“Jesus—that’s a nice ring.” Amber says, leaning over my shoulder where I sit at Felix’s dining-room table.
“Mhm.” Felix agrees from his seat next to me.
“I might have made a few large purchases recently.” I admit—looking between the two of them. “Let’s just say I’m a real adult now.”
“A few?!” Kayla asks, leaning her elbows on Fe’s shoulders.
I just grin—letting them chew on that for the foreseeable future.
???
The next day Benjamin is laying on top of me—hands up my shirt, head resting on my chest as he watches TV. His phone on the coffee table in front of us begins to ring.
“Ugh.” He whines—but answers anyway—not bothering to check the caller ID. “Hello?” He’s staring down at me from where he’s now perched up. “Oh—hey Amber.” I raise a brow at him and he shrugs. “Next Saturday?” He stares at the wall as he thinks for a moment. “I’ll ask Aaron if I can and text you.” Something hot burns in my chest and my arms tighten around him.
I’ll ask Aaron if I can…
Benjamin puts his phone back on the table and turns to me—not at all hung up on his own words.
“Amber wants me to help her shop next Saturday. Is that okay?” He asks me and I grin up at him.
“Do you want to go?” I really fucking hope he does.
“Umm—” he thinks for a moment. “What will you be doing without me?” Answering my question with a question.
“Probably jacking off to the thought of you.” Benjamin flicks my forehead.
“Thennope. I’ll stay right here and watch.” I laugh, sitting up and wrapping my arms tightly around him as he sits on my lap.
“You should go. It’s been a while since the two of you hung out one-on-one. I’ll just go to the gym and then read.” I’m praying he doesn’t see I’m lying. He knows me too well.
Benjamin watches my face for a moment before he shrugs.
“Okay—if you think so then I’ll go.”
“Aww—” I bury my face in his neck. “You’re so cute.” Benjamin giggles, puttinghis hands in my hair.
“You’ve literally domesticated me—trained me to be this way.”
“That makes it even better.” I say—leaning back up to kiss him—running my tongue along the ball on his tongue before pulling away, staring at those little dimples. “That means you’ve never been so cute to anyone else.” Rolling his eyes, Benjamin grinds down on me, and I can feel myself hardening.
“If I’m so cute you should touch me about it.” He gives me his evil little grin as I stand—keeping him wrapped around me.
“Insatiable little demon.”
???
I’m wearing what I think is proper proposing attire. Black slacks—blush-blue button-up tucked into a leather belt with a gold buckle. Black leather loafers. My curls are the same as they always are—but since they’re that curl pattern between super curly and wavy—there’s really not much you can do with them. Too long to gel down neatly, too short to pull up into a bun. Oh well. My watch tells me they’ll be here any minute now and the ring is burning a hole through my back pocket the longer I wait. The lanterns are flickering beautifully—everything is perfect. Felix and Kayla have already left and I’m starting to feel antsy when I hear a car pull up—a door open. His voice is quiet from this distance, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
“Where the fuck are we?” Benjamin asks and I can’t hear Amber from the driver’s seat. “What?! A trail—by myself? Are you pranking me? Aaron’s gonna kick your ass if you leave me here, missy.” I try not to laugh at his threat—all things considered. “You jerk!” I hear the car pull away and Benjamin’s footsteps as he gets closer.
I see him before he notices me. I was gone to the gym before he was up this morning, so it’s my first time seeing him dressed for the day. He’s wearing one of his pairs of high-waisted dress pants with a regular—clean-pressed shirt tucked into them. The pants are a coffee brown—the shirt a bright white. His shoes are some kind of brown boot that I am unfamiliar with, and his button sitsproudly on his chest—bracelet on his wrist. Benjamin’s golden hair sits like the halo it has always resembled—bright in the setting sun as it grazes the tops of his ears and onto his forehead.
Finally—those hazel eyes find mine.
“Aaron?” He’s confused—walking now with no hesitance. “What’s going…. on?” He’s looking around me—at my attire—at the lake. Then his eyes find mine again and he halts a few feet out of reach.
“Button.” I call out to him and his eyes grow wide. He can hear it in my voice.
