“Gods, I can’t wait to spend my life with you, Noah.”
“Neither can I,” I whispered, the smile audible in my voice.
“Marry me, Noah.”
“Yes,” I shot back, then my head snapped up. I narrowed my eyes at him and every last bit of the post orgasmic bliss was blown away as if by a sharp bout of wind.
“I mean it. Will you marry me? I’m sorry I don’t even have a ring for you, and it’s not that I haven’t thought about it . It’s been hovering in the back of my head for weeks. It’s always been you, Noah. Always only you. And it’s okay if you need more time, we’ve only really been together for five months, I get it. I can wait. I’ll wait for as long as you need—” Lew interrupted himself. “Oh shit, okay, forget what I said. You’re probably still really vulnerable from what we just did. I shouldn’t have asked you. Damn, I swear to you, I am such a cunt sometimes. I’m sorry, Noah, I—”
“Lewis! Stop. My answer is yes.” I pressed my lips together but the smile won.
“What?” he asked me as if he feared hadn’t heard me properly.
“Yes, Lewis,” I repeated. I turned on my side and beamed at him. “It’s always been you for me, too. Yes. And I don’t need an engagement ring. Let’s have wedding rings, though. I want everybody to see you’re mine.” The overpowering love I felt wasmirrored on his face. “And let’s get married before I turn thirty,” I added. “Screw the stupid pact. You’re so much more than my last resort. You’re everything to me, Lewis Sinclair.” I kissed the tip of his nose, then brushed mine over it. “We belong together, and I intend to keep you forever.”
“Yes, Puppy,” my new fiancé croaked, overcome with emotion. “Let’s do that.”
It was still dark outside when I woke up butt to butt with Lewis.
He’s here. And we’re engaged!
I tiptoed out of the bedroom and closed the door behind me. In the bathroom I caught sight of my grin in the mirror.
Best Valentine’s Day of my life.
I’d just settled on the couch when I noticed a car coming down the narrow road.
What the hell? I cancelled the cab to the airport six weeks ago.
Right after I cancelled my flight.
It wasn’t a cab that parked in front of the cottage, but a dark elegant car I recognised as Fitzgerald’s.
“What are you doing here?” I asked my big brother when he got out. Ollie was in his usual slacks and loafers and bundled up in a thick coat as he walked up to me. The frozen gravel crunched under his soles, and his breath hung in the early morning air like little clouds.
“I wanted to see you before you left.” He dug his hands into his pockets, shivering. Ollie got up early for his job without blinking an eye, but unlike me he wasnota morning person.
“That’s nice of you.” I barely managed to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.
“You can’t go,” my brother blurted out suddenly.
“What?”
“You hate Bali!”
My face heated. “I totally don’t hate Bali,” I spluttered, knowing that my brother had always been able to see through my lies.
“Lewis told me that you’re not happy there, that you’ve been struggling.” He cleared his throat.
He told Ollie?
“It’s nothing. My reach is back up, I’ll be fine.”Thanks to my hot Tiger fiancé.
Don’t grin like a fool again.
I had no idea why I didn’t just tell Ollie that I had already decided not to leave, and that Lewis was here. Maybe I needed my big brother to ask me to stay.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Noah? I could have helped.”
