Page 172 of The Seven Rings
“Good enough, and it’s going to really get me angry if you keep beating yourself up over it.”
“It might take me a little while. It was intense. Meanwhile, here’s something I haven’t said to another woman. Because you’ve got to be careful. I love you. And I’m telling you because tonight brought home shit happens, so why wait?”
“That’s a really good reason, so I’ll join in. I love you right back.”
“I figured.” He drew her close, held on. “Like I figure you’re not moving out of here until you have a studio that stands up against this one. And until this is all over anyway.”
“Are you asking me to, at some point, move in with you?”
“Well, yeah.” He drew her back. “It’ll take a while. I’d need to build on, a lot, but it’s a good spot, great views, especially when we go up.”
“How long’sa while?”
“About a year, most likely, to do it right.”
“All right, we’ll have dealt with Dobbs by then. I’m damn well determined on it.”
“Fine, after we do that, we’ll get married in there somewhere. Sonya’s not kicking either of us out.”
“Who said anything about getting married?”
“I did. I’ll build you a hell of a studio, Lafayette, but you gotta commit.”
“Show me the design, and I’ll give it serious consideration.”
“I’ll work on it. But you don’t get it unless you marry me. That’s the deal.”
Looking at him, she decided on her scale the moment, this moment, rang the bell on romance.
“It’s going to have to be an amazing space.”
“I’ll make sure of it. We’ll look out for each other.”
“Yes. Yes, we will.”
“I won’t let you down.”
And again, the bell rang.
“I know it. Same goes. Let’s go in. You have to get up in a couple hours.”
When they started inside, he looked up.
“I wouldn’t have gotten around to all this yet if she hadn’t pulled this shit tonight.”
“See that? She lost on so many levels. She’s going to keep losing, Owen. I feel more sure of that now than ever.”
“If I’d hurt you—”
“Stop. You didn’t.”
“I mean if she’d managed to pull this off? She’d have pushed me—or maybe wouldn’t have had to push—into killing myself. That’s what she wanted.”
Because she’d thought the same, Cleo only nodded.
“And she’ll never get it. None of us will ever hurt each other. You said she’s afraid of Sonya.”
“I felt that. Through the rest, I felt that.”
