Chapter Text
I moan and flump down on my back onto the bed, arms flung out to either side of me. “I will never, ever recover.”
“You’ll be fine.”
I drape one forearm over my eyes. “Death, take me. I go willingly into your arms.”
Bodhi snorts as he bustles around the room. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m just living up to my name,” I grumble, then roll over onto my stomach so my face presses into the bedspread. I breathe in the clean and comforting smell of Bodhi and laundry. Good lord, the guy washes his duvet comforter. And he did it recently. More evidence that I’ll never deserve him.
“Which one of these looks better?”
I roll over onto my back again—flip, flop—and crane my neck up to look at him. Bodhi—looking delectable in light chino pants and just his undershirt—holds up two dress shirts, one a light lavender paisley, the other pale red and white checks.
I nod at the one on the left. “Never pass up an opportunity for paisley.” Nothing wrong with a little flair, and it never hurts to try and appease the demon Pàislig. My job done, I let my head fall back onto the bed.
Bodhi hangs the other shirt back up in his closet, then slips his arms into the paisley and starts to button it up. “I’m telling you, nobody even noticed.”
“But I noticed. And I will never unsee it now. It’s imprinted on the back of my eyelids.” The memory of the fumbled handshake-hug-kiss disaster from meeting Bodhi’s grandfather yesterday makes me shudder. I let my body slither off the bed and collapse onto the floor.
Bodhi yelps, startling me. “Hey, get up!”
“Why?” I scramble to my feet and look around in alarm. “Did a spider land on me?”
“No, I—nothing.”
Bodhi flushes a little red and turns away. I narrow my eyes at his back. “What are you hiding?” I ask, letting suspicion flavour my tone. “What’s under your bed?”
“Nothing,” he insists. He turns back to me, his shirt all done up, and undoes the front of his pants to tuck the shirt in. Hallelujah, an opportunity! I leap forward and crash to my knees in front of him before he can get the zipper done up, and plant a kiss on the smooth tawny skin above the line of his boxer briefs. Then when he chuckles, I flash a wicked grin up at him through my dark lashes.
“Nothing?” I murmur, tugging the elastic band down a bit and kissing slightly lower. His eyelids flutter a little. “You sure?”
“Nothing at all,” he says, and I’m very pleased to hear the somewhat breathless quality to his voice that means I Have His Attention.
Bodhi leans down and cups my cheeks in his hands, then kisses me, his lips plush and soft against mine. He smells like aftershave and he tastes like minty toothpaste, and my chest fills with the same feelings that have only been growing and growing for a year and a half now. God, I love this man.
He pulls away to do up his chinos, much to my regret, but then flashes one of his devastating smiles at me, which makes up for it. “Don’t you have to get going? You still have to shower, and we’re out of your special shampoo here,” he teases gently.
“Look, my hair is dramatic and has certain needs—”
Bodhi laughs. “I know, so get going!” He leans over to kiss my cheek. “I’ll see you at the restaurant at six.”
✯✯✯
There’s a skip in my step as I head down the street. I’m practically vibrating with nervous excitement, actually. Once I’m out of sight of his apartment building, I take the small dark green velvet box out of my inner coat pocket and pop it open, just to look at the gorgeous little thing inside.
It’s a wide silver comfort band, the metal brushed on the outside so it has texture, with a rectangular gem inset in the band in what the jeweller told me was a baguette cut, which sounds ridiculous but looks perfect. It’s not an emerald—I’m no millionaire—but a green tourmaline, which looks just like one anyway. Green, obviously, is Bodhi’s favourite colour.
I can’t wait to put this ring on his finger tonight.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. “Hey,” I say, tilting my head to hold the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I tuck the ring box back into my pocket. “Are you at the restaurant yet?”
“Yeah, just got here,” Liam says. “But I’m gonna be honest, I have no idea where I’m going to put this goddamn dragon.”
“Stuff it under the table or something!” I shift the phone to my other ear. “Does the tablecloth touch the floor? You can hide it underneath—”
“It’s a three-foot-tall stuffy, dude.”
