He nodded and smiled, more to himself this time. “I’m glad he has you.”
I pulled the plug in the sink and wiped it down. “I’m glad I have him too.”
“Okay, we are done!” Bryce called, holding his hands up in a victory crow. “Opening day complete.”
His staff all cheered and even James clapped and laughed. Bryce put his arm around my shoulder and kissed the side of my head. “Couldn’t have done this without you.”
I held up my very pruned and wrinkly hands. “You owe me a manicure.”
“Since when do you have manicures?”
“Okay, well, then you owe me dinner.”
“That I can do.”
Bryce ordered celebratory pizza for everyone and we sat around eating, our tired feet up on stools, smiles wide. It had been an awesome day. Everyone had really pulled through, and even though Bryce was exhausted and there was the added pressure of starting his own franchise, he was proud. And so he should have been.
Bryce thanked his staff and told them he was grateful and proud, and when the last of them had left and the doors were locked, he ran his hand through his hair and looked around his store. “What a day,” he said. “What a bloody day.”
“Exceeded your sales projections?” James asked.
Bryce grinned. “Far exceeded. Far.”
“I’m proud of you,” I said.
“I’m proud of you too,” James added, a rare and high praise.
“Thank you,” Bryce replied. “Both of you. I love you both. Your support means the world to me.”
I hugged him and he leaned heavily against me. “How about we get you home? You’re just about dead on your feet.”
“Sounds good.” He straightened up and looked at James. “Thanks for helping out, Dad.”
“It was my pleasure. And congratulations on launching your own franchise. You’ll be coming for my title soon.”
Bryce rolled his eyes. “Not likely, but okay.” It had been a very long few weeks to get to this point and he really was exhausted.
“Hand me your keys,” I said to Bryce. “I’m driving. You’re too tired.”
He pouted. “You’re so bossy.” But he handed his car keys over and stood there, taking a last look around his new store. “Still can’t believe this is real.”
“You’ll believe it when your alarm goes off at five in the morning again,” I replied. James laughed and Bryce groaned.
He slung his arm around me. “Take me home.”
We said goodbye to Bryce’s dad and I slid in behind the steering wheel. I didn’t need an excuse to drive Bry’s car, but it sure was nice. He sat kind of side-on to face me, smiling but oh so tired. “Today has been a really good day.”
“I’m so happy for you,” I said.
He reached for my hand and he didn’t say much on the ride home. He just stared at me and smiled, all dreamy-like. And he was looking at me like that when we got to our apartment. He just looked at me with a dopey smile.
“Everything okay, Bry?”
He nodded and even chuckled a bit, his cheeks flushed with colour. That was weird.
“Do you need anything else to eat? Or just want to have a shower and go to bed?”
He shook his head. “Neither. Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, of course.”
He held his hand out, so I took it, curious now because he was acting weird.
“I couldn’t have got to today if it weren’t for you,” he said.
“Yes, you would have. You would have found a way.”
“No,” he said adamantly. “You push me to do better, and to be better. But for the right reasons. You want me to be happy.”
“Of course I do. It’s the one thing I want more than anything.”
His smile became serene. “You know, when we first met . . . I never dreamed I’d be here with you now. Like this. I can’t imagine my life without you.”
I put my hand to his cheek and studied his beautiful face. He was tired, but he looked so peaceful. “You don’t have to. I’m not going anywhere.”
He closed his eyes, still smiling. “No matter how busy I get, no matter what new crazy business idea I decide on next, you never doubt me. I’m so blessed that you love me.”
Okay, this was getting weirder. “You’re so tired you’re delirious. Let’s get you into bed, ’kay, baby?”
But he didn’t move. His smile faltered a little. “Michael,” he murmured, holding my shirt so I couldn’t leave. “If I asked you to love me forever, would you?”
Forever . . .
“I will already love you forever,” I replied, still unsure what he was getting at.
“No, if I asked you if you’d be with me forever . . .” His tired brown eyes met mine. “Would you be with me forever? If I asked. Because I’m asking. Love me forever. Say you will. Because I will only want you until the day I die. There is no one else for me. There’s nothing else for me but you. Forever. Michael.”
Oh my fucking god.
“What are you asking, Bry?”
He took my hand—my left hand—and kissed my knuckles before meeting my gaze. “I didn’t plan this. I don’t have anything to make it official. I don’t even need it to be official. Just look me in the eyes right now and tell me you’ll be mine forever.”
“I will love you forever,” I whispered, my heart thumping in my chest. “I promise you.”
He sagged with relief and joy. His eyes became glassy. “I promise you too. I will love you forever. I’m sweaty and gross. I’m tired as hell, and I smell like a coffee grinder. But I couldn’t wait . . . looking at you tonight, I just had to ask. Marry me or don’t, it doesn’t matter. If you want a ring, I’ll buy you whichever one you want. Whatever it takes to make this real for you. Michael Piersen with an e, I love you now and I will love you forever.”
I nodded, a little teary. This was the last thing I expected. My heart felt like it’d doubled in size and it took my breath away.
Once again I was completely blindsided by him. Bryson Schroeder just barrelled me from all angles, and I fell in love with him a little bit more. I cupped his face and kissed him. “We can talk about rings when you’re not falling asleep.”
He chuckled sleepily, pulling me close and leaning heavily against me. I held him up and helped him walk to bed. I mostly undressed him, then myself, and he lay down with his arm out, waiting for me to climb in. I snuggled into him and he sighed. “You made me so happy,” he mumbled.
“Maybe now you can change my name from Bossy to Michael in your phone.”
“Mm-mm. No way.”
I chuckled, and with a deep sigh, he was already asleep.
So there you have it. The crazy tale of how an agreement for uncomplicated sex became a true story of a forever love.
Yes, I was completely blindsided and foolish for thinking complications with Bryce would ever be a bad thing. Complications could sometimes turn into the best thing to ever happen to you. Sometimes it was a train and you were stuck on the tracks and it was gonna hurt like a bitch. And sometimes that train wore vintage band T-shirts and a beautiful smile and derailed your life anyway.