Page 24 of Sturdy & Dirty

Same as before. I send an emoji, you say ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Well, I answered, you might or might not know this but… that’s my favorite game.

I beg to differ, he argued. Your favorite game is How Many Licks.

I felt my face go hot at the reminder of the dirty game we played to see how many licks it took for me to come on Austin’s face.

We’d lost count.

Okay, I stand corrected.

He sent a laughing emoji followed by the hot smiley with the tongue hanging out. You ready to play?

Ready, I sent.

The first emoji was the biting lip.

Y.

The next to come through was a couple in love.

Y.

And then… the eggplant. But this time, it was paired with a peach.

I laughed as I sent back, Y.

There was a pause before the next message buzzed my phone, and when it did, I had to blink several times to believe my eyes.

Did… did this mean what I thought it meant?

No. It couldn’t.

I stared at the screen where a diamond ring stared back at me. An avalanche of emotions threatened to bury me as the typing bubble popped up letting me know he was sending another message.

A heart emoji.

Then an old lady paired with an old man.

And finally… the fingers crossed emoji.

I couldn’t make my fingers work fast enough, and my eyes blurred with happy tears, temporarily obscuring the screen, but somehow I managed to send my answer.

Y.

Y.

Y, paired with the infinity sign.

Before I could send another one, Austin emerged from behind the curtain holding a small velvet box. He wore a tailored suit I’d never seen before, and the soft look I’d come to know meant he loved me.

I loved him too.

So much that I thought maybe this was all a dream. I was going to be so pissed if I woke up.

Without a word, he dropped to one knee before me and opened the ring box. Inside was a glittering princess cut diamond ring.

“You are precious to me, Holly James.” His nervous expression had me wanting to join him on the floor. Had me wanting to fling myself at him before he could get it all out. “You gave me so much when you trusted me with your heart. With all your smiles, and your secrets. I love your passion to make the world a brighter place for those around you. And I love you. With my entire being. There is no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with. Will you be mine? Will you build a future with me, brick by brick? Will you marry me, pretty girl?”

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