I laugh and feed him a piece of pancake. “One day, yes. When I have the time to plan everything I want for us.”
My mind jumps to what I have planned for my future. If everything goes as expected, I’ll be busy for the next few years.
“I’m projecting myself with a quant analyst role and PhD before I’m thirty-five. We’ll see where in the next ten years we can squeeze in wedding planning.”
Behind the lip of his cup, Locke frowns. “I can’t wait that long to marry you.”
I laugh, but his expression doesn’t budge. “It’ll be worth it. I’ll have a six-figure career and we’ll be so well off, we can have whatever we want for the wedding.”
He waves his hand like what he’s about to say is nothing. “Money isn’t the issue. We’ll just use my savings.”
“We can both equally provide for our wedding.”
His forehead creases. “No, no. Your money is foryouto spend, and my money is also for you to spend. So, let’s just spend mine.”
I shake my head and chuckle. His expression is so stern and serious. I think to some extent, he really means what he says.
Still joking, I hum into another bite of breakfast.
“One day we’ll just randomly tell our friends we’re engaged. They’ll be half-confused because we never even said we were dating, but not confused at all, becauseof coursewe’re engaged.”
I’m laughing under my breath at the hypothetical look on Lil’s face, when Locke shifts. A deep red hue has blossomed onto his cheeks, and he’s leaning back, hand reaching for the drawer of his nightstand.
“Talking about that…” I feel heat everywhere. My cheeks must turn a similar shade as his when he pulls a small jewelry box out of the nightstand.
Now? I haven’t even combed my hair.
Locke seems to have registered my expression. He starts shaking his head rapidly, glasses going crooked on his face. “I’m not proposing yet, I swear.”
I release a long breath from my chest. My hand is held to my heart working overtime, and my lips pull into a half-heartedsmile. I’m glad I’m not being proposed to with syrup on the corners of my mouth, but part of me is a little disappointed. Just a tad.
If he did propose right now, I would’ve said yes. I think, no matter the circumstances, if Locke asked me to be his for a lifetime, the answer would always be yes.
The man of my dreams fixes his glasses before saying, “I know we’re basically together, and honestly, I don’t think there’s a label that encompasses how I feel about us. I know I’m yours, and you’re mine, and that’s more than enough.” My heart warms. He sums up my own thoughts into words, soft touches of his hand on my thigh, and shy smiles.
“But we can have that understanding of our relationship for us. Just us. Other people can call it whatever they want. I couldn’t care less about what someone else thinks we are. I’ll be whatever you want me to be, Rosalie. As long as I’m yours.”
Partners. Lovers. Soulmates.
Every one of them feels right, but still, somehow, not enough. Not nearly enough to express what Locke is to me.
Slowly, his hand leaves my skin to pull the jewelry box open.
A line of diamonds trace the gold L pendant. Small, and subtle, but unforgettable once you notice them. The necklace isn’t exactly like the one we saw during that autumn romance film when we admitted our feelings. It’s close, but this one is gold—the exact metal I like.
I turn the jewelry around my fingertips. On the back, in a font so tiny I might’ve missed it, the words“Yours, always.”are engraved at the bottom.
I turn it over again. Lightly brush over the jewels while my mind processes that, once again, Locke McCarthy shows me he hears me in silence.
“Do you like it?” He asks, whispering.
In a shaky voice of disbelief, I confess.
“I love you so much, Locke.”
It’s confirmed for me, that truly, I’ve never known what love is. Nothing has ever felt like this. When I speak my feelings into the air, my soul goes with it. Floating around our bodies with our bond keeping it tethered to this moment.
Just so he doesn’t second-guess my appreciation of the gesture, I smile and answer, “The necklace, too. I love it all. I just… love you.”
