Epilogue
One year later
NATHAN
“Oh my god. How long does it take to get ready?” I know I’m being a bit of an asshole, but I’m nervous.
“Give me five more minutes. We have plenty of time,” Colt calls from the bathroom. Our bathroom.
Five minutes, I can do five minutes. The ring in my pocket has been hidden in the back of the dresser for the last month, waiting for the perfect time. I almost pulled it out about a hundred times. Hell, I thought about scrapping the plan and doing it last night when we were cuddled up after sex. The way he’d held me close and whispered in my ear while he filled me up completely destroyed me in all the best ways. By the end, I was begging him to let me come. When he finally gave in, the orgasm rolled through me endlessly. When I came down, he’d held me close and kissed me until I was completely breathless.
Lying there, I almost tore myself out of bed to grab the ring and propose right then and there. Somehow, I held back. I had planned for today, and I was finally going to make this a more permanent thing. I pace around the kitchen, stopping to fidget with anything I can find on the counter. If he doesn’t hurry, I’d have the whole kitchen rearranged.
“Okay. Are you going to tell me where we’re going now?” Colt appears in the kitchen, and my breath catches. I’d picked out his outfit, so I knew what he was wearing, but wow. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of drinking him in.
“Absolutely not.”
“But I look okay?”
“You look incredible.” I wrap my arms around him and kiss him. I intend for it to be chaste, but he takes over and pushes me up against the counter. Colt’s tongue darts into my mouth, gliding over my tongue. My back arches, and my growing erection rubs against his thigh.
“We could just stay home,” he says as he pulls away. Such temptation. He moved in with me six months ago, and we’ve done a lot of both staying home and going out. I’ll admit we both prefer staying home.
“Nope. We’re going out and doing things.” Colt mumbles something about preferring to stay home and do things, but he follows me out to the car without further comments.
I drive silently on the way to the hotel.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“Yeah, fine.” I put on my best smile.
“You seem off. Are you anxious about something?” We’ve had a lot of these conversations in the last year. Colt’s supported me endlessly as I work to ensure I’m taking better care of myself. He always checks in to make sure I eat lunch, even going so far as to stop by the office with food a few times the week before this year’s gala. I suppose I should find it overbearing, but I know he does it out of love.
“No, just excited for a night out.” His warm hand reaches over and rests on my thigh. I can tell he’s a little worried. When I stop at a light, I take a hand off the wheel and squeeze his hand reassuringly. A few minutes later, we pull into the hotel’s driveway.
“Why are we here? Did you forget something?” We’d been here for last week’s fundraiser, which went much smoother this year. In part thanks to all the new help we hired. It was hard to let go, but seeing the event’s success helped.
“We’re having dinner here tonight.” He seems surprised and slightly suspicious but follows me into the hotel. We find the restaurant on the other side of the lobby and are seated right away. Soon, we slip into easy conversation, and at least some of my anxiety is forgotten. After I pay the check, we walk out into the lobby. Colt goes for the front door, but I stop him.
“Can we sit for a minute?” I point toward a pair of chairs on the far side of the lobby. I’d checked to be sure they were in the same position when we were here for the gala. The same place where I told him I loved him for the first time.
“Of course.” He stiffens a bit as he walks over, and I realize this likely seems like one of those can we talk moments.
As soon as we sit down, I reach into my pocket and palm the small box. My hands are sweaty and shaky. If I don’t do this now, I feel like my whole body might fall apart. “Colt, when we were kids, I daydreamed that we’d end up together. I never really expected it to happen, though. It was one of those things you think about knowing that no one ends up with their high school sweetheart, let alone the best friend that they’re pining after.” I reach across and take his hands in my free one. “Finding you again is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You’ve been my past and my present. Now, I want you to be my future.” I slowly open the ring box to show off the platinum band. It’s simple, but as soon I saw it, I knew that it was perfect for him.
“Are you asking me to marry you?” Colt looks at me with tears in his eyes.
“Yes, I’m asking you to marry me.” I thought through that speech several times, even practicing it in the mirror when I knew Colt would be home late. Apparently, I still missed the part when I actually asked him.
“Yes. God, yes.” He jumps out of his chair and pulls me in for a kiss. The position is awkward for both of us. I don’t care how much my neck hurts tomorrow; right now, I need to feel his warmth and the heat of his yes. We finally break apart when we hear someone in the lobby yell at us to get a room. “I think I need to get my future husband home to show him just how excited I am.”
“Actually”—I feel my face heat—“I bet on you saying yes, so I got us a room for the night.” I pull the keycard from the interior pocket of my jacket, having slipped away under the guise of using the restroom during dinner so that I could check us in.
“That’s a very good plan, fiancé.” Butterflies fill my heart at his use of the word fiancé. Even if it took many years to get here, I think I always knew it would be the two of us. Everything feels surreal yet so right, like a puzzle finally clicking into place.
Colt grabs my hand and pulls me toward the elevators. When he hits the button, he pulls me close, planting kisses on my cheek.
I smile down at him, feeling a surge of happiness and contentment. This was where we were always meant to be, in each other’s arms, ready to take on whatever challenges life threw our way.
“I can’t believe this is real,” he whispers, his voice husky with emotion. “You really want to marry me?”
I answer him by pulling him close for a passionate kiss. When the elevator dings and we break apart, I add, “More than anything.”