Erik posts himself near the fireplace, and Blue takes her place at his side. Everyone pushes in to listen.
“As you all know,” Erik says as he surveys the crowd. “We’re all gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Legend and Pepper.”
Applause breaks out with a few whistles. Legend pulls his wife into his side, gazing at her with such a loving expression on his face that my breath catches.
“Yes, yes,” Erik says with a laugh, using his free hand to help quiet the crowd. “Yes, we’re here to celebrate these two lovebirds, but Legend threatened to kick my ass if I made a big deal about it. In fact, he specifically forbade gifts or speeches of any kind.”
Laughing, everyone waits for Erik to continue defying his friend.
“So I’m not going to give a speech about them,” he says, then I see him shoot a subtle smile at Bishop before he turns to face Blue. “Instead, I’m going to talk about this woman.”
Blue’s face turns almost crimson, which is made inherently brighter by the fact her hair is a bright blonde. She even takes a stuttering step back, as if he’s got a bomb on him or something.
Erik isn’t about to let her get away, though. He reaches out and snatches her hand, pulling her right into his space. He hands his champagne glass off to a teammate. Then, to everyone’s shock, he drops down to one knee before Blue.
“That’s ballsy,” Tacker murmurs from beside me, and I can’t help but giggle. I look up at him, and his return gaze is filled with amusement.
Erik is now brandishing a black velvet box that’s opened. While I can’t see the details, there’s a huge sparkler of a ring nestled inside.
Blue gasps, staring at Erik in shock.
“Blue,” he says softly. “Some may think this is too soon, but I say I’ve waited a lifetime for this. Still others may say I haven’t thought things through enough, but I say I’ve been doing nothing but thinking. Even more will say I haven’t planned well, and I would have to say the planning is all done. Meaning, I’ve talked to Billy about this. Several times, in fact, because I wanted to make sure that when I asked you to be my wife, he would be equally as accepting of me being his brother-in-law. Luckily, your brother is incredibly smart and handsome—just like me—”
And here, Erik takes a moment to search the crowd, locking eyes on Blue’s brother. His head is lolling from side to side, his teeth flashing in the biggest smile imaginable. It’s obvious Billy knew this was coming from the way he’s bouncing in his chair with excitement.
Erik shoots him a wink, then turns to Blue. “As you can see, I’ve got it all figured out. You, me, and Billy are going to lead an incredibly beautiful life together if you will just say yes and agree to be my wife.”
Taking the ring out of the box, Erik slides it onto Blue’s finger, which is a feat in and of itself as her entire hand is shaking like crazy.
There’s no formal answer given by Blue. She merely flings herself into Erik’s arms, knocking him backward from his kneeling position in front of her onto his back. She then lays a kiss on him that says, Yes, Yes, Yes!
Everyone starts cheering. Eventually, Erik and Blue surface to a standing position. People surge to offer congratulations. Tacker and I hang back, waiting for the crowd to thin.
His arm comes up around my shoulder, and he steps in closer to me as we watch the happy couple. I don’t have to look at his face to feel the joy radiating off him. I imagine engagements or weddings may be difficult for him, but there’s no denying the fact Tacker has reached a point he can actually engage in true happiness for the things his friends have that he no longer does.I had an amazing time at Erik and Blue’s. The party got a little crazy as the alcohol flowed freely. At one point, Erik grabbed Blue and jumped into their pool fully clothed. She didn’t seem to mind, though, as they spent a good chunk of the night lip locked. Luckily, Billy had been taken back to the group home when he started getting tired, so he didn’t have to witness all that engagement debauchery.
Tacker walked me to my door like every other night we’ve had a date. Hand in hand up the steps, stopping just under the yellow porch light.
Just like every other night, I had a million nerves fluttering at the thought of a goodnight kiss.
Like every other night, he dips his head and brushes his mouth against mine.
Except tonight, our heads seem to tilt, and our mouths open just a bit wider. The kiss extends, and Tacker’s hand comes to the nape of my neck. It’s a touch I love… possessive and controlling.