Page 29 of Nothing Without You

Proposed Wedding Date: July 29th, 2026 (open to other suggestions)

“Direct your attention to slide one. This is a presentation about why you should marry me.”

“But—”

“Doll.” His voice was a warning.

I sighed. I knew it would be better if I just let him get through this, but it felt ridiculous. Why in the world were we talking about marriage all of a sudden? I thought we came to an understanding about not moving in together yet, but deep down, I knew that wouldn’t be the last I heard about it. I just didn’t think he would up the ante to marriage. My head spun as I tried to pay attention. Knowing Keegan, there would be a pop quiz at the end.

He clicked a button on his laptop, and slide two appeared, listing the current issue and the reasoning for the proposal.

Keegan paced the length of the room with his hands behind his back as he spoke.

“You don’t want to move in with me unless you’re engaged. I understand that. In fact, I receive that. Darnell⁠—”

I sighed. “Damien⁠—”

“Wasted a lot of your time. You spent years with a nigga who wouldn’t put a ring on your pretty little finger. He had no problems dogging you out but refusing to leave. I want to prove to you that I’m not him, but above that, I love you, and I want to spend my life with you. We wasted so much time pretending there was nothing between us, and I’m done wasting time.”

My heart stopped. “Kee, wait, baby. Please?”

Keegan stopped pacing and cut his eyes at me. I could tell the interruption irritated him, but I didn’t care. I stood up and crossed the room so I stood in front of him.

“You . . . you love me?” I whispered as I reached my hand up and cupped his face.

He frowned. “That ain’t obvious?”

I thought about it. I’d always known that Keegan was different with me than everyone else. He protected me and took care of me like he loved me. Deep down, I knew.

“Yes, I just never heard you say it,” I whispered, feeling like I was in a daze.

His hand cupped my cheek, and he kissed my forehead and then my nose. “How could I not love you, Chyna Doll Elise Drayton, soon to be Slater?”

I giggled, though I felt happy tears slip out of my eyes. “I love you too, Kee.”

We kissed, and I felt like everything in the world was suddenly right. The pressure to find a new place, the hardships of being a single mom, and the financial struggles I endured all melted away. Keegan knew how to make everything right. How could I not love him?

After the kiss, Keegan pulled away and gestured toward my chair. “Can you sit, please? I want to get through this so I can feed you.”

I couldn’t believe he still wanted to go through with this stupid presentation, but I knew there was no way out of it.

I took my seat, and Keegan flipped to the next slide, which consisted of all the reasons a marriage between us would work.

He resumed his pacing. “We already like each other. Actually, I need to amend that. We love each other. The next step is marriage, followed by more babies.” I almost choked on my spit when he said that, but I was able to play it off like I simply had to clear my throat. “Our sons are best friends, and they already act like brothers. They want to be brothers. Also, you laugh at my jokes. Nobody else does that.”

I laughed loudly. I couldn’t help it. This was so silly.

Keegan glanced at me, but he kept going. He tapped his laptop again. This time, the wall lit up with frequently asked questions.

“You may have questions. I have answers. Is this too soon? No. Next question . . . What will people think? Fuck them. Next. Are we moving too fast? No. And lastly, have I lost my mind? Yes, but that happened long before you came around. I was born this way, so it doesn’t count. Any more questions?” He stopped pacing, turned, and peered at me.

And what the hell was I supposed to say to that?

“No?” I said it as more of a question. This was all happening so damn fast.

“Good.” He clicked his laptop again.

I shrieked with laughter. “You got testimonials?”