~Joan~
By the time we got to the apartment, it was already late, and Aaron and I had, well… thoroughly exhausted ourselves in the car. That was another wish ticked off my bucket list-getting fucked in the backseat.
I wouldn’t deny it-it was hot. Just thinking about it sent a rush of warmth between my legs. I had never asked for a better birthday.
“Why is it so dark?” I asked Aaron as we stepped out of the car. From the windows, I could tell the lights were out inside, though I was sure they had been on when we left. I hesitated mid-step.
Aaron glanced down at me, and I swallowed hard.
“Did someone break in?” I whispered, hating how quickly those ugly memories resurfaced. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, drawing me closer.
“No one broke in, and no one can,” he muttered before pressing a kiss to the side of my head. I leaned into him. He smelled like me and that earthy musk of sex-a surprisingly intoxicating mix.
“I’m moving out soon,” Aaron said, and I tilted my head up to look at him. Oh.
“You’re leaving your penthouse?” I asked as we walked into the elevator. He shrugged. I chuckled.
“This place is like your sanctuary,” I pointed out, and he nodded.
“Yeah. It’s perfect for living alone. But it’s not exactly the ideal place to start a family-a wife, kids,” he said casually, giving me a small smile. My heart leapt and lodged itself in my throat.
“Oh,” I muttered, because that was all I could manage. I hadn’t brought up the baby yet-I needed time to come to terms with it myself. But now that I was finally comfortable with the idea, I would tell Aaron.
He might get pissed that I’d kept it a secret for a few days, but it is what it is.
The elevator doors slid open, revealing Aaron’s floor. He glanced at me before unlocking the door. Unlike what I saw from outside, the hallway lights were on, but his apartment was still in darkness.
He pushed the door open and stepped in. I hesitated, scanning the space cautiously. I knew I was safe, but unease coiled in my stomach. It had been dark in my apartment that day, too.
“Hey,” Aaron whispered, stretching a hand out to me as the door shut behind us. I placed my hand in his, and he pulled me flush against his body.
“What’s going on?” I whispered back.
“Nothing,” he chuckled, his breath warm against my cheek. “Dance with me.”
I pulled back slightly, trying to make out his face in the dark. “Are you serious?”
“Just one dance with the birthday girl?” he asked, tilting his head.
I sighed but gave in, letting him guide us in slow, uncoordinated movements. I rested my head against his chest, feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my cheek.
“I love you,” he murmured.
“I love you too,” I said softly.
He stopped moving, just holding me there.
“I mean it, Jo,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “I love you so much, it physically hurts my eyes to look at you for too long. And then my heart does this weird flip whenever you’re around, and it skips a beat when you smile. Two beats when you laugh.”
I pulled back slightly, my chest tightening. Aaron never really put his emotions into words like this.
It made me smile.
“That’s a good thing,” I whispered, reaching up to touch his face.
Just then, a dim light flickered on, casting a soft glow across the room. The bulb flickered once, then steadied.
“Your lights are bad?” I asked, glancing at him.
Aaron didn’t respond immediately. His dark eyes were locked on me, intense and unreadable.
“You’re the light in my life,” he murmured. “And no, you’re not bad.”
I laughed, dropping my gaze, my face heating up. Good thing the room was dim-he’d have seen me turn an entire shade of red.
Then, suddenly, he was moving us again, spinning me around.
“I want you,” he sighed, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my lower back.
“You have me,” I whispered, and he nodded.
“No. Not just that,” he exhaled deeply. “I want you to be my wife.”
I froze.
He stepped back, watching my reaction carefully.
“What?” I breathed.
“Fuck this. I’ll do it my own way,” he muttered under his breath. Then his gaze met mine again, unwavering.
“I want a whole future with you. I want to wake up every morning knowing you’re mine, knowing you’re never going to leave.” He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply.
“I want you to be the mother of my kids, and yeah, we’d make beautiful ones.” He chuckled.
My hand dropped to my stomach instinctively. He probably didn’t notice.
“I want to brag to the world that that brilliant, talented writer is my wife.”
Something wet slipped down my cheek.
“I want to give you the world and love you in the way only I can.”
