Page 104 of EverGreene
Nix nodded. “Sounds good, man.” He turned to walk away, stopping after a few steps and peering over his shoulder. “Oh, and Ever, you’re more than welcome to move in with us.” Bomb dropped, he walked out of the gym without uttering a single word further.
“How the hell long had he been here, and how much did he hear?” I asked, meeting Loche’s eyes.
“I think we should be more concerned with how much he saw.” Loche bent down and retrieved his shirt while I secured my knife in its holster, lifted my skirt, and fastened the belt around my thigh.
“Why knives?”
“Why not knives?”
“I mean, as opposed to a gun. A gun would dispatch your attacker a lot more quickly.”
“Yeah, but a gun is far less intimate, and it’s impossible to fire a shot by accident at someone with a knife. Pepper spray, on the other hand…”
“You didn’t.” Loche laughed, waiting for me to whip out a “Just kidding”, complete with jazz hands for effect.
“I wish I could say I didn’t, but Jasper could unfortunately refute that remark.”
“Jasper, as in the attendant for the parking ramp used by the law firm? That Jasper?”
“That Jasper,” I confirmed.
“What the hell did Jasper do?”
“He ran up behind me a little too quietly, and when he said, ‘Ma’am, you dropped your badge,’ a few feet away from my ear, I whipped around and let him have it. He won’t be doing that again.”
“I’ve never been prouder of you, Nevermore.”
Loche bent down to retrieve his duffel bag as I moved to exit the ring, stopped short by him calling my name.
“Ever, wait. I have something I’ve been meaning to give to you.”
I turned around, eyes widening when I saw Loche on his knees, holding a small box.
Loche looked between my eyes and the box in his hands, realization dawning on him. “Oh, no. No. No.” He stood up. “I know how that looked, but that’s not what I’m doing.”
“Oh, thank god.” I exhaled as the room around me stopped spinning.
“I’m not sure whether I should be offended by your relief.”
“Did you want me to want you to propose to me?”
“When I propose to you, it won’t be an afterthought.”
“When?”
His lips curled into a devilish smile that made my toes curl and wish we had the time to go another round in the ring. “When.”
“If it’s not a ring, then what is it?”
“Why don’t you open it and see?”
Eyes searching his to see whether I could catch a hint of what may be in the small square box, I took it from his hand and lifted the lid. “Loche!” I gasped, pulling out the silver necklace. Dangling from it was a pendant, which I promptly turned around.
“A peacock feather,” I said to no one in particular. Tears burned my eyes.
“Do you like it?”
“Oh my god, yes.” I threw my arms around Loche’s neck, hugging him while also drying my eyes on his shirt.
