Page 120 of Tulips and Lost Time

“I’m only gonna say his name once, since this is our moment, and I don’t wanna think about him too much.”

Her eyes spill over as she moves closer.

“I asked Marcus for his blessing in this, too. So now that’s out of the way, I don’t want you to bring him back into this conversation.”

She chokes out a teary laugh and nods. “Okay.”

“I’ve thought about everything we are, Bear.” I bring the ring up, pinching it between my fingers and staring past the diamond into her eyes. So much prettier. “I’ve thought about who we were way back when we met, and then who we became over the years that followed.” I drop my gaze for a beat and chuckle. “I’ve reflected on who I was in high school. And who you were. The demons you fought and the secrets you kept, all to save everyone else from pain.”

Swallowing, I reach out and take her hand. Her entire arm, shaking. Her fingers, quivering. But I don’t slide the ring on. “I look at who we are now, and I know that there is nothing in the world I can’t live without… Except you.”

Tears track over her cheeks and dangle from the edge of her jaw.

“I could live in a tiny apartment for the rest of my life, so long as you’re in it with me. I could live here in this giant house with holes in the walls, but only if I have you. I’ve come to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter where I am, Bear. Nothing matters to me, except that I have you. That’s why I couldn’t move on when we were younger, and it’s why I couldn’t choose the brotherhood I had with Marcus over you.”

“I thought we weren’t bringing him back into this?” she snickers. It’s snotty and tear-filled, which is honestly so fucking cute, I wanna puke. “You did that.”

“Shush.” I tug her closer and stop only when her leg touches my knee. “I can’t choose anything else over you. I’ve tried,” I groan. “I swear, I’ve tried. But there’s no me without you, Kari. And so, if you say no, then there’s no life for me beyond you.”

“Emotional manipulation?” she giggles. “That’s where we’re taking this?”

“You’re being an argumentative pain in my ass.” But hell if my eyes don’t itch. My heart thunders out of control, and yet, there isn’t a single shred of doubt in my soul. “I’m telling you that we don’t exist outside of us. We’re two halves of one whole, Bear. It’s always been that way for us, which is why we’re so fucking willing to set the world on fire for each other. We don’t mean to harm anyone else. But we…” I shake my head. “We belong together. There are no other options.”

“Yes.”

“Hush. Don’t interrupt my proposal.”

“But I’m already saying yes.”

“Shush!” I drag her closer, not a single shred of guilt in my heart when I force her to kneel, too. “I will prove to you, every day for the rest of my life, that being my wife is the right choice.”

“I already said yes.”

“I want to marry you, Kari. I want to spend my life coming home to you. I want to see you at work, and I fucking thrill watching you do it.”

“Did you hear my yes?”

“I want to have a giant, stupid, romantic wedding, where you walk the aisle in front of everyone we know and love, and I want you to kiss me in a church until God blushes. I want to swear my life to you in front of our friends and family. I want your brother to see me?—”

“You brought him up again. And I already said yes.”

“Shut up!” I grab her lips and pinch them shut. But her chest still bounces with laughter. Her eyes, spill over with tears. “I want to make babies with you, Kari. I want to make a whole fucking family tree with you, starting in this house and enduring into forever. And so…”

Releasing her face, I guide her up again, helping her to her feet and grinning when she looks down over me.

“If you would say yes, Bear. If you would promise to love me forever, then I swear to cherish every single moment we have. I promise to come home to you, every single night. To make you happy, and to bake those chocolate lava cakes you love so much. I promise to kiss you so often, Marcus will want to stab me.”

“That’s four.”

“I want you to be Mrs. Lenaghan. And when the time comes, I want you to be the mother of my babies. But more than anything else, I want you to be happy. With me.”

“Yes.” She slides her finger closer, hooking it in the ring I hold and pausing only when it grows tighter at her knuckle. “I choose you, Luc. Even when you pick fights with me for the sake of fighting.”

I chuckle. Or at least, I think I do. I try to. My heart pounds so heavy, I’m not sure what the fuck I’m doing.

“I choose you, even when you annoy me,” she tremors. “Especially because you do it so well.”

“Decades of practice.” Slowly, I slide the ring to the base of her finger. “It took us till now to make sure I’d perfected it.”

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