“Elias?” I call out again as I move into the kitchen.
Still no answer.
I’m down the hall before I see a light on from a back bedroom. The primary bedroom, a vast room with French doors that are open, and I hear muttering coming from the other side.
Curious, I follow the noises out onto the balcony.
I can’t stop the gasp as it falls out from the view of the canyon and the small stream that runs next to the house.
He stiffens and stands as I turn, looking at him. His face’s flushed and his eyes wide, before I look past him, leaning slightly to see what he’s standing in front of, trying to hide.
“Don’t freak out, Sketch.” He shakes his head. “I swear this isn’t what it looks like.”
The rose petals littering the ground as the words ‘Will You’ are spelled out with the rest of them all scattered around.
“Then what exactly am I looking at?” I ask, trying to maintain my breathing as I continue to look past him.
“Apparently, this place is a popular spot for…”
“…And…”
“There was a miscommunication.” He whispers, I can see the fear spreading throughout him.
I can’t help when the laughter falls out loudly, immediately setting him at ease.
“What kind of miscommunication?”
“Well,” his hand comes up, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was gonna do like candles and rose petals on the bed. Ya know, the real cheesy shit. They were cool with having them delivered today before I got here.” He shakes his head. “Only when I got here, an hour ago, I couldn’t find them. I looked everywhere, so I called. The hosts said they had left them on the balcony for me. Thinking that I was gonna…” He trails and I can tell he’s trying not to spook me.
“Please tell me you were still on the phone with them when you found them.”
“I was.” He laughs again. “And I shouted, ‘What the fuck?’.”
I can’t contain my laughter as I walk up to him, smiling. Leaning up and kissing him. “I love you.” I’ve still only said ita few times, so the way his face relaxes makes my heart flutter. Leaning up, I kiss him softly before pulling back and looking him right in the eye. “But no.”
“Ugh,” he groans as he looks down at the petals again and back at me with a shadow of a smile. “I’m never living this down.”
“Never.” I shake my head, laughing again. “It’s so cheesy, but also sweet. Thank you.” Leaning up and kissing him again. “This is gorgeous.” Pulling back and walking over to the balcony, taking in the scenery.
“Yeah, the pictures don’t even do it justice.”
“This couldn’t have been cheap.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He whispers again, causing me to look over at him. “What?”
“Dad used to tell my mom the same thing anytime he pulled some outlandish shit on her.”
He laughs a little, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me backwards to lean against him. “Maybe that’s where I got it from.”
“Yeah, but…” I pause. “No offense, but Dad’s circumstances were a little different.”
It makes him laugh this time as he shrugs. “No offense taken.” Then pauses and leans into me. “I’ve seen the accusations of what the club was into.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It went back decades. They were never able to get any of it to stick, though.”
“Like what?”
