AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I sit, listening while Rohan talks about how he secretly hates his job—not Richard, of course, but the unpredictability of it, and that in some ways, it’s a relief that he’ll be moving onto something else, even though he’ll miss him horribly. His biggest wish is to do something important with his life, to be a leader, and also to meet Cher. Karen starts to talk about getting into the pageant circuit again, only she wants to go for Mrs. Universe this time because you can be over twenty-five to win. But she desperately needs a Mr. Universe to make it happen. I can’t even concentrate on her words because the only thing I can hear is my own heart, telling me I love Gwen Fox. And now it’s telling me she has to know. I look over at her. That bright light is still surrounding her. She’s laying on the mat with her eyes closed, looking like the most perfect version of Sleeping Beauty ever. I wobble a little, reaching out and touching her hand. “Gwen. Gwen, wake up.”
She opens her eyes and smiles at me. “I’m awake. Isn’t this great? I feel so relaxed.”
“Yeah, it’s terrific. Listen, I have to tell you something,” I say, scooting over to her mat and kneeling beside her. “You have to listen to me. It’s the most important thing I’ll ever say to anyone ever.”
She sits up and faces me, focusing in with intensity. “What is it?”
My tongue feels thick and my heart is pounding. “You’re the person I’ve been waiting for my whole life. I’m in love with you. I want to marry you and have babies who look just like us and grow old together and carry you around when you’re too weak to walk anymore.”
Her mouth drops and somewhere in the back of my mind, I notice that everyone has stopped talking and they’re all listening to me. But I don’t care, not in the least, because I have to say this. Right now. “I’m in love with you and I’m pretty sure if you don’t love me back, I’ll die right here because my heart will shatter completely and I’ll be dead. You can hear me, right? I’m actually saying these things out loud and not just thinking them?”
“You’re saying them,” she tells me, reaching out her hands and taking mine in hers.
“So? What do you think, Gwenny? Do you want to get married and have babies and grow old with me?”
Nodding, she breaks out into a wide grin. “Yes, I do, Ty. I really, really do.”
“Let’s do it then. Let’s get married right now,” I tell her, lifting her hands to my mouth so I can plant kisses on her knuckles. “Right here, tonight. Let’s get married and be together forever.”
“Okay,” she says, letting go of my hands and wrapping her arms around my neck. She kisses me hard on the lips and after a few seconds, she falls back and I go with her, laying on top of her while we kiss some more. When we stop, she says, “I don’t ever want to be away from you. Not even for a minute. I’d even use the bathroom with you. With anyone else, that would be a total turn off for me. But with you, I’d do it just so we don’t have to be apart for even a few minutes.”
“Yes, Gwen, yes, let’s do that. We can sleep together and shower together and eat together and pee together. It’s going to be amazing,” I tell her, kissing her again.
“It’ll be incredible, like last night,” she answers.
We start making out again, only for me to feel a persistent tapping on my shoulder. I totally ignore it because I’m trying to get Gwen’s shirt off over her head. “Hey, you two, you better stop this,” Thiago says.
“Are we being a problem?” Gwen asks him.
“For your own sakes, you should stop. Maybe … go to one of your rooms. But you can’t do this here.”
I push myself off of Gwen, a distant part of me knowing what he’s saying makes a lot of sense. Then I stand and pull her up. Wrapping my arm over her shoulder, I look at Thiago. “Say, you’re not a registered minister, are you? Or how about Don there? Is he maybe a priest? We’d really like to get married now.”
Thiago shakes his head and says something about it being a good idea to take it slow, but I’m really not paying attention because my hand has moved down to Gwen’s perfect bottom and I’m totally focused on that right now.
“Maybe wait until morning and see if this still seems like a good idea.”
“Oh, it will,” I tell him, glancing down at Gwen. “She’s my person. My buddy. My ride-or-die. I want to buy her everything she’s ever wanted and build a rocket ship so we can go find her alien friends and go see movies with her and have sex with her on the kitchen counter.”
“Oh, babe? Really?” Gwen says, looking up at me. “You want to go find aliens with me?”
“I do. I never wanted to go to space before, but if that’s what you want, I’ll go. I’ll build the best spaceship ever made and we’ll go together,” I say, turning to her and wrapping my arms around her.
She tilts her head up so we can kiss some more. “You’re the best,” she says.
“No, you’re the best. The best person who ever lived and I’m so fucking lucky to have you.” I turn and look at Richard’s urn. Pointing to it, I say, “Thank you, Richard. Thank you for introducing me to the best person who ever lived. I’m going to put babies in her right away. As many as possible, all at once.”
“Okay, you two,” Thiago says, putting his hands on our backs. “Let’s get you back to your room.”
“Sure, yeah,” I tell him, only vaguely aware that everyone else is staring at us like we’re insane.
“Good night, all,” Gwen says. “See you in the morning, when I’m fully pregnant with his babies.”
As we walk down the path to the lodge, I hold Gwen’s hand and she rests her head on my shoulder. I look up at the stars above us and let out a happy sigh. “Look at the stars, Gwenny. Just look. They’re shining there for you.”
She looks up, then at me. “I had no idea you could be so romantic.”
“I didn’t either. No clue whatsoever. But you bring it out in me. Only you can.” I lower my mouth to hers and we kiss some more until the sound of a throat clearing interrupts.
