If it were any other day, I’d have said something sarcastic. But seeing as he himself is enough to think of all the negatives, sweating his balls, I take pity on the guy. “Relax, man. She’ll say yes. A fool can see that she loves you,” I assure him. Since it got too cheesy for me, I add, “Though I can never really understand what she sees in you.”
I shake my head as if I’m seriously pondering over the matter.
Ezra jabs his elbow in my ribs, his eyes narrowed at me. “Get fucked!”
I groan, rubbing the spot that he abused, chuckling at his obvious distress. “I deserve it,” Iaccept.
My eyes latch onto Andie, who’s trying to get her brother’s attention behind Kaeli’s back, giving him some command with her eyes that only Ezra understands. He instantly sobers up, his shoulders squaring as if he’s preparing for battle and not about to propose to the woman he knows loves him.
“Let’s do this,” he mutters under his breath, stealing my drink and chugging it down for some liquid courage.
It’s showtime, I guess.
Thirty Two
Noah
Ezra slams the glass bottle on the kitchen counter, takes a deep breath, and grabs a wine glass and a spoon.
Tapping the glass lightly, he grabs everyone’s attention. With the bubbling excitement on almost everyone’s face, it’s highly likely that literally everyone except for the woman of the day is aware of the impending marriage proposal.
“Here goes nothing,” he exhales on a nervous chuckle and zeroes in on Kaeli, whois now by his side, looking at him with confusion displayed across her face.
The people chuckle at his obvious distress, but he’s all in now and doesn’t pay attention to anyone except for the woman he loves.
Grabbing her left hand, he begins, “Kaeli, knowing you has been the honor of my life. Before meeting you, I’d been lonely, craving companionship, yet doing absolutely everything in my power to stay away at the barest hint of relationship, and you know why.”
An unsaid understanding passes between them, their eyes talking in a language only they understand, communicating their secrets in a room full of people.
Kaeli’s eyes line with tears, which is a rare sight to see as she squeezes Ezra’s hand, lending him silent support.
He clears his throat and continues, “When you literally collided into me all those years ago…” Kaeli cocks an unimpressed eyebrow at his statement, and he emits a throaty chuckle. “Fine,Icollided into you and ruined your shirt and almost cost you your job. Happy?” He rolls his eyes at her.
“Very,” she says, all too pleased that she got him toadmit it.
I roll my eyes at them and their banter—their version of foreplay.
“That day, I felt alive for the first time again, Feather,” he confesses, his eyes shining with sincerity.
My eyes instantly find Andie as she stands beside Roman, and I surprise myself when my heart skips a beat, finding her eyes already on me. Ezra’s words made me think back to the first time he introduced us to his sister all those years ago.
That was the day when I first realized there was still some beauty in this world. Years and years and years of suffering and darkness had tunneled my vision.
“And all while we fought and argued with each other, seeming like we hated each other, I was hatingmyselffor wanting you when Icouldn’thave you,” Ezra’s words cut through the haze in my mind.
“Well, you got the team policy changed to be with me, didn’t you, darling?” Kaeli marvels at the lengths the man has gone for her.
Ezra releases a string of soft chuckles, shaking his head. “You didn’t leave me any choice,really,” he says with a shrug of his shoulders, causing the crowd to laugh along. He heaves a long breath, his eyes staring right into hers. “You beautiful, stunning, gorgeous, incredibly intelligent, stubborn woman, I’m so fucking glad I belong to you.”
“Me too,” she whispers, her voice barely audible.
A cloud of darkness and loss falls over Ezra’s face. “When you were sh—” he clears his throat, his head falling between his shoulders. “When you were shot, and I thought I lost you,” he continues, looking back up again.
Even Roman loses himself to those memories and harsh days when his sister was kidnapped and shot by a psycho. I will never forget the guttural wail Ezra emitted when Kaeli slumped to the ground, giving in to the gravity after being shot, blood gushing out of her body. He looked so fucking broken. It was horrific, and I can’t imagine experiencing something like that.
“I wanted todie, Feather,” he chokes on a sob, catching himself. But Kaeli doesn’t have that luck as her tears flow uncontrolled, her brother rubbing her back in a show of silent support, or maybe feeling that she’s still standing, still alive.
Not a single pair of eyes is dry in the room. Not even mine, as I feel my gaze go cloudy. I look away for a second and wipe my eyes before tears fall. I’m surprised I still have tears left to cry.