Chapter Thirty Four #2
“Kay—” Felix starts, grabbing her waist and staring down at her.
“I’ve known I wanted to marry you since I was seventeen years old.
I would have chased you all the way across the globe if that’s what you had wanted.
But you chose to stick with me instead. And unless I’m nuts, I think that means you like me too.
” Kayla laughs, wiping under her eyes. “You’re so incredibly smart—so beautiful.
You are my perfect counterbalance. We were made to be together.
So, I beg you—Kayla Anderson—” Felix drops to one knee—pulling out a ring from his back pocket. “Marry me.”
“YES!” She tackles him to the ground, and everyone screams and claps. I may be crying. They’re laying there kissing and talking and kissing again so we mind our business for a minute. I turn to Aaron.
“Of course Felix would be the one to beg instead of ask during a proposal.” When I look up at Aaron he’s staring at his brother with a very confused, hurt expression. “Aaron?” I cup his jaw. His eyes are darting between the two lovebirds—lips tilted into a frown.
“What?” His attention snaps to me—startled. “What’d you say?”
“Are you okay?” Aaron says nothing—nods once and goes back to staring at his brother. Silent sign for I’ll tell you later. Message received, captain.
Eventually Felix and Kayla make their way down the line of guests to us—smiling and giddy.
“Damn Fe—you never got me such a cute ring.” I complain, holding Kayla’s hand and grinning at her.
“It’s still in the mail.” He winks.
“Congrats you two. Seriously—this is so awesome. Kayla, you look beautiful.”
“Thanks, BearBear.” She hugs me.
“Bub? You okay?” Felix asks, looking at his brother who’s still just as out of it as he was a few minutes ago.
“Huh? Yes. Congrats Felix—Kayla.” He nods, gives them a small smile. Felix’s eyes widen and he looks at me with the question of he isn’t happy, is he?
“Aaron hasn’t been feeling great. He was begging me to go home earlier—so just ignore him.” Felix sighs, patting Aaron’s arm.
“Well, that makes this horrible timing but it’s kind of tradition to ask once the proposal happens.” My eyes widen, looking at Aaron and back to Fe. “Will the two of you be my best men?” I choke on my spit and Aaron pats my back—clearing his throat.
“Of course, Felix.” He says, offering his brother a sincere smile. I can see the building emotion inside of him—the conflicting feelings. I turn to Fe.
“Any excuse to dress up.” I’m grinning at him as he pinches a dimple.
“Of course that’d be why you agree. Tsk. Oh well, I hope you feel better Bub—call if you need me. You two come over once he’s back to normal and we can celebrate!” I wave goodbye to them as they walk off to the next group of relatives before turning back to Aaron.
He’s watching Felix walk away—and I think his eyes might be watering. This probably wasn’t the way he had foreseen this moment growing up.
“Let’s go home, love.” I grab his hand and pull him through the park.
◆◆◆
Aaron’s laying his head in my lap where I sit on the couch an hour later. I’m running my hands through his hair—letting him tell me whatever is bothering him at his own pace.
“You don’t find it weird? That we didn’t know anything at all?” I consider it—Felix’s engagement.
“It is a bit of a bummer to be left out of the loop. But I doubt it was a malicious decision.”
“But… This is the same guy who followed me three hours away from home to be near me. Who made you sleep in the same bed even when you got to college. And he didn’t tell us he was proposing? I feel like I’m being forgotten.”
My heart shatters watching his face twist up in sadness—tears falling onto my thighs as he stares at the wall.
“Baby…” He turns to look up at me. “You are super allowed to feel everything you are feeling right now—it’s totally understandable.
But I was with Felix every moment of every damn day for years.
He loves you so much. Maybe even more than he loves me.
” I grin down at him, giving him a little wink.
He gives me a small smile. “My point is—he most likely got so caught up in the excitement and things going on in his own life that he didn’t even think about it.
We can’t be there for every single step—every single decision.
” Aaron’s lip wobbles, hands tightening around my thigh.
“Well why not? Isn’t that something we can decide?” Ah—he’s so cute.
“Sure, it is. But it’s extremely unrealistic. For example: even if I wanted you at every one of my senior swim meets and you wanted to be there too, it still couldn’t happen. You were three hours away for school.”
“I’d drop out.”
“Aaron!” I’m laughing at him—relieved that he’s finally smiling a real—full-blown Aaron smile. “Seriously though, you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yeah.” His response is a small little sound.
