100 Lifetimes of Us (The Romantics #1)

by Maggie C. Gates

At some point you’re going to get tired of dealing with me.” “That’s where you’re wrong, Brave One. You’re rereading an old story, and I’m writing a new one.”

“Good,” Grandma stated definitively. She pulled Annie into a back-breaking hug. “Come back anytime. Come back as Annie. Come back as Whitney. Come back as my grandson’s wife. I don’t care. You pick.” Annie tossed her head back and laughed as she embraced my grandma. “I’ll come back.”

“We have our whole lives ahead of us. And if that’s not enough, we’ll have the next lifetime, and the next, and the next.” I kissed the corner of her mouth, then her temple. “Take your time.”

I smiled. “Because at the end of the day we aren’t measured by the love we hold back. We’re measured by the love we freely give without expectation.”

“Still freaking out about this?” “Yes. I told you. I don’t date. I’m not going to be good at being in a relationship. Are you forgetting about the whole “married to my jobs” thing?” He chuckled, eyes raking up and down my body appreciatively. “That’s alright.” His fingers grazed my bare arm. “I plan on being married to mine.”

“Say it, superstar.” He pinned me against the countertop and attacked me with a ravishing kiss. “Say you’re my girlfriend. Tell me you’re mine.” “Kiss me like that again and I will.”

I panted, gasping for breath as he released me. “Okay—yeah. I’m your girl. Your girlfriend. Your pie making smut peddler. Take your pick. I just want to be yours.” Miles pecked my lips. “Good girl.

Miles prioritizes my safety above all else. Not just my physical safety, but my mental wellbeing. I’m sure you can understand how imperative that is. The mind is a powerful weapon. Unorthodox as his methods may be, Miles has been exactly what I didn’t know I needed. No small amount of his operational prowess goes unused. From preparation to execution, he ensures that each of my event appearances run smoothly and safely. He communicates clearly and calmly, guiding me through tense situations. I would be remiss if I did not tell you how much peace of mind he has given me. He’s a consummate professional and a trusted confidante. I don’t know what I would do without him.

Maybe the real reason that love was so compelling was in moments like this. Moments where the only thing you would be remembered by was how you made people feel.

The ending floated through my memory. No matter how dark the night is, morning always comes. The valley can be as deep as it wants, but hope pays no mind. It anticipates the climb ahead, and holds fast to the knowledge that the view from the peak is like no other.

When everything else crumbles, hope stays. Hope is a caterpillar, bravely entering its cocoon and trusting that tomorrow will be better. It comes vibrantly, like the wings of a butterfly, painting the bleak present with promises of beauty. That’s the nature of hope.

To Jessica, and to the brave ones.

“Annie, you have the bravest heart, the kindest soul, the most beautiful eyes, and the most brilliant mind. You keep me on my toes. You surprise me in the best ways. I can’t get enough of you. Every part of you is magic. I’m enchanted by you every time you’re near. You’re the weight that balances my scales. You’re my calm. You give me peace and focus like I’ve never had before. Every time I think I’ve figured you out, you surprise me. You’re this beautiful question mark that I don’t

think I’ll ever quite figure out. But damn if I won’t spend my life trying.” He took my hand in his. “You write love stories for the ages, and I promise you—I’ll spend every breath I have trying to rival them.”

“I know this is fast. I know we’ve been in a pressure cooker. But it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like I’ve known you for a hundred lifetimes. Ever since the day we met, my soul recognized yours as mine. I just want to make it official.” He licked his lips. “So, Annie—will you marry me?”

If I wrote for a hundred lifetimes, I would always come back to us.

“Back to where it all started,” she murmured as she pressed a tender kiss to my cheek. “Beginnings and endings.” “Nah,” I said as I took her hand in mine. “This isn’t the ending. We’re just getting started. Our sweet ever after.”