“Does he have any idea?”
“He will if you keep giving him a reason to be suspicious.” I kiss her cheek and set her feet on the ground.
“What are you two scheming?” Tom asks, sliding one hand around her waist while shaking my hand with the other.
“Nothing,” she says innocently, beaming at him.
He shakes his head with a laugh. “Uh-huh. Sure.”
“I’ve learnt it’s best not to ask questions when these two are together,” Zac says, coming up behind me and kissing my cheek.
We have lunch by the pool, catching up, and more of their friends arrive throughout the afternoon.
Theo and his partner show up after dinner, and it’s good to see how settled he is after spending the last two years working for the army. I guess the structured lifestyle really works for him. We were never that close when we were teammates, unless you count me seeing his naked arse while he fucked someone on my bed—no, I still haven’t forgiven or forgotten that—but Zac’s known him since they were kids, and it’s fun to catch up and shoot the shit about the good old days.
The vibe is casual and relaxed, but as the time ticks down to midnight, I become anything but.
“Are you okay?” Zac asks, finding me on the upstairs balcony, looking out at the view of the harbour. “You’ve been quiet all night.”
“Just taking a breather,” I say, relaxing into his embrace.
His arms come around to rest on the railing in front of me, and he rests his chin on my shoulder, kissing the side of my jaw. “Okay.”
I love that he doesn’t press. He accepts my moods, knowing his presence is enough to calm me, and I’ll open up to him if I need to. My favourite moments with him are moments like this: quiet and peaceful, where we’re justcontent in one another’s company. I keep waiting for that honeymoon period to wear off, for us to get sick of spending all our time together, but I’d happily stand and watch paint dry if it meant I was with him.
“You don’t have to stay up here with me,” I murmur. “I’ll be down soon.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
I twist in his arms, my heart fluttering when I see the truth in his eyes. My tongue swipes over my bottom lip, and he leans in to kiss me. It’s soft and sweet, and when he pulls back, I know I’m not waiting until midnight to make this perfect man mine forever.
“Zac, I—” Emotion clogs my throat, and I work to clear it, but it takes me a moment to compose myself. “Fuck, this was not how this was supposed to go.”
His brow furrows. “Howwhatwas supposed to go?”
Releasing a breath, I try to gather my thoughts. “When I moved to Beckford, I was a shadow?—”
“Myshadow,” he says with a smirk, moving in to kiss me, but I place my hand on his chest, shooting him a look.
“I have a speech prepared.”
He chuckles, waving for me to continue.
“My feelings for you terrified me from the moment I met you because I didn’t think I could ever have this. I never told you, but I went to Euphoria twice before the first time you and I hooked up.” He frowns, and I rush to explain. “I wasn’t with anyone else, and I think it’s because I was waiting for you.”
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the small box.
“Noah…” he whispers in a husky voice as I open the box with shaking hands to reveal the simple platinum band I had made for him. My favourite part is the engraving of our initials and the date we first hooked up at Euphoria.
“You’re the light in my darkness, Zac. I love you sofucking much. You pulled me out of a really bad place where I was hurting myself because I couldn’t accept my feelings were normal. You made me realise I could have what I want, and what I want is you. I want you forever. Will you be mine? Will you marry me?”
He blinks, tears glistening in those beautiful blue eyes that make my pulse race.
“This is where you say something,” I mumble, my cheeks heating when he just stares at the ring. “You don’t have to wear it. I wasn’t sure what?—”
“Yes,” he blurts. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you, Noah. I love you. I want to be yours. Forever.”
“Yes?” I repeat dumbly, my pulse thundering in my ears.
