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“Yes, for one. Absolutely. But also because right now it’s an open case.”
“Should I be with Sloane? Helping her?”
“No.” I don’t want her anywhere near Sloane’s mess.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Your jaw muscles are flexing. The blood vessels in your forehead and your neck are bulging. You don’t have a poker face.”
She’s right. I don’t. Never have. “Sage, what exactly could you do? She’s the one who knows what to look for. Max has been trained by one of the most elite militaries in the world, and if he needs backup, he’ll get it. But right now, all they are doing is surveillance. Basic investigation.”
“That’s it?” She gives me a firm expression. One with strength and determination. I stretch my fingers and ball them up and stretch them again.
“Knox.”
Fuck me and my honesty. “She’s hoping to gain access to her company’s computer network. See if she can figure out who accessed that report of hers. But you can’t help with that either.”
“And that’s all she’s doing?”
“Yes. They’re conducting an investigation. That’s it.”
“And that’s why you’ve been circling the school grounds and parking near the street? You’re worried?”
“You noticed that?”
“You kind of stand out to me.” She’s teasing, but the love in her eyes soothes me. We’re going to be just fine.
“When we first got here, I was concerned. As each day passes, I’m less so.” She glances over her shoulder at the front door. “To be clear, that has nothing to do with why I’m proposing that we move in together. Or that I move out here. I want to be with you.” She doesn’t get it. I’m not great with words, but there’s a box in my pocket that might say it better. I pull it out, push off the step and bend my knee, kneeling before her.
“Sage, this has nothing to do with keeping you safe.” My fingers tremble. Hers cover her mouth. I haven’t opened the box, and suddenly the box doesn’t feel so important. It’s not important to someone like Sage. I peer up into her sweet brown eyes, hoping she can grasp what I’m struggling to say. “I mean, I’m going to keep you safe. Absolutely. I’ll kill anyone who–” Her head tilts, and I’m fucking this up. “Sage, I love you. And I know we haven’t been together long. But I want to be with you. Forever. If you’ll have me, I want you. You are the future I want. Everything else…it’s immaterial. This ring, if you don’t like it, we’ll pick out something else. If you don’t like this house, we’ll find another one.”
She wipes tears and sniffles. That’s gotta be a good sign.
“Sage, will you marry me? And you don’t have to answer right now. I wasn’t going to ask today. I know you might need more time. But I don’t. I’ll wait. I’ll prove myself. But I need you to see that for me, you’re everything.”
Her bottom lip trembles.
I push up off the ground and tug her into my arms. “Don’t cry.”
“But you deserve…” She buries her face into my chest, sniffling.
“I deserve what, Sage? The love of a lifetime?” I nudge her chin up so I can peer into those warm, brown, love-filled eyes. “I believe that’s what I’ve found in you. I want my tomorrows to be with you. For however long we have, I want to be with you. What do you say?”
“I want the same. However many more days I have, I want them all to be with you.” Her eyes glisten, full of emotion. My heart aches. But it’s a good ache, a solid ache, one that says I’ve put my heart out there on the line and won.
In all the things that matter, I’ve won.
EPILOGUE
Sage
Two Years Later
Golden yellow leaves scatter across the painted wooden porch. Rain is in the forecast, and I clutch the cardigan around my shoulders, scanning the yard. Jinx jumps up on the porch from wherever he has been. He circles my leg, letting his tail drag around my calf, then heads to the door.
“That’s right, buddy. You know the storm is coming in.”
