Scott dropped the box on the kitchen floor with a thud and glanced around at all the work to be done. A month had passed, they’d got the house and moving day was upon them. He loathed moving, he’d done it far too much in his life. Hopefully this was the last move for a long time.
“You know we’re paying the movers to do that,” Tori pointed out as she weaved her way through the sea of boxes. “That’s why we hire help.”
“How do you know I’m not one of the movers?” Scott feigned a thick Greek accent as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck.
“If you’re one of the movers my hunky boyfriend is about to come in here and kick your ass for feeling me up.” Tori slapped him playfully.
Scott was exhausted of calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend. It seemed so high school when they were moving in together, but he feared pushing too many changes on her at once.
“You know I can’t sit around and not at least help some, plus it cuts down on their hourly rate.”
“Is that why you suckered me into this? To save money?” Presley said coming back into the room, placing her box on the floor with a thud. “How is it that I’m the only one here out of all your damn friends?”
“Oh, you know how it is. You mention moving day and everyone goes into hiding. You’re the only one who was dumb enough not to come up with an excuse,” Tori teased.
“Yeah, I tried to lie my way out, but Scott somehow saw right through me.” She scratched her temple and fiddled with her backwards, baseball hat.
“Damn right, I did.” He laughed. “You have a tell when you’re lying.”
Presley seemed to ponder that for a moment. “Wait, is that why I always lose when we play poker?” She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Scott. “You can read me?”
Scott grabbed a beer out of the fridge, twisted the cap off and took a long, refreshing chug.
“Tori, wasn’t your sister supposed to show?” Presley asked.
“She’s supposedly coming later when the movers finish up and we unpack.”
“Anyhow, I don’t know where to put this one.” Presley pointed to the box at her feet.
“It should be labeled.” Tori furrowed her brow.
“Oh, it’s labeled all right,” Presley said, “in braille.”
Tori laughed. “Oh. I must have packed that one when Scott was at work.” They had come up with a dual labeling system where she’d pack and label the contents in braille and he would write on it with marker, that way the movers would know where to put it and either one of them could unpack but he had a feeling he didn’t catch them all. “Bring it here.”
Presley brought the box over to Tori, who ran her fingers across the box looking for the label.
“I’m surprised you don't know braille, Miss master-of-decoding-messages.” Tori smirked. “Isn’t it your job to know all languages and code?”
Scott laughed. “So, I guess that means I’m smarter than you, then?” he teased.
“I guess being around you, I’m’ gonna have to learn it and add it to my resume. I can’t have Harris winning now.”
“Good luck. I’m still kinda sucky with it, and don’t let him fool you, he doesn’t know it that well yet.”
“My fingers are too big,” Scott said as he took a drink from the beer.
“Yeah, they are,” Tori growled and grinned, finally finding the label and running her fingers across it. “Master bath.” Tori slapped the top of the box.
“Got it, and ew, gross.” Presley took it upstairs.
The movers finished up, then the three of them ordered some Chinese delivery and ended up eating on the bare floor.
“So, between the two of you, neither of you had a kitchen table?” Presley said grabbing some noodles with her chop sticks and stuffing them in her mouth. She sat cross-legged with her food on a moving box.
“We had one.” Scott shot Tori a glare. “She didn’t like mine. Apparently, it didn’t match with how she wanted to decorate the place.”
“It’s all wrong for this place. It’s square and high top, and we need something rectangular for the size of that area,” Tori protested. “Plus, it gives us an excuse to go shopping.”
Scott groaned. “You say that as if it will be tons of fun for me to go furniture shopping with your picky ass.” It was a painful process shopping with Tori. He had to verbally describe every detail to her, while she took recorded notes at each store so she could remember the details. Usually, she ended up picking the first one he saw, which made Scott’s head explode. “Shopping for that damn bedroom set about killed me.”
“It’s not like you’re sleeping in the bed anyway,” Tori mumbled under her breath.
Scott sucked in a deep breath. He really didn’t want to get into this in front of Presley. Ever since the nightmare where he pinned her down, he’d curl up next to Tori until she fell asleep then retreat to the sofa. He still didn’t trust himself. He promised her the fairy tale, and until the nightmares stopped, he was no damn prince worthy of her affection. That morning when they went to close on the house Tori refused to sign the paperwork unless he promised to sleep in the bed that night.
Typical Tori—wait until the very moment she had him by the balls, then go in for the kill. So tonight, he’d be busting out the sleeping pills he despised taking to ensure he’d be in a sleep coma.
