No. Fucking. Way.
I grab the handle from the outside and tug, and when it doesn’t come away I brace my foot against the side of the cab for more leverage. I’ll pull the fucking thing off if I have to. I hear the metal starting to creak as the driver winds down his window.
“Fuck you, buddy! Get your hands off my—” He visibly shrinks back when I turn my face on him. I’m in no fucking mood.
“Please go.” Safi’s voice is almost a whisper.
“Don’t you fucking dare!” I fix the driver with a death stare and watch him freeze. “This cab starts moving forward, I will not be responsible for my actions. You hear me?”
Safi turns her face toward me as the door pulls away from its setting far enough for me to wedge my fingers into the gap.
“What do you want?” She sobs. “Just let me go. Let me go.”
“Don’t you get it? I can’t let you go, Safi. I’d rather die. If you’re heading out of my life, you may as well run me down with this cab because I don’t want to live a day without you.”
I see her hesitate, her mouth moving as if she’s thinking over the words, but then she shakes her head, fresh tears falling from her eyes. “I’m just fluff. Your dad knows you better than I do. The guesthouse belongs to the casino and you’ll throw me out as soon as you’re bored with me.”
“No.” The door moves another fraction as I grunt with effort. “Safi, you’re everything. I’ve just thrown my dad off the premises and he’s not coming back. He’s wrong about what we have. He’s wrong about me. He doesn’t know me as well as he…”
The thought suddenly occurs to me that I’m concentrating my effort in the wrong place. Sure, I could tug the door open. It’s almost there. Brute strength has always been my strongest suit, but I’m not just brawn. In that, my father was right. If I have to force her to stay, what good is that? I could tie her up and keep her here, but I want her to stay because she wants it.
Letting go of the door, I take a step back, fixing her with my eyes. Then I drop to one knee on the pavement, bringing my eyes level with hers.
Fuck, she’s beautiful. That beauty almost makes me forget how to talk. I’m sure everyone is staring now. I don’t give a fuck. Safi means everything.
“My life,” I say, my voice cracking on the words. Shaking my head, I draw a deep breath, then reach out towards her as if I might be able to touch her through the door. “My life used to be empty and meaningless, sweet treat. I was more like my father than I wanted to admit. Then you came into it and everything changed. You made me see beauty, Safi. Suddenly there was color where before it was all varying shades of black. I can’t go back to that version of myself, not now. Not after I’ve seen what my life could be with you in it.”
As she stares at me, I reach into my pocket, pulling out the box. It’s such a tiny thing, like her. It looks comical nestled in the palm of my hand. But for her, I’ll be different. For her, I’ll put the monster to bed.
“You want commitment, I get that. You want to know that this is more than just a way of stringing you along. I was going to do this last night, but, well, things got out of hand.” A smile pulls at the corner of my lips, and finally I see her laugh, wiping tears from her eyes as she looks down into my hands. “I wanted this moment to be special. I wanted candles and rose petals and soft music. But none of that matters. All that matters is the two of us. You and me. Safi, marry me.”
I hear a few gasps, a few cruel laughs. Time was, I would have turned on those laughing and given them a beatdown they’d never forget. But now? Let them laugh. I feel sorry for them, not knowing what I feel right now.
As I stare into her eyes, I finally see her take a breath, and it’s like the spell is broken.
She reaches for the door, fumbling with the lock, then starts to frown. “I think you broke it.”
It’s my turn to laugh. Standing, I grab hold of the door and with a final grunt of effort I hear the scream of bending metal and it flies open. There’s laughter and applause, and none of it matters as I gather Safi up into my arms, peppering her face with kisses everywhere I see tears.
“Stop!” she pleads, giggling and trying to push me away.