Page 72 of Reckless At Raleigh High
He pulls away, taking his heat with him, and I ache from the lack of him.
To my right, I hear the ticking of a combination lock being opened, and then the creak of his locker door as he opens it up. Silence follows. I can’t even hear him breathing.
“Alex?”
“I asked you to marry me in a diner,Argento. A fuckingdiner. I asked you without a ring, because I couldn’t hold back a second longer, and I’ve felt pretty terrible about that ever since. So…no, wait, not yet. Keep them closed.” He laughs shakily—an adorably vulnerable sound. “Cameron gave this to me a while ago, and I’ve been waiting to give it to you.”
Oh, shit. Oh…my god. He’s giving me a ring? My cheeks flame, blood rushing to my face. I can’t…even…think straight. I need to open my eyes. Ihaveto open them. As if he can sense that I’m losing my battle to obey him, Alex places a hand over my eyes, blocking out my vision.
“I wasn’t waiting for the right moment,” he whispers. Jesus, his mouth is so damn close, I can feel the brush of his lips against mine as he speaks. “I was waiting to give you time to think this through properly. I wanted to give you a chance to change your mind. And now that you’ve had the opportunity to process all of this, what I’m truly asking of you, I’m going to ask it of you again, Silver Parisi.”
I whimper as he removes his hand. He leans away again, and I’m left feeling like I’m about to slide down the lockers and collapse to the ground.
“Open them, Silver. Open your eyes.”
“I—” Now that I know what’s happening, for some reason opening my eyes has become an impossible task.
“Silver.Look at me,” Alex says.
Slowly, I crack my eyes, and everything blurs for a second when I see him, on both his knees at my feet. The small velveteen box in his hands is open, and inside it, shining brightly against the blue, plush material, is the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. The huge stone at its center is a stunning coral pink instead of diamond white. The setting is silver.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to get down on both knees,” I whisper.
“Getting down on one knee’s supposed to be a sign of honor and respect. One knee’s not good enough for you,Argento. I’ll always be on both for you, worshipping you, honoring you. Please...” He’s deadly serious as he looks up at me. Serious, and hopefully, and desperately vulnerable. “Say yes again and take the ring.”
I’m blinded by the sheer force of the love that hits me. It’s incredible, like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I cup the side of his face in my hand, brushing my thumb over the ridge of his cheekbone. “I didn’t need time, Alex. I knew the very second you asked me in that diner. You made me so ridiculously happy. So, yes. For the second time, yes, Iwillmarry you.”
He tries to hide away his quietly pleased smile, but I can see it in his eyes. Before he can get up, I drop down to my knees, too, joining him on the floor. “I worship you, too, y’know. I’ve been too shy to say it in the past, but…I think you’re pretty cool, Alessandro Moretti,” I say, teasing him.
“Pretty cool, huh?” He laughs, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. “Okay. I s’pose I’ll take it.”
We’re both just nervous, I think. Because the asking part is intense, yes, but the taking the ring out of the box part, the sliding it onto my finger part is even more intense. Alex’s hand shakes as he plucks the ring from its cushion; he pauses, blowing out down his nose, and the shakes stop just like that. He’s steady, solid as a rock as he gently takes my hand and slips the beautiful ring onto my finger.
Once it’s done, Alex sinks back onto his heels, like he’s relieved he didn’t screw up. “It was your great-grandmother’s,” he says. “Cameron told me it was meant for you all along.”
“Andyouwere the one who was supposed to give it to me.”
We kiss like the world is ending, and neither of us really cares.
38
SILVER
Halfway back to the gym, I realize I haven’t got any lip gloss in my purse and Alex just kissed all of mine off. “Go on ahead. I’m gonna go back to my locker really quick.”
“You planning on shoving the ring back in the box and hiding it under an algebra text book?” Alex jokes. Sounds like there’s a hint of real concern in his voice.
“Absolutely not. I don’t want to hide it. And I don’t care who knows about us either. I’ll make an announcement on the PA in between Bond theme songs if you like?”
He smirks at that, squeezes my hand and gives me a quick kiss on the temple. “Take too long and I’ll have to come find you, Mrs. Moretti.”
A chill runs up and down my spine at that name. A good chill. One that makes me smile so hard it hurts. “A little premature, there, don’t you think?”
“Oh, Silver. Don’t you know me by now? I’mneverpremature.”
I’m still laughing to myself, my heels clicking loudly against the linoleum, as I hurry back to my locker. I open up the lock and pull the open the door, already reaching insi—
An avalanche pours out of my locker, small scraps of paper fluttering and flying everywhere, tumbling out onto the floor.