They inhaled their food and got back to work. Presley went outside for a smoke and Scott and Tori headed upstairs to start with the bedroom.
“Jane calling, Jane calling,” Tori’s phone blared.
“One sec,” she mouthed before answering. She stayed in the hall while Scott went in the room.
A minute later, Tori came into the bedroom with a frown on her face. “Jane’s not coming.” Tori stood in the doorway and tucked her phone in her back pocket. “Apparently, Darren had to work late again and unless we want the kids running all over the place she’s gonna have to wait till tomorrow.”
As much as he enjoyed Jane’s kids, Tori was stressed out enough trying to find her way around the mess of boxes. They didn’t need to add more chaos to it.
“Yeah, I don’t think the kids running around underfoot would be a good idea.” Scott cringed as he watched Tori bump into a box and nearly topple over.
“Dammit!” Tori cursed.
Presley came into the bedroom “Brought us more beers. What’s up?” Presley asked, placing the beer in Tori’s hand.
“Oh, just smacking into boxes and shit. God, what is in that box? Bricks?” Tori leaned down and rubbed her shin with her other hand. “My sister isn’t going to make it.” Tori drank deeply from the beer.
Presley shrugged. “No biggie. I can help.” She glanced around the room. “Where to start….” she trailed off, reading the boxes. “Dude you should’ve been a doctor. I can make out your writing about as good as I can her braille labels.”
“Ha ha, very funny.” Scott bent over and sliced a box open labeled as his clothing.
“Oh!” Presley exclaimed. “This sounds fun. Scott’s personal stuff.” She yanked out a pocket knife and squatted down.
Scott shook his head as he pulled out some of his shirts.
“Oooh. Yearbooks. This could be interesting.” Presley flopped down on the floor, cross-legged, and thumbed through the book to the back. “Harris….let’s see….page one hundred forty-three.” She laughed. “Oh wow. Look at that little fuzz you were trying to grow on top of your lip and chin. That’s so sad and adorable.”
Scott yanked the yearbook out of Presley’s hand. “This was supposed to go to my office downstairs.” He dropped it back into the box, trying to pick it up, but Presley blocked him and continued to dig through.
Scott grunted and walked away—Pres can have her fun snooping. She opened a shoe box and dug through some photos.
“Woah, wait, what do we have here?” Presley pulled out a framed picture. “Holy shit! It’s a… a naked Scott.”
“What?” Tori stopped and turned—feeling her way around the sea of boxes. “What do you mean naked Scott?” Tori’s cheeks reddened.
Scott grinned. He was enjoying the little jealous streak in her.
“It’s some drawing you must have done of him, Tori. He’s stark naked on a bed sleeping.” Presley giggled, turned and looked at Scott. “Tori was either very generous, or you’re one well hung man.”
“Why do you even care about that?” Scott snorted. “You don’t like the dick.”
“I do if it’s strapped onto a hot blonde with big tits.” Presley licked her lips, nodded her head toward Tori, and winked.
Scott rolled his eyes and flipped her the finger.
Presley grabbed Tori’s hand and pulled her down next to her. Tori ran her hands across the frame. “I drew that our first night together,” Tori whispered and turned her head toward Scott. “I can’t believe you kept it all these years.” Tori clutched the frame to her chest. “And you framed it?”
“I never put it up. That would be weird.” He cleared his throat. “It was well done. I didn’t want it to get crinkled or ruined.”
He turned back to his box of clothing.
“But you kept it,” Tori said in awe. “Most guys would have tossed it in the trash the second they walked out the door.”
Scott frowned. Because that’s what most guys did with Tori. They treated her like garbage. Scott had always hated that Tori not only allowed it, but almost relished in it. She was the girl that was hot, sexy, and fun for one night. Sure, he may have hooked up with her for the same reasons, but he also saw her better than anyone else ever had. He knew from that first night together this girl was something special.
“I’m not most guys,” Scott said matter of factly as he pulled out more of his clothes and hung them in the closet.
Tori sat there for some time. When he glanced up, her brow was wrinkled, deep in thought. He went back to his organizing but was startled when she ran from the room, tripping over every box on her way downstairs.
“What the hell got into her?” he asked Presley after all the commotion.
Presley's eyes grew wide and she shrugged. “That seemed to rattle her pretty good.” She cringed. “I didn’t mean to upset her. I was just having fun.”
Scott frowned. He walked down into the kitchen where Tori was fumbling through boxes, running her hands across the labels—searching like a madwoman. “Babe? What’s wrong?”
