love when you understand why I'm yelling at you. I love when all I have to do is look at you and you already know what I'm about to say or do. I love how you understand my need for reassurance and don't mind giving it to me in tenfolds.

I love it when you say my name, I love it when you tell me about the things you love. And I love when I notice little things about you, like how you tilt your head when you're confused, or how you play with your fingers when you're bored. How you have a galaxy of freckles on your back and how your eyes crinkle and you snort when your laughter is real."

"I love that I'm not afraid to love you. And how I can always count on you to come for me. No matter where I am, no matter how big our arguments were and no matter how mad you are at me, you always come when I need you."

I felt his tears wet the tips of my fingers and open my eyes to look at him. His eyes were still shut as he silently cried and I gently wiped away his tears. I kissed his forehead lovingly and watched as his eyelids fluttered open.

"You're everything I've ever wanted and more. I am never letting you go Stella Elizabeth Dagger."

I grinned as big as I could when he used his last name as mine. I was never fond of my last name, it tied me to people I hardly knew yet desperately wanted to love me. All my life I wanted a last name I could love and be proud to have. And now I think I've found one.

I still didn't understand the concept of marriage and why people decided to get married. But I know that if Ace wanted to get married, I'd do it. I didn't care if it freaked me out because at least I would be apart of something so warm and safe; his family.

It was him, his lovely mother, Luca and Damien. That was his family and I wanted to be apart of it.

"Your love is all I need in this life and it'll be all I'll need in my lives to come." I whisper, hoping he understands what I mean.

And he does. Because he's him and he knows me.

Our love will transcend lifetimes, I'm sure of it.

"I'm sleepy can we go home now?" Ace yawns, resting his forehead against mine once again.

I laugh and rub his back, "yes we can go home now."

They say home is where the heart is, and my heart is right next to me.

"Oh right I forgot to say something" Ace mumbles, blushing slightly in embarrassment. He unwraps his arm from around my waist and presents the ring to me once more. I smile and a small giggle escapes from my lips.

"Stell, will you marry me?"

"Mmm marriage?" I ask, widening my eyes and grimacing jokingly as I stare at him and the ring.

"Shut up and put the ring on already!" I hear a voice shout from the doorway.

Amused but not surprised Ace and I turn to face the doorway where our friends are uncomfortably crowed in. Sage and Novah were smiling so wide it was almost creepy. While Luca and Damien were holding back tears and holding each other's hands out in front of themselves.

Ace laughs as he gently pulls the ring out of its snug little box and I lift my hand up for him. He slides the ring on delicately and kisses the finger the ring is now on.

"For the rest of our lives," He promises, staring up into my eyes with intense emotions.

"And the ones to follow." I promise, staring back at him.

"Ace" I whisper, poking my husband's cheek as I repeat his name over and over.

"What?" He groans, his voice groggy with sleep as he turns his face over to avoid my pokes.

I huff "I gotta pee" I whine, poking the back of his head.

"Then go pee."

"I can't you've trapped me in your arms."

"Oh... right" he releases his hold on me and I hastily sit up and get out of bed.

I run to our bathroom and make it just in time.

"I'm surprised the devils aren't up yet" I call out to Ace and I hear him hum in agreement.

Just then I hear our door burst open and then Sage's evil voice say, "Wakey wakey bitches!"

I pale and I hear Ace curse at Sage before hearing a pillow hit the marble floor.

"That was rude" Sage comments before walking into the bathroom.

I don't even bother covering my lady area and give her an annoyed look "what do you want devil?"

"I want to go shopping" she announces.

"I'm too fat for shopping" I deadpan, pointing to my pregnant tummy.

"Yes you are but I don't want to shop for you. I want to shop for my niece and nephew idiot."

Yep you heard right, niece and nephew, I was pregnant with twins.

"I suppose Novah does too?" I ask with a sigh.

Sage nods her head eagerly and I groan. Novah hadn't gotten better in her shopping habits and I knew she wouldn't go easy on me even while I was pregnant.

"Fine. Give me twenty minutes."

Sage accepts my time I've given and leaves the bathroom and then the room.

I stand up and wipe it was a little of a struggle but after 7 months of being pregnant I had gotten the hang of it.

I waddle over to the shower and turn it on, as I wait for it to warm up I wash my face.

"I'm getting in too" Ace announces as he walks into the bathroom and I groan.

"Nooo you always make it cold" I whine and he rolls his eyes.

"Sorry I don't like feeling like I'm burning in hell."

I shrug "it's great practice for the real thing though."

Ace ignores me and climbs into the shower despite my protests.

"You're not touching the damn water control thingies" I warn him, pointing my finger at him sternly.

After I climbed in Ace wasted no time in shampooing my hair for me and treating me like a child who didn't know how to wash herself.

And it was when Ace was rinsing and massaging the conditioner out of hair that I came to the undeniable realization. There there was no one else I'd rather be married to. There was nothing this man could do to make me regret my decision of saying 'yes' to him.

"Ow did you just bite me!" I screech, holding the back of my neck.

"Oopsie daisy!" Ace giggles before planting a kiss on the bite.

God do I love this childish man.