Toxic (Ruin, #2)(72)

“Yup.” I laughed. “I don’t want to leave any room for doubt.”
“Doubt about what?”
“The way I feel about you. The way I feel about us. The way I feel about everything.” I sighed and released my hold on her hands, taking a step back so I could gather my thoughts better. “Today was Princess’s funeral. But Kimmy? She’s been gone for four years.” I shrugged. “Honestly, I thought I’d feel broken forever.”
Saylor didn’t move a muscle.
“But…” I paced in front of her. “I don’t. For some reason, in her death, I finally feel whole. Like everything’s come full circle. But there’s still something missing.”
“More fish?” Saylor offered.
“You’re getting warm.” I smirked and purposefully strode toward her.
“Water?”
“Even warmer.” I grinned, tilting her chin toward my face.
“More… boats?”
“With sails…” I sighed. “And people who man them…”
“You lost me.”
“Saylor.” I kissed her mouth. “I’m missing you. You’re the final piece to the puzzle, the star on the top of the Christmas tree.”
“I have always wanted to be a star.” She grinned.
“Be serious.”
“Call me a star again.”
“Say…” I groaned her name. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Saylor’s arms snaked around my neck as she pressed her lips against mine, once, twice, three times. And then pulled back.
“I know you’re young…” Damn, my throat was dry. Stupid nerves. “But, I want to start a life with you — I want to be with you. Forever.”
Saylor’s face lit up. “What exactly are you asking?”
“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”
She nodded.
I fell down on one knee.
And that’s when she started sobbing.
“I swear the harder I try to fix your tears, the more you cry. I’m going to be a nervous wreck around you for the rest of my life.”
She nodded again, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“Saylor.” I cleared my throat “I know you’re young. I know you need to finish school. I’m great with that, because I’m not going anywhere. I want to build my life here, with you. I want to have a beginning, a middle, and an end to our story. I want to create music with you. I want to take care of you. The last thing in this world that I deserve, is the gift of your love, the gift of your commitment to me. I realize that…” I shrugged, using the shrug as a way to actually process this huge moment.
Funny, my whole life had been based around Princess, but now that I had the freedom to have a future. All I saw was Saylor. Living wasn’t living without sharing that life with her.
“But I want you anyways, by my side. I want you to marry me.” My hands shook as I grabbed hers and squeezed. “Damn, I think I’m doing this wrong.” Nervous, I briefly broke eye contact and then looked up at her perfect face. “I love you. I love you more than life itself. I never want to say goodbye. And I don’t want to pretend ever again. Please, be my wife?” Please say yes, please say yes. Please don’t kick my ass…
Saylor nodded and then jerked me to my feet. Our mouths met when I was about halfway off the ground.
“I’m excited,” Saylor sobbed, “to start our story.”
“Sweetheart…” I kissed her soft mouth. “Our story started the first time I laid eyes on you and you fell on your ass.”
“Thanks for the reminder.”
“Stalker.”
“Turtle.”
“Maybe we’ll come up with better nicknames.” I kissed her harder across the mouth and pulled back.
“Later.” Saylor’s tongue pushed past my lips.
Groaning I lifted her into the air and assaulted her mouth, “Right. later.”



Epilogue
Gabe
6 months later
“Wife!” My yell echoed around the house. A smile formed on my lips when Saylor walked around the corner with her hands on her hips and glared.
“When I said new nicknames I meant something sexy.”
“Sorry.” I shrugged helplessly. “Wife…” I said it in a deep sultry voice and then started peeling off my clothes. First my shirt, second my jeans, third my boxers.
Saylor’s breath hissed out of her mouth as I stood in front of her naked. “You were saying? Wife?”
Saylor focused in on my abs, legs, arms — really every part of my body but my face.
I snapped my fingers. “Hey, up here. We’re about to have a serious talk.”
“Like that?” She pointed at me and squeaked.
“Yup.” I crossed my arms.
“Fine.” She pulled off her shirt.
“Wait.” I held up my hands. “What are you doing?”
“Two can play this game.” Her hands moved to her jeans.
We’d been married two days. Two actual days.
Rather than waiting, Saylor and I decided that, doing the whole long engagement thing? Not working so well, especially considering it felt like we were practically living together anyway.
Besides, if there was one thing we learned it was that we weren’t promised tomorrow, only today, so we got married.
“Say…” I groaned once her jeans fell to the floor.
She stepped out of them, clad in only her bra and underwear and then moved her hands.
“Wait!” I shouted my eyes fighting to figure out where to look first. “Our very serious discussion can’t happen if we’re both naked.”