Chapter 37
After a few days of decompressing from the meeting with my students, I decided to take a little time for just Milo and me.
Vanessa agreed to let Ben spend the night with the twins.
Chanelle helped arrange a reservation at Milo’s favorite restaurant.
Milo’s former acolytes even pushed their mentor out of the Cerberus office in a timely manner.
The world was on the brink of destruction with a psychotic witch attempting to open the Gate of Hell and usher in a new era of magic while slaughtering millions in the process.
Even with such a catastrophe looming near, with the terror of losing my students, I couldn’t ignore the feelings that’d been building inside me since I opened my heart to Milo again.
I waited impatiently, craving a cigarette in a way I hadn’t in quite some time.
Every second that ticked, I anticipated a text from Milo, some important task that’d called him away.
Maybe it was for the best. Tonight was planned well enough but rushed.
Too rushed. I never put enough thought into things.
“No,” I hissed under my breath.
I’d thought long and hard on tonight. Everything was perfect.
Our server escorted Milo onto the private balcony where we could enjoy a night all to ourselves.
His suit made mine look all the frumpier. But I sucked in a breath and puffed my chest out a bit to fill my dark shirt. Milo’s bright pink silk shirt appeared all the brighter with a backdrop of the city lights.
This restaurant was so many stories up, it had a lovely view of Chicago while still capturing a bit of the moon’s light and the starry sky.
“Nice suit,” I said, taking a seat across from Milo at our private balcony table.
“What can I say? I felt like matching.”
I quirked a brow, staring at his simple black tie, then his jewelry accessories, and finding no hint of pink.
“If you’re lucky, you might get to see what matches the shirt.” Milo winked.
And suddenly, I found myself eager to skip dinner and get right to dessert.
A bitter breeze came in but couldn’t spoil our night out. The nearby enchanted lantern released tiny embers that kept us warm in this winter weather, adding an elegant atmosphere to our dining experience.
Milo’s eyes shimmered as he studied the fluttering embers like fireflies dancing in the wind.
“I’m glad you arranged this lovely little dinner,” Milo said, perusing the menu.
This was the type of decadent spot that didn’t label the prices of dishes or drinks. Most of their clientele didn’t mind spending a mortgage payment on a night out. Truthfully, since moving in with Milo, I didn’t really have many expenses.
Most of my money went to Ben, either for things he needed or the savings I started for his future. That left me with a lot of playing-around cash, so treating Milo seemed fitting.
Our server returned with a bottle of wine I’d preselected, poured our glasses, and offered us privacy while we looked over the menu.
“I’ll be honest, I’m surprised you picked tonight of all nights.”
“Seemed fitting.” I gave a half smile. “Besides, we haven’t had much time to breathe, let alone enjoy a little time together.”
“Just the two of us.”
“Three,” I said, offering a silent pause to Finn. “In spirit.”
“I wasn’t sure if you realized…” Milo tiptoed around his thoughts as he took a seat.
“I could never forget Finn’s birthday.” I gave a bitter smile, still unable to find full solace in knowing Finn was at peace. At least, I hoped as much. “I figured it was the best night to go out and celebrate.”
“What on earth are we celebrating?”
“Enjoying the small things.”
Milo eyed me suspiciously, a playful squint and teasing thoughts of judgment.
“Okay, okay, maybe I just realized it’s important to celebrate the small joys.” I raised my glass of wine, inviting Milo to join me. “We both know I’m brilliant at panic and stress and guilt and sulking and…well, I’m not much of a crier, but I can be a baby.”
“I’m not saying anything.” Milo chuckled, raising his glass to meet mine.
“It’s taken time, but I’ve learned to accept the things I can’t control—work with others to change them because we all know I’m far too neurotic to simply accept them as is. However, I know how to be happy.”
“Never thought I’d hear you say that.”
“Never thought I’d make the time to be happy.” I shrugged. “Guess the world’s most annoying and persistent witch whittled me down.”
“Really?” Milo gasped, feigning surprise. “Someone should get that witch a trophy, a sash, something to commemorate such a spectacular accomplishment.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” I dug into my pocket and retrieved a small box, placing it on the table between Milo and me.
The action happened so swiftly, so nonchalantly, I didn’t even have the chance to second-guess myself.
There were a hundred different ways I’d planned on sharing this. Find the right time. Right words.
