Page 91 of LOT 62

I grinned at that.

“We’re going out. You guys good?” he asked.

“Yeah. I’ll take this bitch to the beach and then patch him up at home.” I nodded to Maddox, who was deep in a hushed conversation with Xavi. “Where are you guys going?”

Nate rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, to a party thing.”

“With this chick you’re sharing?”

“Not sharing. Just… both loving on,” he laughed. “Physically loving. Not emotionally. Shut up.”

I cleared my throat, but Nate cut me off before I could say anything else.

“I don’t need any cock-minding advice tonight, asshole. Fuck off about it.”

Yeah, right. “Be careful,” I said anyway. “See you tomorrow?”

Nate nodded, his smile lingering a few extra seconds. “Okay, have fun. Just, uh, have fun.” He handed me my cell and I shoved it in the tiny pocket of my swim shorts.

What a weirdo. I watched him take off with Xavi, the two of them looking back at us for a second. I ignored them and hooked Maddox’s arm over my shoulder, stumbling down the beach and carrying all his weight.

“Use your damn legs, Madd.”

“I can’t,” he laughed. “You kicked me in the hammy and now I can’t walk.”

Yes he could. He was just being a mopey bastard because he knew I’d help him. We got so far down the beach that the lights and noise from the fights faded, leaving only the waves and the moon to orchestrate the rest of our night.

I brought him to the water’s edge and unhooked his arm from my shoulder. Facing the water and breathing it in, I felt the thrill of the night wash over me. “Alright, Madd. Time to collect my prize.”

My lips were pulled in a wide smile as I turned to face him, but it turned into an unattractive O when I found him crouched in the sand.

“You wanted me on my knee, right?”

“Both knees.”

“One knee,” he countered.

Holy fuck.Fucking hell. Fucking fuck a fucking duck. Was this really happening?

My vision blurred with unwanted tears and my body bristled with way more adrenaline and energy than it had during the fight. I couldn’t breathe.I couldn’t fucking breathe.

“Maddox…”

“Devon,” he started…

41

-Devon-

Icouldn’ttellifI was choking on air or breathing too much of it. My chest pounded with the force of my heart, and my knuckles burned with gritted sand between them, clenching around it all just to keep myself together and not cover my mouth like a blushing bride.

“Devon,” Maddox started, and my throat got thick. “I told you once that I wanted to hate you, have you, fuck you, and fight with you.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and recalled the night he said that. It was after a race at the track, and it was his definition of what we were. I loved it.

“And now? Now I want to hate you, have you, fuck you, fight with you, love you forever, and marry you.” Maddox pulled open the velcro on his swim shorts’ pocket. His bloody hand held out a silver-toned ring, and I swear to actual fuck my heart straight-up ceased beating. Paused. Waited for the question. “Marry me, Devon.”

Okay, not a question. A demand.

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