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“So… this would be a favor?” she asks, a disbelieving frown marring her features.
“No,” I shake my head adamantly. “That’s not all this is. You’d be helping me tremendously, but that’s not why I’m doing this,” I promise her.
“Well that’s what you’re leading with,” she points out with a huff, climbing out of the tire.
Fuck… she’s right. I look like the asshole to end all assholes here.
“You’re right, and it’s because I’m a fucking idiot.” I drop my head back and let out a breath so heavy it threatens to cave my chest. I rub my hand over my face. “I just didn’t want to hide anything from you; I wanted to be fully open and honest,” I admit and take a step forward, taking her hand. “Stay with me, please, Lu. Don’t check out.”
“I’m not, it’s just this is so surreal. I want to help you, but–”
“If I were just looking at this as an arrangement, I wouldn’t bother proposing,” I try explaining. “There’s more to this than just some favor, and I didn’t mean to make it about that.”
“Then what else is it about?” She crosses her arms, a woman’s signal that they’re done fucking around.
Fuck, I’m no good at this. I’ve never had to put something like this into words before. It’s not just about some favor, it’s about some kind of love, but I lead with the asking her for her help instead because I didn’t want to be deceitful, and I ended up making a huge mess.
“Kaleb.” Luna says my name, soft but firm. Gentle, but not fucking around. That’s my Luna. “Truth,” she finishes, fixing her eyes on mine.
“Not truth or dare?”
“No,” she adamantly clarifies. “Truth is your only option on this one, K.”
My heart is slamming in my chest so hard it hurts as I take a few breaths to steady myself. Luna’s eyes soften and still hold onto mine, and ever my rock, she takes hold of my hand in hers.
“There’s no right or wrong answer, Kaleb. Just the truth.”
I press my lips together and steel myself once more. “I love you,” I tell her. It’s abrupt, but she told me it didn’t matter how I said it, so long as it was honest. “I’ve never loved anyone, ever, in my life, but I love you.” I pause a moment, letting my words settle over her, and when I see a sheen of glassy moisture come over her eyes, I take a breath and tell her more of my truth. “This is the first time this house has felt like a home since Pops died, and maybe even before then,” I nod at the house and then look down at our joined hands. “You’re the one thing in my life that’s been unfailing, and the only thing that makes my heart happy. I said all the other shit first because I was afraid if I said it after, you’d think I was trying to play you, but I can’t imagine you not being the home I come back to,” I finish, not sure of what else to say to convey my true feelings, but feeling good about what I was able to get out.
And then, with the hand still holding the ring I finally found last night, I hold it out to her. A delicate gasp makes her shoulders twitch and her hand to come up over her mouth as she stares in wonder at the princess cut diamond flanked by two triangular amethysts. Pops showed me this ring long ago, and it always made me think of Luna.
“This was my grandmother’s,” I tell her. “And if you’re okay with my truth…” I reach out to wipe a tear away from her eye. “Then I dare you to marry me, Luna Rene.”
I barely get her middle name out before she throws her arms around my neck and kisses me senseless with her sweet lips. I lift her off of her feet, bringing her closer and kissing the hell out of her right back. My arms clutch her close to me as we both sink into this moment.
“Does that mean yes?” I ask, taking a quick breath before diving in for more.
“It was a yes the whole time, stupid,” she snickers back against my lips.
“What?” I lean my head back and watch her devilish grin turn into a look of sincerity.
“I would’ve done it,” she softly declares, her eyes flitting across mine, “for you, and for Pops. You knocked me on my ass with that one, soldier, but I would’ve done it. I just wanted more of a reason to so that it could feel good to do it. I guess I needed a little fortitude.” She raises a feeble shoulder and I know she probably feels a little unshielded, and I don’t blame her. She shouldn’t have had to ask for me to tell her my feelings. That’s what cost me her last time. If I want to keep her this time, I can’t be hiding from my feelings.
“Baby,” I take a step back so that we can see each other face to face better. “This is going to be real. Yes, there’s some rationale behind you being my next of kin, and this marriage will start off a little out of whack due to my being on the other side of the world, but when I come back, it will be about us,” I promise as I slide the ring up her finger.
“It’s so beautiful,” she whispers, gazing down at it.
“You’re beautiful,” I correct, as she takes another moment to adore the new decoration on her finger that claims her as mine.
“So,” she sighs and smiles brightly up at me. “What do we do now?”
I think for a moment, pursing my lips together. It’s Sunday so the courthouse isn’t open, but there’s one way we could celebrate. “Feel like taking a ride on the bike?”
17
LUNA
Two days ago, I was happily enjoying the single art student life. I was creating challenging art pieces without a care in the world or anyone to answer to. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that in that time I’d find myself flying down a country highway on the back of a Harley with my arms clinging tightly to Kaleb Shane after he put the world’s most beautiful ring on my finger.
