Page 37 of Never Stop

“Um…” Did I want to tell her right away about FAP? I decided not to. “Let’s talk about your engagement. Let me see the ring.”

A sheepish look graced her face. “I don’t have one yet.”

“What?” I questioned, stunned and confused that Mr. Romantic proposed without a ring. It was unlike Avery.

“When I got home the other night, Avery got down on his knee in the heat of the moment. But it’s okay. This way I can pick out the one I want.”

“Hmmm.” The Nicole I knew growing up was totally a material girl. Hell, she took eight swimsuits with us on the cruise because she couldn’t be seen in the same one twice. I took a sip of my coffee. “I guess. I mean, that takes out the excitement doesn’t it?”

She shrugged. “Nah. The way he did it was enough for me.”

“How did he do it?”

“Well, I came home to an empty house because he was having dinner at the Crawford’s.”

“Right…”

“I was in the middle of apologizing and explaining why I left and how I missed his smile, his laugh, his jokes, his voice. I missed the way he’d hold me and kiss me… Then I dropped to my knees to beg him to take me back figuring that was my only shot since I broke his heart while mine was breaking.”

“You askedhimto marryyou?”

She shook her head. “No. While I was on my knees groveling, I brought up that bitch I almost got into a fight with at Halo. We’d always said we would fight for each other. Our nicknames are even Laila and Mike Tyson. We’re just fighters I guess.”

I huffed out a laugh. “You think?”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You know I don’t take shit from anyone.”

“Oh, I know.” I took a sip of my coffee.

“Anyway, again, while I was on my knees begging for forgiveness, he started to walk toward me. I didn’t think anything of it because I thought he’d sit on the couch next to me or something. But he didn’t. He wasn’t talking, and it was freaking me out. I thought I was SOL and I would have to sleep on the couch until he took me back. Then he dropped to one knee right in front of me and asked me if I’d marry him.”

I sighed dreamily thinking about Avery asking her and how wonderful everything was turning out.

“At first, I thought I didn’t hear him correctly,” she continued. “He asked me again, and then I asked him back as a question because I still didn’t think I was hearing him right. I mean, we were broken up and then he was asking me to marry him.”

I snorted a laugh at how many times the question was asked. It was definitely different from when Easton asked me.

“You know what he said when I repeated the question back?” she asked.

“Um… yes?” I giggled.

She shook her head. “Nope. He said, ‘Yeah. You. Me. Vegas.’”

I blinked at her. “Vegas?”

She was smiling wide again. “Vegas.”

“You’re getting married inVegas?”

She nodded. “Yep.”

“By Elvis?” I laughed.

“Hell no! Well, I doubt it… But do you know what this means?”

My brows furrowed in confusion. “We’re both engaged?”

She huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, but we’re going to Vegas, baby!”