Page 12 of Glorious Ruin
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SATURDAY — SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO
Now playing: You Be The Anchor That Keeps My Feet On The Ground, I'll Be The Wings That Keep Your Heart In The Clouds - Mayday Parade
Thesunhadn’tevenfully breached the horizon when I slipped out of bed.
Silas was dead to the world, sprawled like a starfish and half hanging off the mattress. He looked exhausted, beautiful, and completely oblivious to the fact I was about to change his entire life before breakfast.
Wallet and phone in hand, I tiptoed across the carpet. I didn’t leave a note. If this went according to plan, I’d be back before he rolled over and realized I was gone.
Once I hit the lobby, I found the rest of our crew. Evan and Lena were slumped in a pair of velvet armchairs, both looking like they had just been rescued from a war zone. Evan’s offer to room with Lena was a noble sacrifice, given that both of them wereterribleroommates.
I marched across the lobby with messy hair and a wrinkled shirt, but I knew I carried a look of manic, terrifying determination.
Evan looked up from his coffee when I came to an abrupt halt in front of them. He took one look at my face, the wildness in my eyes, and the fact that Silas wasn’t with me, and the blood drained from his skin.
“Jesus fuck,” he whispered, sitting up straight. “Cal. The last time one of you showed upalonewith that look on your face, Silas dropped the bomb you twohad been dating, and he’d just broken up with you. Please, don’t do this to me again. Did you fight? Where is he?”
“I need a jeweler,” I demanded, ignoring his panic entirely. “Right now.”
He blinked once, looked at Lena, then back at me. “What?”
“I need a ring.” My voice was low and frantic. “And I need it today. Before the match tomorrow, because if I wait, I won’t have time.”
Evan’s eyes went wide. He stood up so fast his chair scraped loudly against the marble floor.
“No.” Evan held up his hands as if trying to calm a wild animal. “No! You can’t!”
“Excuse me? Why the hell not?”
“Because…because of the match!” Evan stammered, waving his hands frantically in the direction of the arena across town. “You have an hour-long title match tomorrow! You need to be focused! You can’t be distracted by…bymatrimony!”
“Matrimony?” Lena snorted into her coffee cup.
“I’m not distracted,” I snapped, taking a step into his space. “I just told him I would’ve asked him years ago, had we never broken up. I’m not leaving this fucking island as his boyfriend, Evan. He’s it for me, and I’m locking this down.Today.”
“But what about the logistics?” Evan squeaked, backing up until his calves hit the armchair. “You don’t have a plan! You look manic, clearly haven’t slept, and you’re sweating in yesterday’s shirt. You can’t just drag him to a courthouse! He deservesromance, Cal.”
I glared at him. My adrenaline was pumping too hard for me to have patience with his obvious stalling.
“Wilder, you better have an actual, valid reason why I shouldn’t walk out that door right now and buy a ring.”
Evan opened his mouth, then quickly closed it. His eyes darted to Lena, wide and pleading, but she just popped a bubble with her gum and grinned, enjoying the show.
“I…” Evan swallowed hard, sweat beading on his forehead. “Because…because you’ll ruin it.”
“Ruin what?” I demanded.
With a tortured groan, he broke, throwing his hands over his face.
“Because! He’s going to ask you, you dipshit!” Evan hissed, dropping his hands and looking around the lobby in a panic. “He’s going to propose toyou.”
I froze. The anger, the adrenaline, the frantic energy…all hit a brick wall.
“What?” I whispered.
“He has a plan!” Evan began, his face aging about five years in a single moment. “He has been harping on about it for months. He wants it to be perfect when you get back to the Reed’s land.”
