I can’t help myself from responding in the exact same way he did earlier. Smiling, I nuzzle my temple against his and brush a kiss to his cheek, just above his beard.“My Jackson.”
We stay like that for a moment, breathing each other in, before Jackson draws away and hands me the satchel. “Open it.”
Reallycurious now, I don’t hesitate to rip into the packaging, a little surprised when I pull out a book. Jackson is definitelynota book person, but he’s clearly put a lot of thought into this. I turn it over so I can see the cover and my whole body freezes as I’m overcome with a sense of rapt amazement.
“It’s a first edition,” Jackson says. “From the sixties. It said on the site I bought it from it was in really good condition, so I hope that’s true.”
Slowly coming out of my stupor, I move my hand over the cover, reverently tracing the foil stamping of the title, and the stenciled image of the familiar little girl. Over and over, I trace the delicate foil, my gaze fixated on the path of my forefinger as emotion causes my throat to tighten and the back of my eyes to prick.
“Sky?” There’s wariness in Jackson’s tone, but I still can’t bring myself to tear my gaze away as my forefinger once again traces the lettersR-A-M-O-N-A.“Are you okay? You’re not saying anything…”
“It’s perfect,” I murmur. “The most perfect present I’ve ever been given.”
“Really? Even more perfect than the Poe Dameron boxer briefs from last Christmas?”
The corner of my mouth tilts up in response to his teasing, but I can’t bring myself to quip something back. I’m just too overwhelmed right now. “Did I ever tell you why this is my favorite book?” I ask him.
Jackson’s quiet for a moment, then he says, “I remember my mom gave you a copy she found at a junk sale and that was the first book you ever owned.”
I nod in acknowledgement of the memory. I’ve been obsessed with books and reading and learning for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until I was seven that I actually got a book of my very own. One that I could write my name on the inside cover, and read as many times as I wanted, and keep for as long as I wanted to—not like the library books that always seemed to be due back before I was done with them. It was the most precious thing I owned, and I cared for it as though it was a priceless heirloom. It wasn’t until years later that I found out it had only cost Steph about twenty cents at one of her weekend treasure hunts, but that didn’t change its value in my eyes.
I smile and shake my head slightly. “That made it more special. But it was already my favorite book before that.”
“Okay…why, then?” Jackson asks curiously. “Of all the thousands of books you’ve read in your life—why this one?”
I trace my finger over the little girls again. “Because she led me to you. I would never have been bold enough to escape my place, let alone climb through your window if I hadn’t been so fucking curious about this Ramona girl I heard Steph talking about. It just sounded like such an unusual name, and I was dying to know what made her a pest.” I finally tear my eyes from the book and glance at Jackson, finding him gazing at me in that familiar way that makes me feel so cherished and loved. “I’m sure we still would have been friends, even if we were just neighbor kids chasing lizards and riding the bus to school together. But we wouldn’t have beenus.Not without her,” I add, brushing my hand over the stenciled illustration of Ramona Quimby again. “This was the Big Bang.”
A soft smile touches Jackson’s lips as he takes a moment to gaze at me. I catch glimpses of wonder and gratitude in his expression, and I’m sure the same thing is written on my own face. “I guess it’s my favorite book now, too.”
I let out a soft laugh and carefully set the book down beside me before reaching for Jackson and pulling him in for some much-needed lip cuddles.
I feel as though the past twenty years have just replayed themselves in a matter of minutes, and all I saw was Jackson.My Jackson.My person. My heart. My home. My universe. My history. My future. My always.
“Marry me,” I blurt out. It’s a complete impulse, but as soon as I say the words, I know there’s nothing that makes more sense than this. We were always going to spend forever together, even before our relationship changed. This would just be sealing the deal.
Jackson just stares at me, wide-eyed. “Huh?”
I slide my hand up to the back of his head, grazing my fingers over his scalp as I start laying kisses on his lips and cheeks and nose. “Marry me,” I repeat. “Marry me, Jackson.”
He lets out a soft hum of pleasure and butts his head back into my hand. “What was the question?”
I grin and move my kisses across to his ear. “It was more of a demand,” I murmur. “But I can be nice and polite if it’ll help. Please, marry me, Jax. Tomorrow.”
He lets out a sputtering laugh, jerking a little and causing my hand to fall away. “Tomorrow? Today’s not good for you?”
I draw back and let out a sigh. “Today’s not good for the state of New York,” I explain. “We need to wait twenty-four hours after getting the license or the marriage won’t be legal. Unless…” I perk up, hitting Jackson with a quirked brow. “You don’t happen to already have a marriage license lying around, do you?”
He shakes his head, eyes glimmering in wry amusement. “Sorry, babe. I guess it’ll have to be tomorrow.”
I grin at him. “So that’s a yes?”
“That’s afuck yes.”
I throw my arms around him in a fierce hug that propels him back against the mattress. He takes me with him and I end up sprawled on top of him, staring down into the beautiful face that’s more familiar to me than my own reflection. “Celebration lip cuddles?” I suggest.
Jackson quirks his pierced brow suggestively. “How aboutnakedcelebration lip cuddles?”
A wide grin spreads over my face as I duck my head to brush a brief kiss to his lips. “I knew there was a reason I wanted to marry you.”
