Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 41687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
“Um…” I shook my head. “I don’t really…”
“To the sugar store.”
Music floated from a speaker somewhere, and the people around us shifted in an odd way.
I glanced at him in confusion. “The sugar store?”
The look on his face was bright and excited, but also a little nervous. “I’m hurtin’, baby,” he said. And before I could ask him what happened, he stepped back again and joined a line of people who began dancing and singing.
“I need your lovin’,” he continued as the music volume increased.
And then Jake fucking Spellman flash-mobbed me with Maroon 5’s “Sugar” in Potrero del Sol Park.
I stood and stared, realizing what was happening as he dropped down and sang, “I’m on my knees.” No. No fucking way.
A sweeping tide of rage washed over me. How fucking dare he not listen to me when I told him I wasn’t ready to move in together. How dare he think that a flash mob proposal after the world’s longest workday was the way I would want him to bring up the idea of marriage to me.
My face heated with embarrassment, and I began to shiver in the cold. Poor Angel didn’t know what the hell was happening, and she began to whimper.
Jake jumped up and twirled, clapping in time with his mob-buddies, who I suddenly realized included his brother-in-law Enzo, his brother Austin, and his goddamned parents. His sister, Ann, was nearby, getting all of it on video with her phone, a wide smile on her face.
How do I say no in front of all these people?
Nausea bubbled up my throat as I clamped my teeth together. Another wave of anger rose. He’d put me in an impossible situation.
When it was finally done—which felt like hours after it started—he got back down on one knee again and reached for his pocket. I shook my head frantically to try and ward him off, but he wasn’t paying any attention to my face. If he had, he might have seen the horror on it.
“Robert Warren, I love you so much.”
But not enough to know I hate being called Robert.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Build a family with you. Go on adventures and broaden my horizons with you. Will you make me the happiest man on Earth and marry me?”
His sister was still capturing everything on video, and his mom held her hands together in happy anticipation of the happy moment where I made their son the world’s happiest human.
I stared at him, trying to unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth. “Um, can we talk about this a little more in private?” I whispered. “This is overwhelming.”
He jumped up and approached me, squeezing my arms before pulling me into a hug. “Oh, honey. Of course. I know this is a big surprise.”
“It sure is,” I muffled into the front of his red fleece.
Jake turned to the small crowd gathered while still holding me. “Thank you so much for helping me out with this. I’m going to take my beloved home so we can celebrate in private now. Thank you again, everyone!”
It was kind and graceful, and I appreciated the hell out of it. But it wasn’t enough.
“You used the word ‘celebrate,’” I muttered as he pulled me off to the side and away from everyone else.
He stepped in front of me and cupped my cheeks. “Hey, I’m so sorry if I overwhelmed you. I didn’t mean to. I was just so excited to do this after you sent me that flash mob video last year.”
I racked my brain to try to recall what he was referring to. “I don’t remember. Wait. Was it the one with the cat?”
Jake’s shoulders lifted with a shrug. “Dunno, but you thought it was amazing.”
“It was amazing because the cat bobbed its head in time with the beat,” I said stupidly, finally remembering the video I’d forwarded.
“Doesn’t matter. I wanted to do this for you. For us. Because you deserve to feel special. To know how much I love you. You deserved a grand gesture, honey. After everything you’ve been through, you deserved a park full of people telling you how sweet you are. You’re my sugar.”
I remembered Onika describing how sweet Jake was. And he was sweet. So sweet my teeth hurt.
But I also remembered my friends asking if Jake did what was best for him or for me.
“I’m…” I glanced around at everyone trying their hardest not to eavesdrop. “I’m sorry, but I’m not ready for all this. I don’t…”
The truth was, I didn’t want it. He was right. I wanted a grand gesture. A display of devotion just for me. I wanted a man to make me feel special.
But I also wanted to feel seen.
Jake pressed a kiss to my lips. “Robbie, honey. If you’re not ready, then we’ll wait. Okay?”