The words were steady.
Geoffrey stepped forward with something small. He had two simple bands. They were plain and unadorned, yet they held so much weight. I had gone into this thinking only of Belle, but the sight of the rings did unsettle me.
Belle looked down at them.
“We’re doing rings too?” she asked.
“I guess so,” I said, taking the rings from Geoffrey
He stepped back as I slid the band onto her finger. I did the same. The metal felt unfamiliar. The plain gold band on my finger glinted in the morning light and stirred up a mix of emotions. The weight was settling in of what I had just done. It was the right thing to do, I was oddly certain of that. Still, the sight of the ring pricked at the past.
“And now you may kiss the bride.” I turned to Chandler. “For it to be legally binding, of course,” he said with a smirk I knew all too well.
Silence.
Belle looked up at me and gave a little shrug. My heart thudded in my chest as I lowered my head.
It’d been so long since I had kissed anyone. Anticipation bubbled barely bridled inside of me. Letting someone in my space hadn’t happened in so long. It was a foreign feeling. I hadn’t even hugged anyone in recent memory, let alone kissed them.
She put her hand on my shoulder and reached up. My heart beat as if I were being chased by a predator. And then our lips met. It was the briefest of pecks, but something happened, I was sure of it. There was a shift. I opened my eyes and saw the same look on her face. I ached to wrap her in my arms and kissed her thoroughly.
“Interesting,” Chandler said.
Geoffrey stepped forward, signing as a witness with precise, elegant penmanship. Chandler tapped the final confirmation on the tablet.
Geoffrey inclined his head slightly. “Congratulations.”
Chandler sighed. “I need coffee.”
Belle adjusted her grip on the crutches, and I turned immediately to the desk.
“You will be added to my insurance policy this morning. I’ve already taken care of that.”
She blinked. “Of course you have.”
“You have an appointment at 11:30 with an orthopedic specialist.”
She groaned softly. “Raphael.”
“You will attend.”
“Bossy already.”
“This is non-negotiable.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I thought we were partners.”
“We are.”
“Then why are you ordering me?” I could see the twinkle in her eye as she appeared exasperated. This woman would keep me on my toes.
“So there will be no delay.”
She opened her mouth, then promptly closed it.
I continued. “You are injured. You now have coverage. There is no longer a barrier.”
She studied me for a moment.
