Page 105 of Grind

Ezra stared at the simple band with decorative grooves on both sides of the head. He now remembered his rant about the uselessness of fancy jewelry. Frank must have noted what he said about important pieces needing to be versatile.

His chest was so tight he almost wished to massage the tension out but in the glow of Frank’s love, he didn’t dare move and ruin the perfection of this moment. “You’re serious. I… I didn’t think this was something you wanted.”

Frank stroked his hand with his thumb. “I do. I want you to feel secure. What’s mine is yours, but it needs to be on paper. I joked about that once, remember? When you told me your mom was trapped because of a prenup.”

Ezra did remember that, but at the time he’d dismissed it as Frank trying to put him at ease. Had he been serious back then already? “I—love you. Of course I want this too.”

Frank exhaled. So hehadbeen nervous! How adorable. “Oh, thank fuck. For a moment there I worried I shot myself in the foot.”

Unbelievable.

“Frank. You did know I planned to bag myself a high-value husband. I just didn’t think I’d succeed so fast,” Ezra muttered, running out of breath halfway and whispering the rest as he placed the ring in Frank’s big, warm palm.

Frank’s smile was gentle when his thick fingers grabbed Ezra’s elegant ones, and he slid the ring on his finger. “I’m like my junkyard. Rough around the edges, but full of surprises and hidden gems.”

Ezra trembled a bit when the cool band slotted in place, already looking at home on his finger, as if Frank had taken a cast of his hand to the jewelry store. “You are the gem, Frank. A gem no one in their right mind could overlook,” he said, entwining their fingers as the breeze combed his hair.

Frank laughed and gave him a kiss. “Because I’m so big?”

“No, Frankie, because your heart is even bigger than your biceps,” Ezra said, swallowing to make his eyes stop tearing up. He was such a giant cheese, but he didn’t care.

He’d marry this man. He’d already found his happiness with Frank, and now he had a diamond to go with it, because Frank cared about the things that made Ezra happy.

The sweet smell of cotton candy only made him more joyful.

“I can’t wait to show you something even bigger later.” Frank grinned and kissed him again.

Ezra laughed and pushed into his arms after checking if they were still alone. But when the familiar arms closed around him, all he wanted was to celebrate. “You’re always just as eager as you were the first time,” he said and sniffed the sweetness in the air.

Frank hugged him tightly. “Oh, I remember losing half my brain cells when I realized I’d get to sleep with you.”

Ezra chuckled, elated by all the compliments. “We should celebrate. Do you know I’ve never had cotton candy?” He pointed to the nearby stall.

Frank backed away with a comically shocked expression. “What? Why?”

“My mom used to say it was pure sugar, so there was no point in eating it.”

Frank shook his head and got up. “We’re fixing that right now. It’s okay if you hate it, but you have to try.”

Still overwhelmed yet drunk on joy, Ezra took his hand and rose too. The old him would have come up with an excuse not to have nutritionally worthless food, especially one he hadn’t tried. But he wasn’t that person anymore, and if he’d learnt anything by almost missing out on a relationship with Frank, it was that he’d never again let old inhibitions and prejudice hold him back. Despite moving into a remote location, his world seemed broader now, and more exciting, and that ring on his finger? It might not change much, but it meant more than all the tokens of adoration he’d ever received.

Would he like the cotton candy? He didn’t know. But he was excited to try it with Frank.