“If you think I’m going to have sex with you in this locker room just because you’re wearing that suit—”
“While that is now completely on my radar—it’s not why I wanted you to come down here.”
I frown back at him. “What do you mean? I came because you left your phone.”
“I may have left it on purpose.”
I cock my head. “But why?”
“Because this is my favorite place in the world, and you’re my favorite person in the world, and it felt like there was no better place to do this.”
My brows shoot up. “Do what exactly?”
I feel like I stop breathing when he drops to one knee, my heart rate ratcheting higher becauseoh God, it’s too soon—and I can only watch helplessly as he bends and reaches for a little velvet box in his pocket, making my brain fizzle out and short-circuit.
“Jack,” I sputter, “what are you—”
“Abby,” he interrupts. “These last six months have been everything I could have ever hoped for. I know we never expected this to happen between us, but I can honestly say that you kissing me that first time is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Jack,” I manage tightly, still feeling overwhelmed, “I don’t know if—”
“Your smile is the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and your laugh is the last thing I think about before I go to sleep. Everything about you is everything I could ever want, and I know without a doubt that there will never be anyone else for me. No one could ever be more perfect for me than you are.”
“Jack, I—”
I swallow thickly as he slowly opens the box, and what I expected to be sitting there, which has been filling me with panic, turns out to be something entirely different—a shiny silver key resting inside the box. I can feel the confusion bleeding into my expression as I peer down at him, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing.
Jack just smiles at me knowingly. “That’s why I want to see and hear all of those things every day. I want toseeyour smile when I first wake up, and I want tohearyour laugh before I go to sleep.”
“What are you asking me, Jack?”
He stands, plucking the key from the box before he grabs my hand and presses it into my palm. “I’m asking you to move back in with me,” he says simply.
I smack his arm. “You jerk! You almost gave me a heart attack.”
“Aw, baby, did you think I was going to ask you something else?”
“I could murder you.”
“You love me too much.”
“That’s unfortunately true.” I eye the key in my palm, willing my heart to stop pounding so hard. “I told you to only ask me when you were sure we were forever.”
“I know what you said,” he tells me, “and that’s why I’m asking you.”
My lip quivers over something as simple as a key; I’m suddenly feeling overwhelmed for an entirely different reason. “And you’re sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my entire life, Abigail Thompson.”
“Wow, you full-named me.”
“Needed you to know how serious I am.”
“Mm, we love serious Jack.”
He leans in, brushing his lips against mine. “Do we love him?”
“You know I do,” I say, kissing him gently.
