Page 79 of Reckless with the Rockstar

He quickly glanced away, overwhelmed with emotion. His throat felt tight and his eyes watered. He had to take a deep breath before he could look back at her. While he’d gotten a little more used to the touchy-feely shit since Darla became a permanent fixture in his life, it hadn’t prepared him for this right here.

"Oh," he said.

"I promise, it’ll look really great when it’s done," she assured. "Irina, Becca, and Courtney are all doing this in their backyards, too. We’re connecting them together. It’s your own personal Dimefront Walk of Fame."

"You made me a star?" he asked, still a little numb from the realization that she’d done this whole thing.

"No, you made yourself a star," she said, with a small smile. "I’m just planning the ceremony."

"Youplanned all this?" he asked, his heart swelling with pride.

"If you like it? Then... yes," she said, sort of confidently. "If you don’t, then it was all Sam’s idea."

She was teasing, and he loved it.

He’d had a plan for this part, but the moment felt right and he decided to roll with it.

"Right or left?" he asked.

"Left," she said, jumping right into their game.

"Yes or no?" he asked.

"You know the answer’s always yes," she said, her eyes light with laughter.

"Check the left pocket." He gestured to his coat pocket and she reached inside, pulling out the ring box he’d tucked there.

There was another tucked in the right pocket, too. Just in case.

She flipped open the top, and by the time she looked back at him, she had tears in her eyes.

Lucky for him, she’d already said yes. But she said it again anyway, for good measure.

He wrapped her in a fierce embrace because she’d become his family, and they’d never been happier.

"Mach?" she asked, her face squished against his chest.

"Mm hm?"

"You're not down on your knee," she said with a harder squeeze.

"I can't, you're holding on too tight," he said against her hair.

"Good point," she said, squeezing harder. "I like it this way better, anyway."

And just like that, Mach's life was fucking fantastic.