21. Hudson

21

HUDSON

“ T hanks for your help, Cruz.” I wave as he makes his way to the door.

“Anytime. Ciao!” he calls out without looking back.

He’s been around a lot these past couple of weeks for Ember, which I’m grateful for.

The front door clicks shut, which must have been synchronized with the bedroom door because I never heard Ember step out, until the angelic sound of her voice hits my ears.

“I’m ready.”

And when I turn around, I am not ready.

My hand, with a mind of its own, lands on my chest. Why? Because it might fucking stop.

She’s stunning, absolutely breathtaking. Typically, she wears minimal make-up, which suits her well due to her natural beauty. But tonight, her eyes have a dark, smoky look to them that contrasts the pale green color of her satin dress. Her gorgeous red hair flows over the tops of her shoulders onto her creamy, kissable skin.

“Ember, wow.” My eyes widen and I finally breathe. “You look… incredible.” That doesn’t do it justice, but I’m at a loss for words.

“Thank you,” she replies shyly, as she bites the corner of that goddamn irresistible lip. “So do you. You look straight out of GQ magazine.”

“Well, Cruz picked out the vest and bow tie, and now I see why he picked this color.” I unbutton my jacket and pull open the lapels to show her the matching pale green, or seafoam green, as Cruz referred to it as, satin vest.

“It’s perfect.” Her smile is contagious as she takes a few steps toward me to feel the fabric.

She’s even more beautiful up close, and now, the tropical scent that fills not only the space I’m standing in, but the space we live in every day, engulfs me instantly. It’s a daily reminder she’s still here, and I can never get enough of it.

“Alright, shall we go?” she asks.

“Yeah, but you are missing something.”

She pats her neckline, testing for her necklace, which is there. Then she looks down at her tiny purse, her shoes, and back up to me. “I am?”

I pull a little black box out of my pocket and place it in my palm, presenting it to her. My close-lipped smile has more concern than I would like, but this part was inevitable.

“Your ring can only be ‘getting sized’ for so long.” Which is what she has been telling everyone she works with. I think only Elena knows the real truth as to why she doesn’t have one. And actually, come to think of it, Cruz has either figured it out or Elena told him the details of our situation.

Her questioning smile matches mine as she reaches for the box and pops it open.

“Oh my.” Her breath hitches. “It’s stunning.”

“The most flawless diamond in the universe wouldn’t compare to you,” I pull the ring out and place the box down on the countertop of the kitchen island, “but it’ll do. ”

I did tell her I was going to buy her a ring. That we had to in order to keep this charade going, to which she agreed. But kept insisting to just get her a plain band.

A plain band, my ass. I would have her wear the entire goddamn mine cave on her arm if I could.

“Hudson, this is too much,” she replies.

“It’s not enough.” My fast reply makes her lips thin as they press together.

She splays out her fingers on her left hand, and I place the two karat, emerald-cut diamond ring at the tip and push slowly down her finger. It crosses over her knuckle and finally lands at the base, fitting perfectly.

I hold up my left hand, displaying the band I bought for myself. She mentioned buying one for me, but ultimately, she is doing this for me more than herself. So, I insisted I would grab us both simple bands. I just upgraded hers… slightly.

I lift my left hand to show her my palm and she mirrors it with her own, pressing them together. Our wedding bands connect together for the first time, and it feels just as right as it does foreign.

Her chest lifts as she inhales and releases a hefty breath, giving me a soft smile and a nod. “Okay, I’m ready.”

I weave my hand into hers and smile as I lead her out through the front door.

“We’ve got this, little red.”