“I can’t fucking find anything!” she screamed. “Everything is a jumbled mess of boxes. It’s so goddammed frustrating.” She sniffled as she wiped her nose and her voice cracked. “It's like being trapped in a damn hedge maze with your eyes closed.”
“Can I help you find something?” Scott stood behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.
She shrugged him off, not saying a word. She reached down toward another box running her fingers over her braille label.
She grabbed the packing tape on the side of the box and ripped it open with a vengeance—digging in and clanking glass bottles, pulling out the hard liquor. “There we go.” She grabbed the first one she could find, unscrewed the cap, and took a large gulp directly from the bottle—which happened to be vodka. She took a second drink then placed the bottle down. Her shoulders shook with sobs as she leaned against the counter.
“Tori?” He put his arm around her. “What the hell, babe?”
She spun around, facing him, tears flowing down her cheeks. “I’m so fucking stupid.”
“What?” He hugged her as she buried her head in his chest, sobbing more. “Why do you say that?” He stroked her hair, still not understanding what had gotten into her.
“I wasted so many years. All those years you would’ve been there. I could have let you in. I should have let you in. All I had to do was say the word.”
“Hey, we’re here now.” He kissed her on the top of the head.
“Yeah, but where could we have been?” She sobbed. “I’ve always tried hard since my accident to not dwell on the what if’s because it can send me spiraling. But right now, those are screaming in my head more than ever.” She pounded her temple. “What if I hadn’t gotten in the car that night. What if I wouldn’t have slept with Nathaniel and what if I would have given into my feelings years ago? Every time you left, my heart would scream, tell him to stay, but I didn’t. What if I would have?” She pulled back and leaned against the island, crossing her arms. “I was so selfish. I wanted my cake and to eat it too.”
“I wasn’t much better. I could’ve stayed and fought for you.” He was filled with his own list of regrets and what if’s. There were about a thousand times he almost told her the same, but every time something was in the way. BUD/S, deployments, other meaningless relationships and most of all his gigantic ego.
She shook her head and wiped her face. “I wouldn’t have let you. I was too scared and selfish.”
“No. You were wild and uninhibited, and it made me desire you even more. I wasn’t about to snuff out that flame in you.” He rested his hands on her shoulders. “I knew we’d get here. I knew your heart. Thankfully, I’m a patient man.”
“So patient that you had to settle for a damaged version of me?” She sighed. “I’ve been in my head a lot lately. I’ve been worried that you only settled for me because of this.” She motioned to her eyes. “But the fact you kept that picture. You really have loved me all along, and all I can wonder is why?” Her chest heaved as she choked back the sobs. “You deserve so much more, Scott. You deserve a wife who isn’t blind, a wife that can give you kids. Scott, you’re so much better than me. Let’s face it—you’re out of my league.” Tori gave a wry chuckle. “Hell, I can’t even get you to sleep in the same bed as me.”
Ouch. He’d been so hell bent on protecting her, he never thought how lonely that made her feel. If she’d been struggling with feeling not good enough, him not sleeping in the bed would only magnify all those fears of hers. God, his father was right with all his words of wisdom about relationships. He swallowed hard, feeling like such an asshole.
“Are you kidding me?” Scott’s eyes widened at her ridiculousness. “You still had guys tripping over themselves to be with you right after this happened. The reporter, your instructor who apparently smelled very, very, good,” Scott groaned.
“That was snarky of me to say that.” She shook her head and chuckled.
“I scooped you up on sale right before your price was about to skyrocket. I know a good deal when I see one,” Scott teased.
She let out a dry chuckle. “I’m kind of a broken mess. You may want a refund.”
Scott pulled her in close and pressed his lips to hers. “You’re beautifully imperfect. I wouldn’t trade you for another flawed woman with two working eyes even if she could pop out twenty kids for me.”
“But—”
“But nothing,” he stopped her. “You have no idea how I felt as I read that article in the news. My stomach churned when I read your name. The words severe brain injury gutting me…that phone call waiting to see if you were still you…” his voice cracked, and he fought back the tears brewing under the surface, reliving all the grief he felt. “I thought I’d lost you. I hated myself for not telling you sooner what you meant to me. I partially blamed myself for your accident, hell—part of me still does. If I had only given into my heart sooner, you may have not been with him. I have my own regrets as well, baby.”
“I guess it took me going blind for us to see we needed each other,” Tori said sarcastically.
