Chapter Thirty-Seven
LEVI
Stevie’s green eyes look like they’re about to pop out of her head. “What?”
She sits up with my help. She’s still weak. I know she’s thinking I’m crazy, and hell, maybe I am, but I am never, ever going through what I did yesterdayeveragain. I’ve never been so fucking nervous over anything in my life. I almost punched a damn cop.
“I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you?—”
“You haven’t gotten any sleep, Levi. We’re both tired, and you’re not thinking straight. You were worried?—”
“Worried?” I scoff. Yeah, I’m fucking tired, but not delusional. “Worried doesn’t even begin to describe what I was and am feeling.” I grab the edge of the hospital bed. “Stevie, I want to kill her for what she did to you. I want to kill Andrew for bringing her into your life in the first place, but I can’t do either of those things because they will stop me from ever being by your side again. It’s a good thing Jake and I were taking care of that last night because…” I clear my throat, stopping the frickin’ tears from falling. I’m sure my eyes are already bloodshot fromyesterday. “Because last night, I couldn’t be at your side. I’m not your family or husband. I don’t ever want that to happen again.”
Her jaw drops open. “Do you know what my moms will do to you if they find out that you proposed without their permission? They’ll kill you—no, they’ll chop your balls off?—”
“I already asked them,” I state, and move my hand to my pocket where the black velvet box is waiting.
Stevie sits up even higher. “What?”
Smiling, I grab her chin. “I’m not doing this just because of what happened last night, I was always going to do this. Fuck, I already had a plan for next year after we graduated.”
“What did my moms say?” she finishes her question from before.
I rip the velvet box out of my pocket and open it. She stares at the engagement ring I bought early this morning from Emma’s jewelry girl.
Instead of a diamond, the stone is citrine, her birthstone, in an emerald cut with a tiny cluster of moissanites on each side, all on a thin gold band. I’m paying for it in installments for a year, but fuck was it worth it for the look on her face.
I wasn’t lying when I told her I had this planned. It wasn’t the first time I’d looked at rings.
“Does this answer your question?” I grin at her.
“Oh God, this feels like a damn movie.” She flicks her eyes up to me. “That’s my birthstone.” My grin spreads wider as her eyes search mine. “You really had this all planned out.”
I chuckle. “Yeah,” I say as I lower myself onto one knee in the middle of a hospital room. I could’ve waited till we were back home when there were no wires on her head, but she needs to know that I will be here for her, come hell or high water. I’m also not exactly known for my patience when it comes to Stevie.
She covers her mouth and stares down at me. “Oh Lord.”
If she says no, I might chop my own balls off. Her moms never threatened me. In fact, they admitted to getting married soon after they met, and it worked out for them. They trust my intentions and Stevie’s gut.
“Stephanie Marie Winters, love of my life…” I breathe. “Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
Her eyes flick to mine and the ring, and with each second that passes by, my heart beats a little faster.
Fuck, she’s going to say no.
“This is fast.” Stevie tucks a piece of loose hair back, her hand trembling.
“Yes,” I confirm. “It is.”
She bites a fingernail. “We’re still in college and we have finals coming up.”
I nod. “Again, yes.”
“We have no financial stability?—”
“Bambi, do you want that future we talked about?”
“Yes.” There’s no hesitation in her response.
