Page 55 of Mangled

“Hey.” I walked toward him, and he stood, greeting me with a kiss. I glanced around the room, spotting more packing boxes. “What’s going on?”

“Leo,” Ben’s voice wavered. “Austin was where our story started. This—” Ben waved his hand around the room. “This is where our story continues. And I’m not saying we need to do anything right now. I just—” Ben ran his free hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “Back in that bar, on that first night that we signed up for Mangle, you said that you were ready to settle down.”

“I did, didn’t I?” I answered, heart pounding in my chest. Reaching down, I tried to take Ben’s hand, but instead, he handed me the small box. “What’s this?”

“Open it and find out.”

His bright eyes danced at my obvious joy as I opened the box and spotted two wide golden bands tucked into a pillow of deep blue velvet.

“It’s a promise.” Ben’s face broke out into a grin. “I want to spend my life with you, and I wanted you to know that I’m ready too, whenever you are. But a lot’s happened over the last couple of months, what with the move and the new jobs and everything else, and maybe you’ll want to wait a bit before—“

I didn’t let him finish. Cupping his face with my hands, I pulled him into a passionate kiss and ran my hands through his hair, soft as silk, as his arms encircled me, holding me close.

Finally, we broke apart, breathless. “So, did I do good?” Ben asked, eyes twinkling with mirth.

“Yes, you idiot,” I said, my voice rough with emotion. “And yes to this.” I held up the box with our rings as our lips met again, in a searing, tender kiss that held the promise of a lifetime. As we pulled apart, I knew without any doubt that I had found my home—not just within these walls, but in the strong arms of the man I loved.

“Welcome home, Leo,” Ben whispered against my skin. As we turned to face our future, hand in hand, we could navigate anything life might throw our way.

Standing in our half-empty home, we gazed into each other’s eyes, seeing our future together unfold in that shared look. This was just the beginning of our life together.

And it was perfect.

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