“Freddie was benching his feelings instead of dealing with them?—”
“Accurate,” Freddie admits.
“Ethan was being his goofy ass self…”
“What do you mean by 'was'?” Troy cuts him again.
“And I was convinced I didn't need anyone.” Alfie pauses, looking at Tara. “We were all wrong. About ourselves, about what we needed, about what love actually looks like when you stop running from it. And I, for one, am so glad we met these beautiful women here. We don’t know what we’d do without you guys.”
“When did you become a poet?” Tara asks softly.
“When you made me want to be better with words,” he responds, and even Delilah makes a small sound at that.
“The point is,” Alfie continues, raising his mug higher, “we found each other. Against odds, against logic, against our own stupid self-preservation instincts. And tomorrow, when we scatter across the country, we're not losing that. We're just... proving it's real. That it can survive outside this bubble.”
“Actually,” Alfie sets down his mug, glancing at Tara with a small smile. “Before we toast, we have an announcement.”
Tara's trying to suppress a grin, fidgeting with her hands in a way that makes Alex gasp.
“Oh my god, is that?—”
Tara holds up her left hand, where a stunning ring catches the light—a diamond surrounded by delicate pink stones.
The room explodes.
“When?” Alex shrieks, launching herself at Tara.
“Last weekend,” Tara says, laughing as everyone crowds around. “He took me to London, to the Natural History Museum?—”
“She cried at the minerals exhibit,” Alfie interjects, looking smug.
“You proposed at a museum?” Delilah asks, but she's smiling.
“In the Minerals Gallery,” Tara confirms, touching the pink gemstone necklace at her throat that matches the ring. “Right in front of the kunzite display. He said I was rarer and more precious than any stone they had.”
“Alfie Spencer, closet romantic,” Troy says, his voice thick with emotion. He stands, pulling Alfie into a crushing hug. “You've always been my brother, but now it's going to be official.”
“We're not getting married tomorrow.” Tara laughs as Alex examines the ring from every angle. “We're young; we know that?—”
“But she's going to be my wife,” Alfie says firmly, with more certainty than I've ever heard from him. “Eventually. When we're ready. But I knew I wanted to marry this girl since the moment I laid eyes on her.”
“Shut up.” Tara swats him, but she's glowing. “I love you.”
“Why didn't you tell us sooner?” Freddie demands.
“We wanted to tell everyone together,” Alfie says. “One last surprise before graduation.”
“I can't believe you kept this secret!” I exclaim.
“How long have you been planning this?” Freddie asks Alfie.
“Months,” Alfie admits. “Had the ring custom made with the pink kunzite around the edges because?—”
“Because he's actually the most thoughtful person alive,” Tara finishes, kissing him soundly.
“This is insane.” Ethan's voice is low in my ear. “Alfie 'I don't do feelings' Spencer is engaged.”
“Character development—you taught me that” I whisper back, making him laugh.
