Page 20 of Silent Verity

“Sorry to interrupt,” Richard said, though he didn’t sound sorry at all. “Kalin, Spike, I need a word with you two.”

I looked at my two friends in confusion. What the hell had they done to piss off Richard? Or to gain his attention so undivided like that?

“Fuck off,” Kalin bit out, his upper lip curling in disgust at Richard. My eyes widened, and Jesse tensed beside me. Tor, who had been reaching for a water bottle, paused and looked at Kalin with wide eyes. The only person who seemed unbothered was Salem. He didn’t even seem to be paying attention, his eyes on his phone, though I knew he was aware of everything happening.

“Kalin,” Spike muttered, standing to his feet, “not here.”

“I’ve got nothing to fucking say to him,” Kalin snarled, surprising me. Kalin was always laid back and chill. He never lashed out like that. In fact, I couldn’t think of a single time he’d gotten truly angry. To know Richard had done something to infuriate him was alarming.

Spike grabbed Kalin’s wrists and pulled him off the couch, then pushed him from the room as soon as Richard moved out of the way. The door shut behind them quickly, and I blinked slowly, trying to wrap my head around what the fuck just happened.

“Anyone know what that was?” Tor asked, frowning at the closed door.

“I think the three of them have something going on,” Salem said, not seeming interested in whatever just happened in the slightest. “I heard Kalin arguing with Spike about Richard the other night when I went to get us some water from the kitchen.”

“About Richard?” I asked. “The three of them are… what, dating? Seeing each other?”

Salem shrugged one shoulder. “Seems like it.”

I shook my head in disbelief. When the fuck had that happened? “I didn’t even know Kalin and Spike were together.”

“Me either,” Tor admitted.

Salem sighed. “Spike is private. You guys know that. If he wants us to know he and Kalin are together or banging or whatever the fuck it is they’re doing, he’ll make it known. Though I think the cat is out of the bag now after that display.”

I silently agreed.

“If they do have something going on with Richard and shit goes sideways, what about our future?” Tor asked. “I like working for Nightwork Records. We won’t get treated half as decently if we end up somewhere else.”

“I hope they don’t make this messy,” Jesse grumbled. “I won’t cope well with change.”

I squeezed my arm around him again in support. He hated change, but he had me now, especially since we’d cleared the air about the whole living situation thing. I still couldn’t believe simple miscommunication had driven us apart. Still blew my mind fucking months later.

Tor stepped back into the recording booth, and Jesse slumped back against my side. I leaned my head back, letting myself doze off and trying not to worry about Kalin and Spike. Or what their fight with Richard might mean for the rest of us. I would hope Richard wouldn’t let it affect the band as a whole, I also knew relationships could get fucking messy.

Especially one with a power imbalance like theirs.

I was almost asleep when I felt Jesse move. “Where are you going?” I mumbled, opening my eyes just enough to watch him.

Which meant I saw him when he dropped down to one knee.

My eyes snapped open, and I sat up straighter, staring down at him with wide eyes. “Jesse?” I rasped.

He swallowed thickly, and with trembling fingers, he held up a simple black Tungsten band. Like a fucking sap, tears welled in my eyes. Was he really fucking doing this? Was he really doing what I thought he was doing?

The door behind him opened, and I could hear Kalin and Spike talking, but they both abruptly shut up and stopped in the doorway when they spotted Jesse on one knee in front of me.

“I love you,” Jesse croaked. “I had a huge speech in my mind, but now I’m drawing a blank. I don’t know why I’m nervous, but I am.” He sucked in a shaky breath. “I know this isn’t some extravagant place, but we have all our friends here, which feels special enough. Will you marry me, Dalton?”

“Jesus fucking Christ, baby,” I laughed, a tear slipping down my cheek. “Fucking yes, I’ll goddamn marry you.”

He stood and grabbed my hand, slipping the ring onto my finger. As soon as it was in place, I gripped his hips and yanked him down so he was straddling my lap. Leaning in, I kissed him hard, slow, and deep. He softly moaned into the kiss, his fingers sliding into my hair and tugging on the strands.

“I love you,” I rasped, breathing hard and fast. Didn’t matter how many times I kissed him, he still made me dizzy with need for him.

He nodded. “Love you, too,” he mumbled. Then, he leaned in, kissing me again. And fuck if I would ever deny him.

“There’s other people in the room,” Salem drawled.

“Oh, shut up,” Kalin told him. “They just got fucking engaged, dude. They deserve this.”

I laughed softly against Jesse’s lips, then hugged him to me, burying my face in the crook of his neck.

I couldn’t believe Jesse had asked me before I’d asked him, but that was fine. We were engaged, and that was all that fucking mattered.

I’d pick our wedding date and our venue—which would be the courthouse because fuck extravagance—to even the playing field.

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