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Hence, why I had chosen the ring I had, designing it myself so as to symbolize that very sentiment. Thankfully I already had the rare red beryl gemstone in my vault, making me wonder if something else had been at play all those years ago when finding it being sold in my club and paying handsomely for it. It had reminded me even then of Ella’s flaming red curls.
But having it cut into the shape of a heart was how I wanted to symbolize giving her my own, one that would always burn for her. A piece of my HellBeast self. The stone was entwined within a delicate platinum cage, depicting a twin infinity symbol either side.
“It's… oh Gods, it’s so beautiful. Honestly, I couldn't have imagined anything better, nor could I have picked anything more beautiful for myself.”
Again, her sincere, sweet words meant everything to me, and I felt proud that I had designed the right ring. She had no clue but one night, after she had fallen asleep, I had tried to measure the size of her finger. I had needed everything to be perfect and Ella’s reaction only solidified I’d done the right thing, despite the rocky start to asking her to marry me.
I led her over toward the table decorated with Sophia’s romantic touch, and I knew I would be owing Sophia my gratitude as well, for she had outdone herself. Even going so far as to replace the bottle of champagne with two bottles of beer, after hearing how Ella preferred it over the expensive drink.
But of course she did, she was fucking made for me.
My only request had been the chance to ask her to marry me just before the New Year's countdown and doing so under a blanket of stars. That and cookies. A plate that she only just realized was there sitting next to the strawberries and, the moment she saw it, she gave me another one of those soft looks and said,
“Oh, you were pulling out the big guns.”
I chuckled, shrugging my shoulders and telling her,
“What can I say? I wasn't prepared to take no for an answer.”
“As if I would have said no… wait, was that what you were worried about?” she asked as if it had really only just occurred to her, despite my admitting as much in my proposal.
“Are you kiddin’? After the way you hesitated when my brother asked you about the future, shit, yeah, what else do you think I've been worried about this past week?” I replied, unable to hold back my disbelief.
“Like I said, I thought after everything that happened with… well, you know what… I would have understood if it had been about… you know.” I shook my head at her, my hands unable to stop themselves from framing her waist as I pulled her closer.
“There is only you, Ella. You are the only girl in the entire world that could have turned me into a nervous wreck this past week.”
Her eyes grew wide and adorable before saying,
“I made you nervous?”
“Yes, and if you start calling me a nervous Nelly, then I think I'd prefer twinkle toes, so please, my soon to be wife, don't get any ideas.” I knew the second her gaze softened that any comeback she was ready for left her mind when I called her my soon to be wife. But then again, saying it myself hadn’t exactly passed me by without affecting me.
Which was why I pulled her tighter to me and told her,
“Can’t fucking wait to call you my wife.”
As always, she melted into me the way that I fucking adored and, in that moment, my wish came true. I got to see in the new year with her, knowing now that I would never see in another without her being mine in every way.
A fact I sealed with a kiss as it ended up being the perfect way to start the new year, kissing her under a blanket of stars and the startling boom of fireworks. She jumped and then giggled in my arms as she continued to kiss me, making the moment even more perfect. The taste of her was as addictive as everything else, but the sound of her happiness was one I vowed to make happen every day of our lives.
“Now I know that I am really dreaming,” she commented after we forced ourselves apart, and only so as we could face the spectacle in the sky, as colors painted the darkness.
I held her from behind, enveloping her smaller frame in my arms, my mind not on the beauty above, but solely on the one I was holding.
Then I ducked my head close to her ear and whispered tenderly…
“Happy New Year, baby.”
25
THE SECRETS WE KEEP
Ashort time after this, we made our way back down to the party. In all honesty, I could have stayed up on that rooftop just the two of us for the rest of the night. In fact, I was already asking myself how much longer we would have to stay. All I wanted to do now was run a claw down the back of her closeted top, cut clean through the ribbons and peel this beautiful dress off her.
I wanted to make love to my wife to be.
But I knew that we would never get away with simply leaving, nor would we get away with being up there much longer. Not when everybody close to us knew what I had planned for tonight and were no doubt on tenterhooks waiting to hear the outcome. Which was why all the way back to the main club, I couldn't get the sappy grin off my face. It felt as if she had made me the happiest man alive and as much as I wanted Ella all to myself, I found myself also looking forward to sharing it with our world.
