Over the next week and a half, Matt and Victoria work very hard at cleaning up the apartment. There are some things that just can't be fixed, like the leaking corner in the bathroom or most of the kitchen cabinets that are rotting out.
Matt insists the place looked like this when he moved in, but Victoria tends to think he's just not much of a housekeeper. Granted, she isn't either. She's never had to do much cleaning.
There's always been someone around to do this for her. And yet, it's not frustrating. It's actually refreshing, being able to do something like this all for herself. They scrub floors, bag up trash, and do laundry. They watch the television and curl up on the couch.
And then, one day, Matt picks Victoria up off the floor and looks her straight in the eye. “I should have done this sooner, and I'm sorry that I haven't yet. Victoria, I have something that I wanted to ask you. I mean, I've already asked you this, but I wanted to ask you this again, properly this time.”
Victoria laughs. “What are you going on about, Matt?”
He presses a kiss to her cheek, then he sinks down onto one knee. “Just give me a minute. I'm not good at this sort of thing.” Matt's palms are sweaty. He wipes them off on the front of his slacks and slips a hand in his pocket. Fingers curl around the small, dark red box. “Do you remember the day we first met?”
“You mean when I came storming into that bar? I sure do. I wanted to piss off my mother, and I wanted a chance at freedom. And then you came over to my table and swept me right off my feet.”
“Right. I thought you were the prettiest girl I'd ever seen. I still do. Every time I look at you, it's like that first meeting all over again. You make me feel more than alive, like there's nothing in this world that could ever slow me down.” Matt keeps his fingers resting on the box, even as he looks up at Victoria with the most serious sort of smile on his face.
He takes hold of one of her hands. “You make me so happy. I feel like anything can happen when we're together, like everything can happen. This isn't...this might not be the proposal that you were expecting, but I hope like hell you don't hate what I'm about to ask.”
“Holy shit,” breathes Victoria, her free hand flying up to cover her mouth. There are tears forming in her wide, wet eyes. “Matt?”
“Victoria, your parents are missing out on so much. You are my love, my princess, and my queen. Will you do me the honor of being one more thing?” Matt lets go of Victoria's hand in favor of pulling the box out. He holds it up so she can see it, then pops off the top.
The ring isn't the most expensive thing. It's nothing compared to the diamond on Gabriella's hand or the precious gems that litter all of Victoria's grandmother's fingers. Still, it's undeniably beautiful. Small lines have been etched into the body of the ring, and a small, pale pink stone rests on either side of the center diamond.
Matt feels like he's about to choke on his own words. His heart tries to escape from his chest, pounding like the drums of war. He's faced down countless perils as the leader of a motorcycle club, but this feels like one of the most difficult challenges that he's ever faced. “Will you marry me?”
The silence that stretches out in the following moments is crushing. Matt can almost feel the seconds ticking past. He stays there, silent, waiting, and then Victoria all but throws herself onto the ground, wraps her arms around Matt's neck and sobs out, “Yes!”
Matt laughs. “I was hoping you would say that! I know this might have seemed a little bit strange, but I wanted to make sure I asked you properly. A girl like you deserves for everything to be done properly.”
“A girl like me,” laughs Victoria. She buries her face against the side of Matt's neck. Her fingers curl in his t-shirt. It's stained and dirty, but she loves it all the same. He smells like leather and cheap, dollar store cologne. “You make me feel so special!”
“You are special!”
“Princesses are a dime a dozen.”
“You aren't like those other girls,” insists Matt. “You aren't like anyone else in the world. Victoria, I'm so glad you came back here with me. I'm so glad you want to marry me.”
And then he stands up, picks her up, and presses her against the wall. Victoria drops her ring. It clatters onto the floor. The ring vanishes from sight when Matt captures her mouth in a breathless sort of kiss, one that's all teeth and tongue. Matt laps at the roof of her mouth, the sides of her cheeks, sucks on her lower lip, and kisses her until they're both gasping for breath.
“I love you,” he says between gasps for air. “I love you so damn much.”
“Show me?” Victoria wraps her arms around Matt's neck.
Matt laughs. “Right now? With this baby so far along, I don't know if that's the best idea.”
Victoria tries hard not to wilt. “Can't we do something?”
“Fuck, you can be so slutty. Yeah, sweet cheeks, we can do something. I mean, you can do something.” Matt is grinning when he sets Victoria back down. “If you know what I mean?”
Victoria laughs. Her cheeks are flushed. She most certainly does know what he means.