Fighting Silence (On the Ropes #1)(66)

“This sounds like a really good thing, Till. Don’t muddle it all up.”

I could hear the warmth in her voice, and it calmed me immediately.

“I love you,” I said quietly, even though it deserved more emphasis than I could ever give with words alone.

“I love you too. I’m really proud of you. ”

I breathed a content sigh. “I have no idea what I would do without you.”

She giggled. “You’d probably be emaciated from your all-ramen diet and stuck hanging out of the third-story window.”

“Why the third story?”

“’Cause if we ever break up, the boys decided they want to live with me. They told me they liked me better than you.” She giggled. “And I lived downstairs for enough of their one a.m. Royal Rumbles to know I’d want my bedroom on the third floor this time.”

I grinned as I sank down on the bench. “Wow. This sounds like a big house, moneybags.”

“Yeah. My boyfriend was a big-time heavyweight boxer. He bought it for me.”

“Jesus. I want to do that,” I whispered.

Suddenly, her laughter disappeared. “I don’t need that, Till. I was only joking around.”

“I know you don’t, but I’m going to give it to you anyway.”

“I just need you. It doesn’t matter where we are.”

It was a sweet sentiment that anyone could recognize, but to me, it was everything.

She was everything.

I cleared my throat to cover the intense emotion and then changed the subject. “You’re right. This is a good freak out.”

“I’m always right.” She laughed, and it eased my entire world.

“So I’ve been told.”

“What time are you coming home?”

“Probably late. New fight needs a new plan.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.” She paused. “I might even be naked when you get here.”

I let out a groan. “Mmm . . . I love the way you think. Now, talk dirty to me and tell me you’ll be holding a plate of twice-baked potatoes.”

She burst out laughing, and my lips split into a smile. I listened for a while, savoring the sound.

Finally, she got quiet again. “I love you, Till.”

“I love you too. I’ll see you tonight.” After a quick goodbye, she hung up, but I was left staring at my phone for several minutes.

I’d just gotten a fifty-thousand-dollar fight that would be televised for the entire world to see. Yet, somehow . . . it wasn’t even the best part of my day.

I sucked in a deep breath.

Yeah. I was definitely going to be late that night. It was time to tap into my savings account . . . and hit the hardware store.



Me: The boys are spending the night out.

I sent the message the moment I saw the headlights of Till’s truck pull into our parking lot. Then I sprinted to the bedroom and counted to ten.

Me: Twice-baked potatoes. Check.

I sent him a picture of a plate filled with them and then counted to twenty as I settled onto the bed.

Me: Naked. Check.

I snapped a quick selfie of my breasts, making sure that Till’s favorite freckle had made it into the picture. Laughing, I pressed send.

Then I screamed at the top of my lungs as I saw his face lit by the glow of his phone outside our window.

“Fuuuck,” he groaned, still staring at the phone even as I freaked out on the other side of the glass.

“Shit! What are you doing?” I asked as I pried the window open.

“I’m saving that picture for my home screen.” He finally looked up at me.

“Why exactly are you doing it on a ladder?

“Oh, this? It’s nothing. Life was just feeling too real today. I wanted a little fantasy.” His gaze raked down my nude body. “And clearly, I’ve come to the right window.”

His eyes were playful, but it still concerned me that he was climbing through a second-story window.

“Till . . .” I started.

“So I have a theory.” He leaned on his elbows, popping his head through the opening. “That night when you pushed me out of your door, I had originally come in the window. So what if the life we have been living ever since then is like a fantasy within a fantasy?”

My stomach twisted.

“You have to admit. It’s been pretty amazing.” He smiled.

Something wasn’t right with him. I could feel it, and it scared me to death. I reached out to touch him, but he caught my hand in midair and pressed his lips to my palm.

“See, windows have never let me down before. And this might just be the biggest fantasy of them all. I needed every bit of help I could get tonight.” He placed a small, black box on the windowsill. “Marry me, Eliza.”

I sucked in a deep breath as tears flooded my eyes. Suddenly, I wasn’t sure whose fantasy we were in at all, because Till Page offering me forever had always been mine.

“Till . . .” I stared into his eyes. “Are you serious?”

“Completely. I love you, Doodle. Forever, remember?”

Fully naked, I launched myself at the window. Till was barely able to stay on the ladder as I assaulted his mouth. The ring, which I still hadn’t seen, fell to the floor—thankfully on the inside. My tongue rolled in his mouth as my hands threaded into his hair. With one arm secured around my waist, he deepened the kiss as he crawled all the way inside. My feet were lifted off the ground as he walked us to the bed. I dangled in his arms, but I had never in my life felt more grounded.