So Damn Beautiful (A New Adult Romance) (41 page)

“I wasn’t doing anything special, just
speaking from my heart.”

“That’s what I love about you,
Goldilocks.”

I grabbed his hand and swung it between us as
we walked down Stuyvesant Street. I didn’t really care where we
were going, either in the moment or in the foreseeable future. What
mattered most was simply that Chase was with me. The sensation of
peace and relief in my body, which was probably the result of tying
up all the loose ends of the last few months, was something I
wanted to savor as long as I could. Which also meant easing up on
the intensity of the past couple months and enjoying my winter,
rather than spending most of it sequestered in a library.

“I have a gift for you,” Chase said. His
green eyes were sparkling and roused, and his skin was pinked by
the coldness in the air.

I giggled. “Just tell me it’s not a Swarovski
necklace, and you’ll be fine!” I’d actually mailed the one that
Harrison had given me back to him, since I hadn’t had the heart to
sell it or the stupidity to make an in-person visit. I hadn’t
gotten a notice of receipt back from him. And New York City was big
enough that I was hoping I wouldn’t run into him anytime soon.
Apparently, Kyle and his friends had scared the daylights out of
the deceptively faint-hearted and squeamish frat brothers—enough
that I hadn’t received any nasty voicemails or gotten any death
threats. The entire night had been so unlike Harrison that I was
hoping it was just bad judgment stemming from hurt feelings and
alcohol. I couldn’t know for sure; then again, it felt like a clean
enough incision that I was simply happy to move on.

“Nah, I don’t do jewelry,” Chase said
mischievously, pulling me under a sycamore tree and proceeding to
unzip his jacket and untuck his shirt from his jeans.

I raised an eyebrow. “Is it a display of
public indecency?” I quipped. “’Cause we already knocked that off
the list not too long ago.”

He grinned. “I’ll do you one better, babe.”
As he lifted up his shirt, I gasped. On his right hip was a spray
of bubbly graffiti, with two unmistakable words in the midst of
them: “Annie Forever.”

My eyes filled with tears. “Oh my God, Chase
. . .”

He looked at me anxiously. “That’s a good
reaction, right?”

I nodded wordlessly. Nobody had ever done
anything like this for me before, and I didn’t know what to
say.

“I made the design, but Martinique’s the one
who needled me,” he said, as I ran my fingers lightly over the
tattoo, which I could tell was still fresh. “She liked you, by the
way, which is good. She’s a harsh critic. It’s a good thing to have
the blessings of your tattoo artist when you’re doing something
irreversible.”

I looked deep into his eyes. “Chase, you’ve
given me so much already. . . . You don’t have to make me any
promises.”

He shook his head vigorously. “It’s not a
promise, Annie—it’s just something I feel that I’ve never felt
before. I know it’s for real, so why deny it? I love you! I fucking
love you, Annie Green!” He was practically screaming it for
everyone on the street to hear. As I saw more curious heads turning
toward us, I laughed and put my mittened hand over Chase’s
mouth.

“What?” he said innocently through my
hand.

“Shhh,” I said softly.

In that moment, I realized something: we were
standing right on Stuyvesant Street, in almost the exact location
where I’d first seen Chase strolling by outside my classroom almost
three months ago. I didn’t know what could make the moment more
magical, but that’s when it happened.

Snowflakes began falling, all around us.

Chase and I both looked up. A soft drift of
filigree began to blanket the ground and create diamonds in our
hair.

“This is like a Norman Rockwell painting!” I
exclaimed, lifting my hands out to capture the flakes.

“Yeah, right,” Chase laughed. “All we need is
a fireplace and some hot chocolate.”

“Wait,” I said, catching a snowflake in my
mitten. I closed my eyes . . . and made a wish.

Chase raised an eyebrow. “Is that some kind
of midwestern tradition?”

I hooked my arm through his. “Making a wish
on a snowflake? Nah. I think it started right here in New York
City.”

“You gonna tell me what you wished for?” he
asked.

I wrapped my arms around my boyfriend and
looked up into those gorgeous bottle-green eyes.

“I think you already know,” I said, before
closing my eyes and leaning into the warmth of his kiss.

###

Dear
Reader,

Thank you so much for reading
So Damn
Beautiful
! If you enjoyed it (and I hope you did!), there are
two great, simple ways to support this story, as well as those of
fellow indie authors: 1) post an honest review on your favorite
retailer’s website, and 2) spread the word!

I’m currently working on the follow-up to Chase and
Annie’s story, so stay tuned for updates.

Thanks again, and take care.

Best wishes,

L.J. Kennedy

[email protected]

www.lj-kennedy.com

www.facebook.com/ljkennedyauthor

This project absolutely would not have happened without the
incredible talents of Nirmala Nataraj (I’m in awe) and the support
and championing of Kelly Notaras. Thank you so much to both of you
for making this process seamless and exciting, a true joy!

A special thank-you to Eleni Caminis for
introducing me to Kelly, and to Annie Tucker for her eagle eye.

L.J. Kennedy worked in the publishing industry for seven years
before leaving to pursue her own writing and projects. She
collaborated with an amazing co-writer to bring
So Damn
Beautiful
to life. She lives in Seattle with her husband and
their beloved Boston Terrier. Visit her online at
www.lj-kennedy.com
and
www.facebook.com/ljkennedyauthor
.