Chapter 25 #3
I reach up and touch the ring on his finger where it rests against my chest, my hand intertwining with his. I don’t know how long we stay like that. It feels like forever and not long enough at the same time.
When he finally comes, it’s with a quiet, broken sound against my mouth.
His body clamps down around me in long, shaking pulses, and I can feel every rhythmic squeeze as he comes, coating my stomach.
I follow right after, holding onto his hips as I spill deep inside him, my cock twitching with every pulse.
We stay like that for a long time, tangled together while our breathing slowly evens out until I’m seconds away from passing out.
"We're going to need a bigger bed," I whisper, stroking his hair. "If you're serious about the soccer team."
Luca's laugh comes out soft and wet against my skin. "I'm serious about you staying long enough for us to argue about it."
He stays there for another minute, cheek against my chest, his hand curled between us so the ring rests over my heart.
Then he lifts his head and looks at me with swollen eyes and a mouth that still trembles at the edges.
The tenderness in him shifts into something practical, almost fierce, and he kisses me once before easing himself away from the places where the wires pull.
"Let me fix you before anyone comes in," he says quietly.
I'm too tired to argue, and the truth is that I don't want to.
There's something almost unbearable about letting him take care of me after everything we just said, after the ring, after the promise.
He moves with careful hands, cleaning what needs cleaning, smoothing my gown back into place, checking the leads on my chest with a concentration that makes my throat ache.
When he pulls the blanket higher over my hips and tucks it around my side, he does it with the same solemn focus he used when he said yes.
He washes his hands in the little sink, then comes back to the bed and sits close enough that his knee presses against my thigh through the blanket. I catch his hand before he can fold it in his lap. The bands are still there, and I touch it once because I need the proof again.
The door creaks then, a soft sound that makes us both tense.
I don't pull away, and neither does Luca.
We only look toward the doorway as the rest of the pack comes in, quiet from exhaustion and careful because every person in this room's learned the sound of my monitor too well.
Their faces change when they see us curled together, when they see Luca's tear-streaked face, when Grayson's gaze drops to the ring on Luca's hand.
"Oh," Gray breathes, his hand coming up to cover his mouth. His eyes fill immediately, and he doesn't manage to hide it. "Oh, you told him."
Luther crosses the room first. His face is tired in a way I've never wanted to put there, but when he bends over me, his mouth presses to my forehead with a tenderness that makes my eyes sting again.
His hand lingers on my shoulder afterward, and for a moment he only looks at Luca's ring like he's letting himself believe in something good after too many hours of fear.
Grayson wipes at his face and gives a shaky breath. "I'm fine," he says, which convinces no one, least of all him. Luca laughs once, and reaches for him. Grayson takes his hand carefully, thumb brushing the new band before he lets go.
Maceo stops at the foot of the bed, his gaze moving from Luca's hand to my face, and the quiet warmth there settles something in me I didn't know was still braced for impact. "Congratulations," he says, voice low. "It’s about damn time, genius."
The quiet lasts until Rosalie appears in the doorway a second later, that awful crown of hers crooked and stuffed dinosaur clutched to her chest. Samuel's behind her with one hand in James', both of them sleepy-eyed and curious.
"Why's Luca crying?" Rosalie asks, stepping into the room with a worried crease between her brows. Her gaze lands on his hand, and her eyes widen. "And why's he got another shiny on his finger?"
Luca looks down at the ring, then at me, and the smile that trembles across his mouth nearly undoes me. "Your daddy said we’re getting a big wedding," he says softly.
Rosalie processes that for a moment as Samuel looks at the ring. James just stays quiet, watching my face.
Rosalie turns to Luther suddenly. "Does this mean there's wedding cake? Because promises usually have cake."
A laugh leaves me before I can stop it. It's quiet and rough, Luca leaning carefully against my side, still holding my hand.
"Yes, Rosie," I say. "There'll be cake."
A few chuckles rumble through the room as Rosalie rushes up to the bed, holding up her hands to be picked up. Maceo swoops her up into his arms, her giggles softening the moment. I almost missed this. All my hard work and trying to protect us almost had me missing what was most important.
This time, I’ll keep my promise. I’m not going anywhere, and when I’m strong enough to stand in front of everyone who loves him, I’m going to make sure Luca gets the wedding we should have given him the first time.