The next morning, Melina woke up to an empty bed. The space beside her was still warm, but Tucker was nowhere to be found.

Frowning, she stretched out before slipping out from under the sheets, pulling on one of Tucker's hoodies over her bikini. The cabin was quiet, except for the faint sound of something outside. She padded barefoot to the back door, pushing it open.

And there he was.

Tucker stood a few feet away from the deck, phone pressed to his ear, pacing the grass with one hand in his hair. He was shirtless, his swim trunks hanging low on his hips, the tattoos across his stomach and chest catching the golden morning light.

Melina leaned against the doorway, watching.

"...No, I know," he was saying, his voice low. "I just want it to be right." A pause. "Yeah, I have the ring. Of course, I have the ring, Mom."

Melina's eyes widened.

Mom?!

Tucker ran a hand over his face. "I just don't want her to expect it, you know? I want it to be a surprise."

Melina's breath caught in her throat.

Is he talking about what I think he's talking about?

She should have gone back inside. Should have let him have his private moment. But she couldn't move.

His mom's voice was faint through the phone, but Melina could make out the warmth in her tone.

"You should do it on your birthday, Tuck," his mom said. "It'll be a day you'll both remember forever."

Tucker let out a breathy laugh. "You think so?"

"I know so."

Tucker smiled, staring out at the lake. "Yeah... maybe you're right."

Melina nearly choked on air.

His birthday?! That was four days away.

Tucker suddenly turned, and Melina barely had time to straighten up before he spotted her. His eyes widened just a fraction, and then he recovered, offering a lazy smile. "Hey, sleepyhead."

Melina crossed her arms, tilting her head. "Who were you talking to?"

Tucker slipped his phone into his pocket. "My mom."

Suspicious. Very suspicious.

She raised a brow. "And what exactly were you two talking about?"

Tucker smirked. "What, am I not allowed to talk to my mom?"

Melina stepped closer, poking a finger into his chest. "You're hiding something."

Tucker laughed, catching her hand and pulling her against him. "You think I'm always hiding something."

"That's because you are."

"Maybe." He dipped his head, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "But I guess you'll just have to wait and see, huh?"

Melina narrowed her eyes, but her heart was racing. She had definitely just heard something she wasn't supposed to.

And if she was right... if this was actually happening...

Four days suddenly felt like forever.

The moment Melina walked back inside, her heart was pounding so hard she swore it echoed in her ears.

Was that real? Was she imagining things?

Tucker had definitely been talking about something big—the big thing. And if she really heard correctly, then in just four days...

Nope. Nope, not thinking about it.

She shook her head, exhaling as she leaned against the kitchen counter. The cabin smelled like coffee, the sunlight streaming in through the windows giving everything a golden glow. It was peaceful. Quiet. But inside, her mind was spinning.

Her fingers hovered over her phone before she gave in, opening her texts.

Melina: Liv. I need you to answer your phone right now before I explode.

Not even ten seconds later, Liv's name popped up on the screen. Melina answered immediately.

"Okay, you sound dramatic. What happened?" Liv's voice was groggy, like she had just woken up.

Melina ran a hand through her hair. "I think—I think Tucker is proposing."

Silence.

Then—

"WHAT?!" Liv shrieked so loudly Melina had to pull the phone away from her ear.

"I don't know for sure," Melina whispered, even though Tucker was still outside. "But I just overheard him on the phone with his mom, and she was literally telling him to do it on his birthday."

Liv gasped. "Okay. Wait. Back up. Explain everything to me, right now."

Melina did, pacing the kitchen as she relayed the whole conversation she had eavesdropped on. By the time she finished, Liv was losing her mind.

"Oh my God, oh my God," she said. "This is happening. He's gonna do it."

Melina bit her lip, pressing a hand to her chest. "I—should I be acting normal? Do I pretend I don't know?"

"Yes! Act completely normal," Liv instructed. "You cannot ruin this for him. Just let him think he's surprising you."

Melina groaned. "I suck at acting."

Liv laughed. "You'll be fine. Just keep doing what you're doing. Oh, and send me pictures of your nails—if they look bad, we have to fix them before he does it."

Melina rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "You're ridiculous."

"I'm prepared," Liv corrected. "This is huge, Mel. Are you freaking out?"

Melina exhaled, gripping the edge of the counter. "A little."

Because even though she knew she wanted this—even though she had imagined it happening a million different ways—knowing it was coming made her heart race.

She could already picture it. Tucker, standing in front of her, holding a ring. His voice a little shaky, his eyes full of love.

Her stomach flipped.

"Liv," she whispered. "I think I'm gonna marry him."

Liv made a sound like she was about to cry. "You are gonna marry him."

Melina smiled, pressing a hand over her face. "Four more days."

"Four more days," Liv echoed. "You got this."

And for the first time since overhearing Tucker, Melina let herself really feel it.

Four more days, and her life was about to change forever.