“So don’t you think it’s about time we make this official?”
She nods as tears fill her eyes. “It’s kind of fast, though.”
“Are you forgetting that we were already engaged?” She laughs as another tear slips down her cheek. “Marry me for real, Dilynne. Be my rock, my person, the one that I want to start and end all of my days with. Let me be a piece of your world because for the past year and a half, you’ve been the biggest part of mine, and I don’t want to go back to how it was before.”
“Can we still fight?”
“And have hot makeup sex? You bet.”
She smiles as she bites her bottom lip. “You promise not to complain about me smelling like oil and grease?”
“Honestly, it’s kind of grown on me.”
“And you’ll—”
I cut her off, standing from the ground and crashing my mouth to hers, opening up to her tongue until I slowly pull away from her. “I’ll give you everything you want. Just—”
“Yes, Elliot,” she whispers against my lips. “I guess I’ll marry you for real.”
“You guess, huh?”
“I mean, we got really good at playing pretend, so…”
I cup the side of her face, studying her dark eyes. “I don’t think this ever was pretend for me, baby. You changed my fucking life.”
“I love you,” she mumbles against my mouth before kissing me again. “I love you more than I ever thought possible.”
“Fuck, I love you too.” Dilynne wraps her arms around me, keeping her mouth tangled with mine until we finally part and I slip the ring on her finger. “I hope you like this.”
“Are you kidding? It’s black like my soul and the color of grease. It’s perfect!”
“Your soul isn’t black, Dilynne.”
“I’m just joking.”
“Well, don’t joke about something like that. Your soul woke mine up and I wouldn’t be the man I am today if it weren’t for you.”
***
Two Months Later
“Okay, no more snacks. It’s time to play some blackjack,” Laney says as she wipes her hands on her leggings and rubs her belly.
“You heard the woman. Deal,” Fletcher tells me as he rests his arm on the back of Laney’s chair.
Henley leans closer to Elodie. “Okay, do you remember what we talked about? What the rules are?”
Elodie glares at him. “For the hundredth time, yes, Henley. Now leave me alone so I can kick your ass and make you regret ever doubting that I should play blackjack with you in the first place.”
Laney claps her hands together. “Spoken like a true wife.”
Elodie wiggles her fingers on her left hand, letting the light hit her engagement ring. “In a few more months, that will be true.”
Henley plants a kiss on her cheek. “The only person I could stand losing to for the rest of my life is you, sweetheart.”
She smiles over at him. “Aw, that’s nice that you’re trying to suck up to me, baby. But I’m out for blood,” she says, turning her focus back to the table before rubbing her palms together.
Dilynne nods. “Hell yes. We’re going to make you boys regret not letting us play with you.”