I reach into my bag and pull out the blue velvet gift box. “I have yours, too.”
We’re both frozen, not speaking, and not daring to close the space between us. My heart is pounding so hard I fear it may burst.
Time is slowing, and everything is focused on this very second.
Am I ready for him to read the engraving? It will change everything.
Can I be brave?
I can be brave.
“Sit down, sit down.” I had a blanket in my car that I used to dry off the bench and sit on so my pants wouldn’t get wet, and I make space for him beside me.
“Okay, but I need to talk to you about something.”
I’m about to tell him I have something to talk about, too, but the words get caught in my throat. Sweet orange and rich dark chocolate swirl around me, and it’s not from the empty coffee cup that’s sitting on the ground.
My mouth falls open, and I lock gazes with Felix. His eyes are shiny, tears gathering at the rims, and the sight of it causes my own to overflow.
Felix Williams is my scent match.
Words fail me right now.
The thing I barely allowed myself to hope for is true, and fear and doubt fill my body at the idea that this match, this thing that I have longed for, isn’t what he wants.
He doesn’t give me time to spiral.
Soft, plush lips press against mine, hands that I have held, that have held me, that have guided me through my entire adult life, cradle my cheeks.
The first time I kissed Felix, I was terrified that it would be my last, but now, in this moment, I know that it was the first of many.
Time is meaningless in his arms. Every second feels like an hour as my entire world converges on this moment.
He pulls away, his chest heaves, and his scent is thick in the air. Tears stream down his ruddy cheeks as he stares at me with more affection than I can handle.
A sob tears out of me, and I clutch my face.
Devastation flashes across his features, and he scoots backward, away from me.
I need to stop him, but I can’t speak because I’m crying too hard. Everything I ever wanted is within my reach, and I’m going to miss out on it. I fumble and push the gift box into his hands, wordlessly begging him to open it.
He seems to understand what I am trying to communicate, and then he pulls out the pocket watch. The silver cover features a snowflake inlaid within it, and the watch face is made of opal.
But it’s what’s inside the cover that I need him to see.
He flips the watch open and inspects it. I’m finally calming down, trying to get control of my feelings, when his eyes widen.
He saw the engraving.
Felix looks at me with wide blue eyes, and his face breaks into a massive grin.
It may be a little cheesy, but the sentiment felt right.
“‘It’s time to tell you I love you,’” Felix says, reading the engraving out loud. His voice quivers a little. “You love me?”
Finally, I can speak. “I love you so much.”
My Omega, because holy shit, Felix is my Omega, pushes his gift bag into my hands. I open it to find a small jewelry box. Inside is a beautiful vintage pendant with a lily-of-the-valley on the front.
