AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s fine and you read my mind. I was just thinking that the only thing I needed to make this morning perfect was a cup of coffee!” He said brightly. Blake hummed dubiously while pulling the duvet across Speed’s lap.
“Why do I feel like you were up to something?” He asked when a small green box tumbled onto the floor and landed next to Blake’s foot.
“What’s this?” Blake asked as he lowered and picked it up.
“What?” Speed croaked.
“You dropped this little box…” It was leather and almost as big as one of Speed’s watch cases. Blake opened it and a startled “Fuck!” burst from him as he blinked at a diamond-encrusted ring.
“Right…” Speed stared at it, his eyes just as large as Blake’s. “I was just looking at it because…”
“Holy shit.” There were so many diamonds. The ring was stunning but there wereso many diamonds.Blake had never seen so many on a single piece of jewelry. “Why do you have…?” He held it out to Speed, intending to hand it back but Speed was frozen.
“I’ve wanted to give it to you for weeks,” he mumbled weakly, fixated on the box in Blake’s hands. “But I was waiting until it was safe and I could plan the perfect moment,” he added and licked his lips like he was rushing to solve a problem.
“Oh no!” Blake shut the box and his eyes. “I ruined it! I’m so sorry!” He pushed it at Speed.
“No!” Speed let out a watery laugh and scooted to the edge of the bed so he could cup Blake’s cheek. “I’m a sappy nerd, Blake. I’ve had it for weeks—I got it before we went to Sparks— and I can’t stop myself from looking at it the minute you’re out of the room. I’m dying every time you walk out because I know it’s here and I can’t give it to you and… I’m dying because I love you so damn much and I want to ask you so badly that I—” Speed’s voice cracked and he swallowed loudly.
“You can’t stop yourself from looking at it?” Blake asked and gave up. He sobbed as he threw an arm around Speed’s neck. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I was waiting… Fuck it,” Speed said as he held Blake away from him so he could find his eyes. “You already know that this is it, that you’re all I want.” He grabbed Blake’s hand, letting the box with the absurdly ostentatious ring drop onto the bed. “I know it’s not the kind of ring you’d ever wear but I had to find the most extravagant, most expensive ring I could because…this is the biggest and the most beautiful thing that’s ever happened to me. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met and I wanted you to have something as spectacular as you are,” Speed explained as he fumbled with the box, opening it with one hand and working the ring out of the velvet cushion. “I don’t need the perfect plan when every day already feels like magic and I have the most amazing man in the world. Please say you’ll marry me, Blake.”
“Yes!” Blake cried, ecstatic and overwhelmed. “How am I this surprised and why am I crying?” He complained as he dragged the back of his other hand across his eyes. Blake knew Speed was going to ask but he was still shaking and couldn’t believe it was happening.
“I don’t know!” Speed complained back. He was laughing and crying too as he slid the ring on Blake’s finger. “I knew you’d say yes but this doesn’t feel real.”
“It feels like a dream,” Blake agreed breathlessly as he stared at the glittering band around his finger. Every stone caught the sunlight and created little stars on the wall and ceiling. “Are you kidding me, Speed?” He clapped a hand over his mouth.
“You don’t like it?”
“I do!” Blake insisted. “It’s beautiful but…”
“You don’t like it,” Speed accused. His lips quirked at the corner. “It’s fine if you don’t. It can be your around-the-house ring and for special occasions.”
“Stop it! I feel like I need security to wear something like this out of the house.” Blake gave Speed’s good arm a swat. “But I love it!” His eyes blurred and his nose began to run. “Kat is going to kick my ass!” He laughed as he reached for Speed. “It’s so over the top but I love you so much!” Blake kissed him and Speed groaned as their lips clung.
“I can’t tell you howgoodthis feels. I’ve wanted to ask you for so long but Francis—” Speed bit down on his lips and shook his head. “No. I’m not letting him ruin this. We might not be able to have everything we want right now but I’m done waiting. I want to celebrate how happy we are and I’m not going to let anything stop us.”
“I’m in as long as you’re ready,” Blake said, his heart clear and so full it was fixing to burst.
“Me too.” Speed kissed Blake tenderly, content to linger. “I’ll call your dad while you’re working on breakfast. I wanted to get his permission and ask you while your family was there but we’ll consider this a…pre-proposal,” he said and his eyes widened. “That’s it! I have another ring because I couldn’t make up my mind and I didn’t know how I was going to propose twice but now I do! We’ll do something official next time we’re in Sparks with your family,” he decided.
“There’s another ring?” Blake asked dizzily as he held up his hand. His face got hot as he worried that it might be bigger or that he’d have to find a way to wear two at once. There was a delighted laugh from Speed.
“I had a feeling this wouldn’t be practical or suit you as an ‘everyday ring’ so I bought my second choice too,” he confided. Blake shook his head at Speed.
“Do not tell my sister that. She’ll have you talked into doubling our wedding budget and we’ll be riding up to a castle in golden chariots.”
“Shhhh!” Speed pecked at Blake’s lips. “There isn’t going to be a budget,” he whispered soothingly but Blake’s stomach dropped and his eyes widened.
“Nothing reasonable will come of this,” he predicted, making Speed grin.
“I can’t be reasonable when it comes to you,” he said before becoming serious. “Let me talk to your dad so we can officially break the news. I don’t want to wait and I don’t need Lavender’s permission but we should see what he recommends. We might have to do something smaller now and hold off on the castles and chariots until…later,” he added apologetically.
Blake’s nose wrinkled and he shook his head. “I don’t need all of that.”
“Neither do I,” Speed said as if he was relieved. “Kat can go wild because it’ll be a lot of fun and I trust her taste. All I care about is this,” he said, raising Blake’s knuckles so he could kiss them. “You said yes and you’re mine. Forever.”
