Page 71 of Dual Surrender

Kevin laughed again, and I could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke, “Aren’t I?”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Kevin

As soon as the wheels touched down, I turned my phone on and texted Ronan. I knew he was with Rich and he was safe, and that was the only thing that calmed my nerves as I dragged my suitcase through the airport toward the pick-up line.

My phone buzzed in my hand, indicating a call instead of a text, and I flipped the device around, a picture of Ronan and me filling the screen.

“Hey,” I answered, clutching the phone against my ear so I could hear him over the hum of the airport.

“Kevin.” He sounded out of breath. “I didn’t realize.”

“Didn’t realize what?”

“That it’s Valentine’s on Sunday.”

I rubbed at my sternum, stepping off the bottom of the escalator. I made a sharp left and headed toward a giant concrete pillar. I leaned against it and sighed, checking the calendar on my screen to confirm the truth of Ronan’s statement.

“Neither did I,” I admitted.

“I’ll take you out when you’re home,” he promised, clearing his throat.

“Are you with Rich?” I changed the subject.

“As you’ve orchestrated.”

“Don’t worry about Valentine’s Day,” I assured him. “I need to find Colton so I can get out of the airport. I’m not mad. We’re okay. I love you.”

“I love you,” he said back, tone of his voice clear he didn’t believe himself deserving of the right.

I ended the call and stepped around the pillar. It was a handful of steps to the sliding door and the crisp winter air of Colorado that blasted me in the face as soon as my feet hit the sidewalk.

The airport was quiet, not anything like LAX, and I immediately found Colton’s Honda, idling against the curb. My best friend sat in the driver’s seat and he waved frantically at me through the windshield like I had anywhere to go beside toward him. I wanted to be happy to see my best friend. It had been almost a year since he’d moved, but I couldn’t deny the circumstance that had brought me to him.

“Hey, you,” I said, tossing my suitcase into his back seat and climbing into the empty passenger seat.

He lunged over the console and wrapped his arms around me, an exuberant hug far greater than I’d expected. His excitement caught me off-guard and it took me a second to respond, hugging him back as best I could over the console.

“I missed you.” Colton patted my back then let me go, patting the steering wheel instead.

“I missed you.” I folded my hands together in my lap, my ring finger settling on top and giving me a chance to appreciate the fine smooth lines of the band. I’d stared at it for most of the flight, rubbing at it like a stone that would take my worries away. “Thank you for letting me come stay a bit.”

“Is that the ring?” Colton asked, throwing the car in drive.

“How did you know about the ring?” I shifted my hands, obscuring it from his view.

“Ronan called me this morning to say he’d asked you to marry him. I assumed there was a ring.”

“Were you nice?” I asked.

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

I sighed, turning away from him and staring out the window at the scenery as he headed away from Denver and toward the small town of Cherry Creek that he and Darius had settled in.

“Why can’t you be nice to him?” I asked with a sigh. “I love him, Colton. I love him and I’m going to marry him and you treat him like shit.”

“I don’t like him.”