ANABEL

 

“It kind of looks small.” Sienna inspects the ring with her knowing eye.

It’s been hours since the game ended, but the list of things those guys have to do after the main event is over is endless.

After the excitement of the Knights winning the Super Bowl and Will proposing settled down, we watch the closing ceremony and then wait for the guys to do their thing in the locker room.

Once, I asked Will why it takes them so long to get out of the locker room, so he explained that they have to talk to the press, after which they have a short discussion with the coach before they go to cool off, treat their wounds, and take a shower before they can go home. I wanted to tease him about their constant complaint about girls taking too long to get ready, but I didn’t think he’d find it funny.

I chuckle lightly at Sienna’s words, not taking it personally. Sienna’s just being Sienna. Some may say she’s cruel; I call it honest. One of the many traits I love about her.

“It’s pretty.” Grace looks at me, trying to lessen the blow of her sister-in-law.

As it turns out, Grace came into J.D.’s life around the time I came to the USA to work as an Au pair last year. Because of the big age difference—he’s thirty-one and she’s thirteen—he always seems more like a father than a brother to her. And Sienna had taken her under her wing even before she knew Grace was J.D.’s sister because Grace attended ballet classes at the community center in which Sienna and her mom volunteer. Talk about a small world.  

“But small. Couldn’t he get a bigger one?”

“I don’t need nor want a bigger ring, Si.” I roll my eyes at her. “Not all of us need a big, flashy stone on their hand.”

“This is not flashy.”

Sienna puts her hand next to mine to inspect and compare two rings.

Hers is huge. It has a platinum band with twisted diamond lines. In the middle sits one big diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds. It’s obnoxiously sparkly and probably weighs a ton. I wouldn’t look twice in its direction, but it’s totally Sienna.

Mine is smaller, more delicate. Just two twisted lines. One platinum, one set in diamonds with an oval, modest, diamond set in middle.

I don’t know what’s more unexpected—William asking me to marry him or him carrying this ring with him for months.

As soon as he realized I said yes—like there was an option to start with—Will got me on my feet and started dragging me down to the field.

At that point, we were already the main attraction in the stadium. People looked at us, some cheering, some wiping tears from their eyes. And if that wasn’t enough, all the cameras were on us, streaming live, and showing our faces on the big screen so that nobody missed William Price, quarterback of the Super Bowl champion team proposing. Freaking proposing.

To me.

His girlfriend.

Well, now, fiancée.

Reporters gathered around us, filming, taking pictures and asking questions, but he ignored all of it. He’s a man on a mission, whatever that may be.

We passed by his teammates and staff—all of them cat-calling and hooting—and went straight to the tunnel toward the locker rooms. Thankfully, they were empty, with all the players still celebrating out in the field. I don’t know how I would feel about walking into a room with bunch of bare-assed men.

He started throwing stuff out of his locker until he found what he was looking for. A small, black, velvet box.

For the second time that day, the air got stuck in my lungs and tears gathered in my eyes.

“You are my forever, Bel,” he said as he took my hand in his and slipped the ring on my finger.

I never looked down. For all I cared he could have put a plastic ring, or no ring at all, on my finger. My forever was looking at me right in my eyes.

“Okay, it totally is flashy,” Sienna admits, bringing me back to the present.

“You both have beautiful rings and even more beautiful men in your life.” Emily wraps her hands around me, her chin resting on my shoulder. “I can’t believe it. My baby boy is getting married.”

Tears gather in her blue eyes. She’s trying to hold them in, but one tear rolls down her cheek. Emily wipes it immediately, a bright smile curling her lips.

“I couldn’t be prouder of him, even if I wanted to. His dream came true, and he has an amazing woman by his side.”

Her words bring tears to my eyes too, but I blink them away.

“When’s the wedding?” Grace asks, a dreamy look in her eyes.

“As soon as I can pressure her to say, ‘I do’.” Will’s hands curl around my middle, pulling me to his chest.

My body relaxes in his embrace, recognizing his touch as I snuggle closely into his arms.

After weeks or even months of being apart, when we finally get together, we can’t stop touching one another. It isn’t overly sexual or anything like that.

We hold hands, or I snuggle into his side. We sneak kisses when we think nobody’s looking or simply press our legs together under the table when we’re eating. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant the touch is for others, for us it means everything. Because we have only a few short days to charge on touches and kisses before we’ll be separated again.

