6. Oliver
Six
Oliver
The beautiful cake with my name in cursive writing is massive. Rightfully so, the number of people here in Ace’s house is shocking…
When he asked what his number one rule was, all I could think of was sex. It had nothing to do with how our relationship works.
No parties. That was his first rule when he hired me as a house pet. I had only one friend. I had no one to party with. And Chance basically lived with us from the beginning. Almost a year later, everything’s changed.
Ace is right by my side as everyone starts singing happy birthday to me.
It’s as if time moves in slow motion, I can’t get over how many people are here singing to me. And they look happy to be here.
Ace releases his arm from around me and when the song ends, I blow out the candles, unsure of what to wish for, because everything I’ve ever wanted is right here.
Cake is passed around by Ace and Chance while Hannah, me, Maggie and Lilla chat about the weekend away. Lilla makes me show off my ring and tell the story about proposing.
I don’t miss Ace leaning in to hear what I’m saying as he continues handing out the cake.
“I wasn’t actually proposing,” I admit. These are our best friends, I can’t lie to them!
Lilla laughs. “So, it’s a fake engagement like in the movies and books?”
“I mean we’re not fake dating.”
“What’s with the rings?” Chance asks with an eyebrow lifted.
He’s got frosting across his lip. Maggie wipes at it, then licks it off her finger.
“I don’t know.” How do I explain that we didn’t really get engaged, then show up to a party wearing engagement rings? “A fun vacation trinket?”
Everyone’s laughing and I shovel cake in my mouth because I don’t know what else to say. I don’t know why we’re still wearing the rings.
Eventually everyone who doesn’t live here clears out. I hug Hannah and Val and carry my tired ass upstairs.
“Goodnight,” I say to Maggie and Chance.
Ace follows me up and waves to the other two as they head to the rec room.
“You sure you don’t want to hang out with them?” Ace asks from the doorway.
I toss myself into the bed letting out a relieved sigh.
“I’m so sure.”
He smiles at me and runs a hand through his silky smooth dirty blonde hair. He’s got a black polo on. I love how it fits around his arms. For him this is pretty casual for a party. Stripping the shirt off, he closes the door.
“Can we talk?” The question makes my heart drop.
I nod and sit up trying to ignore the queasy sensation in my stomach.
He sits on the edge of the bed.
Is he about to suggest we fake break up again?
“We don’t have to tell people we’re engaged.”
Fuck, here it comes.
He reaches out and grabs my hand with the ring.
I don’t think I can handle what he’s about to say.
“We can tell people what happened.”
My voice is so small when I ask, “Why?”
“Hey,” he says so soothingly. He kicks off his shoes and crawls into the bed and pulls me against his chest.
I lean into him stiffly, waiting to be hit by whatever idea he’s come up with that just might shatter me. But he doesn’t say anything else.
Fear eats away at me and I don’t know what to say so I wait for him to keep speaking.
“You know I love you, right?”
I swallow hard and look up at him. “Yeah…”
“I’m saying this because you’re only twenty one.”
“Almost twenty-two,” I add.
I love the smile he does when I’m being extra. “What I mean is, you’re young. You’re restarting your life, and starting school soon. You already have a lot to focus on.”
There’s that look from before, that uncertainty. “I want to be together. I would marry you no questions asked.”
“But?”
“But I want to give you time. Room to breath and grow and experience life. I want you to feel steady.”
The burning in my chest dies down quite a bit and I lean into him a little more comfortably. “Okay, that makes sense.”
I can’t imagine my life changing, or what kind of growing I need to do but I know he’s right.
“I have some self learning too,” he adds. “This weekend I realized that I’ve done what my father wants and what I felt needed to be done to counter his demands. I can’t say I’ve done what I need to do for me, what my path in life is.”
The uncertainty is replaced by a brilliant spark, one I’m grateful to witness. “I’m not sure what I’m meant to do yet, but I know it’ll be brilliant and we can do amazing things together.”
Our fingers entwine and he uses the other hand to rub his thumb across my finger with the ring. “And when we’re ready, we can make this commitment.”
Part of me wants to argue that I’m mature enough and I know what I want. Instead, I tilt my head up and we kiss for a good long moment.
When I break away he adds, “Next time you propose I expect it to be at the nudist pool.”
I’m surprised by my own quickness when I ask, “You don’t want me to wear a collar?”
Ace chuckles, his cheeks tinging pink, it’s amazing!
Then he leans down again and kisses me for a long moment before he pulls away and says, “Happy birthday, Oliver.”