“Ooh,” Scott cringed and chuckled. “Bad pun. So cliched.” He lovingly stroked his thumb across her cheek. “Stay here for a minute. I have something else I want to show you.”
Tori listened as he dashed upstairs and rustled around, coming back down a few moments later.
“I don’t know if you realized this, but you called yourself my wife, right? I don’t believe I’ve given you a proper proposal yet.” He wrapped his strong arms around her, giving her ass a firm squeeze.
Tori smiled sheepishly into his massive chest. “I was wondering when you were gonna get on that.” Her heart pounded with excitement.
“Well, you said no to my romantic, drunken proposal. Then you said no to me in the barn in Texas. That kind of shit can make a man a bit twitchy,” he lovingly scolded. “I can’t have you going around telling people we’re engaged when I haven’t properly asked you yet. You said it yourself—my mom raised me to be a gentleman.”
“Oh, I know she did.” Tori raised her brow. “So, are you finally asking for real?”
“Are you gonna do this, or am I?”
“Sorry.” She grinned.
“Check your back pocket.” The smooth timber of his voice sent chills down her arm.
Tori smiled slyly and reached for her bottom—finding a lump in her back-left pocket. “This better not be a pair of underwear.” She laughed, slipping her hand in and grabbing the metal ring.
“Baby, we’re both damaged, shattered messes. On the course of our life we’ll continue to cut each other with our brokenness. But there’s nobody else I want to patch my wounds other than you.”
Scott grabbed Tori by the back of the neck and touched his forehead to hers. “Tori, you’re the most unique, beautiful, wild, sexy, reckless and fierce woman that I’ve ever met. Taming you hasn’t been an easy task. You challenge me more than I could ever imagine. Loving you is like riding the waves of a wild storm—frightening yet exhilarating. Allow me to protect that fragile heart of yours, and I promise to love you in a way that will defy all you know love to be. Victoria Rose, will you marry me?” He kissed her on the forehead.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. The man could wield words like a skilled swordsman. “A thousand times yes.” She pulled him in and kissed him deeply.
Tori pulled back opening her palm with the ring in it.
“God dammit, tell her about the ring already! That’s the best part!” Presley yelled from across the room.
“How long have you been there?” Tori asked, wondering how she hadn’t heard her footsteps.
“Long enough to capture the proposal on video.” Presley had such a smile in her voice. In fact, it almost sounded like she was sniffling.
“On video?” Tori was shocked. “That’s so unlike you!” She poked Scott in the chest.
“I want to capture every moment I can with you.” He stroked her cheek.
Scott took her by the hand. “Finding a ring to fit someone like you wasn’t an easy task. There was no way I was walking into a store and buying you something in a display case. Not for my Tori.” He squeezed her hands. “I wanted it to be something you would know in your mind and recognize.” He took her finger and gently ran it across the metal pattern. “I had this made custom. I took a photograph of the painting you made above the sofa and took it to a jeweler.”
“The silver leaves and black flowers?” Her breath caught in her throat.
“Yes, that’s the one. It was always my favorite, because it reminds me so much of you,” Scott said. “The ring is all white gold with dark glazing in between the engraved details. In between the leaves there are rows of black diamonds.”
He ran her pinky finger across the fine details. “Like the flowers.” Her face hurt from smiling so much. She never knew she could be so happy.
“Yes, and then here is the clear solitaire main stone…” he continued.
“He means huge rock,” Presley interrupted causing Tori to giggle.
Scott cleared his throat in annoyance. “And then on the back…” He ran her finger across the raised braille dots on the back side of the ring.
“It says Scott.” She deciphered the braille lettering.
“And mine will say Tori.” Scott slipped the ring on her finger.
“It’s…it’s…” It was perfect. Actually, it was beyond perfect. It was the most thoughtful and beautiful gift she’d ever been given. Words were inadequate, her breath caught in her throat. She wrapped her arms around him and planted her lips to his, lacing her fingers through his hair.
“I wanted to give you the fairy tale proposal. I’m sorry; I should’ve done this better…”
“Baby, you’re my fairy tale.” It was so goddamn perfect.
“Are you ready to be Mrs. Harris?” His voice wavered, almost as if he feared she wouldn’t take his name.
Of course, she’d take his name, silly man.
“Victoria Harris, huh?” She puckered her lips and pretended to mull that over for a moment. Finally, she couldn’t contain her joy anymore, and her lips curled into a grin so wide she was certain her jaw would break. She had no desire to stay Victoria Johnson anymore. She was ready to put that life behind her. “I like the way that sounds.”
THE END