I wasn’t an escort anymore, I helped Ben manage Supernal. He worked way too hard and between Dane and me, he was now able to take time for himself and invest more into his mental health with therapy.
“I’m glad they had a nice day for it.” We stopped by the fence, Ben smiling at me.
“Me too.” I turned and saw everyone going inside but I was in no rush. If Ben wanted to watch the waves, I was happy to oblige.
“Have you ever thought of getting married?” He squeezed my hand pulling my attention back to him.
“A time or two.”
“When I saw your mother a couple of weeks ago, she told me you had wedding catalogs under your bed at the age of seven.”
My eyes widened. “She’s a horrible liar. A concern of mine actually. I’ll put her in a home right away.”
Ben arched his head back, a booming laugh erupting from him which rivaled the sounds of the waves crashing to shore.
“You’ll do no such thing. She’s an amazing woman. And should the time come she ever does need assistance, it will be under our roof.”
Our. “Will it now?”
His face turned serious. “Yes, Crew. I adore your family. I love you and what’s mine is yours. This is our life.”
“I have it on good authority that not only does my family love you, I love you even more.”
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me with so much love he didn’t need to say the words. His natural taste was mixed with salt water…a new memory to tuck away.
“I’ve been talking to my therapist about us.”
“Oh?” Ben and I’d had a few sessions together but they’d mostly focused on how to help Ben and very little on our relationship. I liked to think it was because we were solid.
“I told her I wasn’t as scared anymore about a future with you. How when I think that I might be replacing Leslie and my kids with you, I shake it off easily. Because it’s not replacing at all. I think you’d be a part of my life even if they weren’t. We were probably always destined to be a part of each other’s stories.”
“What did she say to that?” I was trying to hold my emotions in check. Sure, I’d hoped Ben would want to marry me and be with me forever, but I never wanted to hope too hard.
“She said I’d come a long way.”
“That’s it?”
He chuckled. “She also said she believed I’d figured out what I wanted.”
I cleared my throat when it started to clog with emotion. “And what is it you want, Ben?”
He took a step back and reached into his jacket. I froze when I saw a small black velvet box in his hand.
“I want you, Crew, for the rest of my life. I want to call you husband. I want to love you how you’ve loved me. I want everything.” He got down on one knee and opened the box. Resting on a dark pillow was a diamond encrusted titanium ring. “Crew Riley, will you marry me?”
“Shit, Ben.” I got down on my knees to be level with him and kissed him until our laughter broke us apart.
“Is that a yes, I can’t tell with you.”
“Yes, you idiot, of course, it’s a yes.”
We both stood, the sea air washing around us as Ben slipped the ring on my finger.
“Thank you, Crew, for waking me up, for your patience and understanding. Thank you for never giving up on me.”
I cupped his face in my hand. “I’ll never give up on you or us. I love you, Ben Asher, and nothing will change that.”
With the ocean crashing and the wind dancing, I stood there with Ben in my arms, kissing him, not caring how much time went by. Nothing mattered just then except us.