"Because when a guy cares about a girl as much as I do you," he continued, "he’s willing to give her everything she wants. If that means waiting, then that’s what it means."
He reached into a crumpled brown paper sack she hadn’t noticed in his grip and placed a bobblehead that looked a whole lot like her on the table beside the bed. "You deserve everything, Gorgeous. Starting with your own…you. And, uh, you know where to find me. Whenever you’re ready. There’s no rush."
Her gaze was glued to the bobblehead of herself, her mind turning over all he’d said. Her eyes misted and the thick weight of forever without him lifted from her shoulders.
Mach stood and wadded the paper bag in his hand. And then he strode to the door, opened it, and left.
Like, he actually walked out the door.
He rocked her world and then he left.
She hurried to follow him, stopped herself and went back for the doll, then back to tracking him down.
The hallway was mostly empty, and he’d nearly made it to the bank of elevators before she caught him.
"Mach!" she called before he could press the button.
He turned, and his expression went funny as she ran to him. That magnetic pull too much to fight any longer. She didn’t give him the chance to do anything but catch her as she tossed her arms around his body and held on.
"Stop walking away," she said against his neck.
He held her close, his hand at the back of her head like she was precious. "Okay. All right."
"I turned down the Nurses on the Frontline placement," she said. That seemed like something he needed to hear.
The relief in his eyes was everything she needed to keep going.
"I’m not going anywhere," she promised, as her feet found the ground once more.
"Why?" he asked, studying her face like he’d forgotten what she looked like.
"Because what I want isn’t there," she said, gripping the lapels of his jacket. "It’s here. In a swimming pool on a pizza slice."
He grinned a half grin.
"It’s you, you lug nut." She went in for another hug, but this time his mouth met hers and even though it was the most unprofessional thing she’d ever done at work, she let him kiss her.
"So we’re both willing to give the space, but neither of us wants it?" Mach asked, his thumb tracing her cheekbone.
She snuggled against his chest. "That’s what it sounds like."
"We could do the whole get married thing someday, if you want?" he asked like that was an actual proposal.
She pressed her face into his chest. Because this was one of those dreams that she didn’t want to compromise on again.
She opened her mouth to tell him she wanted this to be it. And for this to be her everything, she couldn’t skip any of the parts that meant something to her. Starting with that special proposal. It was important. She loved him all the same, but could she please have more than just an “if you want”?
What she said wasn’t that. "I’m going to require an actual proposal with you on your knees."
"One knee?" He lifted his eyebrows.
She smirked. "I don’t know. You do good work when you’re on both knees."
That bought her a full belly laugh.
"I love you, Mach," she whispered, pressing up on her toes to press a quick kiss to his mouth.
He wasn’t having it. No, this time he took her mouth like he owned it. And when they finally came up for air, they were both breathing hard.
