“I’m moving in with Elijah,” I announced.
Everyone’s heads swiveled toward me, but no one looked surprised.
“What?” I asked, feeling defensive.
“You’re practically living together anyway,” Lucy pointed out.
“Yeah, but I still have my apartment.”
“When was the last time you slept there?” Yancy asked.
“Last week!”
“Alone?” Her brows rose as she questioned me.
I sighed and shook my head.
“When was the last time either of you slept alone in your own beds?” Chelsea asked.
“A couple of months ago,” I grumbled, picking up another carrot stick and taking a vicious bite out of it. “I just figured y’all would be more excited for me.”
Tanya smiled. “We are excited for you, Grier. You seem really happy.”
I made a face at her, which made everyone at the table laugh. Since my friends found out I’d been keeping my relationship with Eli a secret, I’d worked on being more open with them. That included things like pouting when they didn’t react the way I expected.
“Hey, Eli!” Chelsea called. “Your girlfriend is mad at us because we’re not excited for her because she’s moving in with you.”
All the men looked at us, then at Elijah. He shrugged and sauntered over, setting his beer on the table next to me.
“You want them to be excited for you, Brown Eyes?”
I heard Yancy whisper, “I love that he calls her that.”
The other girls hummed, “Uh-huh.”
“Yes,” I admitted. “Because I’m really excited.”
Elijah grinned down at me and reached into his pocket. My heart stopped when he pulled a little black velvet box out of his pocket and dropped to one knee. Sunlight gleamed on the diamond inside.
“When I said I wanted to make it official, this is what I wanted to do,” he said. “I don’t just want you to move in with me, Gigi. I want you to marry me.”
It took me two tries to say, “A girl likes to be asked.”
His smile grew even wider. “Will you please marry me, Brown Eyes? I promise that I will cherish every day I have with you and do my best to make sure you feel the same way about me.”
“Yes,” I answered, lifting a hand to wipe away the tear that dripped down my cheek.
My friends all squealed and shouted, clapping their hands, as Eli grabbed my left hand and slipped the ring on my finger. It fit perfectly. Using his hold on my hand, he pulled me to my feet and straight into his arms.
The kiss was short because we were being surrounded by our friends, all of them talking at once. Everyone was hugging everyone and smiling.
The group dispersed when Jordan and the other guys went back to take the food off the grill, Tanya went inside because the baby woke from her nap, and the other girls went inside to get the buns, condiments, and side dishes. Elijah and I were alone at the table. He sat in a chair and had me perched in his lap.
“Do you think you’ll want a big wedding?” he asked.
I glanced down at his upturned face and shook my head. “I don’t really have anyone in my life except my friends and Davide and Nick. Are you okay with something small and simple?”
“Absolutely. Other than Marcus and his parents, I don’t really have anyone apart from your friends and Davide either. Are you sure you won’t be disappointed if we don’t do something formal?”