“You don’t have to pressure me to do anything.” I look over my shoulder at him. “I would marry you tonight—”

“Great, let’s do that.”

“—if my plane didn’t leave in 48 hours.”

Darkness settles in his brown gaze. I turn into his arms and cup his cheeks. Drawing him out of whatever place he lost himself to and back to me.

Thinking about leaving hurts, but if we lose ourselves in thinking and counting down the time we have left we’ll lose the chance to actually be together and enjoy the time we have.

“Soon.” My thumb slides over his scruffy cheek. “You are coming to Croatia in a couple of weeks, and not long after that I’ll be done with college. And then it’s nothing but forever. Our forever.”

“Our forever.”

*

WILLIAM

 

When we are away, the time seems to slow down. Seconds slowly turn to minutes then turn to hours and then to days. The time drags, impeding us from being together. And when we are together, time always flies by. There will never be enough time. It doesn’t matter how much time we spend together. It doesn’t matter how many times I kiss her or how long I hold her. It’ll never be enough.

When she’s not by my side, I’m not whole. I’m lost. I’m just half of a man, because the other half? It’s with her.

Bel’s naked body cuddles closely to me. She’s snoring lightly and mumbling something incoherently in her sleep. I pull her closer, enjoying the feel of her soft skin on mine. My fingers play with loose strands of her silky, black hair that falls around us both.

After the day I had, I should be asleep, but I can’t make myself close my eyes. I’m still afraid that if I do, I’ll wake up to find it was all just a dream.

Super Bowl.

Anabel being here.

Her saying yes to being my wife.

My freaking wife.

It would seem surreal if the moonlight didn’t fall on the rock on her hand and make it shine even in the darkness of my bedroom. Making her officially mine.

Her body stirs next to mine. I kiss the top of her head, hoping to lull her back to sleep, but her eyelashes slowly flutter open. Sleepy blue eyes look at me. A soft smile curls her lips when she realizes it’s not a dream. She really is in my arms.

I know, because that’s how I feel every time I wake up by her side.

“Can’t sleep?”

I shake my head and lean down to kiss her lips.

Just because I can.

“This has been one overwhelming day, one would think you’d sleep like a baby.”

“I can sleep …” When you are gone. That’s what I wanted to say, but I stop myself on time. “Later.”

It’s one of our unspoken rules. Not to mention out loud how much time we have left. Just be. Just enjoy. Just love.

For the last twelve months, that’s been our motto.

“You could have woken me up.”

“I like to watch you sleep.”

“Creepy much?” She raises her brows in question, but I can hear the teasing tone in her voice.

“Don’t be a smartass.” I rub her nose. “You look peaceful and sweet when you’re asleep.”

“I’m always peaceful and sweet.”

“In your dreams, Tink.”

“I do.” When she sees my confused look, she elaborates, “Dream of you.”

“I dream of you too.”

Silence settles upon us. We don’t break it. There is nothing to be said. We just exist. Together. In our own world where the only thing that matters is to hold her close. To feel her body heat and the steady beat of her heart. To feel her hot breath on my skin and the rise and fall of her chest as she breathes.

I don’t know for how long it stretches, but like she can read my mind, Anabel whispers, “I miss this the most, you know? These moments when it’s just you and me. No people, no sounds. Just darkness and us. I miss being in your arms, when our hearts beat as one and we just are.”

“I know, Tink.” I move one, lone, runaway strand of her hair out of her face. “I miss this too.”

Those blue eyes look at me, and I lose myself in her penetrating stare. Without breaking our eye contact, I lower my head and my lips touch hers. Again, and again.

It’s slow and sweet.

Just a caress of her lips.

Tease of my tongue.

Soft suck of her bottom lip.

Bel softly sighs. Opening her mouth, she invites me in. My fingers tangle in her messy hair, and I deepen our kiss. I taste her mouth and our tongues dance to their own beat.

One of her hands goes to my nape and pulls me closer. With the other, she traces my chest.

My body reacts to her touch. Like a siren, she has me under her spell, and all I can think about is more.

I need more of her touches.

More of her kisses.

More of her.

All of her.

I break our kiss. My forehead touches hers, and we stare at each other as our breathing returns to normal. With hands securely wrapped around her, I pull her to my chest, my hand slowly caressing her back. Because for tonight, this is enough.

For tonight, I only want to hold her.