Chapter Nineteen Noah #3
I take another sip, placing the flute on the bar before I turn around, belly up, and close my eyes for a second, trying to settle my nerves. But it’s an ill-advised move because just as I do, Chase whispers in my damn ear.
“It’s game time.”
“Fuck,” I rush out, rubbing my face once and letting out a harsh exhale. “I think your fake mustache touched my ear.”
Chase chuckles. “Sorry. My bad . . .” I can feel his eyes on my profile. “Are you good?”
No . . . yes. No.
“Yeah . . .” I nod, then take two more deep breaths. “I’m fine . . . I’m ready to do this.” My face meets Chase’s. “I got this, right? What’s the worst that could happen?”
He straightens out the collar of my navy suit jacket, eyeing me cautiously. “Yeah ya do, buddy. You’re just gonna go out there, drop to a knee, and commit your life to one woman until death. It’s a beautiful thing. Unless she says no.”
I know he’s kidding, but somehow, my body doesn’t get that message because I feel my pulse quicken.
I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry, so I clear my throat, pulling at the collar of my shirt. “It feels stifling out here, doesn’t it?”
“Out where? Outdoors?”
I nod, not catching on at all because I’m internally panicking. I’ve never wanted something to be perfect in my life until this moment. Honestly, I think a piece of me never thought I’d get to have this with anyone.
There’s so much I never got to experience, and I want it all with her. And that’s fucking with my head right now.
I rub a small circle in the middle of my chest.
“I’m feeling a little tight,” I say, turning toward the crowd to find her.
Chase sounds like he’s talking someone off the ledge.
“Noah . . . buddy. You’re supposed to be the chill one.
The calm to my storm, okay. If you pass out or have a stroke, I don’t remember CPR.
I was too busy making eyes at some woman taking the class with me.
And forget about the dummy. The mouth is crudely suggestive. Point is, I can’t save you . . .”
But I’m ignoring him because I’m staring at my girl, watching her smile and brush her hair over her shoulder.
She’s fucking spectacular. It doesn’t matter how nervous I am.
How fucking petrified I am about fucking up.
Goldie’s my anchor. And there’s no goddamn way I’m not asking this woman to marry me.
I would rather try and fail than to never shoot that fucking shot.
“I can’t do this—” I say as his brows hit his forehead.
But I don’t get out the rest because Chase cuts me off with “Noah, this is with love” and smacks me right across the face.
Our eyes instantly connect as I tilt my head. “Whoa . . .”
He gives me a smug look, pointing his finger at my chest. “That’s right.
I slapped you. And you’re welcome. You’re my best friend, and I’ll always be here to slap the hell out of you because there’s no time for hysteria.
You gotta get it together. Nobody wants to marry a bitch.
Now, you go drop to a knee and stop fucking around. ”
I’m staring at him, unmoving, completely silent as a smile grows on my face.
“I was going to say, ‘I can’t do this to myself anymore. I just need to ask her . . . now.’”
“Oh.” He frowns, and his mouth falls open before it closes, and he raises his brows again. He takes a deep breath and smooths my lapels. “Well, I can see now I may have rushed the pep talk. Sorry about that.”
The smile stays on my face as we both slowly turn, our backs leaned against the bar, eyes on the party as he continues. “I was going for the locker room coach effect. You know, like ‘bottom of the ninth’ kinda shit. You get my meaning. It was an oversight.”
I shrug. “Yeah, I mean, it was premature but good.”
“I can work on it,” he agrees as he passes a drink to me.
I down it before we both chuckle. Jesus Christ.
“I don’t know why I’m freaking out,” I say after another beat of humored silence. “She’s willing to move across the country for me. Why wouldn’t she marry me? Because you’re right—she loves me, and I love her. So if she says no—”
Chase cuts me off again, turning to face me. “We burn it all down and fuck her friends.”
I shake my head. “No. What the fuck is wrong with you tonight?”
His eyes bug out as he shrugs. “I don’t know. I misjudged where that was going . . . sorry . . . I’m still in the locker room. I’m nervous, ya know. You’re getting engaged. This is a big moment.”
My expression deadpans, and he looks apologetic again. “Sorry, yep . . . I hear it. Continue.”
I clear my throat. “If she says no, then it’s just not the right time. It’s a no for now, but not for forever.”
“I like it. Playing the long game . . .” He claps his hands together. “You good now? Are we getting engaged?”
Now? This fucker. He’s going to tell the story about how he had to slap me back from the brink at my wedding. I can feel it.
“Yeah. We’re getting engaged,” I say with a smirk and then hold out my hand as I look back at her. “Gimme the box.”
Goldie’s dad looks my way, giving me an approving wink, and I give him a nod. I called him last week to ask for his blessing. He doesn’t know today’s the day, but it doesn’t matter because he gave it without hesitation.