He took another step back, and then-he was on one knee.
My breath caught as he pulled out a small velvet box and flipped it open, revealing one of the most beautiful rings I’d ever seen.
I covered my mouth, my vision blurring.
“Let me love you. Let me give you the world.” He swallowed hard. “So, I’m asking you.”
His voice was steady, but his eyes weren’t.
“Joan Madison, will you marry me? And make me the fucking happiest man on the face of the earth?”
Tears spilled down my cheeks. My mind raced. When I had asked Aaron if he had a surprise for me, I had expected something-but not this. Not yet.
I took a shaky step forward and gave him the teariest grin.
“No,” I whispered.
His brows furrowed.
“What?” he asked, his voice almost hoarse.
I laughed. “I’m kidding. Yes. Of course I’ll marry you.”
A slow smile broke across his face as he slipped the ring onto my finger. It was breathtaking. Too beautiful. More tears fell, but this time, they were happy ones.
He stood and pulled me into his arms.
“I was scared for a second,” a voice piped up from the darkness.
I shrieked, clinging onto Aaron, who caught me with a laugh.
The lights flicked on all at once. A dozen pairs of eyes stared back at us.
What the fuck?
“Music, music!” someone yelled, and suddenly, loud music blasted through the room.
I blinked, completely stunned.
People I recognized, people I didn’t, passed by, hugging me, congratulating me, wishing me a happy birthday.
I turned to Aaron, mortified.
“They all heard us?” I asked over the music.
He shrugged.
I groaned. “Oh, fuck.”
Denzel approached as Aaron placed his arm around me. He shot Aaron a glare before taking my hand, inspecting the ring.
“Let’s see. At least you make healthy choices,” he muttered before glancing at Aaron. “But terrible speeches.”
Aaron scowled. “It all sounded absurd last minute!”
Denzel scrunched his nose. “We rehearsed, dude.”
I laughed, excusing myself when I spotted Rhoda.
She gave me a teary smile before pulling me into a hug.
“I’m so happy for you, Jo,” she whispered.
“I’m happy for me too,” I murmured.
She pulled away, glancing at the ring. “This is real diamond. You’re so lucky.”
I grinned.
“By the way, why’d you say no first?” she asked.
I groaned. Of course she’d heard that.
“I always fantasized about it-just to see the panic in his eyes. And your brother had it,” I admitted, feeling a little guilty.
“You’re weird.”
Aaron reappeared, holding a glass of golden liquid.
“Thought I’d get you a drink,” he said, offering it to me.
I took the glass-and handed it to Rhoda.
Aaron frowned as I took a step forward and rose on my toes.
“Can’t have alcohol right now,” I whispered in his ear. “But I can in about nine months.”
His face went slack. Then-his eyes widened.
“You’re…”
I nodded.
He squealed-before sweeping me into his arms.
A few heads turned at Aaron’s sudden reaction, but I barely noticed. His arms tightened around me as he spun me in a circle, and I laughed, clutching onto him.
“Oh my God, that’s great news!” Rhoda muttered, though it was clear we weren’t paying her any attention. “Although, I have no idea what’s going on.” She frowned. “What did she just say to you?”
Instead of answering, Aaron kissed me.
I melted into it instantly, the noise and movement around us fading into the background.
Rhoda groaned. “I can’t believe this,” she muttered before walking off, leaving us tangled up in each other.
Aaron pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against mine.
“We’re having a baby?” he whispered, still trying to process it.
I nodded, smiling.
A slow, almost disbelieving grin spread across his face. “That explains everything-the mood swings, the extra sass-”
I smacked his shoulder, laughing. “Shut up.”
He chuckled but suddenly went serious. “Wait. We had really rough sex in the car today. That won’t-”
I rolled my eyes. “The baby’s fine, Aaron.”
He let out a dramatic exhale of relief before pulling me into another kiss.
“God, I love you,” he murmured against my lips.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him close.
“I love you too,” I whispered.
Cheers erupted around us, and I finally let myself take it all in. The music, the laughter, the clinking of glasses-our people, celebrating us.
This was it.
My new beginning. My next chapter.
And I was so ready for it.