Page 155 of Fumbled Into Love

Like when Ian was one of the last two men on our dating show and in the final hour—when everyone was convinced she would choose him—she decided to leave with David.

The only good outcome of that tragic loss is thatThe Fellowship of the Ringsposter stayed inThe Lairsince Nathalie moved in.

I’m finishing chewing the macaron, tears beginning to cascade down my cheeks as the rejection settles.

It was too fast. Maybe it’s a no for now and later, when we’ve been together longer, she’ll say yes. It’s what I tell myself as she throws her books to the ground and tears into her bag, completely ignoring my breakdown.

I rip the fidget spinner from my pocket, trying to focus on the calming motion in my hands when she yells.

“Aha!”

Nathalie pops off the ground, her things surrounding her feet, and the brightest smile on her face. That’s not a rejection smile.

“Ask me again,” She demands, nodding her head at the ring I’m clutching in my palm.

My head begins to spin.

Her soft brown eyes are full of emotion and her lips twitch with the force of her grin. She pokes me right between my pectoral muscles.

“Are you short-circuiting?”

I’m ready to take my words back and pretend this all never happened when Nathalie takes my hand and slides a titanium band onto my left ring finger.

My heart stops beating at the sight of it. A perfect fit.

“I-I…How?”

“I bought it a month ago,” she says, holding my shaking hand in hers. “I found the invoice for a ring inThe Lair.I was trying to tidy up,” she gives me a sheepish grin, “and I found it stuffed between two books.”

Oh.

I thought that was a good hiding spot.

She’s not the one to tidy up between books, so I figured that spot was safe until I had the ring in my hands and could throw the paperwork away.

“Remember when you couldn’t find your championship ring and I blamed its disappearance on Gordie?”

I numbly nod. I remember being pissed at my cat for a week until it magically reappeared. That was my college championship ring and he had batted it somewhere and I couldn’t find it.

“I stole it so the jeweler knew your size and I've been keeping it in my purse ever since.” My hand is still in hers, the ring sitting perfectly on my finger. “I thought you deserved a proposal, too.”

Tears are streaming down my cheeks and distantly I realize I’m crying in the middle of Paris and all of Nathalie’s belongings are sitting on the street, open for anyone to take.

But I can’t peel my eyes from her, from the woman who’s brought me back to life, who’s shown me what true, unconditional love is supposed to feel like.

With her, I am free of what haunted me for so long. She’s my sunrise, the promise of a new day, a better day, full of love and hope and joy.

I open my palm, the ring I bought her sitting in the center. She gasps, dropping my other hand.

“Will you—” I choke on the words, emotion clogging my throat, “Will you marry me?”

It’s not my planned proposal and my speech is long forgotten, but it’s raw and real and a moment that will be seared into my brain for the rest of my life.

Nathalie nods frantically, lip quivering as I slide the ring onto her finger. She lifts it to the sky.

“It’s beautiful,” she croaks, and then her hands fly over her face as she begins to sob. I drag her to my chest as she heaves air into her lungs. “I—The adrenaline…”

At least we’re both crying. Maybe it won’t look so weird to the people passing by.

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