Chapter 59

FIFTY-NINE

" Y es, Alice, I had dinner." I sigh into my phone as I lean against the car I'm working on. I nod at Mackie as he heads to his car to let him know I finished working on it. "Yes, I remembered to go for my checkup. Who's the oldest here?" I tell her, but I smile at her worry. Over the last few months, the dynamic between us has changed a lot.

She's grown up dramatically, and although I miss the days when she needed me, I really like this new relationship we have. We are so much closer, like actual siblings. She worries for me, I worry for her, we hang with friends, and we are just together as a family.

"Okay, okay," I respond with a sigh. "How are your classes going?" I ask instead, changing the subject.

I listen along, but it's more of a rant than her needing my input, and when she finally says goodbye, I rub my head and the ache blooming there.

"Yo, Anders!" Noah calls.

"Here," I reply, pushing from the car and heading through the garage to find him and the others all gathering around a brand-new race car. "Damn, is that for the newbie?"

We took on a new racer recently. He's supposed to be the best, but he demanded a whole brand-new car, which Noah obliged, but as I stare at it, I whistle. It's boring as hell. Is that how he wanted it?

"You paint, right?" Noah asks as I join them. I don't speak, and he rolls his eyes. "I know you do. He didn't like any of the designs they could do, so it's up to you." He slaps a booklet against my chest with a grin, and I know he did it on purpose. He ordered it plain so I could paint it. I mentioned how I enjoyed it and wanted to try more once or twice, and here he is, giving me the opportunity.

That's one thing about Noah: he cultivated his family here. He gives them what they need while making it seem like we are doing him a favor, and I'm forever grateful for the day he took me on.

I never knew this is where my life would be, but I couldn't be happier.

As they scatter back into the garage, I pull out my phone and turn, snapping a selfie before the car.

Alek: Look what I get to paint.

Pretty Boy: Is it my ass later?

Pretty Boy: Damn, I can't wait to see what you do with it. I told you Noah loves you. I'm so proud of you, baby.

EVAN

LOML: I'll do both ;)

Laughing, I put my phone away and hurry over to the camera. Conan is waiting with a welcoming smile. He might be odd, but damn is he talented, and when I called him after my show, he offered me work experience with him this summer. It means I had to quit my part-time job, but they were more than happy to see me go, and they even threw me a congratulations party. I truly am blessed.

I work around my degree and help him with shoots, and he even put my name on one of them. It appeared in a magazine and everything, and Alek had it framed and hung above our bed, the loser.

He grins. "Are you ready, Evan?"

"Ready." I nod rapidly.

I hold Alek's hand as we walk under the cherry blossoms, my camera bouncing on my chest. I can't help but smile. "Remember how we met here before?"

It's become our place, where we met, argued, reconciled, and now come to be together when both of our lives are super busy. When it's a person you love, though, you make time to spend with them no matter how busy you are. I came straight from the shoot, and he took a break from painting so we could spend some time together.

We wander down the path, my eyes lifting to the trees as I breathe in deeply, letting it relax my soul.

"Evan?" Alek tugs me to a stop, and I blink, glancing at him. His cheeks are red, and he looks shy as he pulls a box from his pocket. "I got you something. Well, us something really." He rubs his neck, a sure sign he's worried, which is so fucking adorable.

"What is that?" I murmur, staring at the deep purple box.

"It's a ring. I got us both one. It isn't a proposal, not yet, but a promise that one day, this ring will be a proposal when you're ready," he admits as he opens it to show two black rings inside. The middles glitter with something, as if filled, and they are stunning.

I lift my eyes to his, shocked and so happy I want to cry. "And when that day comes, I'll say yes," I tell him without hesitation as I pluck a ring from the box and grab his hand, sliding it onto his index finger. He grins and grabs the other one, sliding it on mine, and we hold our hands up, watching them glitter together.

"This way, wherever we are, we are together," he murmurs, kissing my finger before pressing his forehead to mine, wrapping his arms around me. "Always joined. I'll always have you with me, just like I want, and when the time comes, I'll replace it with a diamond?—"

"A big one," I tease, and he grins.

"A big one, such a rich prick," he jokes.

Kissing him, I taste the love on his lips as our ringed hands twine, locking together. "I love it, and I love you."

"I love you," he murmurs, "from the very bottom of my heart, the one you make race every single day."

"Cheese ball," I tease, but I can't contain my smile.

Under the blossoming trees, I let go of my past and worries, and I hand them over to him to keep safe.

Instead, I let myself be happy.

We found love in an unexpected place. It wasn't easy, but it's so worth it, and I'll fight for it every day of our lives because my racing heart is his too.