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“What are you doing?” Holden whispers hoarsely.
“Making it real.”
I take his hand in mine, tears choking my throat. I have to get the words out before I fall apart.
“I love you, Holden. I love your humor and wit. I love how you’re always the best-dressed person in a room. And the smartest. I love how you’d give away every penny of your wealth to someone you love without hesitation. I love how you give it away to strangers. You’ve been through hell and I love how hard you fight, every day. You’ve lost so much…” I say, and I know he understands I mean what his parents did to him, “…and I don’t have much to give, but I can give you my name. If you’ll have it.”
I pull the box from my jacket pocket and open it. Holden stares at the band of Damascus steel with dozens of curved and flowing lines carved into its surface, like the whorls of a tree.
“Will you marry me?”
Holden’s gaze flickers to the ring and then to me. My breath is locked in my chest and the room goes very still.
“Yes.?
?
He drops the word into the silence so softly I hardly hear it.
My hands tremble. “Yes…?”
Holden smiles, and goddamn if it’s not the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
“Yes, River. I’ll marry you.” My heart clenches as he touches my cheek, no protective wit or deflective joke. “I don’t know how I made it through all the days until this one,” he says, echoing my words from a year ago on that beach.
The day he came back to me.
Sounds of barely contained emotion come from around us. With shaking hands, I take the ring from the box and slip it over his finger.
“It’s heavy,” he says, and I expect a joke about manacles or a ball and chain. But he’s still wearing that soft smile. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
His thank you breaks my heart and fills it at the same time. I surge forward, craning up to kiss him as the room erupts in applause and sniffles. Amelia sags into Dad. Reginald hands Margaret a napkin, and Beatriz has covered her face entirely.
I press my forehead to Holden’s and for a moment, the world becomes no one but him and me. We kiss and breathe against each other’s lips I love you, and my happiness knows no end because I know Holden not only feels it, but he believes it too.
We say our goodbyes and make plans for more dinners. More time together with this new family Holden and I have created. The night is hot and sticky as we arrive back at our place. I peel off my jacket in the entry and pull my sweaty shirt away from my skin.
“I have flop sweat,” I say. “That was the most nerve-wracking thing I’ve ever done.”
Holden arches a brow. “You thought I’d say no?” He waves off my answer and moves close to me. “You were brave tonight, laying your heart out there for everyone to see.”
“It’s for you,” I say. “Just for you.”
Holden sighs and presses his head against my chest. “What have I told you about comments like that? I’m going to melt and there will be nothing left of me but the ring. You’ll have to mop me off the floor of this entry.”
“Our entry,” I say and kiss him hard.
But before the flame burning between us ignites to celebrate, I feel the sweat trickle between my shoulder blades.
“I’m too sweaty,” I say. “And probably stink. Do you care if I take a quick dip in the pool?”
Holden leans in and draws my lower lip between his teeth, then lets go with a fiery glance. “If you must.”
“I’ll hurry,” I say hoarsely and don’t even bother changing into a bathing suit. I go to our backyard, strip down to my boxer-briefs and dive in. The water is cool compared to the sticky heat of the night, but not too cold.
I take a few laps, and then head to the side to haul myself out. I go under the water and when I resurface, Holden’s lying on his stomach at the ledge, trailing his fingers over the water.
“I love this ring,” he says as the silver glints in the falling twilight.
