One Year Later
“Lynx, we’re going to be late! Let’s go!” I called down the hallway.
Weston, Chloe, Kyler, Colton, and Lindsey were in town. I had visited them several times throughout the past year, learning about each other. However, this was the first time they were coming to me, and I was a ball of nerves.
A year ago, I hadn’t thought this kind of life would be possible for me. I hadn’t truly known the word happy. Today, I did.
Happiness was giving your heart to someone you knew would protect it with every breath they took. That was what I had with Lynx. Even after over a year of being together, he surprised me every day by just being him with simple things, like notes on the fridge to let me know he was thinking of me or texts at different hours. Every single one, I held so dear to my heart. I locked them all away inside me, selfishly hoarding them so I would never lose a single one.
I wouldn’t say the road had been without bumps between us, because it had. I had my downs and he had some attacks. With each one, though, we rolled with it, helping the other come out of it. It wasn’t easy. It was a constant battle. Nevertheless, it was one I was willing to fight for because Lynx meant everything to me. I loved him with everything I had in me.
“Coming.” Lynx walked in, wearing dress pants and a green polo shirt, his hair a tussled mess. He looked totally edible.
“Yum …” I said.
I had overcome a lot of my sexual inhibitions, allowing that part of me to come out. It hadn’t occurred overnight; it had been slow and tedious. But Lynx had been patient, letting me take my time. Now I could admit flat-out that sex was one of the most amazing things in the world. To feel that utter connection to another human being was undeniably the epitome of happiness.
“Stop that or we’re gonna be late.” He gave me a quick kiss, turned me around to the door, and patted my ass, which I loved, but I gave a mock glare for the fun of it. “You like it,” he teased as we went out to the truck.
I had saved enough money to buy a reasonable car, but Lynx had other ideas, stating, “Now that we’re living together, you’re letting me take care of you.” Then he had bought me a newer car so he didn’t have to “worry.”
After a long argument about me paying my own way, he had won, and I had gotten the car. One other thing he had won was me quitting bartending and coming to work for him to do his paperwork. I hadn’t been for it, but after a while, he had won, and now I worked from our home. Yes, home.
It wasn’t a house. I loved this place almost as much as I loved the guy I lived with. I even had pictures everywhere of all the places Lynx had taken me and the adventures we’d had.
The drive to the restaurant was quiet, my nerves settling once I knew we weren’t going to be late. Andi and her man were meeting us there along with Bailey and Mal. In a way, it was the meshing of our families, and we were doing it in a small, Italian restaurant just outside of town. I had rented the back space so we could all be together and take as much time as we wanted.
As we pulled up, Bailey and Mal headed for the truck. I opened the door and slid out, smoothing my velvet green dress down just as Bailey pulled me in for a hug.
I didn’t freeze up or push her away.
Over the last year, I had become accustomed to her hugs. She gave them away freely, and I loved every second of it.
“Hey, Mal.” I gave a slight wave to him.
We still weren’t in the hugging phase, but I was working on that. Even with all the time that had passed, there were certain things I still couldn’t do. Although, I had to say the people who had pushed those boundaries just a bit—Bailey, Chloe, and Lindsey to be exact—were the ones I had been able to do more physical contact with.
“Let’s go. Weston just texted me. They’re in there,” Lynx said after greeting his sister and brother-in-law.
The smile that graced my face was full of joy and promise. That night, everyone I cared about, everyone I loved, my family, were going to be together in one space. I had never thought I would have that. I had never dreamed of having it after I had lost Drew, but now I did, and I was so damn excited to see everyone.
When I entered the back room, Andi was the first to come to me and wrap me in her arms. I had met her man Matthew several times, but there still wasn’t that comfortable feeling with him. Andi loved him, though, and that was enough for me.
“Hey, girl.”
“Hey. Thanks for coming.”
Andi pulled away. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
We smiled just as Weston and Chloe came up. Things between us weren’t perfect, but what in life was? The fact that we lived so far apart was a hindrance at times, yet we had come together more than I could have dreamed, something I was grateful for.
“Reign, my girl,” Weston said, taking my hand and kissing the top of it. Letting him do this had taken a while, and we weren’t in the hugging phase, but it was a way he showed me how much I meant to him.
Chloe, on the other hand, pulled me against her, hugging me tightly. “So good to see you.”
“Same here. Thank you for coming.”
“All right, move out of the way,” Lindsey said, pulling Chloe from me.
She and I had something unique. It was kind of a sister thing, but more of a friend thing. I could say with all clarity that she was one of my best friends. We talked every day on the phone, and if we couldn’t, we texted. Out of all five of them, I was the closest to her, which was one more thing I loved.
Lindsey pulled me to her, hugging me and swaying me from side to side. I relished in the hug. I had missed her. Skype just didn’t cut it. The real thing was so much better. When she pulled away, it was a little too soon for me, but I kept that to myself.
“Hey, little sis.” Kyler came up then, holding his fist up for me to bump. I secretly loved him calling me that, but I felt the urge to give him shit about it.
“Little, my ass.” I bumped his fist as he chuckled.
“Hey, girl,” Colton said, staying in his seat around the table.
“Hi.” He and I hadn’t really talked much, but I kept in touch with him and cheered him on in one of his races. That was a fun experience.
“Let’s sit,” Lynx said, and everyone found their chairs.
I looked around at all the people who had come together for me. I had to be a little selfish in that moment because I had never thought I would have this. I had never thought I would experience people around me who loved me, cared for me, and would do everything in their power not to hurt me. I would do the same in return.
“May I have your attention please?” Lynx said, rising from the seat he had just sat in. “I want to thank each of you for coming. Reign has wanted this for some time, and we appreciate that you guys”—he nodded to Weston and the family—“were able to come. This is a very special night for my girl, and I know it means the world to her to have you all here. It does to me, too.”
Lynx turned to me, pushing out his chair. “Reign, I love you more than life itself. You’re my light, my partner, my everything. I want to wake up to you every morning and fall asleep with you in my arms at night. I want you to burn dinner so we have to go out.” Laughter came from the table. “And I want you to be a permanent fixture in Pepper’s and my life.”
I got confused for a moment, thinking I already was a permanent fixture. Then my pulse picked up.
That was when Lynx did something I had never believed possible for a kid who had never been wanted, who had never had anyone, who had done things she wasn’t proud of to survive, and then who had tried to take her own life.
He lowered down to one knee, and tears welled in my eyes. I wanted to pinch myself to see if I was sleeping or dreaming, something.
“Reign Owens, will you be my wife? Will you burn my food, take walks with me and Pepper, and spend the rest of your life with us?” He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a box as tears flowed over my cheeks and onto the floor. He opened the box to reveal a beautiful diamond, circle-cut ring.
I looked into his eyes where all the love he had given me shone so brightly. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“What?” he asked in shock, and I hurried up and spoke, thinking he thought I was saying no.
I placed my hand on his cheek. “Thank you for giving me a life I never thought possible, for being my rock and letting me grow into myself, for being the man I need in my life. I love you with everything I am and everything I have to give. I would love to marry you and burn your food.” Sobs racked my body as I heard the women in the room sniffling and the guys chuckling.
Lynx smiled his gorgeous smile and took the ring out of the box before he placed it on my finger.
I had never had anything in my life as beautiful as this except my love for Lynx.
He then scooped me up, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on with all my strength.
Life was a journey of ups and downs. Unfortunately, I’d had way too many downs, but I dealt with them, grew from them, and learned from them. I wasn’t perfect, never claimed to be, but I was the perfect me.