Chapter 27 Asia
I was floored. He proposed? Was this a joke? “Nyree…”
He stared up at me from his kneeling position, still holding the ring box open for me to see it.
The tears welled before I could stop them. “You want to marry me?”
“Yes,” he said, and he sounded so sincere, a sob escaped my throat.
I pressed my hand to my mouth, trying to hold myself together, but I was overwhelmed. What the hell was happening? This morning we'd crossed a physical line, and now he was proposing marriage? My mind raced, struggling to make sense of it all.
"I want you to be my wife," he said, as if hearing my thoughts. "Will you marry me?"
I stared down at him, at the earnest expression on his face, at the beautiful ring sparkling in the box. My throat felt tight, constricted with emotion I couldn't express. Words wouldn't come—couldn't come. This was happening too fast, spinning out of control, and yet…
And yet I was elated. Thrilled. Wanted to scream yes at the top of my lungs.
Unable to speak, I nodded. A small, shaky nod at first, then more decisively.
Nyree's face broke into the biggest smile I'd ever seen. He took the ring from the box with trembling fingers and slipped it onto my left hand. It fit perfectly, which only added to the surreal quality of the moment.
"I can't believe this is happening," I whispered, finding my voice as I stared at the ring on my finger. "Is this real? Did you just propose to me?"
He rose to his feet, taking both my hands in his. "It's real, Asia. I know it seems fast—"
"Seems?" I let out a choked laugh.
"Okay, it is fast," he acknowledged, "but I've never been more sure of anything. When you know, you know."
He pulled me close, his hands cupping my face with such tenderness it made my heart ache. Then he leaned in and kissed me, a deep, passionate kiss that seemed to seal our new commitment. I melted into him, responding with equal fervor, my arms wrapping around his neck.
When we broke apart, I rested my forehead against his, trying to catch my breath. Everything about this moment felt right—the way his arms felt around me, the weight of the ring on my finger, the certainty in his eyes.
But behind the euphoria, a small voice in my head was raising alarm bells. This was too soon. We barely knew each other. I'd just been hurt by Quan, and here I was, leaping into something even more serious with a man I barely knew.
What would Bella say? What would Ma think? Was I making the biggest mistake of my life, or seizing a once-in-a-lifetime love?
"What are you thinking?" Nyree asked, his fingers brushing a tear from my cheek.
"Everything," I admitted. "That this is crazy. That I must be dreaming. That I'm scared but also... happy. So happy."
"I don't want to rush you," he said, though the irony of that statement after a surprise proposal wasn't lost on either of us. "We can take our time planning the wedding if you want. I just... I needed you to know how serious I am about us. This isn't just a fling for me, Asia."
I nodded, still overwhelmed. "I know. It's not for me either."
He led me to the couch and we sat down, our knees touching, hands still linked. I kept glancing at the ring, its reality still sinking in.
"So," he said with a small smile, "is that a yes?"
I laughed despite myself. "I nodded, didn't I?"
"I'd like to hear it," he said, his eyes serious again.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to slow down, to be present in this moment that would change everything.
"Yes," I said, surprising myself with how steady my voice sounded. "Yes, I'll marry you, Nyree."