“Same here. I love it. So glad you brought me back here.” He turned to take in the view again and I leaned in to peck his cheek.
“I’m glad you like it as much as I do.”
I slipped my hand into his and we stood side by side looking at the wonder laid out before us. After a moment, I stepped around to face him and dropped to one knee.
Bennett’s eyes widened at the move and I smiled up at him, trying desperately to keep my eyes dry long enough to get the words out.
“Benny, I have loved you for twenty-five years. Not a day has passed that I haven’t known deep down in the center of my soul that you were the best thing that ever happened to me. When I’m with you, I feel whole. Happy, and free, and loved beyond measure.”
Bennett’s free hand came up to his mouth, and the hand I was holding tightened in mine before I continued.
“When I stood on this spot a year ago, all pissed off and stubborn about you showing up, I didn’t realize that my anger was really a stark, all-consuming fear. I was terrified about so many things— me beginning to need you again, you rejecting me again, hell, even the two of us no longer having that special connection.
“What I didn’t realize then is that none of those things were even possible. I always needed you. Me needing you couldn’t start again because it never stopped. You couldn’t reject me again when you never really rejected me in the first place. And it’s not possible for the two of us, with what we have and what we’ve shared, to lose our special connection.”
I reached into my pocket for the ring I’d been carrying for a month, just waiting for the perfect time to give it to him.
“I love you so much, Benny. More than these mountains— more than the sun in the sky and the very air around us. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
I took a deep breath. “Bennett Crawford, will you do me the honor of becoming my husband and making all of my dreams come true?”
A sob escaped him as he nodded and collapsed into me, wrapping his arms around my neck and kissing me on the lips. My mouth reveled in the feel of Bennett’s lips and tongue against mine, and we kissed for several moments before pulling away and locking eyes.
“That’s a yes?” I said with what was surely a stupid grin on my face.
“Of course that’s a yes,” he said, wiping tears off his face with the heel of his palm. His other arm stayed tight around the back of my neck. “I love you so much, Xander. I never want to be apart from you again as long as I live.”
“Then will you wear this ring so Aiden will stop fucking flirting with you?” I held up the band on the tip of my index finger and grinned at him.
Bennett barked out a laugh and took the ring, sliding it reverently onto his finger and staring at it with his own goofy grin on his face.
“Like a little old ring will stop Aiden from flirting with anything that moves,” he muttered.
I reached out to tilt his chin up so I could look at his beautiful, happy face before breaking into the Platters song I hadn’t been able to get off my mind since buying the ring.
“With this ring, I promise I’ll always love you…”
“Oh god,” Bennett groaned. “Two can play at that game, you know.”
“Bring it, sweet cheeks,” I said. “Hit me with your best shot,” I sang.
“If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it…” he crooned as we grabbed our packs.
“Dude, I did,” I said with a fake pout. “And now I’m going to the chapel and I’m gonna get maaaarried…”
Bennett rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand. “Is it too late to change my mind about the marrying thing?”
“Should I say I’m sorry? Because I’m not, really.”
“Nah, it’s too late to apologize. It’s tooo laaaate.”
“Fuck, okay.” I pulled our joined hands up to brush a kiss on the back of his. “Let’s stop before you start singing MmmBop.”
“Motherfucker. I can’t believe you just did that. The joke’s on you, asshole. I’m going to be singing MmmBop for a week.”
“Serves you right. My job here is done,” I said as I squeezed his hand, and we moved forward on the trail.
Together.
The End