"What? Now?" Jade asked, and I nodded eagerly, encouraging her to stay outside.
"Yes, go! Go talk. Girl stuff, I don't know."
I shut the door right in her face and spun toward Andrei, who had managed to weasel his way inside. "You have to leave. Now!" I spoke urgently, and his face dropped. He went from smiling to disoriented in half a second.
"Wow. That's how it is, huh? I'm over there in prison, thinking you're dead, and that's how you—"
"Brother, I'm so happy to see you, but I'm about to propose to Jade, and I just can't have you here, fucking it up,” I interrupted his accusations, and it was instantaneous—his face lit up like a Christmas tree.
A hush fell between us while we stood in the dim foyer, and I waited for him to leave, but instead, he brought his hand to his chest and spoke slowly and quietly.
"You're proposing? Tonight? Sasha...brother...I'm so happy for you."
The news hit him right in the heart, and, of course, I was so happy that he was excited, but when he lunged for a hug again, I stopped him.
"Later. I promise. You can hug me all day if you want, but youhaveto go!" I pulled on his arm to hurry his departure, but it was as if he didn’t hear me.
"How are you going to do it? Here?" he asked, and then his eyebrows shot up as if he realized something. "Oh! That's actually perfect! This is where you guys started the whole thing, eh?"
Oh my God. Andrei, the gossip queen, had to shut the fuck up.
"I promise I’ll FaceTime you first, okay? Go."
But again, he didn’t hear me. His smile widened, and he looked around the house until his gaze landed on the opensliding doors. All the candles on the beach gave off a light glow, and that’s when he clued in.
"On the beach?!" he whispered loudly, genuine joy lighting up his face. Oh man. I didn’t want to kick him out like this, especially since he had spent the last three months isolated from everyone and from all the wonderful things life had to offer. "Aw, that's so romantic. She’ll love it." Andrei looked me over like a doting father. "How do you feel? You ready for married life?"
Fucking hell, Jade would return any minute, and hehad to go!But he was so wonderfully curious, and we hadn't seen each other in so long after having spent our entire lives as brothers. We didn't call each other 'brother' in a friendly way—we were as close as family. Our parents had known each other, we’d always been in the same class in school, and we had spent every free minute together when we were kids and teenagers.
"I am." I smiled too, one hundred percent sure of this. I wanted Jade in my life forever. I wanted everything with her—house, babies, grocery shopping, all the regular life activities. She lit up my whole world.
"I’m so happy for you. Truly." Andrei gazed into my eyes, but I knew that smile—he was about to spiral into a dark pit of anxiety, and I just didn't have the time for it.
"Get out," I commanded, and he chuckled, taking a step toward the door.
"But uh...I'm really glad to have you back,” I added right before he reached for the door handle, and without thinking about it, pulled him in for a hug. My friend.
"You know what?” Andrei ended it quickly, stepping back. “Don't wait. Give me the keys to the car, and I'll go home alone. I'll keep Jade outside for a minute so you have time to get to the beach, and then do it. Don't let her go by herself. You never know how life will turn out or what can happen. Don't delay. Even a minute."
I paused, absorbing his every word and looking into his tired blue eyes. He was right. For the first time, I agreed with his anxiety. A minute could changeeverything.
"You're right." I made the decision without having to think about it, chastising myself for thinking it was a good idea to let Jade go alone. I never wanted to let her out of my sight and arms.
With an encouraging nod, Andrei stepped outside the front door, distracting Jade long enough to give me time to run down the back steps to the beach. I took a second to catch my breath, and that’s when I heard Jade.
"Alex?" she called out for me, my whole soul shivering at the sound of her voice saying my name. Just like the first time. "Listen, I love your friends and all, but both Olga and Andrei are super weird tonight. She kept me on the phone for like five minutes! Talking about her delive...delivery."
Jade stepped onto the back patio and noticed me immediately, stopping in her tracks. She descended the steps slowly, oblivious to the wild rhythm of my heartbeat.
"What’s this?" she asked, excited. "Are we going for a romantic midnight swim?" She took in the sight of the candles, her smile radiant and joyful, anticipation and interest bursting from her eyes.
I loved her.
Iadoredher.
I was alive because of her.
Jade wore a white T-shirt, light-blue jeans, and sandals. Her long hair shone in the candlelight, and she looked simple and relaxed, but she was also the most beautiful woman on the whole planet.