“You’ll figure it out. You’re extremely capable and very handsome to boot.” I gesticulate with my hands, waving them in the air for emphasis, even though he can’t see me. I feel like the vibe still gets across. The tree in front of my house comes into view around the corner—I only live two blocks from Bodhi. “I gotta run. You’ve got this, right?”
Liam heaves a world-weary sigh. “I’ll see if I can sweet-talk one of the servers into letting me use a storage closet or something. But you owe me one, Gamlyn.”
A wide grin spreads across my face. “You’re the best! See you at a quarter to six!”
✯✯✯
I’m fresh to death and clean as a whistle by the time I rush out the door. I double-check my appearance in the front hall mirror before I leave—looking fine in my dark purple suit, might I add—and I’ve already double, triple, and quadruple-checked that the ring box is in my pocket. A light sweat breaks out over my skin at just the thought of accidentally leaving it behind.
Tonight has to be perfect.
The Uber drops me off outside the restaurant a little after five-thirty. I hop out and hurry up the steps, sparing a quick glance around to make sure Bodhi isn’t early.
“Ridoc Gamlyn, here for the Gamlyn party,” I tell the woman at the front of house.
She smiles at me. “Man of the hour!” Her glossy brown ponytail bounces from side to side as she leads me through the restaurant to the long table at the back by the wine wall.
The table looks great. The tablecloth is nowhere near long enough to reach the floor, though, so I hope Liam found a place to hide the giant stuffed dragon I bought a few weeks ago to give to Bodhi tonight. It’s an inside joke—on our first date we joked about riding dragons together, and it’s been a thing with us ever since. Liam’s going to bring it out after I say a few words, Bodhi’s going to think that’s the gift, and then he’ll be so surprised when he turns around and I’m on one knee. I can’t fucking wait.
Liam looks up from setting out name cards around the table and breaks into a smile. “There he is!” The blond giant walks over and man-hugs me, pounding me on the back like he forgot he’s six inches taller than me and built like a bull. “Feeling good?” he asks.
“Yeah.” The smile on my face is two parts nerves and four parts excitement. ...Okay, maybe three and three. I fill my lungs with a deep breath and bounce on my toes a couple times. “You got the sound system all hooked up?” He nods. I crane my neck to look around for the stuffy. “Where’s the thing?”
Liam nods his head toward the bar. “Back there. I’ll get it out when it’s time.”
The adrenaline running through my chest is filling my body with energy, making it impossible to stay still. I need to move around and do something to keep sane. I start to head behind the bar to check that the stuffy is in place, but Liam puts a hand on my shoulder and laughs.
“It’s there,” he chuckles, those legendary dimples making their appearance. “Relax, man. Have a drink or something.”
At that moment, the restaurant manager comes out from the kitchen door, beaming. He offers me a bottle of complimentary white wine and pours a glass for me and one for Liam. The wine disappears oddly quickly—funny, that—and the light buzz in my veins helps the nerves a little.
Xaden and Violet arrive looking like they just walked out of a magazine. The emerald rock on her finger could sink a ship. I feel the briefest flash of insecurity, thinking about my modest ring for Bodhi, but remind myself that he is a practical guy and wouldn’t want a Mount Emerald of his own, catching on all his gloves and everything anyway.
Vi squeezes my shoulder when she hugs me and grins a secretive grin. She knows the plan for tonight. Not only am I incapable of keeping secrets from her, but I had to talk to someone about it over the last few weeks or I would have perished from trying to hold it in.
Garrick, Imogen, Ciaran and Masen arrive at the same time, already arguing over something as they wind between the tables to get to our party at the back. They’re followed in by a tall woman with blonde curls and red glasses who looks around uncertainly for a moment before Liam bounds over to her to grab her hand, a huge stupid grin on his face. Aha, this must be that girl he’s been seeing—he finally worked up the courage to bring her around! Amazing.
Then my dad pokes his head in, holding a small bouquet of flowers and looking around in his funny way where he always seems vaguely embarrassed to be there. I rush over to greet him with a huge smile on my face.
