Page 57

There’s no half-assing things in our house. Oh no. We see things all the way through. Like tonight,I’ll see this all the way through. I already bought the ring. Now I have to give it to her. No one and I mean no fucking one, not even me, would have ever thought this day would come. Me asking a woman, whom I love, to marry me. Shit,six months ago, I wouldn’t have fathomed that I would ever get married. Or that I would ever love someone with all my heart that I would be willing to give up everything for them.

For the first time in my life,I have planned something special for a woman. I’ve thought of her before myself ever since I met her. Putting another person before yourself because of love is a strange but enlightening feeling. Tonight, I’ve made dinner for my girl and brought her a dozen Christmas cookies from Cherry’s. She’s had such a sweet tooth lately, eating anything I can bring her from the bakery for weeks.

Beau graciously gave us the house for the evening so we could be alone. Though,if things go well, we will end up at the bar and most definitely not alone. Sadly, I had told dipshit Arrow my plans to propose, and he told everyone. Now they are planning a surprise party for us at the bar after she says yes.If she says yes. Of course, she’s going to say yes. I’m Nix Colton. No woman tells me no. Well,actually, Clover tells me no all the time. But not when it counts.

Making sure I have the ring still in my pocket, I double-check myself before leaving the garage. I had to hide the ring deep inside one of my toolboxes. It’s the only place in the house she never looks. Straightening my spine and taking in a steadying breath, I open the door leading back into the house, finding Clover, my little chipmunk, already curled on the couch. Sloan is nearby on her bed on the floor by our minimalist Christmas tree. I haven’t put up a Christmas tree in my entire adult life. Sometimes Beau would put one up decorated in only white lights. But when my girl said she hadn’t had a proper tree since her mother died, you bet your ass I went out and bought her the biggest fucking tree I could find. Got ripped off two hundred bucks for the damn thing, but to see the look of pure joy on her face was well worth every penny. We bought a couple boxes of antique ornaments from a local shop to decorate it along with a strand of new L.E.D. lights. You know the kind you can choose what color you want them to be and make them flash and twinkle.

Flickering red and green lights fill the room with a Christmas cheer I didn’t know my life was missing. It’s all surreal, and although not as torturous as I expected it to be, we’ve had the damn thing up since the weekend after thanksgiving at Clover’s demands. I’m already ready for it to be new year’s, so we can chuck the thing to the curb. I’ll indulge my sweet cheeked chipmunk but only for so long.

Clover steadily eats her way through the box of cookies in the twinkling lights. The girl sure has been eating a lot lately, and the weirdest shit too. I caught her dipping pickles in chocolate frosting the other day. Gross.

“Sorry I couldn’t wait for you. They just looked so yummy.” My little chipmunk fills her cheeks with frosted sugar cookies and tries to talk through the crumbles.

Brushing off Clover's inherent bottomless pit of a stomach, I make my way over, taking the spot on the couch next to her.

Just do it, man, don’t be a chicken shit.

Clearing my throat, I take the box of cookies and set it on the table, taking both her hands in mine to stop her from reaching out for the colorful trees and Santa’s. She’s still chewing the last mouthful and swallows while staring up at me with big round eyes and smiles sweetly.

“What is it, Nix?” She doesn’t sound worried or concerned in the least. Just curious. Curious as to why I’m staring at her silently while forcing her away from her sugary treats. Okay, here goes nothing.

“I wanted to show you something. I had it done yesterday and wanted to surprise you with it.” Gently I release her hands and reach over my head to pull on the back of my shirt. Lifting it off over my head.

“Mmmm. I like where this is heading.” Clover comments as I’m halfway through removing the plain black t-shirt.

When the shirt is completely off, I see her eyes shift from lustful ready to pounce me to confusion and surprise because I just revealed to her my newest tattoo. Directly in the center of my chest over my heart is a black, grey, and yellow surrealism tattoo of something she knows all too well. The bumblebee girl she drew the day I first learned of her artistic skills. The first time I saw her draw. The first thing she ever drew after moving here. The first piece of her art that we framed and hung in the foyer. Along with dozens of others since. Her eyes instantly begin to brim with tears.

“It’s beautiful, Nix.” Clover's fingers tenderly caress my still inflamed skin around the ink now permanently marked on my chest.

“I got it for you because you are a part of me now and always will be. Somehow you crawled your way into my heart that I thought I no longer possessed and planted yourself there. This is just a reminder that I am yours no matter what. I love you,Clover,and I want to give you everything. Everything you could ever want. I’ll build you a studio where you can paint to your heart's content. I’ll be your sex slave for the rest of my life, but can you give me the one and only thing I want?”

Sliding off the couch, I land on one knee, pull out the ring box from my jeans pocket and open it to her. Revealing the three-carat blood-red ruby engagement ring. Clover's hands fly to her mouth to cover her gasp. The brimming tears from seeing the tattoo are now full whale tears of what I hope to fuck is joy. She still hasn’t said anything or answered my question, so I continue.

“Will you marry me? Clover Jones, and just give me you? All I want is you.” For a much too long minute,she is silent. Staring at the ring,eyes shifting between it and me. Tears spill out of those beautiful blues. Like a beauty queen trying to not mess her make-up, she waves her hands to dry her eyes. It’s not working, but I don’t care. To me, she is the most beautiful woman in the world, and waiting for her answer is tearing me apart from the inside out. Then she gives up and wipes them away with her sleeve and sniffles.

“On one condition.” She finally says.

“Of course,anything, name it.” Clearing her throat,she looks me straight in my eyes and smiles softly.

“Instead of building me a studio, can you buildusa nursery?”

The End