Page 57 of The Final Deal

He returns the beam, kisses my head, and heads over to the other side of the store, where diamonds glitter brilliantly.

I browse a case holding a variety of simpler bands; I think anything flashy would scare Adrian off. The ring on my own finger catches my attention when I compare the color of metals.

I got a good look at it earlier on our way here: a princess cut diamond takes center stage—the size of which I can tell Zak wanted to go ham on but tried to tamp down the urge because, hello, prog guitarist—surrounded by smaller round stones that frame its squareness and a diamond-encrusted band.

Of course, it would be princess cut.

When I scan the men’s bands in front of me, my eyes immediately draw to a flat brushed rose gold band—nothing too thick or too thin or flashy.

Perfect.

I clutch my purse carrying precious cargo in my lap as Adrian drives the Tacoma toward Losoya. He turns up the radio as a Nickelback song starts, and he can’t resist the siren call to join me and Zak in singing along, even if it hurts our ears.

We’re all smiles as we drive. Zak makes Dree stop at a florist on the way, and my favorite drummer proceeds to air drum along to Metallica so hard that it shakes the truck. He grabs my jaw and pulls me toward him over the center console, planting a big, smiling kiss on my mouth before sliding right back into drumming. Zak climbs in behind me with a small bouquet of red roses and shakes his head at his brother with an embarrassed smirk.

Once Adrian parks the truck in the lot across from Our Lady, the sight of her overlooking the prayer garden I was in earlier today sobers me instantly. I scan the grounds for any sign of Ty or the devil, but that was a few hours ago—they should be long gone.

But knowing the devil, he’s always in the shadows, lying in wait for me.

Sirens blare in my head as I descend from the Tacoma with Zak’s help and we cross the way toward the small shrine behind the prayer garden. The more I search, the less shadows look man- or cowboy-shaped, and the more I realize that literally no one is out here except Father Tomas’s beat up Honda outside the rectory.

What the fuck are we doing?

“Doesn’t this seem kind of… silly?” I ask as we approach the shrine. The black wrought iron gates are held open with chains, allowing a sneak peek inside the stone tower where Our Lady of Guadalupe waits for the faithful.

He casts me a confused look and takes a step up into the tower. “I’m promising my long-time girlfriend a lifetime of loveand care in front of my brother y nuestra Santa Madre—doesn’t sound silly to me.”

He does have a point, I think as we enter and cram ourselves inside. He wouldn’t dare do anything lightly before the Virgin Mary.

Zak gestures toward the kneeler right in front of the Blessed Virgin, who watches us behind glass. She’s flocked by statues of St. Joseph and the Infant of Prague, as well as a framed photograph of John Paul II, and surrounded by all sorts of colorful flowers. He genuflects on the concrete beside the kneeler and pauses.

I kneel on the thin padding. Zak leans forward to place the bouquet of roses at la Virgencita’s feet and crosses himself. Once I follow suit, he grasps my hand in his and bows his head.

I’m not very religious—I rarely feel the need to pray for God’s or Mary’s blessings. As the seconds tick by with Zak’s silent prayers and Adrian watching over us, I break out into a sweat when trees rustle beyond the window to my left.

Maybe a little prayer to keep the devil and Ty away from the twins wouldn’t hurt.

Zak squeezes my hand and crosses himself again. He helps me up from the kneeler and takes both of my hands, like couples do when they’re standing before officiants at weddings, and he grins at me brilliantly.

It strikes me so suddenly how unlike my daydreams all of this is. We were supposed to be standing inside the church, me wearing a pretty and fluffy white dress and Zak in a sleek suit, in front of a shit ton of family and tattooed musicians and music industry people; Brandy was supposed to be by my side wearing some ridiculous bridesmaid dress, and Adrian was supposed to be wearing a nice suit and standing by Zak’s side as we vowed in front of everyone to be husband and wife through good and bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. Instead, I’mstanding here in the shrine of Our Lady in regular street clothes with Zak holding my hands and Adrian smiling at us.

Somehow, those daydreams got it all wrong—thisis how it was always meant to be.

Zak finagles my engagement ring off and slowly slides on a matching diamond wedding band. “Steph, you’re the only girl I’ve ever wanted to come home to at the end of the day. You’re the one I’ve wanted to spend the rest of my life with since I asked you out, and these rings are a symbol of the love I’ve had for you since day one.”

Tears spring up so easily at his words. I glimpse at Adrian through them; he wipes away those that escape over my cheek.

Zak continues, “I promise to love you even when you steal my strings for your guitar—again.”

“Hey,” I interrupt, “what’s yours is mine, right?”

They both chuckle. “Sure, princesa.”

Zak replaces my engagement ring after settling the band on my finger. He couldn’t smile any wider right now—or so I thought until he gazes at me with his golden-brown eyes lit up brighter than the sun on any given day. “I swear I’ll love you until I take my final breath, and I’ll keep loving you in the afterlife.”

My bottom lip trembles, and I sniffle like crazy to keep myself from leaking snot all over my face. I take Zak’s flashy ring out of my purse and begin sliding it onto his finger.

I pause as a sob wracks my entire body, and it worsens when he leans forward to place a tender kiss on my forehead.

---