AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Beforewe’d flown home,I’dmade a spontaneous visit toTiffany’s, just to have a look around for a gift forShaeand walked out with a ring.
Somepeople might say it’s too early.ButIdon’t care what anyone else thinks.Apart of me has knownShaewas meant to be mine since the first momentIsaw her.It’sjust a shame the other parts of me took such a long time to catch up.
Andto be strong enough to risk the fall out of admitting it.
Butwe’re here now.Wesurvived my stupidity.AndI’mdone with hiding howIfeel and pretending not to want whatIwant.
WhenIwalk back intoShae’sart room,Ifind her not in front of the canvas, but out on the balcony that looks toward the ocean.She’sleaning against the balustrade and gazing out at the view.Thesliding door opening alerts her to my presence, and she turns and smiles at me.
“Takinganother break, huh?”Isay, coming to stand behind her. “Idon’t know, you arty types are so flighty.”
Shesnorts and elbows me in the ribs, though not hard enough to hurt.Thenshe turns and wraps her arms around me, resting her chin on my chest and looking up at me with those big brown eyes. “Doyou ever get that thing when all of a sudden, completely out of the blue, it hits you just exactly how lucky you are?Notthat you don’t appreciate it all the time, but sometimes it really hits you over the head, and you just need to take a moment to fully absorb it?”
Ismile to myself.Yeah,IthinkIknow exactly what she means. “So, you’ve just been hit over the head?”
Shesqueezes me tightly, her eyes misting over. “Iwas standing there, painting, after we… you know…”Ismirk and she rolls her eyes and blushes. “Anyway, there was such a big bubble of happiness in my chest thatIhad to stop and take a deep breath.Imean,” she swallows, “my painting, this place, art school,you.HowdidIget so lucky?”
Fuck, she’s killing me.Iclear my throat. “Yeah,Iget that feeling a lot lately.”
Shecatches her lower lip between her teeth, the corners of her mouth tilting up.Thena little line appears between her brows. “Eventhough things are still a little strained between you andBeau?”
Myribs compress.It’sbeen six months, and even though on the surface,BeauandIare friendly enough, andI’vetried my best to make up for my mistakes, there’s still a distance between us that wasn’t there before.Tobe honest,I’mnot sure it’s noticeable to anyone else.ButInotice it, and yeah, it bothers me.I’mnot sure whether moving out of the apartment to live withShaehelped or hindered with that distance, but it was really the only thing we could do.Allof us living together as one big happy family after what went down probably wasn’t ever going to happen.AndIdidn’t want any unpleasant memories hanging overShaewhen she moved here.So,I’dfound us this apartment.It’ssmaller, not quite as luxurious, but it has space for a music room for me and an artist’s studio forShae.
Anda rooftop pool.I’dmade sure of that.
“BeauandIwill be fine,”Isay, andI’mnot just saying that to make her feel better.Ibelieve it.Hejust needs time and that’s somethingIcan give him.Afterall,ShaeandIaren’t going anywhere, and neither isCrossfire.
Buteven though there’s residual tension betweenBeauand me.Hewas still the first personItold afterIbought the ring that’s currently burning a hole in my pocket.Fromthe look on his face whenIshowed him,I’dshocked the shit out of him.Idon’t know what it was, the fact that it was only a few months after she’d moved in with me, or thatShaeandIare only twenty-five, or if maybe he still hadn’t believedIwas completely serious about her.Ormaybe he just hadn’t expected me to talk to him about it.Iwasn’t trying to rub it in, or be cruel,Iwas trying to be honest and share whatIwas feeling with him.ThewayIshould have done, right at the start.
Betterlate than never,Iguess.
WhenI’dasked him if he thought it was too soon—not for me, but forShae—he'd stared at me for a moment, then shaken his head, snorted a laugh, and said, “Nahman.Ithink sometimes when you know, you know.AndIget the feeling you’ve both known for a while.”Thenhe’d given me a rough clap on the back and wandered off.
Whichis probably as much asIdeserve.
Buthe’s right.Whenyou know, you know.AndI’mdone screwing around when it comes toShae.
Iput my fingers under her chin and tip her face up to mine.Myeyes are drawn to her lush lips, which part slightly at my perusal.ThenIlean in and brush my mouth against hers.
Shehums a little noise of contentment as her eyes drift closed.They’restill closed whenIreach into my pocket, pull the box out, and drop to one knee.
Sheblinks, her focus shifting down to my face.Themoment she registers what’s happening, her hand flies up and presses to her chest, just over her heart. “Devon,” she breathes.
Ismile. “Shae,Ilove you in every single way it’s possible to love someone.I’veloved you from the first moment you smiled at me, andIwill love you until the dayIdie.You’remy heart, my home, and my happiness andIwant to make sure everyone knows exactly howIfeel about you.Iknow this is quick, butI’vealready wasted far too long without you by my side, andIdon’t want to wait any longer to make you officially mine.Pleasemarry me.Pleasebe my wife as well as my best friend.
Shaejust stands there, her eyes shimmering, her hand still pressed to her chest.
“Youneed to answer me,Bambi.BecauseIthink my heart’s about to beat its way out of my rib cage.”
Witha gasp, she drops to her knees in front of me and cups my face. “Yes, of course.”Shechokes up slightly and stops to take a deep breath. “Yes,I’llmarry you,Devon.You’reeverything to me.I’veloved you forever, even whenIdidn’t want to.EvenwhenItried to pretendIdidn’t.Iwant to be yours.Iwant you to be mine.Forever.”
Itake the large, princess-cut diamond ring out of the box and slide it onto her finger.Thetears finally spill over her lower lids and trickle down her cheeks as she looks down at her hand.
“It’sbeautiful,” she whispers.ButIdon’t give her much time to admire it beforeI’mtipping her face back up to mine soIcan kiss her.Asalways, it soon grows deeper, wilder, hotter.
Mylife is good.I’min an amazing band.Onethat’s won awards and accolades.Iget to do somethingIlove and make a heap of money doing it.I’mso damn lucky.ButIwould trade it all in for her—for the way she makes me feel.BecausehavingShae?That’sthe most important thing.That’swhat makes me the luckiest man in the fucking world.
AndI’mgoing to spend the rest of my life making sure she knows it.
TheEnd
* * *
