Jules snapped her head up, her eyes enormous. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
I stepped around the desk, my heart now threatening to pound right out of my chest. “The things that used to drive me crazy about you? Your laser focus, that stubborn determination, how passionate you get about work? They’re the things I love most now. Some of the things, anyway. If I list everything, we’ll be here all day.”
Jules’s fingers closed around the ring, lifting it from the folder. She stared at it, spellbound.
My legs felt like jelly as I gently took the ring from her.Swallowing hard, I dropped to one knee. “Julianne, you’ve changed everything for me. You’ve helped me face the stuff I’ve been running from my whole life. Helped me see a future I never thought was possible.
“I used to think commitment was a dirty word. But with you? It feels like the most natural thing in the world. You might have moved into my place six months ago, but I guess that’s not enough for me. I know I’m not exactly the poster boy for seriousness. But, Jules, I’m dead serious about you. About us.”
I strove to memorize every moment of this. The way her raven hair framed her cheeks, the slight tremble of her lower lip. Her eyes widened, and her mouth hinged open.
I pressed on, my voice growing stronger with each word. “You’ve had faith in me when I didn’t have it in myself. You’ve pushed me to be better. And along the way, you’ve become my anchor.”
My hands were slightly unsteady as I took the ring from her and held it up. “I want to build a future with you. Here and wherever else life takes us. Will you marry me?”
“Eli, I…” she began, her voice thick with emotion. As she cleared her throat, a smile broke across her face, brilliant and genuine. She vaulted to her feet. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you!”
My heart took flight. I rose and slid the ring onto her finger. She let out a watery laugh, flexing her hand to admire the sparkle. When I wrapped my arms around her, I marveled at how perfectly she fit against me. Her body trembled slightly, and I realized she was laughing, a sound I’d grown to love more than the sound of waves on the shore.
“What’s so funny?” I murmured into her hair, breathing in the faint scent of her shampoo.
“Us,” she replied, her voice muffled against my chest. “Getting engaged in my office. Two years ago, I would’ve bet my entire savings account that this moment was beyond impossible.”
I laughed, tightening my hold on her. “Good thing you didn’t. I’d hate to start our engagement broke.”
With a surge of joy, I lifted her off her feet and spun her in a circle. Her startled yelp turned into peals of laughter, echoing off the walls of her office. After she returned to earth, her gaze drifted to the scattered papers on her desk—and now on the floor too—a familiar, calculating look crossing her face. Her fingers traced the edge of an invoice, then she looked up at me with that trademark arch of her eyebrow. “So… do I still need to worry about this file?”
I threw my head back and laughed, a sound that emanated from somewhere between my chest and my soul. “That file is pure junk. Total prop. I’ve been stuffing it with every piece of paper I could find for the last two weeks, after I bought the ring and came up with the idea.” I glanced at my fingers intertwining with hers as her ring glittered. “I’ve already given you everything that actually matters.”
“Yes, you certainly have.” Then she laughed and shook her head. “Only you would turn a marriage proposal into an elaborate paperwork joke.”
“Hey, I know my audience.” I tapped the side of my nose. “Accountant’s weakness—messy file management.”
Jules groaned, but her eyes were sparkling. The diamond caught the light, casting tiny rainbows across her fancy new computer screen, a splash of unexpected color amid the neat columns of numbers.
I laughed again as my gaze took in the utter chaos andmess on her blotter. “You know, I think I’m finally rubbing off on you. Your desk looks suspiciously like mine.”
Jules playfully swatted my arm. “Don’t get any ideas, Coleridge.”
I raised an eyebrow, fighting back a grin. “Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that.”
The current state of her desk was just like us. Unexpected. Perfectly imperfect.
