Chapter 27 #3
I laughed, jumped, and sang along. The JackholeS ended up doing three songs. Jules, Aurora, Kelly Ann, and I sang as loud as we could. I turned my head and caught Easton staring at me singing along.
He blushed at getting caught but winked. I winked back.
I took Kelly Ann and Robert back to meet the JackholeS while they were packing up. Kelly Ann was swooning just as much as Jules and I. Robert, Cole, and Easton had matching frowns as they watched us.
“Thank you so much for doing this,” I told Faith.
She hugged me. “I love that I could help Aurora. I was lost for a long time, not knowing what I wanted to do. When I wrote my first book it was like coming home. To see a girl so young already know what she wants is refreshing.”
“You ready to get home to our baby, Slick?” Kill kissed the top of Faith’s head, and she leaned into him.
My eyes bulged. A strong arm wrapped around my waist, and I was anchored to a very familiar body.
“Yes, Killer. Sorry for leaving so quickly, Scarlet is at home with my parents,” Faith explained.
“No, thank you for coming. Please give your little girl a kiss for me.”
Faith gave me an awkward hug since Easton wouldn’t let go.
Kill chuckled. “I remember that. Hell, I still feel the same way.” He grabbed Faith and pulled her to his side just as Easton had done. “Congratulations, man.” Kill put out his hand, and Easton shook it.
Faith and I rolled our eyes. With the band packed up and gone, Jules and I gave the cleaning crew last-minute instructions before heading outside.
“Thank you so much for everything. I hope I wasn’t too momma bear at your parents. They aren’t very pleasant,” Kelly Ann said, pulling me out of her son’s arms.
“I don’t think my parents have ever been described as pleasant. And it was nice. With the exception of Jules’ mom, I’ve never had a momma bear to protect me.”
“Well, you have one now.” Kelly Ann kissed my cheek and hugged Easton. “Took you long enough.”
“I was waiting for the launch party. Cole and I had it all set up,” Easton replied.
“What?” Jules and I asked in unison.
Cole kissed Jules before looking at me. “Did I not tell you tonight would be magical?”
“Yes,” I answered hesitantly.
In tandem, Cole and Easton dropped down on their knees.
Jules grabbed my hand and we squeezed.
“Will you marry me?” they both asked.
“Yes,” Jules and I both cried at the same time.
Cole wrapped Jules in his arms while Kelly Ann and Aurora cried on each other’s shoulders.
“You still need to grovel,” I whispered in Easton’s ear, holding on with everything I had after he slipped a large emerald ring on my very significant finger. “Feelings check?”
“Love. So much fucking love I don’t think it’s a strong enough word. Since the second I left your house, I wanted to come back to you and apologize.”
“Why didn’t you?” I asked, still squeezing him tight.
“Because I wanted to make a grand gesture. I wanted you to know that this was real and I wasn’t going to leave you like Bradford. Fuck that guy, by the way. Stupid fucking name.”
“Easton, can you get back to telling me how dumb you are and how much you love me?”
“I’m the dumbest, Trouble. And I love you so fucking much, until I saw you tonight, I hadn’t taken a full breath in a week. I was drowning and suffocating without you.”
“Ooooh, nice one.”
“You like that?” he asked with his signature smirk.
“No, I love it.”
We hugged and cried until Easton and Cole had enough and told everyone they were taking us home. Kelly Ann kissed my cheek, and Robert hugged me, telling me he always wanted a daughter.
We agreed to have dinner with them when we recovered from the party.
Easton had enough and threw me over his shoulder, yelling over my ass that he would talk to his parents later.
“I missed this view,” I told his ass.
“Same.” Easton bit my ass before putting me down in his passenger seat.
“No more being away for a week, okay?” I said, playing with my ring while Easton drove us home. My voice was small and vulnerable, but I needed to tell him.
“Fuck, Trouble. I’m so sorry. I was over your little unicorn experiment with my parents as soon as I walked into my stupid black penthouse. I was leaving to go back to you, but I had to catch my flight, and I promised Cole I’d do the meetings so he could be with Jules.”
“Why didn’t you call? One whole week, Easton. I was lost without you for a whole week.” I banged my head on the seat, letting tears fall.
“Because I had to get things in order. I needed to get the ring, and I knew if I talked to you, I would fly home. My business and Cole be damned. If it makes you feel better, even my Japanese vendor knew something was wrong.”
“Good, I hoped you suffered.”
“Only for you, Trouble.”
In true Easton style, he carried me into my house, but stopped when he walked in. “What the fuck is that?” he asked, pointing to my kitchen island.
“Not what, but who. And that’s Gnomar. He’s Gnomen’s buddy.”
On my kitchen island was a patched up Gnomen standing proud next to his new friend, Gnomar, who had his middle finger front and center.
“I love you so fucking much.”
“Show me,” I commanded, and he did.