Chapter 53: Countdown to Forever

AVA

The next days were spent in a whirlwind of moving house, setting up Cyrus’s new company, and planning our elopement.

I hated seeing Cyrus in the office less, but luckily I kept busy with projects, and I had lunch with him most days anyway.

Mr. Robinson was doing a remarkable job as Cyrus’s successor and had already made a big difference in the work environment.

But Cyrus was doing a good job himself. He tried to be more approachable to his employees, in both publishing and marketing.

It seemed like the change was felt throughout the entire Brentstone building.

It felt like a window had been opened and a fresh breeze was blowing through, chasing away the heavy and standoffish atmosphere.

I’d even run into Roald a few times—although I’d never seen him outside of his office before—and he’d been almost…pleasant?

One evening, I was sitting on the couch, talking to Maisy on the phone, while Cyrus was working out in our home gym.

Maisy was telling me about a new guy she’d met, and I was so invested in the story that I didn’t even notice Cyrus come in. I let out a loud yelp when I felt his large hands wrap around my shoulders.

“What?!” I heard Maisy’s voice yell from the speaker of my phone, which I’d dropped on the floor.

“Nothing,” I said, still catching my breath. “Cyrus is back. Tell me more about Owen!”

Cyrus huffed in mock offense as he released me and walked into the kitchen to make us both a postworkout snack.

I kept talking to Maisy as we ate. I couldn’t bring myself to hang up on her while she was so excited.

Cyrus and I kept staring into each other’s eyes, though, and the air quickly became charged with sexual tension. I felt myself getting more and more distracted, so I cut Maisy off mid-sentence.

“Maise, I’ve got to call you back. This story deserves my full attention, and to be honest, it’s faltering.”

She giggled. “I was wondering how long it would take. All right, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

I put my phone down and took a sip of water, washing away the last bite of food. Cyrus grabbed my hips and lifted me off my stool and onto his lap.

“I talked to our officiant today,” he said. “She’s available this weekend. Wanna get hitched tomorrow?”

CYRUS

I looked over to my right, at the passenger seat where Ava was sitting. She had her arms folded underneath her chin as she leaned out the window.

Her hair was blowing in the wind, dancing around her face and whipping against her seatbelt. The quick movements were a stark contrast with her peaceful face.

Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was slow and relaxed. It calmed me, seeing her so at ease.

I tried to pinpoint the reason for her comfort. Was it the sun, which had made its return after what had seemed like an everlasting winter? Was it the music that was playing, her favorite playlist?

Could it be the thought of us getting married mere hours from now?

I reached over and put my hand on her thigh. Ava’s eyes fluttered open, and she took one arm from underneath her chin and slid it over mine. She smiled happily at me before closing her eyes again.

My thumb found the diamond of her engagement ring, and I swiveled it back and forth on her finger.

I checked my watch. We had about an hour more to drive. I turned my blinker on and took the next off-ramp. Ava lifted her head and looked around.

“I don’t think this is our exit,” she said.

“It’s not. But we’re gonna grab something to eat.”

Ava fidgeted with her hands nervously. “Maybe it’s best to eat afterward? I’m not really hungry… And my dress is pretty tight. I wouldn’t want to risk not being able to fit into it.”

“None of that,” I said, sounding a bit more aggressive than I’d have liked. “No dress is worth skipping meals for.

“And besides, if it’s so tight you can’t even have a bite to eat, it’s not the right size anyway.”

I glanced at Ava, who was shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

“I have no backup dress,” she whispered. She seemed so vulnerable suddenly, and it made me feel bad for snapping at her like that.

“Doesn’t matter. I’d marry you in anything. We could just wear the clothes we’re wearing now.” My tone came out sharper than I’d intended. I was doing a bad job of making her feel at ease.

Ava bit her lip. “I suppose. I just thought it’d be nice if we wore something resembling wedding clothes. But I guess you’re right. It doesn’t really matter.”

I pulled into the parking lot of a small restaurant, parked the car, and turned to Ava.

“No, ~you’re~ right. Baby, we should make it feel as special as possible. Besides, I can’t wait to see you in your dress.

“I just don’t want you to ever skip a meal to fit into an article of clothing. That’s a slippery slope.”

Ava nodded her head. She was biting the inside of her cheeks, making her dimples disappear. “I agree,” she said finally, her face a little brighter. “Thank you. Let’s get some food.”

We walked into the restaurant and were pleasantly surprised to discover that it was a pretty nice place. The food was great, and the staff was nice.

I did catch a few of the waiters staring at my girl a touch longer than I’d have liked them to, but I couldn’t really blame them, what with her looking the way she did.

I was counting down the minutes until I got to marry her. One more hour until she would finally be mine. Fully, wholly, entirely, everlastingly. Mine. All mine.