Next on the screen is a musical montage of our real life together. Although I wasn’t sure about including shots of us, Riley offered me two options. He was either going to make up a happily ever after for the movie, or I was going to show that the real Keatyn and Aiden got one of their own. He said people would love the movie’s ending, where I took Aiden to see the land I bought him when I thought I wouldn’t survive my showdown with the stalker. The deed was supposed to go to him along with a note that told him how I felt—after I died. He had told me about his dream to own a vineyard that would produce a wine dedicated to raising money for worthy charities. I wanted him to live out that dream, with or without me. But I survived. And I took him up on the hill overlooking the ocean on one side and the rows of grapes on the other and gave it to him myself. We were both crying when he said that we were going to build our mansion of love in this very spot. I laughed and told him that was good, because I brought the dirt. You’d have to see the movie to understand, but—long story, short—the dirt symbolized building a strong foundation for our relationship. That was the last scene in the movie, and it really was the perfect happy ending.
But Riley felt that the audience would want more. They’d want to know if our love, that seemed so strong at eighteen, survived. He threatened to add a scene where a college-aged Aiden asks Keatyn to marry him.
Aiden put his foot down, since we aren’t engaged in real life.
We’ve been together since the dirt scene.
There is no relationship status.
We just are.
And we’re happy.
And that’s all that matters.
At least, it did.
Until this morning.
When a little pink line appeared on a stick.
One little pink line that's going to change both our lives.
Suddenly, I want what we keep saying we’re too busy for. The fairytale wedding. The ribbons blowing in the trees. Twinkle lights to dance under.
We settled, instead, on a photo montage of our real life together. Showing that we are still together. Still living our happily ever after.
Photos of us flash by on the screen.
Being crowned Homecoming King and Queen.
Aiden being silly and carrying me over the threshold of our senior prom.
Aiden scooping me up into his arms and twirling me around on our high school graduation day.
Us with the cast and crew who worked on A Day at the Lake 2.
Aiden escorting me to the Academy Awards.
The two of us dancing cheek-to-cheek at the lavish rock star wedding of Damian, and Aiden’s sister, Peyton.
Then there are numerous travel photos of us. We started a trend with the hashtag #SunsetSelfies and are working toward watching a million sunsets together.
“What’d ya think?” Riley asks as I stand up.
I turn around and hug him, ignoring the blonde attached to his side.
“I know I fought you on adding the parts from your and Aiden’s point of view. But, you were right. The car chase scene where you and Aiden crashed into the stalker’s van after he kidnapped me and Dallas was amazing.” I hug him again as my eyes tear up. “I’ll never be able to repay either of you for rescuing us.”
“Baby, I need to pee,” the blonde says, at a totally inappropriate time.
“So, go,” Riley says, shrugging her off. “It should have been amazing. We used a lot of my actual footage from that day—digitally enhanced, of course.”
“And, more importantly,” Aiden adds, teasingly, “I didn’t have to sacrifice another Maserati. So, Boots, I hate to break up the trip down memory lane, but we need to head out.”
I swoon when he calls me Boots. It’s what he called me before he knew my name.
I glance at his watch. “We have plenty of time before the fashion show. Speaking of memory lane,” I say to Riley. “I was surprised to see you added a photo with Ariela in it. Maybe you should call her sometime. See how she’s doing. It’d be nice to see you with the same girl more than once. I swear you must have a stable of blondes hidden behind your penthouse.”
“No fucking way,” he replies. “I’m perfectly happy with Shelly.”
I bite my lip, holding back a smile.
“What?” he asks.
“Her name is Shelby.”
He rolls his eyes. “Whatever. Close enough.”
The actors who played Keatyn and Aiden join us. We all congratulate them on another success, and I give them huge hugs.
I watch Riley pat Aiden on the back and say something discreetly to him.
“All right,” Aiden says to me, “we have to get going.”
I take his hand. “You and Riley looked sneaky. What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” he says, dragging me toward the exit.
“I heard him say something about luck.”
“Oh, he just said with any luck, he’d accidentally lose Shelby somewhere between the premiere and the party so he could hang with all the models.”
“Are there any models left that he hasn’t already dated? Or any aspiring actresses? I wish he’d aim a little higher, age-wise. Maybe find someone who’s already successful. Maybe I should set him up with—”
“Riley doesn’t want strings. Ariela broke his heart when she wouldn’t come to California with him after graduation.”
“Did you talk to him about it? I was shocked he added that photo of the cast party. They looked so in love.”
“I tried to talk to him, but he just turned it around and gave me shit.”
“About what?”
“Us. He said I couldn’t give relationship advice until I’d put a ring on it.”
“You did put a ring on it,” I say, holding out the vintage diamond and emerald four-leaf clover ring he gave me years ago. “That’s all we’ve ever needed.”
I realize I’ve been silly. We don’t need a piece of paper to tell us we’re in love. We can have a baby and not be married. Our love is all that matters. It’s all that’s ever mattered.
The corners of Aiden’s beautiful mouth turn down for a second. I’m about to ask him why, but am interrupted by him telling my bodyguard that we’re going straight to the car and not stopping for autographs.
Which is weird, because he’s always so supportive.