Page 197 of Defend Me

“Why?”

“Just do it, Tilian. Close your eyes.”

“You can’t surprise me with another car. I don’t want it. I didn’t want the first one.”

“This isn’t one of those things.”

His defiance was clear, but he dropped his face into his lap and covered his head with his arms. Quietly, I climbed the steps until I was standing two below him, just like the first time. I’d been nervous as hell approaching him, which had been the first sign that I was in over my head.

After looking at the ice cream cone with a smiley face that he’d drawn on my forearm this morning, I took a deep breath and shoved my hands into my pockets. He’d know that it was because they were shaking, but that was okay.

“Hey, Tilian?”

“Hm?”

“Look at me.”

He did and he immediately broke into a smile. I wasn’t even doing anything but standing here. God, I loved this man.

“Remember when we met here?” I asked.

“Yeah, it was traumatizing.”

“Shut up.”

He zipped his mouth, then tossed the imaginary key behind him. Shaking my head, I scooted in front of him, then I dropped into a crouch between his legs and put one hand on his thigh.

“Are you gonna suck my dick?”

“Oh my god,” I groaned. “I forgot the ball gag.”

“I need a week between using it or my mouth hurts.”

“Okay,” I said, trying to bring us back to the topic at hand. “The first time I saw you in person was in class, but you were in your own little world. The second time was here and I just thought it couldn’t be random coincidence. Harmon is huge and you could be anywhere smoking. Why would you be here?”

“Hot football players.”

“Mm. I was dying for an excuse to talk to you, so I made one up. This is where everything started. Then, it was here that we first hung out. It led to our first kiss in your dorm. You may think it was just a game and it was meant to be, but once it started, it scared the shit out of me. Baby, you planted yourself inside of me and you just wouldn’t stop growing.”

He just stared at me, finally silent. I reached up to brush his hair behind his ear. When his eyes started to shine, I smiled at him.

Pulling my other hand from my pocket, I set a ring on his thigh. It was a black band with three amethysts set into it. His breath stuttered as he ran his hands through his hair. I watched him, letting him work through it. He shook his head, then looked at the ring, then back at me.

“Are you mute?” I asked.

He let out a choked laugh. “Fuck you. Brooks. What the fuck are you doing?”

“There’s no way you’d want a public proposal like those dramatic fuckers.”

“No,” he whispered. “I’d kill myself.”

“I know. That’s why I’m asking you to marry me in the place I first got to hear you speak, where I saw those beautiful blue eyes in person and decided it was my new favorite color.”

“Basic,” he whispered.

“You’re anything but.”

“Are you sure you…”

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