Page 40 of The Forever Game

I’ve got a plan. I’m proposing! Screw her feministic side. I want to be the guy who drops to one knee. I’ve got it all planned. I’ve booked a hot air balloon ride, and we’re going to drift across the Nolan U campus. I’m going to tell her all my memories from our time at school together, and then once we’re back on the ground, I’m going to jump out of the basket and present her with a ring.

It’s all booked and paid for. She’s not stealing this romantic moment from me.

“Well…” I force a yawn. “I’m actually kind of tired. It was a big day, meeting with clients and stuff. Think I might head to bed.”

I jump off the couch like it’s suddenly on fire, and Lani, without me to lean against anymore, topples onto the cushions.

Her head pops up and her eyes narrow, like she knows I’m up to something, but when she opens her mouth to speak, I start singing.

She probably thinks I’m possessed, but I don’t know what else to do. Belting out the theme song fromAvengers, I walk to the bathroom. “Dah-dah, dah, dah-na-na-dah…”

“You’re so weird!” she calls after me.

“Thanks, boo.” I raise my hand, not even turning to look back at her.

I hear a short huff and then what sounds like a cushion being thrown down to the ground.

It’s hard not to grin as I step into the bathroom. I’ve gotten wind that she wants to ask me to marry her, but I bet you a million dollars her proposal is not as romantic as mine. She’s got to let me have this one.

But knowing Lani, she won’t.

Shit, she’s probably going to refuse the fucking hot air balloon ride.

Dammit!

I should have just surprised her at work and popped the question weeks ago. But I want it to be epic. I want people to ask, “So, how did he propose?” and then for her to go on about how legendary and creative I am.

Is that really too much to ask?

Crouching down, I pull open the bottom drawer of the vanity, unearthing the ring box from the very back. Popping the lid, I gaze down at the ring I had specially designed. She’s going to love it. Even if she’s annoyed with me for proposing before she could, as soon as she sees this thing… she’s gonna go weak at the knees.

“I’m winning this round, boo,” I whisper with a grin, knowing deep down that as long as I get to marry this woman, I’m the ultimate winner, no matter how it plays out.

JUNE

CHAPTER15

MIKAYLA

We’re meeting one of my least favorite clients today. Ryan’s convinced he’s going to be the next big thing in baseball, but I find him to be an arrogant prick who thinks the sun shines out his ass, and every time I’m around him, I feel like I need to be wearing sunscreen—creep factor one billion.

He always sits across the table, watching me like I’m something to eat. It grosses me out.

Ryan signed him when I first started at the company, and I don’t even know why I have to be at these stupid meetings, but he makes me come to every one of them.

I could be finishing off the stack of filing he gave me this morning and actually leave on time for once, but a gopher does what a gopher’s told, and I ended up having to leave all that work in order to attend this meeting. Ryan probably still expects me to go back and finish it after the meeting, though. Oh joy.

He said these sessions are good training for me, so I should be grateful, but I don’t know… I guess I’m not feeling it today. Or any day that I have to meet up with Axel Wayens.

It’s been a shitty week, and I know I should be getting pumped for Tammy and Baxter’s wedding, but I’ve got so much work on my plate. It’s stressing me out and making me grumpy, and that’s making Ethan grumpy, and… grrr. Life is just hard right now.

Straightening my cutlery the way Dad always does, I spin my wineglass around and tut when I realize I’m not wearing my rings again. Dammit! I must have left them on my nightstand. Ethan is going to be so pissed. I’ll have to make sure I get home before him so I can slip them back on.

I’ve been making an extra effort to wear them since he’s home more, now that the season has ended, but I was rushing out the door this morning and…

“Shit,” I murmur, rubbing my ring finger and picturing my husband.

He’s helping his dad with some overdue renovations and has been keeping busy being a handyman. He seems to be loving the time with his dad and comes home pretty happy. He left before I was awake this morning, wanting to fit in a workout before driving up to Denver.

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