While I Was Away(92)

“I know. I don't, either. Next time, you're coming with me,” he informed her, yanking at her shirt and untucking it from her pants.

“I'd like that,” she groaned when his hands pressed against her bare back.

“We're leaving right after the proposal,” he growled, his fingernails scratching their way to her breasts.

“Sounds like a plan.”

“And when we get home, I'm going to -”

“Break it up in there, c'mon! This ain't a Roman orgy!”

Ocean's shout was followed by a loud banging noise. Adele let out a squeak, then laughed and hopped off the sink.

“To be continued,” Jones whispered, then he winked at her and opened the door.

“Jesus christ, I didn't think you were gonna make it,” Ocean hissed as he stepped into the small room.

“Neither did I,” Jones nodded and handed over the ring box. “But here it is, so let's go make an honest man out of you.”

“You couldn't have found a less annoying soulmate?” Ocean snapped, but he was smiling while he did it, so Adele just laughed some more.

“Hey, I didn't get to pick, I just took what was given to me.”

By the time they got to the living room, Ocean had his arm slung around Jones' neck and he was giving him a playful noogie – though he was careful to stay away from the scar, she noticed. When they broke apart, Jones moved to stand near the end of the table, so she abandoned her seat and went to stand with him.

“You try to raise your sister to grow into a decent woman who makes good choices, and yet she still ends up with a guy like him,” Ocean sighed loudly, and everyone chuckled. Jones just smiled and pulled her in front of him, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on top of her head.

“Better than ending up with a guy like you,” Zoey zinged her boyfriend right back, and that caused everyone to laugh some more.

It also gave Ocean the perfect opening.

“Excellent point,” he nodded. “I am pretty awful. So how'd you end up with me?”

“Bad decisions,” she immediately joked.

“Well, hopefully you're willing to make a couple more.”

Zoey was still laughing when Ocean took the ring box out of his pocket. Adele held her breath as she watched the moment unfold. Stared while realization dawned on her best friend's face.

“Everything is like you said it would be a year ago,” Ocean kept talking as he grabbed her hand and gently pulled her to her feet. “We fight and we're crazy and sometimes I don't know what the hell you did to make me fall for someone as insane as you. But I fell hard, and I don't want to get back up. So what do you say, Blanke – marry me?”

The box was open, the ring was out there, and Zoey was staring it. There was a long pause. So long, Adele thought she might pass out from lack of oxygen – she was still holding her breath. Jones finally squeezed her, forcing the air out. Then Zoey let out a soft laugh. Then another. Then one more before she wiped at her eyes.

“Real romantic, Reins,” she said in a shaky voice. “Our kids are gonna be so fucking embarrassed by us.”

“Are we gonna have kids together?”

“You better fucking believe it.”

Then he was slipping the ring on her finger and everyone was jumping to their feet and cheering. Roaring, really, and rushing to congratulate the couple. Adele couldn't really remember moving, but suddenly she was in the thick of it, wrapping her arms around Zoey.

“Did you know!?” Her best friend was laughing and crying at the same time.

“No,” Adele assured her. “I had no idea. But I'm happy. Too many boys in my life – I always wanted a sister.”

“You're so ridiculous, Adele. We've always been sisters.”

Then someone was yanking Zoey away and demanding their own hug, so Adele let her go. She turned to Ocean instead and was enfolded into his arms.

“This is crazy,” he whispered in her ear. “Tell me I'm crazy.”

“You're crazy,” she agreed. “And I love it. Never change.”

Then River was next to them, squeezing into the hug.

“You didn't tell us!” he yelled. “How could you not tell us? This is amazing! I'm proud of you, man. So fucking proud.”

Finally August was there and completing the hug, wrapping his arms around all of them.

“And I can't wait for the bachelor party. Tell Zoey we're sorry if we kill him.”

And they were laughing and Adele was crying a little, but it was good.

When she finally managed to pull herself free, it was just in the nick of time. One of Ocean's friends was shaking up a bottle of champagne and spraying it over the happy couple. Adele was trying to shove her way through people when a strong hand wrapped around her own. She smiled happily as Jones pulled her out of the crowd and onto a small balcony.

“Well, I'd say that went well,” he chuckled, shutting the door behind them.

“It went ... perfectly,” she sighed. She turned and leaned against the railing, looking out over the landscape.

Ocean had moved into a new build in the middle of nowhere, close to the precinct he worked at; there weren't any other completed apartment buildings near them. His own building was mostly empty, he was only one of three units occupied so far.