“Thank you,” I said, pulling the back door open I stepped out and saw two different couples kissing. Another pair were practically dry humping on one of the deck chairs.
“You were saying?” Asher looked far too smug for his own good.
“No orgies are being filmed today, and that’s final.”
Asher rolled his eyes. “Spoilsport.” He flicked his gaze to me, his expression full of pride. “Are you ready to address your adoring fans?”
“I’d hardly call them fans,” I said, to which Asher scoffed.
“I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking to Sawyer.”
I glanced over at my boyfriend, who appeared a little on the pale side all of the sudden. Sawyer was good with small groups. He was a true introvert who was far happier being a wallflower, out of the spotlight.
“I’m ready. I guess.”
Asher put two fingers in his mouth and let out a sharp whistle to get everyone’s attention. “Listen up, sluts. Sawyer has a speech planned. Don’t interrupt him or make direct eye contact for too long. He’s a writer. He’s not used to being out of his cave and he’s easily spooked.”
“You’re an ass,” Sawyer said to Asher, but he was smiling now and seemed a little more relaxed. I watched him take a deep breath and then quickly scan the crowd. Lara came lumbering over, as unhurried as ever, and she plopped down on the deck, leaning heavily against his leg.
“I know I’m fairly new around here compared to all of you. Most of you have known Lukas for years. Some of you have known him in more intimate ways than others.”
That got a whistle and a cheer from the crowd that made Sawyer—and me—blush.
“But all of you have been so kind and so welcoming. You’ve messaged me about the book, having only words of praise and encouragement to share. You’ve really made me feel like I belong. I feel more at home here than I feel at my actual home. I just wanted to take this opportunity, when all of Lukas’s friends are here, when he’s surrounded by the people he calls family, and formally ask him.” Sawyer turned and took both my hands in his. He didn’t drop to one knee, as I’d started to expect he might but feared he would. The blood roaring in my ears nearly drowned him out. “Lukas, you might not have noticed, what with the book launch and everything, but I’ve moved all my things over.”
“You—what?” I sputtered, caught off-guard. Whatever it was I’d been expecting to hear, that wasn’t it.
“It was Asher’s idea, really,” Sawyer hedged. “He said I already live here. I have keys and a code to the alarm. I hadn’t been back to my place in a month. He kept track. He said I mightas well move my stuff in, and he promised me you wouldn’t mind. Or notice. We’d talked about it, but we hadn’t ever really decided on when it would happen. So I just… did it.” Sawyer’s cheeks were so red they could probably be seen from space.
“I—” I turned and glanced at Asher, who stood there grinning like an idiot. A well-meaning, meddlesome little idiot. “I’ll deal with you later,” I warned him, and he only smiled brighter, then I looked at Sawyer again. Besides myself, Asher was the only one who knew what I’d really wanted this party planned for. Sure, I let Asher take all the credit for the idea, and I’d let him run the show from the guest list to the food and everything else. Leaving one task up to me.
“I’m so incredibly sorry that I didn’t ask you sooner. You see, I had this whole big thing planned.”
Sawyer smiled and shook his head. “It’s fine. We were both caught up in life.”
“I feel bad that I never got to ask you to move in properly.” I reached into my pocket and watched the confusion wash over Sawyer’s face as I dropped down on one knee. The crowd gasped and some people in the back started to cheer until Asher silenced them.
“Shut up, you idiots. I can’t hear with you yelling.” Asher turned back and shot me a smile. Sawyer and I were laughing even as I popped the ring box open.
“It’s pretty obvious where this is headed, and I tried to write some kind of grand speech, but we both know you’re the writer so I’m just going to wing it.”
I took a breath, wet my lips, and tried to keep my heart from jumping out of my chest.
“Sawyer, you helped me write my past and now I hope you’ll agree to help me write my future. Our future. Adopt more dogs with me. Move in with me. Marry me, Sawyer.”
“I’m sorry,” Sawyer said, making my heart drop into my stomach, but then he flashed me a killer smile. The wave of relief nearly knocked me over. “But was there a question in there somewhere?”
“Sawyer Whitehead, love of my life, will you marry me?”
“Yes. Of course, I will.” Sawyer bent down and cradled my face in his hands and smashed his mouth over mine. The crowd erupted in cheers. Asher was the loudest, his enthusiasm outshining everyone else’s.
After I slipped the ring on Sawyer’s finger, a silver band with tiny diamonds all the way around, we kissed again, until the well-wishers forced us to come up for air. Sawyer was pulled into more hugs than he knew how to handle. It wasn’t a secret to me that he loved every bit of the affection, even if it was a little much for him. When I met him, he’d been this touch-starved person that leaned into affection like a cat seeking sunshine.
Each day that we spent together was a gift that I vowed never to take for granted. I’d never expected to meet someone like Sawyer. Someone who saw me for who I was, not what I did. He saw all the different parts of me. The adult film actor. The creative director. The businessman. The struggling dyslexic adult. And he loved all the versions of me so well that it felt like there was just one version of me now.
The one that was his.
After enduring endless hugs, I pulled Sawyer close and kissed him again. Slow and deep, not caring who was watching or the fact that a few of them had their cell phones out recording.
