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“The ghost knocked it down to tell you two a message,” Max continued. “Like, a sign that your love is real.”

“Maybe it’s a sign that Hot Mess is going to fall in love, too,” I offered. “Like you shouldn’t swear off sex.”

Mason laughed, shaking his head. “I don’t know what I need. Someone more steady than me, I guess.”

“Yeah,” the rest of us agreed, all in unison.

“Who could tame you, though?” Finn asked.

“I really don’t even know,” Mason said.

Soon the rest of the guys got distracted, talking more about what games to have for the next upcoming game night.

But as I looked at the glittery bow on the bar top, thinking about that unopened bottle of champagne, a little inkling of something was in my mind.

It had been innocent.

The other day, Finn told me to look something up on his phone—he wanted to know when it was best to plant a certain flower in the backyard.

But when I’d opened the search engine on his phone, something shocking had been on it.

Finn had been searching for “cool engagement rings for guys.”

My heart had skipped a beat when I saw it.

I knew if Finn was hunting for something like that, it would probably be a while before any proposal actually occurred. Finn was happy to take everything slow with me, still operating under the thought that I was afraid of commitment.

But for the rest of that night, after seeing the search, I was on cloud nine.

I actuallywantedit.

For the first time ever.

The idea of being engaged to Finn—or married to him, one day, sent me over the goddamn moon.

He was someone worth committing to.

And the most surprising thing was that I didn’t have any fear about it, at all.

I hadn’t said a word about it to him. But the idea rested in my mind, like a surprise I might get one day.

With Finn, I’d realized, commitment felt like freedom.

And that was all I’d ever wanted.

Danielle met up with us an hour later. She joined me, Finn, and Mason, the four of us swapping off between rounds of pool.

When Max came around to refill our pitcher of beer, I watched Finn taking a shot on the billiards table, leaning over.

“You know,” I said, leaning over toward Max’s ear. “I kind of like the idea of the ghost being like a little Cupid.”

“Right?” Max said, smiling and nodding at me. “It just makes sense, doesn’t it? It’s not a creepy haunting ghost, it just… wants people to be happy.”

I puffed out a laugh, looking back over at Finn.

His eyes met mine, and in just one glance, I felt like we were completely connected.

It was always like that, with him.

Like we were always joined together with a tether, no matter where we were. Miles away or just across a room, we’d always been two halves of a pair.

Back when we were friends as kids. Even when we’d fought as teenagers. And when I’d moved across the country, then come back again.

Finn and I belonged to each other, forever.

Thatwas real love.

And it was my favorite meaning of home.