Toni returns to the bed carrying a small bag. The logo for a jewellery store is branded on the side.
“What’s this?” I ask, sitting up to lean against the headboard.
He upends the bag, and two small boxes fall out. “I picked these up last week.” He takes one of the boxes, checks its contents, and then hands me the other box instead. “This one is for you.”
Smiling, I open the box. Inside is a pendant. It’s a capital T, in silver, with a single diamond inlaid in the right-hand side of the cross bar. “It’s an upgraded tether,” Toni says, watching my face closely.
Taking the box from my hands, he removes the necklace and shows me the sterling silver chain. “The box chain will be stronger than this flimsy thing.” He fingers the old chain still hanging around my neck. I’ve never once taken it off, not since the day he put it on me. “I want you to have a tether consciously chosen for you—by me. One that will last a long time, with a chain that won’t break.”
I bite down on my bottom lip, unsure if I can speak past the emotions taking up residence in my throat.
“Do you like it?” he asks, looking uncertain.
Cupping his cheeks, I press a firm kiss to his lips. “I love it. Put it on me.”
He grins as he undoes the clasp. Leaning forwards, he places the chain around my neck and fastens it again. Then, he undoes the old chain and puts it on the bedside table.
“Thank you.” I carefully finger the new T into place on my chest. “What’s in the other box?”
His cheeks flush pink as he picks up the second box and hands it to me. “Open it.”
When I lift the lid, my eyes widen. Right there, nestled against the deep red satin, is another pendant. This one is more scripted than the first, it’s finer and gold, and also hanging from a box chain. It’s a capital N.
“I want you to put it on me,” Toni says with a hoarse whisper. “Because this whole belonging thing goes both ways, right? You’re mine and I’m yours.” I nod, completely unable to open my mouth without making a fool of myself. He reaches out to take the box and pull out the necklace. “I’ve never belonged to anyone before, not even a little, but I want to belong to you. For life would be nice,” he adds softly. “Although, for now works, too. Whatever you prefer.”
I reach out to take the necklace from his hands and look down at it. The meaning imbued in the simple piece of jewellery resonates deep inside my heart, binding us closer than ever. “I know we had a bit of an odd beginning,” I tell him. “We didn’t skip to the part where I adore you and you make me happy, like you originally hoped. But we did find our way here in the end. Because I do adore you, Toni, and you make me happier than I ever knew I could be. I wouldn’t have missed a single day of that journey for the world, because I got to share it with you.”
Toni’s face lights up as I lift the chain and place it around his neck. We both laugh softly when my hands shake so badly it takes three tries to get the clasp done up. When the N is in its proper place, I lean down to press a kiss to his chest, right over the top of his brand-new tether. “I give you my life, Toni Fairweather. And I accept yours in return.”
He tackles me to the bed then, and we’re both laughing as we cling tightly to each other. I grab hold of his head and pull his face to mine. “Kiss me,” I demand.
His dimples flash—deep, adorable, and all kinds of sexy. “It will be my pleasure.”
EPILOGUE
______
TONI
The sun is shining, and the birds are chirping—or they would be if they hadn’t been scared away by the thumping beat of the music. I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I came to my first Autumn Skies Music Festival with my first sort-of-real boyfriend. Although these days I think of Ned less as myfirstboyfriend and more as myonlyboyfriend. Because when you find the perfect man for you—you stop looking.
“Logan, babe,” Patrick says from my left, “you need to get your arse back here or you’ll miss it.” He has his phone pressed to one ear and a hand covering the other to block out the raucous noise of the festival crowd. He hangs up with a laugh before glancing at me. “He’s on his way.”
We’re standing in front of the amphitheatre where Fifth Circle will be performing any minute now. On my right, Rodney bounces with excitement while Leif smirks at him. Joel is on their right, Kiera standing in front of him, his arms wrapped around her waist. Gavin’s wife, Charmaine, finishes off our little group. As much as I enjoyed my first festival experience, having so many extra people here has been an absolute blast. A bunch of us pitched in to rent a big house twenty minutes from the festival grounds, so we even get access to real bathrooms and a functioning kitchen. This is my kind of weekend.
Rodney and Kiera have had their heads bent together for the last few minutes. Every now and then they cast furtive glances in my direction. The whole thing is starting to make me nervous.
Leif must see my expression because he steps closer to my side. “You know how you were bragging about meeting Dante Sinclair last night?”
My mouth falls open in indignation. “I wasn’t bragging. I was sharing pertinent information.”
Ned and I had been hanging out with the rest of Fifth Circle in the VIP tent when the Aussie rock legend came up to introduce himself and say how much he’d enjoyed the album they put out a couple of months ago. Ned and the guys were blown away by the compliment.
Ned and I spent the next couple of hours chatting with Dante and his husband, Sean. Calum requested a photo of the four of us for Fifth Circle’s social media account. They’d happily obliged. The photo went viral overnight, bringing Fifth Circle’s album to the attention of legions of Dante Sinclair fans. Calum barely mentioned it when I saw him earlier, but I could tell he was giving himself an internal pat on the back. The man deserves it and a whole lot more.
Leif aims another glance at Rodney and Kiera. “They’ve decided Dante Sinclair is Ned’s new bestie,” he continues. “Now they’re scheming ways to wrangle an introduction.”
I lift my eyebrows. “It could be a bit of a stretch, but I suppose I’ll see what I can do. I wouldn’t want to let down my best friend, after all.”
