“Ask me what?” I can hear my heartbeat thumping against my chest rapidly as I try to exhale.
“I want to ask your sister to marry me.”
Every thought I had in my mind shatters into oblivion. My sister. A married woman. With a baby. And though the baby was unexpected, this might be the best thing to ever happen to her. I’m surprised my veins don’t pop out of my forehead as I stare at Zion for what feels like an eternity, blinking at him.
“You know you didn't have to ask me, right? But the answer is yes. I think you should ask her to marry you right now,” I ramble. “Oh, my God. This is insane.”
“I know,” he grins. “I just wanted to ask you, just in case.”
“You guys are perfect for each other.”
What’s even more perfect, is their son. Holding this tiny baby in my hands, I suddenly feel complete and he’s not evenmybaby. There is an overwhelming sensation that occurs when babies are around. This baby is going to grow up, he’s going to laugh, he’s going to cry, he’s going to make mistakes and he’s going to achieve great things. What makes the feelings all that more empowering is that he has two loving parents who are going to love him. What more will he need?
*
After spending a few days with Austin and her new little family, coming back home was bound to be chaotic. I was on edge, waiting for Zion to get down on one knee. But when I realised he wasn’t going to do it with his future wife’s little sister around, I kept my distance. I tried to time my trip perfectly so I could be back in Salt Lake when our grades are put in the system.
The girls and I all sat around the kitchen island, loading and reloading our grades while on FaceTime to Miles, Xavier, and Evan. After a few refreshes and crossing our fingers, the page loaded up with our grades.
We all passed. I don’t know how we managed to get through it, but we did. We found any excuse to have a group study session without actually studying. But somehow, those days when we actually put our heads down, paid off.
To celebrate, we got a table for the six of us at Juno’s. After hyping it up for so long, they finally agreed to eat here with me. It feels more hectic than just going here with a pregnant lady during the lunch hour. Instead, we’re crammed in a back booth, trying to shout at each other over the noise coming from the bar. I’m practically sitting on Miles’ lap as he sits on the outside of the booth. Across from him, Evan sits as far away from Scarlett as possible while she scooches up next to me. In between them, Kennedy and Xavier are squeezed in together.
“I just don’t understand how we all passed,” Miles says, taking a sip of his Coke.
“It’s because I manifested it,” Kennedy says as if it’s the most normal thing in the world, tapping onto her temples. “We didn’t chase. We attracted.”
“I’m just going to pretend that I know what that means,” Miles mumbles. He brings his hand under the table, squeezing my thigh and pulling us even closer together. His touch on my body has started to feel so natural. As if this was always meant to happen.
“Manifestation isn’t real,” Evan guffaws. Scarlett shoots him an evil look, but he misses it.
“I wouldn’t say that if I was you,” she singsongs. Kennedy pins him with an angry expression, and he slowly slouches in his chair. I’ve had countless conversations about astrology with her, so I’m not surprised when I zone in and out of the conversation.
My gaze automatically shifts to Miles. He’s watching between the four of them as they argue, not saying anything. Just observing. Something has changed in him, and I can’t figure out what. There’s still the sarcasm and the wit that I fell for, but he’s become more relaxed. Smoothed out. He doesn’t feel the need to prove anything, and he just exists. With me.
I have too. I don’t hate the idea of saying cheesy things every now and then to the people I care about. What I didn’t expect was for my life to turn into one of the rom com’s that I love. The ones that always feel so out of reach. But I fucking love every part of it.
It feels like that song, 'golden hour'that Miles always plays. The lyrics go through my head on repeat.
We were just two lovers, feet up on the dash, drivin' nowhere fast. Burnin' through the summer, radio on blast, make the moment last.
“Stop staring at me, you weirdo,” Miles murmurs, still watching the argument unfold in front of us.
“I see you’ve learnt my trick,” I laugh, nudging him with my shoulder.
“I don’t think I have. It was a fifty-fifty chance you were either asleep or looking at me,” he laughs, turning towards me and he adds sounding like Schmidt fromNew Girl, "Because who can resist this face, right?"
I shake my head at that gorgeous face of is, sticking my tongue in my cheek so I don't laugh. My breath hitches when his hand moves even further up my thigh, but his face remains focused, as if he isn’t about to make this meal much more interesting. Instead of trying to ruin the night with my libido, I squeeze his hand between my thighs and his journey stops. I hook my right leg over his left one and his thumb starts to rub small circles on the inside of my thigh.
“Do you not think we’re close enough already?” I ask, trying to keep my voice low as the voices around us die down. I can feel their eyes on me, but I keep mine locked with Miles’ green ones.
“At every table, I’ll save you a seat,” Miles whispers.
If I couldn’t hear the way my heart started pounding in my chest, I’m sure it would have fell straight though my ribs. When the unsettling thrumming noise stops, a smile creeps up on my face before it turns into an ugly laugh. A real, shoulder shaking, laugh of disbelief. Miles’ face drops.
“Are you seriously quoting Taylor Swift to me right now?” I ask, barely able to let my laugh settle.
“Yeah, well, you already know how much I love you. I've said it when I was drunk, and I said it out of anger, and I knew you wouldn't let me say it again on its own. That's boring.”
