“And why would they be jealous?”
“‘Cause they have to watch you cling to my arm instead of theirs.”
Fighting off the urge to roll my eyes again, I rest my head against his shoulder and breathe in his familiar scent in hopes of it grounding me.
It works like a charm.
“Speaking of which,” I start. “I’m proud of you.”
“For what?”
“For that interview the other day where they went into depth about your experience recovering from the accident. How you told them to stay strong, to be proud of your scars because they make you who you are, and that you promised to have them on full display for tonight’s event.” My eyes drop to his exposed arm. The sleeve of his fitted, white button-up shirt has been rolled up to his elbow and displays an intricate set of tattoos created by Milo. They’re still relatively fresh since it took so long for the scar tissue to heal completely, but it doesn’t fully camouflage the burns. In a way, the ink almost highlights them, making his forearm, bicep, and shoulder look like a badge of honor earned in a fiery pit of despair. And I kind of love it.
Running my fingers along my name woven throughout the flames near the inside of his wrist, I smile then press my lips to it.
“I’m just glad you’re not pissed that I inked your name onto my skin,” River points out.
“Why would that make me upset?”
“Because you’re it for me.”
“And that should make me upset?” I challenge with a grin.
He shrugs. “I didn’t want to freak you out.”
“Not possible. You’re it for me, too, River. You know that.” Lifting my chin, I wait for him to kiss me, and he does exactly that before the driver presses a button to get rid of the glass divider that separates the front of the limo from the back.
“Excuse me, sir,” he calls, “but they’re ready for you.”
“Thank you,” River replies before turning to me. “Let’s get this party started, shall we?”
“Fiiiine.”
After opening the passenger side door, an onslaught of flashing commences before microphones are shoved in our faces, and a chorus of questions are tossed our way. The next couple of hours go by in a blur until I find myself next to the man of my dreams in a sea of celebrities as we wait for them to announce the winner of the Best Up-And-Coming Actor.
River’s fingers clasp mine and tighten as his name echoes through the speakers a few seconds later. My jaw drops before I cover my mouth and soak up the moment like a dry sponge.
He freaking did it!
The applause is so loud that my ears are ringing, but I don’t even care. Standing with him, I pull River into a hug and squeeze him as tight as I possibly can before untangling myself from him so that he can claim his award. His steps are light and easy as he makes his way to the podium. Then he accepts the gold statue from the announcer and takes his place in front of the microphone like it’s exactly where he was always meant to be.
Clearing his throat, he scans the audience while looking sexy as hell, like he’s right in his element, being front and center. When his eyes land on me, he smiles. It’s real. And genuine. And makes my heart race.
How the hell am I so lucky that I get to call him mine?
“Hey,” he starts in his signature gritty voice. “I, uh, I’m not gonna lie. I’m in shock. When B.T. Henderson approached me and Reese about this project, we were blown away. I want to thank him for taking a chance on us and seeing the potential in not only the story but also in ourselves. He’s incredible to work with, and I can’t wait to dive into future projects with him.”
The audience roars their agreement, and River patiently waits for them to calm down before continuing with his speech. “I want to thank the rest of the cast, as well as my agent, Gina, and Brett, the guy who was generous enough to connect me with Henderson in the first place. I’d also like to thank my roommates and best friends for their support. And for making sure I don’t get too big of a head after this.” The audience laughs while River smirks and shakes his head. “I would, uh… I would also like to thank Reese, my other half. Reese? Do you mind coming up here for a second?”
A spotlight finds me in the crowd before the audience goes wild. Clapping ensues mingled with whistling and a not-so-subtle nudge from Brooks as he motions to the stage.
“Better get up there, Reese. Wouldn’t want to keep your man waiting, would you?” His chuckle acts like gasoline on an inferno of nerves licking at my insides, but I stop myself from smacking him in the arm and do as I’m told.
Digging my teeth into my inner cheek while silently cursing River under my breath, I stand up and wave to the cameras before grabbing my dress and walking up the stairs.
Please don’t trip. Please don’t trip, I silently chant as I make my way toward a very entertained River.
“I’d bet you fifty bucks she’s cursing me in her head right now,” he announces for everyone to hear. The audience cracks up, and I glare at the love of my life while trying to maintain a bit of decorum even though I know I’m failing miserably.
Pulling him into a quick hug, I whisper, “I’m going to kill you for this. You know that, right?”
He presses a quick kiss to my cheek but ignores my empty threat and continues with his little speech. “Reese, I love you. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people comment about my arm, about the accident, about the recovery, about the burns, all of it. They act like I’m a saint because I faced my challenges head-on. But they don’t understand something. You faced those challenges with me. Without you, I wouldn’t have had the courage to survive any of it. Without you, I wouldn’t have accomplished all of my dreams. I wouldn’t have landed the role that led me here today. I wouldn’t have met Henderson. I wouldn’t have learned what’s truly important in life. And I wouldn’t have understood what true, unconditional love feels like.” My smile softens as I take in the sincerity in his voice and the gentleness in his touch as he tangles our fingers together. Lifting my hand to his lips, he presses a gentle kiss to the back of it before taking a deep breath that holds so much promise my knees shake.
“And today, in front of all these people, I want you to show me what it feels like to be the luckiest man in the world. Because yeah, this award is pretty damn awesome, but guess what would make it even more incredible? If you said you’d marry me.”
Trying to get a handle on my emotions, I cover my face and blink back a wave of happy tears that threaten to spill down my cheeks as the crowd goes wild.
Then my brows furrow, and I lean toward the microphone. “I’m sorry… Was that a question?”
The audience roars with laughter.
With a grin, River digs for something in his front pocket before dropping onto one knee. A little blue box rests in his hand as he offers it to me. “Will you, Reese Anders, love of my life and partner in crime, make me the luckiest bastard on Earth and marry me?”
My teeth dig into my lower lip as I stare at the most attractive man I’ve ever laid eyes on kneeling in front of me. And even though every ounce of him is oozing confidence right now, I can feel the vulnerability in his request. The fear of rejection that I have his mother to thank for instilling in him all those years ago. And the quiet desperation that lets me know I’m the luckiest girl in the world.