AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He’s definitely possessed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile, much less laugh.
“I think you meant an idiot,” I pipe up, shaking my head at the lot of them.
“What the hell is on Brendon’s neck then?” Preston points at a very nervous Brendon. “That had better not be mine or Jeremy’s teeth.”
I step in front of Brendon. “They’re mine.”
“Yeah, nobody touched your fuck boy,” Brendon says.
“What did you call him?” Grandma asks.
Preston’s sister Lily gets introduced, and Preston mumbles, “Fuck it,” before taking Jeremy’s hand.
“Jeremy, I love you more than I ever thought possible. My life is not complete without you.Iam not complete without you.” He drops to one knee, and everyone falls into stunned silence. “Will you marry me?”
“Dude!” Brendon yells, grabbing onto me and shaking me in his excitement for our friend.
“These bands aren’t perfect. Like us, they’ve been struck and dented, but the flaws in the metal make them unique and strong.”
My throat catches with emotion. These two have been through the wringer the last few months, and I’m so glad they have each other, but I’m also jealous as fuck.
Jeremy drops to his knees and kisses Preston with tears in his eyes.
“Is that a yes?” he asks with his lips against Jeremy’s.
“Yes,” Jeremy croaks. “I love you so fucking much.”
They wrap their arms around each other in a tight hug, and it’s so fucking sweet. Preston isn’t one to show emotion, ever, so seeing this is heavy. I feel honored to be a witness to it. It gives us a peek into what Jeremy gets with him.
They talk for a few minutes, and Jeremy’s mom and grandma are sniffing back tears.
“Of course I will marry you and fight with you and love you and build a life with you. You’re never getting rid of me,” Jeremy says.
We all cheer and crowd them, wrapping them in a hug. This is the coolest thing I’ve been a part of.
“You’re a part of the Albrooke family now, and we won’t ever let you go,” Mrs. Albrooke says, kissing Preston’s cheek, and a pang of sadness hits me square in the chest. My dad doesn’t care about what’s happening in my life. My grandparents do, but I doubt my dad would even answer the phone if I called him to tell him I got engaged. I always wanted parents like the Albrookes, ones that cared too much.
“I’m taking your name when we get married,” Preston says with the utmost seriousness, sliding the ring onto Jeremy’s finger. “I don’t want to be a Carmichael anymore. Make me an Albrooke.”
Brendon looks at me with an expression I can’t read. It’s soft but sad somehow? He reaches for my hand and squeezes it. A knot forms in my throat, and I wish I was able to kiss him right now, right here, but I’m not ready. And I don’t know what this is between us.
Preston starts getting antsy and shrugs everyone off, so we step back and give him room. We all know he’s not a hugger, except for Jeremy and Grandma apparently, so I’m surprised he let us do a group hug in the first place.
I push Brendon toward the door and tell them we’ll see them later.
“But . . . but . . . taco salad,” Brendon whines.
“Mrs. Albrooke isn’t making you taco salad in the dorms.” I give him a stern look and push him down the hallway, then into our room. Once the door is closed, I shove him toward the bathroom. “Besides, I’m tired. It’s nap time and you need a shower.”
19
Brendon
The tattoo on my neck is itchy as fuck. I swear I’m going to scratch it off.
“Leave it.” Paul’s command has my fingertips freezing on my neck where I was rubbing the skin. I’m trying to be gentle with it, butfuck,it’s driving me nuts.
“I can’t!” I snap back, clenching my hands into fists. “Why doesn’t anyone tell you how much this shit itches?”