All that need for perfection crumbled away as I stared into Milo’s wide blue eyes.
I’d left him speechless, thoughtless too. A first for everything. The man who prepared for every possibility in the world never predicted this outcome.
“What is that?”
“Exactly what you think it is.” I opened the box, showing two golden bands. “Will you?”
“I…” Milo swallowed, trying to comprehend what he saw before his eyes.
His thoughts flitted in and out of his visions, obscuring his mind from my telepathy.
“Are you telling me I really have never once proposed as a possibility?”
“If you did, I clearly didn’t pay attention.” Milo stared at the rings. “I’ve planned this a hundred times over and already had narrowed it down to eight perfect places and twenty-seven potential dates.”
“All taking place after we deal with the threat of the Celestial Coven, I’m guessing?”
“After the pressing dangers are resolved, yes.”
“I don’t want to wait until things are perfect, until everything is fine.” I grabbed one of the rings from the box. “You’re a Global Guild member. Among the top ten, in fact.”
“What can I say? I aim to be the best.” Milo shot me a boyish grin, somewhat cocky, but mostly attempting to hide his still flabbergasted mind.
“There will always be another case, a reason to postpone happiness. I don’t want to fall for that trap.”
I slid the ring on my finger, letting Milo’s vision flow through my mind. The mere sight of the ring on my hand warped his perception, flooding his thoughts with so many endorphins.
“I want to marry you.”
Milo sucked in a shaky breath.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Milo’s eyes watered.
“I want to build a family together.”
Milo’s mind wandered to the potential of more children, a bigger home, lots of ridiculous pets, and so many other fantasies, I couldn’t help but let the thoughts and possibilities envelop my mind too.
“I want that too.” Milo grabbed his ring and slid it on his finger like the most natural thing in the world.
Here we were, engaged. One step closer to our happiest ever after that ever aftered.
Our server returned, making Milo laugh with this sheepish, flustered excitement. He didn’t know if we were in the bragging state or not. A night like tonight was meant to be for us, but that also meant celebrating with whoever we wanted and flaunting our happiness just a little.
“Looks like I’m finally making an honest man out of Enchanter Evergreen.” I cupped Milo’s hand in mine, raising them up to show our server.
“How lovely.” The server smiled, focused on niceties, but genuinely not surprised since this location apparently led to quite a few engagements.
I frowned, realizing how predictable I was, but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t the moment itself that mattered so much as the life we’d build after this moment.
“Alrighty,” Milo said, holding up the menu with his free hand. “I know what I want, but I’m about to butcher the pronunciation of everything.”
I lightly laughed, following Milo’s lead, and ordering the simplest-seeming dish I could.
Milo went for extravagance. Which, to be fair, was pretty much everything on the menu, but I wanted something without a thousand different flavor palettes.
I also wanted something I could sort of pronounce.
Steak was universal, though the additions that came with it… not so much.
Still good food. Probably the best I’d ever had in my life. Seriously, one bite of this steak and I was ready to propose to the chef next.
“Not a fucking chance,” Milo said, practically reading my mind.
“How do you do that?” I tilted my head, wondering how Milo glimpsed my thoughts with such ease.
“I see potentials, sometimes mid-conversation. The possibility of a funny joke or a bad joke flutters in my mind.” Milo shrugged. “If I’m lucky, I can line it up with what I think someone else is thinking.”
“So, there was a possibility in some version of the future where I made a joke about proposing to the chef because of this dish?”
“Yep.”
“Well, is there a future where I put out for the chef?” I teased. “Because this steak is pretty damn good.”
“Watch yourself.” Milo pointed with his utensils. “Or I won’t put out.”
His mind flashed with images of all the things he planned on doing to me once we left this restaurant. It took everything I had not to convince him that the private balcony might make for a nice enough place for a little after-hours celebration.
The fact that our server arrived again with a dessert menu was probably the only reason I kept my hands to myself.
“I think we’re going to skip dessert,” Milo replied, retrieving his card.
“I don’t think so.” I slapped mine on the table. “My treat.”
Milo smirked as our server left.
“Well, how will I ever repay you for such a generous night out?” Milo pursed his lips playfully, running his foot up my leg from under the table.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” I said with a slight chatter in my teeth.
I wanted to blame the cold, but the embers kept us nice and toasty on the balcony.
It didn’t take long for us to leave. I went to retrieve my car when Milo grabbed me and pulled me back.