“Great. Now take me to bed so I can lay on top of you like a cat.” Aaron bursts out laughing—getting up and grabbing me, throwing me over his shoulder. “Hey! Asshole.”
“Come on, kitten.” He slaps my ass.
“Meow!” He can’t stop laughing.
◆◆◆
Aaron is in his last year of the English Literature Club—which means his last ELC Orientation party.
It’s classy casual and everyone mingles and talks about Shakespeare or whatever.
He’s been talking about it all day—making me pick out his clothes and telling me about different people I’ll meet because I just have to go. It’s adorable.
“Ugh—my last one. This is so sad. I’m getting so old.” I pull some black dress pants out of his side of the closet.
“You’ve always been old.” He smacks my ass when I walk past him, making me yelp.
“Brat. What are you going to wear?” I shrug—going to find him a shirt.
“You’ll see.” Honestly—I don’t know. I haven’t looked. I’m too nervous. What if I embarrass him in front of his friends? Or I’m not fancy enough?
“Button.” He prompts from where he sits on the bed. “Look at me when I talk to you, please.” I’m avoiding looking at him—he’ll see it.
“But I’m super concentrated, it’ll ruin my flow.” I’m almost back into the safety of the closet when—
“Benjamin. Come here. Now.” Head bowed, I make my way to him. Motherfucker—always able to bend me to his will. “Look at me.” So I do.
He’s searching my face—grabbing my hips and bringing me closer to him. There’s a soft, loving look in his eyes that I’m still not completely used to, that makes me shiver.
“What?” I ask—trying to sound super casual.
“You’re nervous.”
“I hate you.” He laughs, pulling me to make me sit on his thigh.
“Don’t be. It’s just a bunch of college nerds who like books and drinking wine.” Aaron’s rubbing my back with one hand—touching me literally everywhere else he can reach with his other.
“But what if they’re like—super bougee and I’m me?”
“Benjamin. For one—you’re the best dressed anywhere you go.
Everyone probably looks at you and goes shit—this guy’s totally looking down on us and our ugly shoes.
” I laugh, shoving his shoulder softly. “For two—being you automatically makes you better than all of them so I’m really not seeing the issue here. ”
I stare into his eyes—watch his lips curve into a soft smile, feel him press my cheeks in—searching for my dimples. I shove my face into the crook of his neck.
“Okay. Then I’ll go and pretend I’m better than all of them and give everyone mean, snobby glares.” Aaron chuckles, wrapping both arms around me and squeezing.
“That’s my boy.”
As we arrive at the party later in the evening, I make sure to tell Aaron he’s a liar at least three times.
“It wasn’t this big last year—I promise!” He’s staring at the location he was given in confusion. Not in charge of planning this year—he was given an address and told to show up. It looks like a small frat party—not a nerd party.
“Let’s check it out and see, then.” I say, because he’s been excited all day and even wore the dress pants and silk blue button-up I picked out for him.
He looks like a hot mobster with his dark hair and green eyes.
I went for a very casual look. High-waisted white dress pants that flare a bit at the bottom with a flowy blue top tucked into them—making the shirt puff out a little like I’m David fucking Bowie.
Super casual. I also like that Aaron and I are wearing different shades of blue—like boyfriends.
“Okay.” He says—a bit disappointed. He grabs my hand and pulls me toward the house.
To be fair—it’s not some rager. But it’s definitely a shit ton more people than expected and they’re not just drinking wine.
But other than that, people are still mingling and talking about their favorite works and their conspiracy theories.
“Good?” I ask Aaron and he shrugs.
“It’s fine—we can stay.” With the Aaron stamp of approval, we start mingling. I grab a glass of wine from the hired server walking by. Who the hell hires help for a club orientation party?
Aaron is next to me—chatting with some super-tall guy in glasses.
I take small sips of my wine and pretend I’m totally supposed to be here.
My stomach feels queasy. Dread. I look up at Aaron and he’s laughing—smiling like he’s got no worries in the world.
Well, I can tell him about my intuition when we leave.
“Aaron—I have to show you the original copy of Macbeth that they have in the kitchen.” Aaron looks down at me, asking me to come, but I wave him on.
“Go have fun—I’ll mingle.” He stares at me for a moment before kissing me softly and following his friend into the kitchen.
The house isn’t huge—but it is decently big.
There are all types of people here, I notice as I slip through the different crowds—finishing off my wine.
I set the glass on a random table and keep exploring.
I find a hallway toward the other end of what I’m assuming is the living room and find picture frames hanging all about.