Page 61 of Wedding Wrecker

“Come on. Please,” I whisper, staring at him, but all I can do is keep the rope steady while he pulls himself up. At least I know that after two months of using crutches he’s got arms of steel.

I could cry with relief when I see one of his hands emerge from the dark pit. All I want to do is pull him up, but it’s too early, and if I let go now, he might just slide back in, so I brace myself, even though the wait is excruciating.

We pull until Logan crawls out as if the earth is giving birth to him. He’s covered in mud, panting, but as soon as I can, I let go of the rope, and drag him farther away from danger.

He’s tired and gasps into my ear when I tighten my arms around him, pressing close despite it making me shiver even harder as cold water is released from our clothes.

“Thank you. I thought he’d drown. And then I’d drown trying to get him,” I mutter as fatigue turns my limbs into lead.

Jekyll pushes between us, just as dirty, and starts licking Logan’s face.

“That’s okay, boy, I know, I love you too,” Logan says, stroking the dog’s wet head.

“Let’s get going, just in case,” Levi says, untying the rope, but I don’t feel strong enough to walk yet and hold on to Logan as our surprising kiss returns to the forefront of my mind. Why did he initiate that if he doesn’t want to be with me?

Logan raises his hand and waves at Levi. “Just give me a second, man!” He pushes Jekyll’s muzzle away and reaches for the jacket he’d left on the ground.

Lightning illuminates everything, but I only see Logan’s face⸺wet, with a brown streak on the cheekbone, which I wipe off with my thumb. The anger that brewed inside me less than two hours back means nothing now, because he’s here when he’s needed.

“I’m sorry I left. It was so unnecessary. You just wanted to help,” I say even though the thought of him seeing other people cuts my heart into tiny pieces. But he told me from the start that he couldn’t give me anything beyond his friendship and sex, and it was me who refused to acknowledge that he meant it.

Logan cups my face, looking frantic. “No. Don’t apologize. You were right. You bared your heart, and I was a coward. And for the record, I have to believe in love, because you exist. I have no alternative. I guess I’m still a shithead, because I couldn’t see what was right in front of me.”

I swallow, leaning into his touch as my whole body starts pulsing. What is happening? “What do you see?”

He lets out a trembly breath and reaches into the pocket of the jacket. He pulls out a simple ring, and presents it to me, right there, kneeling in the mud with me.

“Marry me. Be mine. And never leave.”

I can’t breathe, and for a moment there’s bright spots at the backs of my eyelids, but he isn’t laughing it off as a joke and keeps holding my face so gently I wish to just lean into him and rest until the rain stops.

“I… what?” I utter.

“Is that a ring from my Lost & Found box?” Levi asks, his voice penetrating our bubble like a knife.

“I’ll give it back when I buy a new one,” Logan says dismissively, but never even bothers to spare our friend a glance, completely focused on me. “I don’t know how I missed it. You make me packed lunches.” He takes deep breaths as rain drips from his chin.

I’m so dumbfounded, I still kind of feel like this is some kind of metaphor, not an actual proposal, so I laugh. “Yeah, I’m a good roommate. Even my dog does chores.”

Logan huffs in frustration, stroking my face with his thumb. “Kyle. You’re not listening. I’m serious. Stay. Be my roommate forever. I know it’s soon, and that we both have shitty almost-weddings as baggage, but I want this. I’ve been denying myself for dumb reasons, so if you want me, I want us to do this. Marry me?” he asks again, and this time it hits me he’s serious.

He’s really proposing after only two months together. Who does that?

I did.

And yet, my mouth stretches into a wide smile, and everything inside me flutters, as if all the sleeping butterflies in my stomach have awakened. “You’re faster than I was with Madison,” I joke, cupping his face in my hands. “All this because of my cooking?”

His eyes light up, and he smiles. “Yes, I need to lock that steak down for life. I remember it being very juicy.”

I chuckle despite tears stinging my eyes. Nobody’s gonna see me cry with this rain though, so I don’t try to stop them and lean in, pressing our lips together. A warm wave passes through my body, and as I curl my toes, his tongue slides in my mouth, so hot I can’t stop the little moan leaving my lips.

I love him so much.

I missed his kisses more than he’d ever know. I could melt into his hands when they slide around me and pull me close.

But all good things come to an end, and once lightning strikes again, Levi clears his throat loudly enough to make his intention clear.

Logan pulls away, after one more peck on my lips, then holds up the ring again. “So?”