Page 42 of Exile

Having all of them here though, just reminds me how much of a shoebox we're forced into. Or maybe it's their overwhelming physical sizes. Either way, I'm not complaining.

Damon stands in the middle of Grey and Theo, taking his usual leader role. I'm not even sure if he realizes he's doing it. It's all second nature to him.

He reaches into his pocket, pulling something out. At first, I'm fixated on the lily—smiling as I recognize it from the Cirque des Morts calling card from my first ever meeting. But then he pulls something else out, my eyes widening on the black box.

"What is that?" I blurt out, amused and confused.

My eyes dart behind him to Grey and Theo, eyebrows shooting high as they watch me carefully.

Why is my heart racing like this? Goosebumps are forming on my skin, tingles running up my arms.

Grey grabs my attention, his grin wild like a kid on Christmas morning. Even Theo doesn't appear overly out of place, his head held high, locked stare unwavering.

"Avery," Damon says, and I swing back to look at him. "The three of us have been speaking, and we decided that perhaps we were a little toorashwith our decision to exclude you from this moment. Therefore, we only felt it was appropriate to rectify this."

The velvety, square shape is telling, but I still can't bring myself to connect the dots. I'm completely paralyzed—not with fear, but with… something else.

Hope.

Want.

Need.

Damon opens the box and I suck in a breath, staring at the singular piece inside. Shit—is that what I think it is?

Inside the box is a ring, the black band woven in a distorted circle. The center piece is a red gemstone—a ruby, perhaps—with white tiny diamonds edging the band.

"Little killer," Grey murmurs, reaching forward to clutch my hand. "You've had my little black heart from the first day I laid eyes on you."

He comically moves my hand in front of Damon toward Theo, who takes it without hesitation.

"You're my favorite tattoo, Aves."

A man of simple words, he passes my hand to Damon, who's already removed the ring from the box.

"Avery," he pauses, sliding the ring onto my finger—yes, that finger. "You're already my wife legally, but will you do all three of us the honor of officially being ours?"

They become blurry, and it takes me a few seconds of stunned silence to realize it's because tears have welled in my eyes. The three men I love with all my broken heart are asking me to be theirs, promising to love all of me. Flaws, trauma, background, file that says I'm mentally insane.

Me.

No one speaks as they wait for me to pull myself together, and I can't hold back any longer. "I've been yours—all of yours—since the beginning. You consumed me from the moment I stepped foot in Lilydale. And my life doesn't make sense without you in it. I'm yours."

"Good," Damon answers coolly. "This was going on your finger no matter what." He adjusts the ring so it's centered on my finger, and I'm stunned to find it fits perfectly. It's then I realize that Damon also has a ring on his finger—a matching black band with a thick red center insert, chunky black markings decorating it.

Instantly, my eyes scan the other two. Grey dips his hand into his pocket, extracting a matching ring and makes a show of holding up his hand and slipping it on. Snapping my attention to Theo, he lifts his hand casually showing me his band.

We have matching bands.

Oh, my god. Am I engaged? Wait, no—I'm already married to Damon. Whatever it is… I love it.

I love them.

"À nous pour toujours jusqu'à ce que la mort nous sépare," Damon murmurs, gently clutching my hand and kissing it. "And all the lifetimes after."

Chapter 16

Damon