Page 79 of Part & Parcel

“You thought I’d forgotten doing it, so you couldn’t be mad about, isn’t that right?”

Kelly swallowed hard, shaking his head.

“A lot’s changed between us since then, Kelly. But the way I feel about you hasn’t,” Nick continued, his voice deceptively calm as he moved closer to where Kelly sat on the edge of the bed. He met Kelly’s eyes earnestly for a moment, then dropped slowly to his knees at Kelly’s feet. His hands snaked around Kelly’s calves, gripping him hard. “I still mean it.”

“Babe,” Kelly breathed. Both of his hands were on Nick’s shoulders before he knew he was moving, and he slid them up toward his neck, cupping Nick’s face. “I think . . . I think we’ve both realized this week that we deserve to be happy, but we’re fighting it for some reason and I . . .”

Nick finally managed to blink away the moisture shimmering in his eyes, and his hand dragged up the side of Kelly’s leg. “I’ve been trying so hard to make you happy,” he said in a rush of fear and hope. “I hated myself for lying to you. You said yes to me and it was the best moment of my life, Kels, it was like goddamn angels singing in your voice.”

Kelly gave a weak laugh and closed his eyes.

“And then I failed you. I’m so sorry I took your trust in me and stomped it out. I swear to God I’ll do everything I can to earn it back.”

“See that’s the problem, Nick,” Kelly said with a wince. “You don’t have to earn anything from me. You’ve spent twenty years earning a second chance from me.”

“Kelly.”

“I said yes, Nick. And I meant yes.”

Nick tried to suck in a breath and failed.

“With everything I have in me,” Kelly said forcefully. “I still mean it. I love you.”

“Marry me, Kelly,” Nick whispered. He seemed to resist the urge to pull Kelly closer. Not wanting to pressure him in any way to answer. It was so like Nick. “I don’t care when. Or how. You don’t have to answer me now. But I mean it with all my heart and what little of my soul I have left. And I just . . .” He stared into Kelly’s shocked eyes, his words drowning as nerves finally seemed to swamp him. He managed to force out one last whisper. “I just needed to say it. I’ve needed to say it since . . .”

“Stop,” Kelly said shakily. Nick pressed his lips tightly together, gazing up into Kelly’s eyes, waiting for his next orders. Kelly slid his thumb across Nick’s cheek. “Don’t hedge your bets. Try it again.”

Nick sucked it a sharp breath and held it for a second, then let it out with a huff. He took Kelly’s hand in his and ran his thumb over Kelly’s knuckles. “Kelly Abbott. Marry me.”

Kelly blinked rapidly, already nodding as his eyes darted back and forth, like he was trying to decide which of Nick’s eyes to stare into as the words hit him hard enough to steal his breath away. “Yeah. Babe. Of course, yes.”

Nick patted the side of his face, grinning widely as relief visibly washed through him, making his face flush.

Kelly’s expression softened and he gave a curt nod. “Yeah,” he whispered again. “Let’s do it.”

“Yeah?” Nick asked, that tremor of stark fear still hiding in his voice.

Kelly breathed out unevenly. He realized he’d been bundling up all his anger and resentment and tossing it at Nick like a softball, for months. And Nick had finally sniffed out the reason why; that proposal, the one Kelly had so desperately wanted to be real, left neglected in his memory and pushed to the wayside.

“I don’t have a ring,” Nick admitted.

“It’s okay,” Kelly told him, shaking his head.

Nick scowled. It obviously didn’t sit right with him, and Kelly understood why. It did feel a little like the last time, unplanned and unprepared and . . . before Kelly could finish the thought, Nick was twisting the claddagh ring off his own finger, working it loose with a frown. He finally got it off and held it up. “Until we find one you love.”

Kelly nodded, and Nick slipped the ring onto his finger, heart facing outward. “Means you’re engaged,” Nick told him with a gentle smile.

Kelly looked at it for a few seconds, then took Nick’s face in both hands and kissed him. Nick clutched at him, wincing as he tried to get closer.

“Fuck you, dude,” Kelly grunted as he tugged at Nick. “Get off your fucking ass, Jesus. Come kiss me for real.”

Nick chuckled, and his smile was so wide it had to hurt his face. He shook his head. “I can’t. I’m stuck.”

Kelly rolled his eyes and slid to the edge of the bed, then gracefully to the floor, almost perfectly landing in Nick’s lap and shoving him back. Nick fell on his ass, but he wrapped his arms around Kelly, positioning them so Kelly was straddling him.

“I love you,” Kelly said solemnly. “God help us both.” He pressed himself against Nick, hands warm under Nick’s shirt, chest hard and comforting against Nick’s. He kissed Nick languidly, and Nick could feel his contagious smile as Kelly wrapped around him. Nick’s breath was warm on Kelly’s face when he breathed out. Kelly stared at him, heart pounding, ears buzzing. They were engaged.

He and Nick were engaged. This was real. This was as real as it got.

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