“Liam, I am so fucking proud of you, and I will do anything I can to support you on this journey.”
“You always have, D, but now that you mention it, I was wondering if I could crash with you? Going back to my dad’s doesn’t really feel ideal. I’m still a little uncomfortable that he has the hots for someone with your face.”
A laugh bursts from my throat, drawing a few stares, and I quickly clap a hand over my mouth as I wave an apology for disturbing the ambiance.
“Liam, you don’t even have to ask. My condo is your condo for as long as you want to stay. Preferably forever,” I throw out with a smile, rubbing the back of his hand.
“About that…” Liam starts before trailing off. He pulls his hand back from mine and sticks it in his pocket, making me think I’m not going to like what comes next…always waiting for the other shoe to drop, I guess. “You know, there’s a funny story about this place. Remember when I told you I ran into Vox the other day on the slopes?” My muscles clench, not understanding where he’s going with this. “Well, Zeke, the host, tried to turn me away, saying they didn’t have any tables, but Vox had this crazy-ass idea. I went along with it because I knew you’d love this place. You see, they reserve this table for proposals because it’s the best seat in the house. And you deserve the best. At first, I thought it would end as a funny story and a way to get a killer view for an already memorable night, but as more time has passed, I don’t want this to be a funny night and a good meal. I want this to be the start of forever. Therealstart of forever.”
I’m sitting there, silently begging my brain to catch the fuck up.
Is he saying what I think he’s saying?
While I’m processing, Liam slides his chair back and moves to stand next to me before dropping to one knee. Conversations all around us freeze as everyone in the restaurant turns their gaze in our direction.
My eyes go wide, and I cover my mouth in shock.
Emotion clogs Liam’s throat, and he has to swallow multiple times before he can speak, which makes tears spring to my eyes. I have to blink rapidly to clear them so I can see Liam properly, because I don’t want to miss a second of this. As I do, they begin falling down my cheeks.
“Damon, you’ve been present for every high and every low in my life, and you’ve loved me through all of them. That love has changed over the course of time, but never wavered. On this trip, you opened my eyes to a possibility I’d never considered before, and maybe it should scare me…I guess on some level it does, but only because the answer might be no. But me and you, we’ve always been right. The last few days feel like the inevitable trajectory of our lives. Sure, the storm moved in, and the destination wasn’t known until recently, but we were always meant to end up here. I love you, Damon. As unsure as I’ve been about everything in my life, I’ve never been unsure about you. I don’t want to live any part of my life without you…Will you marry me, and stay with me forever?”
Holy shit.
Holyfuckingshit.
Marry him? Hellyes,I’ll marry him!
Forgetting my surroundings, I fly out of my chair and tackle him. Thankfully, he catches me and pulls me to stand with him instead of allowing me to send us sprawling to the floor. Hewraps his big arms around me, and I’ve never known joy in all my life like this moment right here.
I’m crying, borderline sobbing, as his mouth finds mine.
“I love you,” he says against my lips.
I’m so fucked up I can’t even kiss him properly.
“Hey, D. Shhh,” he hushes me, trying to get me to calm my dramatic ass down. My, how the roles have reversed. Liam pushes me away just enough so he can cup my face. “I’ve got you. I’m learning how to pull my own weight thanks to you, but I gotta know,” he says with a nervous chuckle. “Is that a yes?”
Nodding frantically, I tell him, “It’s always beenyesfor you.”
He slips the ring on my finger, and this time, when we embrace, applause erupts around us.
“I’m sorry I’m such a mess. I promise I won’t have a meltdown every time we have a moment, but this one is just areallybig moment.”
Grinning, Liam guides me back into my seat before reaching across it and taking my hand, rubbing his thumb over the ring now on my finger.
“You can have a meltdown whenever you need to. I’ll always be here to pick you up.”
Chapter 36
Liam
“Ithink it’s time,” I tell Damon, nudging his shoulder with mine.
We’re all checked in at the airport, and instead of this being the moment I dreaded from the start of the trip, it’s a continuation of the happiness and peace I’ve found since arriving. It’s unbelievable how much can change in two weeks.
“I’m ready whenever you are,” my fiancé tells me, closing his laptop from the cushy pleather chair next to me.
Gathering our things, we walk to the front desk of the airport lounge that Damon’s credit card gave us access to and request the key to one of the private office workstations.
