Lost in La La Land(73)

His plan for the night was ruined, but we still spent it in a perfect ending to a flawed and chaotic day.





Chapter Thirty-Four


I stood on the deck, overlooking the gray ocean and sighed into the wind. It was glorious, having it blow in my face and clean me off. The visit to New York had been amazing, but the solitude of our house was what the soul needed.

“Em?”

I turned, confused at the suit Mike had on.

He scowled at my capri pants and tee shirt. “You know we have dinner in like an hour, right?”

“Dinner?” I bit my lip.

“Yeah, you have the dress already laid out. Hurry up!” He glanced at his watch.

“Shit! I forgot!” I blew past him and raced for the bedroom and changed my bra and underwear before pulling on the lilac knee-length dress with empire waist that was draped across the bed. I slapped on makeup and threw my hair into a messy but stylish bun.

I pasted on some quick lip gloss and gave myself a once-over before I donned my black heels and headed out. I lifted my armpit in the hallway, checking for smell, satisfied it was still linen and lavender and not one of the times I had forgotten to put on deodorant.

When I got out on the deck a dinner had been set up, with two metal covers overtop the plates, obviously keeping it warm. There was unopened champagne and flowers and Mike.

He was kneeling.

My heart stopped. “You shit,” I whispered, realizing he’d used my lack of remembering everything against me. “We didn't have dinner plans.”

“We did, you just never knew about them.” He spoke in a way I hadn’t heard in a long time. His voice cracked and his eyes flooded with emotion. “Emma Marie Hartley, when I met you, I thought you were the weirdest lesbian I ever did meet. You and your hermit of a partner were scary, beyond all reason. The famous witches of the old haunted house on the hill.” We both laughed as he continued, his hands shaking just a little with the Tiffany’s ring box clutched tightly. “But as I got to know you, the magic spell you were under faded until I didn’t see it anymore. You showed me the beauty and intelligence of the person inside you and made me love you far before I ever knew I was attracted to you. And yes, I know how this sounds. I’m not good at this stuff, we both know that.” We laughed again. “But I knew from the moment I finished your library, my heart was yours. And it won’t ever stop being yours. I know this because if I die before you, you’ll come hunt me down, almost killing yourself to be with me.”

I laughed, hating and loving him not even close to equally.

“Make me the happiest man on earth. Marry me?” He didn't budge.

“You can’t call me out on my shit in the middle of the proposal. Lemme see the ring first.” I pretended not to be impressed.

“No. Say yes.” He laughed with me.

“Yes.” I tried not to sound like a gushing schoolgirl as I said it, and failed.

He flipped open the box and stood, towering over me.

Inside was the most perfect ring I’d ever seen. “The lady said it was the one that resembled the era—”

“You’re ruining it.” I lifted my hand.

“Right, sorry.” He slipped the ring from the box and placed it on my finger, of course fitting perfectly. It was stunning: a large square-cut diamond with a halo of small pink ones and clear diamonds going down the platinum band. It suited my finger dreamily, delicate and yet bright.

His fingers shook as he lifted his hands and cupped my face, staring into my eyes. “I love you.”

“Craziness and all?” I asked.

“Wouldn't have it any other way.”

“Then I have one condition: I want one thing for our honeymoon, and you have to say yes blindly and agree to the entirety of it.”

“Okay.” He suddenly sounded nervous.

“You’re fine. Don't be a baby. I said yes. That’s the hard part.” I lifted onto my tiptoes and kissed him, smearing lip gloss on his lips and leaving him mussed.

“Hungry?” He glanced at dinner.

“Not for that.” I grabbed his tie and led him to the bedroom. On the way, I glanced out the window to make sure it wasn't raining. I needed to be sure this was real. It was dry and sunny and warm.





Epilogue


He swallowed anxiously as they strapped him in, but acted as though he was trying to hide his nervousness. “I can’t believe this is what you wanted, and you didn’t even tell me until now.” He growled, looking sexy in his hospital scrubs.

“I just want you to see it once. And if you still hate me in three hours, you have plenty of time to get an annulment.”

He lifted his middle finger from the restraint.

“I love you, Mike.”

“I don't feel loved, Emma.”

It was the last thing he said to me before the drop.

When I opened my eyes, I didn’t see the bright light of the load into the machine. They’d fixed that. It was loaded already as we landed.

I grinned at Mike’s Rand al’Thor costume. He had on a white blouse, a brown cloak, and black breeches. There was a small sword at his hip, nothing fancy. This was Two Rivers Rand. He was still a boy. So Mike looked young, maybe twenty.

He blinked for a minute, confused and starry-eyed before he peered down at his outfit, lifting a black boot from the ground. “Holy fuck.”