“Hey, Dad,” I say, pulling him into a hug.
“Hey, kiddo,” he says, holding the flowers away from me as he hugs me so they don’t get crushed. “Have you grown since I last saw you?”
“At least a foot!” I grin, as always.
He nods and looks around at the other guests, who are milling around the bar. “Where’s my son-in-law?” he asks. He’s been calling Bodhi that since our six-month anniversary—so, for about a year. I whap him on the arm.
“Dad, shut up,” I whisper, softening it with a nervous smile. “Not today!”
He makes an ‘O’ shape with his mouth and nods. “Right, right.”
“He’s getting here at six.”
“And where am I sitting?”
I show Dad to the seat where Liam placed his name card and get him settled, then go over to greet Sawyer and Jesinia as they come in, her round belly looking like she’s going to pop any day now.
Bodhi gets here when I’m not even looking. One second I’m chatting animatedly to Rhiannon about her new car, and then she beams at someone over my shoulder and the next second I feel arms slide around my waist and warm lips on the side of my neck. My stomach just about explodes with butterflies. “Hey, good-looking,” he murmurs into my ear, and I’m instantly a puddle of goo.
I turn around to seize his face and kiss him, which gets us a couple of whistles and catcalls from Garrick and Ciaran. When I pull back to look into his eyes, I get fucking lost. They’re so dark they’re almost black, and the loose dark curls on the top of his head like to fall into them, constantly begging for me to smooth them out of his face so I can see those eyes better.
I tuck my arm through his and lead him to his chair—we’re beside each other in the middle of the table, so that it’s not just one of us in the traditional seat of honour at one end. I’m not putting myself above him. Well, except in bed when I’m on top—but that’s not relevant right now, Little Ridoc, down boy.
Bodhi’s family arrive last, his grandmother leaning on his mom’s arm and his grandfather looking stately and dignified in his tweed jacket. When he gets to me, I swallow hard and stick my hand out to shake.
I do not attempt to hug or kiss him. Learned that lesson yesterday.
Everyone’s here. Servers come out as we all find our way to our seats, and they pour wine for everyone except Jesinia, who clutches her cranberry soda with a wistful look on her face. My stomach winds tighter and tighter with nervous anticipation. I make eye contact with Liam and he gives me a tiny nod. Once everyone has a drink, I stand up and clear my throat.
Holy shit holy shit holy shit it’s happening holy shit—
“I have an announcement to make,” Bodhi says.
I blink.
He pushes his chair back and gets to his feet beside me, smiling shyly. He’s so fucking adorable I can’t stand it. But what the hell is he doing?
Bodhi takes my hand and kisses my knuckles, sending tingles racing up my arm and shooting through my belly. “From the moment I met you, I knew we were going to have some amazing adventures,” he says.
Oh god. Oh god oh god. What is happening.
His dark eyes twinkle as he goes on. “And I was right. You brighten my days, you’re the companion of my nights, and I never want to wake up without you beside me again.”
“Okay, now hang on just one second,” I burst out, and everyone turns to stare at me in shock. It’s Bodhi’s turn to blink in confusion.
I spread my hands. “Are you stealing my proposal?!”
“Your what?”
My mouth opens and shuts, gaping like a fish for a couple of seconds. Everyone’s gazes dart back and forth between us, the tension and confusion palpable in the air, and Bodhi blinks at me with those eyes I love.
I, Ridoc Gamlyn, have hardly ever been rendered speechless. But I truly do not know what the hell to do—other than follow my goddamn script.
I clear my throat.
“A hundred and seven is the number that comes to my head,” I declare, “when I think of all the years I want to be with you.”
Bodhi stares at me. Liam ducks his head and pulls out his phone, hiding it under the table.
I swallow and keep going full steam ahead. “I wanna wake up every morning with you in my bed,” I forge on, nailing the rhythm and rhyme while feeling utterly ridiculous, “and that’s precisely what I plan to do.”
The tinkling notes of the piano start to sound over the speakers of the restaurant as Liam casts it from his phone, followed by Jason Derulo’s voice. A smile slowly starts to break out over Bodhi’s face.
