Page 69 of Unfinished Noise

Alfie pointed at Jamie. “You’re my best man.”

Jamie laughed. “You didn’t even ask.”

“I don’t need to ask,” Alfie said. “You’re my best friend.”

Jamie’s throat tightened. “Okay. Then you’re mine.”

Spencer smiled at him—soft, proud, the kind of look that made Jamie’s chest ache in the best way.

Nathan lifted his glass again. “Guess that settles it. We’re all getting married, and we’re all each other’s best men. Very efficient.”

Jamie laughed, leaning into Spencer’s side. The ring on his finger radiated a promise, as if it had been molded specifically for him.

He couldn’t stop staring at it. He couldn’t stop smiling. And everything in his world had clicked into place. They stayed until the champagne was all gone.

“Leaving tomorrow at noon,” Nathan said.

Once Nathan and Alfie left, the hotel room turned quiet, like the air itself had settled. Jamie shut the door and leaned against it for a second, letting the silence wrap around him. His heart was still racing from all the excitement, but now the noise was draining away.

Spencer crossed the room toward him, slow and deliberate, like he already knew Jamie was about to melt. “Hey,” he said, voice low.

Jamie pushed off the door and met him halfway. “Hi,” he whispered, smiling without meaning to.

Spencer cupped Jamie’s jaw with one hand, thumb brushing the edge of his new earrings. “I love these,” he murmured. “They look perfect on you.”

Jamie’s stomach flipped. “You keep saying that.”

“Because it’s true.”

Spencer kissed him—slow, warm, the kind of kiss that made Jamie feel weightless, like the surrounding air had softened and lifted. Jamie slid his hands up Spencer’s chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing, the familiar heat under his shirt. Something inside him eased, like a brushstroke settling exactly where it belonged. Without thinking, Jamie let his eyes fall shut—fully, completely—trusting Spencer to hold him steady while the rest of the world faded out.

Spencer pulled back enough to look at him. “Are you happy?”

Jamie nodded, eyes stinging a little. “Yeah. Really happy.”

Spencer smiled, soft and proud. “Good. I want you happy.”

Jamie kissed him again, this time quicker, almost giddy. “I can’t believe we’re getting married,” he said against Spencer’s mouth.

Spencer laughed. “I can. I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”

Jamie’s heart did a weird little somersault. “You have?”

“Mm‑hmm.” Spencer brushed a strand of hair behind Jamie’s ear. “You make everything feel… right.”

“You do that for me too.”

Spencer kissed him again—longer this time, deeper, as if he was trying to memorize the moment. Jamie melted into it, fingers curling into Spencer’s shirt, feeling the warmth of his body and the steady certainty in every touch.

When they finally broke apart, Jamie rested his forehead against Spencer’s. “I love you,” he whispered.

Spencer’s breath hitched slightly. “I love you too, sunshine.”

Jamie smiled, cheeks warm. “Sunshine?”

“You are,” Spencer said. “You make everything brighter.”

Jamie’s body relaxed at that. He kissed Spencer again, slow and sweet, letting the moment settle around them like a blanket. The ring on his finger radiated a gentle warmth. As he pulled back, Jamie noticed the way the hotel lamp caught in Spencer’s eyes—turning the brown into something softer, almost golden. The entire room seemed too narrow to that tiny detail, like a brushstroke he suddenly couldn’t look away from. Everything inside him went quiet and steady, the way it did when a painting finally came together.