“Chase . . . the box,” I say again, but I’m met with more silence and no action.
What the fuck?
My heart starts to beat faster than the mile a minute it’s been doing as I slowly turn my head to stare at my best friend.
“Chase,” I level. “Give me . . . the box.”
His lips part, but nothing comes out. And a hollow feeling takes up space in my chest. I swear there’s ringing in my ears. My hand rubs over the same cheek he smacked.
“Where are the shoes?” I ask with the kind of calm that will only be accompanied by rage.
He winces. “I thought you were bringing them.”
I’m gonna kill him. If I wasn’t hysterical before, I might be now . . . But only if “hysteria” is a synonym for “murderous.”
“I texted you, saying to get them from my house. You read the text. You gave it a thumbs-up. Are you telling me I don’t have a ring?”
He takes a step back. “What I’m telling you—mainly because that vein bulging on your neck looks dangerous and like it needs to be seen by a doctor—is that I just have to run out quickly on an errand, and I’ll be right back.”
“Motherfucker,” I hiss under my breath. “We can’t just leave the party, Chase. It’ll be obvious something’s up.”
I throw my hands in the air, but he swats them down just as quickly and shushes me. He speaks through a smile as Goldie looks over at us. “I’m sorry. Calm down. She’ll never know. I’m stealthy.”
I mimic what he’s doing and keep a smile on my face. “She will know because you run a mile in twenty.”
His face whips to mine. “Abs are against my religion, Noah. I’m a chef, remember.”
I level my gaze on him. “I’m going to stab you with your own fucking knives.”
He chuckles. “Dude, just take a shot because you’re starting to sweat. Relax. I’ll be back before the whiskey stops burning in your chest.”
“No,” I rush out, grabbing his arm. “I’ll go. I need to get my nerves in check. And it’ll give me time to go over my speech for the millionth time.”
He smirks. “You sure? Is this because you don’t trust me now?”
I nod. “Yeah. But also, if I stay, I’ll just be in my head and antsy.”
Laughter bounds from her college friends as they dance to some remix of a Kendrick Lamar song, drawing our attention.
“Just do me a favor and keep her occupied while I’m gone,” I say, starting to leave.
He pats my arm before waiting until I’m far enough away not to swing on him to say, “You’re considering ‘We’ll walk this path together,’ aren’t you?”
“No,” I say back, making my way over to my girl.
Fuck. I was.
She’s talking to the sweet couple who own the flower shop as I wrap my arms around her from behind, dropping a kiss to her cheek.
“Hey, birthday girl,” I whisper down to her.
The couple excuse themselves as Goldie turns in my arms, looking up at me.
“Hi.”
“Having fun?”
She pushes to her tiptoes to kiss my chin. “The most fun. It’s wild—this guy I’m using for sex threw me a party, but now it’s awkward because I think he really loves me.”
“Sucker,” I say quietly, my eyes locked to hers. “Too bad you’re taken.”
Goldie repositions her arms by sliding them under my jacket as she shivers. Damn, I thought I’d considered everything when I brought a sweatshirt to go over her jumpsuit, but clearly that’s not warm enough.
I let her go, forcing her to do the same as I shrug off my jacket and wrap it around her shoulders.
“What about you?”
“I run hot.”
“Yeah ya do.” She grins. “Whoa. Déjà vu. That keeps happening tonight. It’s almost as if someone planned it that way.”
I run a hand over her waist, smirking. “Who, me? Listen, keep my coat warm for me, okay? I have to go back to the apartment for a second. I forgot something.”
She smiles. “Is it a present?”
I shrug, playing it cool and teasing the fuck out of her. “Maybe. Like I’d tell you . . . You’re terrible with secrets.”
“Tell me,” she fake whines, pushing her bottom lip out.
But I dart down quickly and suck it into my mouth before kissing her. She melts into me as everything slows to a stop around us.
It’s just me and her, kissing in this park. Just like last time.
I pull away, but her eyes stay closed, so I kiss the tip of her nose. “I’ll be right back. Trust me, it’s worth the seconds we’ll be apart.”
Because it’ll mean a lifetime together.
I smile at the same time she does, but all I’m thinking is that I can’t stop with the cheeseball lines. This one’s not going in the speech, but “We’ll walk this path together” still has potential.
“Fine,” she grumbles cutely. “But if you’re gone more than ten minutes, I may find a new sugar daddy. I can’t make any promises. I’m thirty-one and in my prime.”
I chuckle, walking backward. “I’ve been warned.”
She bites her bottom lip as I give her a wink before I turn and jog back to our place. But all I can think is how to work being her “forever sugar daddy” into my speech.