I can’t stop grinning like an idiot even though I kind of feel like I’m going to throw up. “Bodhi Durran, I have something for you.”
Liam gets to his feet and walks behind the bar along the wine wall, then leans down.
I turn dramatically toward the bar, and everyone turns in their seats, taking their cue from me. Liam pauses—I grin fiercely in appreciation that he really gets the sensational reveal—and then straightens up with a gigantic shit-eating grin on his face, holding...
...two enormous stuffed dragons, one in each hand. Two.
My mouth falls open.
The dragon I bought is green—obviously, for Bodhi—with an adorable fluffy lime green mohawk and cute little horns and wings and everything. But the other dragon is brown, with big horns curling back from its snarly head, its frowny embroidered eyes looking grumpy and mischievous, and I can’t believe how hilarious it is and how much I want it to be mine.
Bodhi is staring at the giant stuffies in as much shock as me.
I can’t believe he had the same thought as me. No fucking way.
My mouth is moving before I can stop it. “No fucking way we both bought each other giant goddamn dragons,” I say out loud—and the entire table erupts in raucous laughter.
Liam is howling with his head thrown back. Oh, my god, I can’t believe how well he hid it, that rat bastard—but then Bodhi pushes his chair back and starts walking around the table to go get his dragon, and I realize this is my fucking moment.
I hurry over to follow him, everyone still laughing and talking animatedly, and as Liam hands Bodhi the giant green dragon, I get down behind him on one knee.
When Bodhi turns around, the ring box is in my hand.
Everyone hushes.
“Bodhi Durran,” I say, my heart catapulting in my chest, “will you marry me?”
Bodhi stares at the ring in my hands, and swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. He starts fumbling at his pocket, but he can’t maneuver around the stupid stuffed dragon, and eventually he lets it fall to the floor—Violet gasps in offense on my behalf, thank you Violet—and then Bodhi pulls out a fucking ring box of his own.
I cannot believe this is happening.
“Ridoc Gamlyn,” he says, opening the box, but I cut him off before he can finish his sentence.
“Fuck you, I asked you first,” I grin, and he throws his head back and laughs, along with everyone else. It’s the sweetest damn sound in the entire world.
He gets down on one knee too, and now we’re both kneeling like a pair of idiots on the floor in front of each other, and I’m smiling so wide my face hurts. He shows me his ring. It’s gold, with little celtic knots on either side of a brown stone. My chest feels like it can’t contain my heart. Dad will be so happy that Bodhi thought of my mom’s roots when he picked out my ring. Oh my god, my heart, oh, god.
“It’s a chocolate diamond,” he says, “because you’re so sweet.”
Suddenly the ring swims in my vision and my eyes sting. I swipe at the tears that want to fall. “I just got green because it’s your favourite,” I say, and he laughs again.
Both of us fumble the rings onto each other’s fingers and then he’s kissing me, and it’s messy and a little sloppy because I’m kind of crying and he’s still laughing. Part of me has a weird urge to tackle him to the floor because I’m just so excited and my body doesn’t know what to do with all this adrenaline. I don’t do it, because I am a Respectable Man, but it was close.
We get to our feet and hold up our interlaced hands to show off the rings, and everyone cheers so loudly that it feels like the entire restaurant is happy for us.
We’re engaged. We’re gonna get married.
The rest of the evening passes in a happy blur. Wine flows, stories are told, dinner is had. Turns out Liam’s girl has an awesome, infectious laugh. I also make friends with my new gigantic dragon, who I have a great name idea for. I have no idea where the hell they’re both going to live. I’d only budgeted space for one giant stuffed dragon.
When I mention this to Bodhi, he leans over and murmurs, “Well, we’ll just have to take them into consideration during house hunting.”
I pull back and stare at him, round-eyed. “Wait, are you asking me to move in with you?” I grin and joke, “Don’t you think that’s moving a little fast?”
Bodhi shakes his head and looks at me like he can’t take me anywhere.