Page 101

Von
What a Man Gotta Do by Jonas Brothers
Alec exits our bedroom wearing a metallic cobalt-blue suit, a goddamn dream.
“If you keep looking with fuck-me eyes, Viking, we aren’t going to make it out of this apartment. And while usually I have no problem with that, today’s the exception.” Alec straightens his cuff, giving me side-eye.
We bought an apartment in Long Island City together last year, after my visa was reinstated. It’s large by NYC standards, with two bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms. But it’s the view that sold us. We look out over the East River and have an incredible view of Manhattan’s skyline. Alec likes to point out the different buildings and we watch the ferries go back and forth.
And theEvighetsculpture sits on the windowsill, so it’s one of the first things people see when they enter our apartment.
“Javlar.” I check my watch, glad we had the rental car dropped off earlier today. “You shouldn’t go out in public wearing that,” I grumble.
He smirks. “You dress me, so it’s your own damn fault. Don’t pretend you don’t love it. You’re just mad we don’t have time to fuck.”
“You turned me into a deviant.” I can’t help but smile.
“Something you also love.” He smacks my ass on the way to the door.
“I do,” I say, nervously catching his wrist, worrying over doing this now. But I opened it this morning and I literally can’t wait. It’s been two and half years since he traveled to Sweden to win me back. The first year was the hardest since we were apart for most of it.
“Viking.” Alec runs his fingers through my hair. “We don’t have time for a quickie, but if you’re desperate, I’ll blow you in the car.” He waggles his eyebrows.
I shake my head and bend on one knee.
“What the fuck are you doing?!” He’s properly horrified and I’m making a mess of my declaration.
“Not that,” I assure him, and he relaxes. We discussed neither of us wants to get married or have kids, so I understand his anxiety.
He wraps a lock of my hair around his finger, and I take a deep breath.
“Alec, I’m yours. I vow I’m never leaving you.” When he tries to say something, I silence him with a look.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I want to be with you until my last breath. I hope we never have to break each other’s hearts and leave this world together.”
I pull the envelope out of my pocket. “And now I’ll never be forced away from you.” I hold up my green card.
Alec drops to his knees in front of me, and a thousand emotions flit across his face. “Hjärtanskär,” he chokes out. And I nod at his unspoken words—there’s nothing hanging over us, threating to take me away from him.
He starts laughing and kissing me. “If we leave this world together, I vote for a sex-fueled haze so we don’t even care.”
I smile into the kiss. I pictured us old and lying in bed holding hands, but I could revise my vision for him.
“We should get tattoos to celebrate.” Alec pulls me up and drags me to the door.
“Now?”
He looks over his shoulder as if I’ve lost my mind. And maybe I have.
“No, Viking. We’re busy today, but I’ll draw something up.”
“You want every inch of me covered in your ink, don’t you?” I tease but love the tattoos he’s marked me with. We have matching runes and symbols and I have his name etched over my heart. The tabloids went wild when they got a picture of me shirtless. I have zero regrets.
I’m living out my dreams with the man I love. Alec taught me we know the truth, and any lies printed about us don’t matter. We have each other and can ignore the tabloids. It’s liberating and exactly what I hoped for when I came here. A place to find my passion and live without the weight of gossip and scrutiny.
He’s the sun that I orbit around, helping me put the pain of my past behind me. He dragged me out of my dark depression and into the light.
“I’d tattoo my name on your forehead if you’d let me.” He’s walking briskly with his hand on my back because we are officially running late.